Cleaning the black water tank

I always used Flush King when I wanted to really clean the tanks, black and grey. Using this product forces water back up into the tank and then open the valve and see what comes out. It might take many trys but eventually you will see only clear water discharge. Kept my gauges reading pretty close to accurate. I also used Calgon between dumping to help clean the tanks.Flush King

MagillaGorilla here is a link to the GEO method. https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/. I have used this on my '96 Bounder and it worked well for me.

Harbor Freight has a nice little camera set up that I bought for working on my Goldwing. It works well for inspecting the black tank without a charge for plumber. If you have access to hot water that you can put into the toilet, put about 10 gallons in with Dawn and Calgon and take a 10 minute ride and then finish filling it and the gray tanks. Elevate the off side of the camper and then drain the black tank and leave the black drain open. If you don't have a third gate valve, raise the hose higher than the tank and open the gray tank and it will flow quickly into the black tank and close the valves before the flow stops. Then drain the black tank again and again back flow with the gray tank. If you can do this while keeping the hose in the drain and keep the water moving, that is even better. Usually I stand on the hose to keep the end in the tank and pick the hose up close to the camper to create the flow into the black tank and just open and close the gray tank.

John Wayne wrote:
If while hooked up in the campground you are leaving your black and gray tank valves open that is whats causing your problem. The liquid drains off BUT the solids stay and dry out and harden in the tanks. Leave the black tank valve closed until your tank is 1/2 or more full then drain it and flush out the hose when you drain the gray tank.

I most definitely do not leave either valve open. Good question but not my root cause.

If while hooked up in the campground you are leaving your black and gray tank valves open that is whats causing your problem. The liquid drains off BUT the solids stay and dry out and harden in the tanks. Leave the black tank valve closed until your tank is 1/2 or more full then drain it and flush out the hose when you drain the gray tank.

UPDATE:

First let me say thank you for all of the responses. They were helpful. Also It is not my gauge reading that causes me to think my tank is full. It the TP and "other" stuff that is coming up into the toilet that causes me to think its full.

So here is what I did:
1: Drained the black water tank and then flushed the drain hose.

2: Filled the black water tank with water. Filled it to the TOP.

3: Drained the black water tank.

4: Put in 1 small bottle of Dawn dish soap.

5: Filled the black water tank to the top. Foam came out of the vent on the roof.

6: Drained the black water tank. There was some discoloration to the water but no solids or TP came out on this flush.

7: Filled the black water tank

8: Drained the black water tank.

9: Added about 10 gallons of water to the black water tank.

10: Put in some Dawn Dish Soap.

11: Added some Calgon water softener.

12: Went 4 full days (for the first time ever with this camper) without having to drain the black water tank. I could have gone longer but our trip was over and it was time to go home.

13: Drained the black water tank, added a little water and Dawn and headed home.

Buy some "Black Tank Commando" and try that to the T

my 2 cents says the tank is emptying. Mine always reads 1/2 when empty and I just do not let that bother me.

For the flusher, you need to run those lines down as posted previously. You can always dabble in the snake oils later after you fix the problem.

BTW it is fun crawling into that basement if your tool shed is as big as mine. :W

I always add loquid laundry detergent to my black tank,it keeps every thing from sticking to sides or bottom

If you are stationary for a week or so and have access to outside facilities, I would fill the tank and put in some rid-x or other stuff like it and let it set for several days.

If you are traveling, drain the tank as much as possible and then put several gallons of clean water back into it (using the toilet since your rinse is plugged up). Add to that water a cup or two of liquid laundry detergent and a 1/2 cup of Calgon water softener. Drive to you next destination and the sloshing motion of the rv will help remove stuff that has stuck to the walls of the tank (and sensors). At your destination, drain the tank and fill and drain again (hopefully the rinser will be working...if not use the toilet again) and drain once more. Add several gallons and use as you normally would.

If this hasn't corrected your problem, do it again the next time you travel. I do this EVERY time I travel and my tank works as design, sensors operate perfectly, and I never have any odors in the mh.

Give it a shot...

Ron