I just read that I should be keeping my holding tank closed and flush every so often... Too late, I've had it open for most of 2 weeks. Now it doesn't seem to want to go down and seems full what to do?

Do you know what a 'vault' toilet is (outhouse)..ever look down in one and see how it piles up :EWell that is what you have directly under the toilet drain line..a poop pyramid because you have left the drain valve open all liquids have drained out leaving behind a big ole pile of poop.You will need to get a 'stream' nozzle, place it on the end of garden hose, stick it down toilet line and blast away..........WITH THE DRAIN VALVE OPEN and sewer hose hooked up.Blast and drain, blast and drain.....once you get a decent drain flow. Close drain valve...fill tank up until you can see it in toilet drain line and then let it sit over night. Then drain and blast again .Good luck!Always leave drain valve closed until tank is at least 3/4 fullThen dump and rinse tankThen close drain valve and add a couple of full toilet bowl flushes back into tank so that bottom of tank stays wet

Ugh! Thanks so much. I'm in campground so I am assuming I will need to hook hose to outside bib and drag into camper.... What a stinky mess this will be :-( not to mention my DH won't be coming back for a couple weeks so he can do it :-)

Yes I did and this solved it for good. Sometimes stuff gets stuck down there. Reach your arm down the hole as far as you can. When down to the max feel around for anything chunky. Grab it and squeeze it between your fingers until it gets smaller then dump some water in it (After you pull your arm out of coarse}. Do this once a month for regular maintenance. Wash your hands before cooking. I do have a self help video available. Hope this helps.

You are kidding, right???It also helps to have the right kind of TP. I can't stand the stiff one ply (and expensive) stuff that is supposed to be "the thing" to use in an RV, so I've been doing a trial and error thing by buying different brands for use inside the house. Each time I buy something new, I take a couple of squares, put them in a plastic cup with a small amount of water and shake. I was absolutely amazed at how some held together and didn't disintegrate at all. Yesterday I bought a package of Scott's Extra soft. It is one ply, but quilted. It only took a couple of shakes of the cup to turn that paper into a slurry. Guess this package of TP will go right into the trailer.Good luck to the OP in getting your problem solved.

If it's extra stubborn, consider using liquid drano. That's what our owner's manual says to use. We tried it once and it was spotless afterwards. Must be the version that does not attack metal. Also, you cannot dispose of it into a septic disposal system that has an on-site drain field. You should check with the CG to see if it's okay. You should put in 4-5 gallons of water before you start to use the toilet after you've dumped the contents. And don't skimp on water when flushing because you think the tank will last longer. Just asking for trouble otherwise. We've been a victim of a plugged tank and it's not fun to get it cleaned out. Prevention is the best cure.

Waste doesn't seem to be flushing from holding tank

21 Replies

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 29, 2014
Tequila wrote:
John Clarke who runs sanidumps.com has experimented with brands of toilet paper to see which ones break down the best. The results were Kirkland brand from Costco.

Type/Brand of TP is rarely a problem

Liquid to solids ratio can cause problems OR solve them
wmoses
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Tequila wrote:
Other option is to capture a sewer rat and throw it down there.

Yeah but the rat eats then it has to poop, thereby negating the reason for the rat in the first place. Now you have the same poop plus rat. ;)
Tequila
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Murphsmom wrote:
You are kidding, right???

It also helps to have the right kind of TP. I can't stand the stiff one ply (and expensive) stuff that is supposed to be "the thing" to use in an RV, so I've been doing a trial and error thing by buying different brands for use inside the house. Each time I buy something new, I take a couple of squares, put them in a plastic cup with a small amount of water and shake. I was absolutely amazed at how some held together and didn't disintegrate at all. Yesterday I bought a package of Scott's Extra soft. It is one ply, but quilted. It only took a couple of shakes of the cup to turn that paper into a slurry. Guess this package of TP will go right into the trailer.

Good luck to the OP in getting your problem solved.

John Clarke who runs sanidumps.com has experimented with brands of toilet paper to see which ones break down the best. The results were Kirkland brand from Costco.

Other option is to capture a sewer rat and throw it down there.
MarkTwain
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I have the Valterra Hydroflush and it is a must-have even if there are bends in the pipe leading back to the tank. You might not get the direct impact blast of water in such a case but you will certainly have the ability to back-fill the tank for a good flushing. Of course that will not help with the white mountain problem that the OP has.

The Hydroflush will be as effctive as the H20 pressure where ever you are located.
twins89
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I realize you have or think you have it flowing now. I guarantee there is lots still in there. When you can get a bottle of Calgon water softner from the laundry aisle. Put about 2 cups in there when you are going to be filling the black tank. Use some digester as well to be sure you are getting it to digest. The Calgon will loosen the stuck******(pardon the pun) from the bottom and sides. When the tank is at least 3/4 full, dump. We had a paper poop pile we inherited from a previous owner. This worked well. When we cleared the clog and got most of it out we thought we were home free. Then we put the calgon in and digester and filled it with water and let it sit for a day or two. Then we went back to the dump station and it was far from empty as we had originally thought. We are users of the Geo method and it has worked well for us. If it is unusually hot, we will use some digester. We all know you won't ever make this mistake again. I can't believe whomever you bought your rv from did not tell you what to do with your black tank.
SprinklerMan
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
When you leave drain the tank as best you can , buy 25 lbs of ice and drop it in the tank . driving will shake it around and loosen things up , find a dump site near home and dump .
Mr__C
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/flush-king/20522
dan-nickie
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Yall can stop now.
She got it done. :)
MarkTwain
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
Waste holding tank----
Do yourself a real favor and call a local RV technician who will come to your trailer. The cost for the technian will be money well spent and the job will be done right:) Explaine the problem and make sure he has the equiptment to unplug your waste tank. Then sit back and watch the pro do his job while you have a cold beer:) your wife will appreciate you not dragging a hose through the trailer to the john:):):)
Boband4
Explorer
Jun 29, 2014
I had a similar problem, I had the "cracker" in my new to me TT. I bought a bottle of digester, poured it in, and filled the tank all the way. Let it sit overnight then took it to dump site. Completely filled and emptied the tank multiple times, using a 5 gallon bucket as a measure of how much water I put in. After multiple rinses I had gained 5 gallons of capacity, and more importantly I was able to get rid of the horrible smell in the bathroom.
I now use lots of water, and use the black tank rinser whenever I can. I am certainly a believer in the digester, it worked for me.