Black Tank Cleaning - Suggestions Please

[JCMSr]

Well, after three years and at least two different sets of sensors I am trying to get a little creative to see if I can get the black tank monitor to read correctly. Despite already having the San-T-Flush system on the black tank and using it after each dump the tank sensors are usually stuck on Full or 2/3 best case scenario. FYI-Even though I have no way to flush the grey tanks I have never had a problem with that side of the system.

Due to the coach design (macerator toilets) some of the age old solutions such as a washer wand or ice cubes in the tank during travel are out of the question. Also, long term solutions such as filling the tank with Rid-X and leaving it for weeks or months is out since we are full-timers meaning that we usually dump our tanks about ever 5 days.

Taking these circumstances into consideration I have decided that it s time to try the age old GEO method with a twist. For those of you familiar with the GEO method it consists of using Calgon Water Softner and Dawn detergent to loosen the scum and "other" debris from the walls of the holding tank. Here's where I am thinking of trying something different that I have not heard anyone mention. In the plumbing bay I have an exterior shower with both hot and cold water. I also have the AquaHot heating system which give me essentially unlimited hot water. Provided I can find the correct fitting to connect a short hose to the shower faucet and then to the San-T-Flush fill connection I could fill the tank with Hot water which should hopefully do a better job of cleaning than Cold water. I would probably also use an inline backflow valve just to make sure nothing backs up from the black tank and contaminates the fresh water system.

Very interested to hear from anyone who has tried this method or something similar. Am I wasting my time or does this make sense to anyone else?

[RayChez]

Koop wrote:
Ray, I think this is actually a good idea. You want to have an adequate amount of water in your black tank to flush the paper and solid matter through when you open the valve,

I see you have a Gulfstream. My Gulfstream coach is plumbed so the bathroom sink drains into the black tank. I like this feature.

If I remember correctly, I have a 55 gallon grey tank and a 45 gallon black tank. I have never had any problems with either tank draining proper. Geez! the black tank drain is four inches in diameter. If it does not drain everything with a four inch drain, then the person using the toilet is not using enough water. That is why I am so insistent that everybody should use some kind of an enzyme to break down the solids and tissue keeping the inside of the tanks clean all the time. The sensors on my coach work perfect every time.

On my coach the grey tank holds the shower, kitchen sink and the bathroom sink water. The black tank is strictly for the toilet.

[Koop]

Ray, I think this is actually a good idea. You want to have an adequate amount of water in your black tank to flush the paper and solid matter through when you open the valve,

I see you have a Gulfstream. My Gulfstream coach is plumbed so the bathroom sink drains into the black tank. I like this feature.

[RayChez]

JCMSr wrote:
For those of you who are interested I have solved my tank sensor issues (at least for now) using a combination of the GEO method and rinsing with hot water as I previously posted. The combination of using the Dawn and Calgon plus filling the tank with hot water and letting it sit for 6-8 hours made an immediate difference. For the first time in over 2 years the tank monitor read Empty when dumped. The only problem I am having now is that it seems to go from "Empty" to "2/3" after only a few flushes. I think this is due to the location of the sensors on the exterior of the tank and will be relocating them shortly to see if this corrects this issue.

On note for those of you with similar model RV's. During this process I found out that the sink in the half bath was actually attached to the black tank rather than the grey. This makes filling the tank with hot water much easier. I still, however, will use the SaniFlush after each dump because of the spray action.

That is not very smart in the part of the manufacturer, since the black tanks generally are smaller then the grey. It is a no brainer because the black tank would fill up pretty fast.

[2oldman]

Thanks for the update. It's like mowing the lawn isn't it?

[JCMSr]

For those of you who are interested I have solved my tank sensor issues (at least for now) using a combination of the GEO method and rinsing with hot water as I previously posted. The combination of using the Dawn and Calgon plus filling the tank with hot water and letting it sit for 6-8 hours made an immediate difference. For the first time in over 2 years the tank monitor read Empty when dumped. The only problem I am having now is that it seems to go from "Empty" to "2/3" after only a few flushes. I think this is due to the location of the sensors on the exterior of the tank and will be relocating them shortly to see if this corrects this issue.

On note for those of you with similar model RV's. During this process I found out that the sink in the half bath was actually attached to the black tank rather than the grey. This makes filling the tank with hot water much easier. I still, however, will use the SaniFlush after each dump because of the spray action.

[cape0001]

You may want to try Treatzall holding tank treatment

[AllegroD]

After rinsing out the tank, put in 16 oz of Calgon water softener and fill the tank. Let this set for about 4 hours. Has worked for me for 7 years.

[Acampingwewillg]

Costco on occasion has this water wand type pole with an adjustable spray nozzle on it. Its extremely powerful and when I stick it down the "throne" twist it back and forth a few times and gauges all read accurately again......until the next time.

[RayChez]

carp65 wrote:
We have been full-timing for 8 years. Black tank sensor is very finicky!
Sometimes it works, other times it still shows full even after dumping.
Grey water tank always shows empty after a dump. Not a real important issue
for us. All you have to do is lift the lid, and with a flashlight, look down
into the toilet and you can see how full it is. I usually can tell by the sound
of the water when being flushed.

Not all toilets you can see into it. On our toilet it has a four inch elbow to the left right away and it is impossible to see into the black tank.

[RayChez]

You are just being stubborn about using an enzyme and making excuses that you have to leave it in for months. That is pure bunk and you know it. Use Happy Camper and you can dump every week just like we do. By the end of the week you dump and the black tank is clean and your sensors will be accurate.

As far as to using the Geo system? Well! I guess you can save a penny or two. Happy Camper is for motorhome use, not sure of Rid=X that you mentioned. I think that is more for use on septic tanks, it works slower then other enzymes that are in the market specific for RV's like yours.

If you are still having problems, then you should hook up the hose to the sprayers that wash the inside of both of your tanks after every dump. It only takes five minutes to do a clean job.

[Monaco_Montclai]

Ain't happening my friend. The thing I did waz knowing that the know how waz not here yet.so watched how much useage waz going in the tank.the only chem that I could see waz doing anything waz this cem. Called I c e yep u got it.the idiots lites worked one time rite . After that, since then watched how much went I to the tanks. Technology is not there yet ---I-MHO? Be nice if it waz. Now it's all --happy-camping

[Monaco_Montclai]

Ain't happening my friend. The thing I did waz knowing that the know how waz not here yet.so watched how much useage waz going in the tank.the only chem that I could see waz doing anything waz this cem. Called I c e yep u got it.the idiots lites worked one time rite . After that, since then watched how much went I to the tanks. Technology is not there yet ---I-MHO? Be nice if it waz. Now it's all --happy-camping

[bob_nestor]

The sensors in my tanks seem to be somewhat sensitive to the slightest bit of moisture. I can dump the tanks and they'll read empty but by the time I get home the black tank is reading something for a few hours. My theory is there's always just a little bit of water left in the tanks and the drive home splashes it around on onto the sensor. After a few hours it drips off or evaporates and the tank reads empty again.

For cleaning I've tried most of the recommendations I've seen over the years. The current one I use came from a posting about a product called Unique Super Digest-It that I was able to find in a local HW store. I've had real good success with it putting a cup of it in the black tank and filling the tank about 2/3 full with water and letting it sit for a few days before dumping. It seems to digest all the material in the tank, including the paper, making the dump virtually all liquid. I've been doing this treatment once or twice a year now.

Unique Super Digest-It

[HappyKayakers]

nelson wrote:
JMO Wast of time and money. It is a black tank full of stuff, When it's full empty it.

X2. 5 days sounds like a very short time for a couple to fill a black tank, unless you have a very small black tank. Maybe you're not letting it fill up enough before dumping.

Not sure if a macerator toilet will burp or not. I'd be tempted to let it go and find out. Is there a way to turn off the macerating feature to test?