cleaning tanks

Lots better cleaning agents, most of which will be a lot easier on the rubber seals.

That is, assuming you are doing this to clean the tank walls/senders.

I use Lysol liquid and ice cubes for the final clean. While traveling I still use just Lysol liquid after each dump. I never leave the black water tank totally dry. Bleach is so caustic on components and seals.

Ok I will try lysol for sure thanks for the replys and yes wolfe just for cleaning is all.

I wouldn't think a half-gallon of liquid in a near-empty tank would do much swirling around.

When I use the Lysol for the final cleaning I fill the tank 1/4 full with clean water and 1 complete botle of the red lysol liquid and a bag of ice cubes. After dumping this swirl I then flush the tank with clean fresh water and leave the valve open overnight to dry out. The next morning I close all water drains/valves. As proof of this procedure I recently had both dump valves replaced and the repair facility said not only was the tank empty but it had no smell and it was dry.

You might also consider Calgon Water Softener (use the liquid, not the powdered) in about three or four gallons of water per tank. The "soft" water will swish around (how's that for a technical term?) during travel and will help keep "things" from sticking to the sensors and the walls of the tanks or valves. We've been doing this for years now (after hearing about it here on the forum) and haven't had any problems with our tanks. We add the solution each time we dump our holding tanks. Therefore, our tanks are never dry. Also, every once in awhile, we'll do the add-a-bag-of-ice trick before heading out on a trip, just for good measure.

I water only and sometimes The Geo Method, without the bleach.

The sensors on our tanks are on the outside of the tanks, no penetration. When we got the coach it was set up with a grinder pump and a 1" drain hose. A lot of people on here swear by these and while they do work as designed it is a slower draining than the stinky slinky. Any way I switched over to the 4" hose as I do not to pump uphill. A scale had attached itself to the side walls and stopped my gauges from detecting the fluid inside the tanks. I attribute this to the SLOW draining using the pump. I filled my tanks with about 1/4 to half full, a guess as I had no gauges and added 1/2 of Dawn dishwashing liquid into each tank. 9 oz bottle not much. 60g Gray and 40 gal Black. I did use hot water. I drove around a long block 8 miles. and let it set until we went camping the next weekend. Went camping 45 miles dumped the tanks and they have been working flawlessly since. Still working great and it has been several months and several tanks full. Try it, it worked for us and pretty simple. Larry

If you have any old urine in your black tank it turns to ammonia! Add bleach and toxic vapors will be produced! The bleach will decompose to form hydrochloric acid which reacts with ammonia to form chloramine fumes. Also a toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine maybe formed. NEVER add Bleach to a black tank. It's been awhile but posters have had explosions!

J-Rooster wrote:
If you have any old urine in your black tank it turns to ammonia! Add bleach and toxic vapors will be produced! The bleach will decompose to form hydrochloric acid which reacts with ammonia to form chloramine fumes. Also a toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine maybe formed. NEVER add Bleach to a black tank. It's been awhile but posters have had explosions!

OK no bleach in black tank I got yah and thanks for all the info.I actually was more concerned with the grey tank because it need,s a good flush and for some stupid unknown reason Tiffin did not put a grey tank flush/spray system in the grey tank.I wish they had