How often and how to clean black tank

way2roll wrote:

austinjenna wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

If I have a full hookup site I will hook up my black tank flush and flush for a couple minutes every trip. If I am at the dump station and there isn't a backup, I will flush for a couple minutes as well. I'm probably doing it excessively, but its worked for me.

I usually keep the black tank flush on while dumping the black tank to help move along the solids, then I'll close the black tank for 2 or 3 minutes to build up the water level in the tank, then open the black tank again. That "surge" of water coming out helps to clean up most of the solids. Then I make sure to leave a couple gallons in the tank after I close the black valve again.

X3 - same process I use.

I do the same thing as you. If there is a line at the dump station I will just dump then flush back at my storage lot.

Yep, that's the procedure. Works all the time, every time.

I know the following is going to blow some of the "rules" folks minds, but... We do a lot of traveling and boondocking. I've plumbed the black tank rinse system directly into the coach's fresh water system, on the pressure side of the pump. We have two shutoff valves in that connecting line, and the system back flow preventer. This gives me a few things I ordinarily would not have. I don't need a separate black tank flush hose, I don't have to deal with a black tank hose at the flush site that someone has shoved up his sewer hose to "clean it out" and, if necessary I have a garden hose connection in that line that I can use to clean sections of the outside of the coach if I've been in VERY dirty or muddy conditions. Like the Top of the World Highway in Alaska or other unpaved places. Of course we have to be careful with fresh water tank levels, but for us this procedure has been working for over 110,000 miles in the 2013 Bus and for over 50,000 miles in the former 2008 Bus. Against the "plumbing rules"?? Of course, But it works and I'm not risking anyone but me.