Rinse your sewer hoses when leaving full hookup site?

[chilly81]

Sorry if this is common knowledge, but searching I couldn't find this specific info - just general guides on dumping.

I use dump stations more often than not so when I'm at a full hookup site, I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do with my hoses after that last dump through the site hookup before I take off. At a dump station, I'd rinse the hoses with the non-potable water there. But at a site, it seems uncouth to put your 'icky water' hose on the h2o tap at the site to rinse your sewer hoses. So I've been just making sure I have plenty of gray, and letting that be the rinse. It's not awful... a little of that gray water smell, but no brown bits if you get my drift. Would prefer a rinse though....

So what do most people do with sewer hoses when unhooking from a full hookup site?

[phillyg]

BB_TX wrote:
I just flush mine well with grey water and don't worry about it.

This.

[_big58ben]

My water hose has a Y connector at the hookup end. I carry a roll up Pocket Hose. I use the pocket hose to flush the stinky slinky as a I disconnect from the coach valve.

Comes in hand for washing off the front of my coach also. I never use my white fresh water supply hose for anything but fresh water.

Of course this after a black tank followed by a grey tank dump.

Hope that helps

[2gypsies1]

Keep in mind that bleach has a very short shelf life for disinfecting so change the solution often.

[rk911]

chilly81 wrote:
Sorry if this is common knowledge, but searching I couldn't find this specific info - just general guides on dumping.

I use dump stations more often than not so when I'm at a full hookup site, I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do with my hoses after that last dump through the site hookup before I take off. At a dump station, I'd rinse the hoses with the non-potable water there. But at a site, it seems uncouth to put your 'icky water' hose on the h2o tap at the site to rinse your sewer hoses. So I've been just making sure I have plenty of gray, and letting that be the rinse. It's not awful... a little of that gray water smell, but no brown bits if you get my drift. Would prefer a rinse though....

So what do most people do with sewer hoses when unhooking from a full hookup site?

I carry a second water hose used exclusively to clean the tanks and hoses and I ALWAYS liberally spray the campsite water hookup with full strength bleach prior to hooking up. I recommend you do the same.

[Bill_S_1]

My routine is first to put on a pair of disposable blue nitrile rubber gloves before handling any of the sewer stuff. With sewer hose connected, I'll dump black tank, while a dedicated short garden hose adds water to the blank flush fiting. After 4 or 5 minutes, I'll cose black dump valve, open gray.

When that's empty, 2 taps on the sidewall, and my better half dumps a kitchen sink full of clean, hot soapy water. This does a final rinse of the hose, and leaves it clean.

I do not contaminate my potable water hose, or the outside hose bib, which is always sprayed with antiacterial kitchen/bath spray, when I am finished. I also spray the hose bib every time I arrive at a new site. Never know what the guy before me was doing.

[Ed_Gee]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
I perform the standard drill when emptying the tanks. BUT, I also clean/disinfect and clean/disinfect the potable-water hose bibs prior to connecting my fresh water fill white hose.

Absolutely ... someone with sense! I always carry a spray bottle of sanitizing solution to spray hose bibs BEFORE I ever hook up my fresh water hose. I use a separate gray hose for cleaning my septic drain hose ... I don't like putting into storage any less clean than necessary.

[2gypsies1]

We rarely used full hookup sites for the reason you talked about. We've seen sewage/toilet paper spilled and folks putting their hose under the faucet. Sometimes the end of the sewer hose was not even put in the sewer - just left on the ground and then they rinsed under the faucet. Yes, we do mention this to campers if we see it being done and have gotten good replies. Some just don't think about what they're doing.

In 16 years of full-timing we never felt it necessary to rinse the hose - even at dump stations. You're not going to sanitize it whatever you do. We dump the black then at least 3/4 tank of grey and we're good to go.

[TucsonJim]

cbshoestring wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
Just a little trivia - Gray or Grey? The common form is grAy in America, and grEy in England. Another useless fact to put in your memory bank.

Oooops, Sorry America, I used the "E". I think it looks cooler :C

It's okay. When you hook up your caravan to your lorry, it all works out. :W

[prstlk]

I use a short 5 ft hose with a back flow preventer and a quick connecter. I have a spray nozzle with quick connect, and a quick connect on my tank flush. I hook the hose to the hose bib in the compartment then snap on to the flush qc. Turn it on dump black, if the gravity is not right I will lift the hose and drain it before I dump the gray. I let the flush run for 10 minutes +/- after I lift the hose again if needed. I then close both valves and let the flusher fill the black tank with 5 to 10 gallons of water. Disconnect from the flusher, connect the spray nozzel, final rinse and done. I never leave my slinky hooked up nor my grey valve open.

[cbshoestring]

TucsonJim wrote:
Just a little trivia - Gray or Grey? The common form is grAy in America, and grEy in England. Another useless fact to put in your memory bank.

Oooops, Sorry America, I used the "E". I think it looks cooler :C

[FrankShore]

I always fun a full sink of hot suds down the kitchen sink before dumping. Then I drain the black tank, then the hot sudsy water from the gray tank washes out the stinky slinky!

[msturtz]

Doin'it wrote:
Thanks for asking. The above have given good answers. We recently witnessed two different people do the huge "what to NOT do." After dumping both tanks, disconnected white hose (yes, their drinking water hose!!) from trailer, then stuck the end down into the stinky slinky to wash it out! I almost threw up.

Ann from Kansas

:E Yikes NO!! I would have had a very hard time not saying something.....

[TucsonJim]

Just a little trivia - Gray or Grey? The common form is grAy in America, and grEy in England. Another useless fact to put in your memory bank.

[Janss]

I do same as some others....dump black first, then grey (making sure it has a couple showers in it). I also have sewer hose end caps as shown here:
End caps

[TucsonJim]

Black, then gray and call it a day. Seriously, if you run enough gray water, there is no need to flush with fresh water. Just make sure your hose is completely drained before you disconnect so you don't spew any contents around the campsite.