Gray tank plugged, limited options
Yes, I know it's been beaten to death but please bare with me. 70, disabled, on SS so on a budget. Not the issue, just sayin'. Yes, I'd love to have Joes RV Specialist come out but I need to try some...
Forum Discussion
Thank you all for the time and the advice.
So I learned many think it's the valve despite the valve handle feeling just as it has for years. ? I know when my black tank valve broke, the knife blade from the cable rod, pulling on the cable went free, easily pulling in and out as nothing connected at the valve end. There wasn't.
I too thought 4000psi was liking to cause damage so no, wasn't so much a consider but reaffirmed the "theory" of backwashing the plug loose and hoping it would break up enough to flow out with on the 40-70maybe psi of my garden hose.
As I said, I'm in a park, disabled so other than taking my attached enclosed porch down, moving freezer, hiring a truck to come and tow me to an RV repair... it's last on the list. If I let 40 gals of gray water just flood out onto the ground. I'd be leaving permanently. Not happening.
I've tried a snake and as noted I don't "think" it ever got around the bends to the valve. Scratch the snake.
Ice has long been a solution for at least "cleaning" the tank some but again... you have to put in the ice and move around to agitate it. Pouring in ice standing still... nada. Cold greasy water.
I realized not much can be done from inside.
So, I'm going to crawl under after putting on my back brace, cut out the area where I believe the valve is located and see if the appears to be retracting/closing the knife blade or not. If it seems to be, I'll try forced water with the garden hose carefully to try and dislodge the plug, have someone watching under sink. Pushing against the water in the tank thats is full limits my optimism. But, If it moves and I get some outflow to lessen the amount of waste in the tank, I'll repeat till I get the surge or keep getting what I can out, maybe try some tank probiotics.
All else fails... s... I'll get some containers at home depot(40 gal), loosen the valve and let it drain, see whats up there, replace the valve.
One last question: from inside, I can get at the vent to the tank. I could get a pump to empty and insert the suction hose down thru the vent to the tank. I've tried to find a schematic of the plumbing system from Laredo but they said none available, acted like "why would we have such a thing" ??
Would one of you pros know if the vent tube goes directly into the top of the tank without bends?
So I learned many think it's the valve despite the valve handle feeling just as it has for years. ? I know when my black tank valve broke, the knife blade from the cable rod, pulling on the cable went free, easily pulling in and out as nothing connected at the valve end. There wasn't.
I too thought 4000psi was liking to cause damage so no, wasn't so much a consider but reaffirmed the "theory" of backwashing the plug loose and hoping it would break up enough to flow out with on the 40-70maybe psi of my garden hose.
As I said, I'm in a park, disabled so other than taking my attached enclosed porch down, moving freezer, hiring a truck to come and tow me to an RV repair... it's last on the list. If I let 40 gals of gray water just flood out onto the ground. I'd be leaving permanently. Not happening.
I've tried a snake and as noted I don't "think" it ever got around the bends to the valve. Scratch the snake.
Ice has long been a solution for at least "cleaning" the tank some but again... you have to put in the ice and move around to agitate it. Pouring in ice standing still... nada. Cold greasy water.
I realized not much can be done from inside.
So, I'm going to crawl under after putting on my back brace, cut out the area where I believe the valve is located and see if the appears to be retracting/closing the knife blade or not. If it seems to be, I'll try forced water with the garden hose carefully to try and dislodge the plug, have someone watching under sink. Pushing against the water in the tank thats is full limits my optimism. But, If it moves and I get some outflow to lessen the amount of waste in the tank, I'll repeat till I get the surge or keep getting what I can out, maybe try some tank probiotics.
All else fails... s... I'll get some containers at home depot(40 gal), loosen the valve and let it drain, see whats up there, replace the valve.
One last question: from inside, I can get at the vent to the tank. I could get a pump to empty and insert the suction hose down thru the vent to the tank. I've tried to find a schematic of the plumbing system from Laredo but they said none available, acted like "why would we have such a thing" ??
Would one of you pros know if the vent tube goes directly into the top of the tank without bends?
