Are those black tank cleaning wands worth it?

[DatacomGuy]

You know the kind.. $15-20, attach to a hose.. I'm assuming used through the toilet to clean the black tank.

Worth it? Any better techniques to keeping the blank tank clean?

[1775]

We have the tank wand and even have the connection to attach it to the sink. First, the sink does not put out enough water pressure to really allow the wand do what it is supposed to do. My hope with the wand had been that for the first time since I got the RV new, I would see the black tank monitor read empty. That was a nice wish that never came true. I have used the tank wand a number of times dragging a garden hose inside the RV to the toilet and spending a good amount of time "cleaning" it. Maybe it is working but I have not really seen any difference than just filling the black tank with water after dumping (my tank is only ten gallons) and then running that through. My RV has a permanently built in macerator - no gravity feed and no ability to back flush the tank with any type of attachment. We carry the wand and the hose with us - just in case - but together they take up more room than they are worth in the limited space that we have in our Class B.

[Ron3rd]

DatacomGuy wrote:
You know the kind.. $15-20, attach to a hose.. I'm assuming used through the toilet to clean the black tank.

Worth it? Any better techniques to keeping the blank tank clean?

We bought one. I think we used it twice in 10 years. Wouldn't buy another one.

BTW, if you do end up with a wand, pick up a Johnny Chock too to hold the valve open. We've got both. The want probably has some benefit but I've never really seen the need for it and won't substitute for bad black tank management.

[LarryJM]

downtheroad wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
In my opinion, the "down the toilet wand" is the best way to really get all the "stuff" out of your black tank.
Barney

Even though we have a factory installed black tank flush, I have to agree with this. The down the toilet wand does a better job..

Downside is you have to drag a hose through you rig. and it's best if your toilet is a straight drop to the tank.

I also agree and I'm fortunate in that I just pull the hose in thru the bathroom window which is on the utility side of the trailer to start with so no hoses running thru the rig. I also use the following and think it's about the best you can do since it's flexible on one end and the rotating sprayer really gets the sides and areas clean. It will also bust up the "mound of gloom" if you encounter it.



Larry

[GMT830]

Effy wrote:
As others have said, water, water, water. the more you use, the better the dump will be.

I find that true for my own personal system also 😉

[GMT830]

vic46 wrote:

GMT830 wrote:
One of the easiest ways to keep the black tank under control is to let if fill as much as possible before dumping. That will allow the solids to soften and breakdown as much as possible.

If you are just doing weekends and don't use the toilet much and have another trip planned soon, just leave it and dump next time. If you must dump, hold the toilet fill valve open and let the tank fill while you are doing other chores packing up to to go. When we left our last trip of last season I wentso far as to tip the trailer sideways and uphill to get a thorough drain. After the initial drain I closed the valve and put another 15-20 gallons water in and rinsed again. It was pretty clean by that point.

Do not add bleach to the tank, especially mid-season. It will kill the bacteria and slow down the breaking of solids.

I will repeat it again though, don't drain the black tank until it's full. Save you all kinds of problems

The tank is a HOLDING tank not a septic tank. The degree of solid break down is minimal at best and not the intent of a holding tank. The breakdown process is a long term proposition that occurs in septic tanks. One can use bleach as the enzimes that do the breakdown of solids are likely nonexistent in a holding tank.

You imply the enzymes/bacteria in a septic tank are different than in your black holding tank. Where do they come from and how do they get in my septic tank?

[Effy]

I installed a tank flush on the black and the grey tanks(grey can get nastier than the black sometimes). I use them just about after every trip. Very easy way to hose out and flush your tanks. Worth every bit of the $20 I spent and 15 mins to install. I am not OCD but I am not prone to allowing buildup and therefor odors either. My unit has a macerator so I don't always have the benefit of the physics of a typical gravity dump. As others have said, water, water, water. the more you use, the better the dump will be.

[NorCal_Dan]

I tried one, hated it. Best method I've found it using tank additives. You add it to the tank after flushing, then use the tank as normal. When full you dump as normal. The enzymes in the additive will dissolve all solids in the tank allowing for a clean dump. When I plan to not use the rig for awhile I add appx. 20 gallons of water to the tank after dumping, take it for a short drive and then dump again. While the wand may have worked, I hated dragging a hose thru the rig or in the window. Use the additives and chances are good your sensors will read correct. I don't use the additives every time...when we were full-timing I did it once a month or every other month. The main thing was to not wait too long and things had a chance to really take a hold in the tank. I never dump the tank until the toilet burps so I know it's full. And use plenty of water when flushing, you can't use too much water.

[IAMICHABOD]

DatacomGuy wrote:

Camping world has a faucet connection kit.. $8 on sale.. Hooks the wand right up to the faucet, instead of running a hose around. Seems worth it.

Don't waste your time or money on this useless piece of junk.

I was given one and it was more than worthless,the sink faucet does not have the pressure to do any good with the wand.

[downtheroad]

DatacomGuy wrote:

Camping world has a faucet connection kit.. $8 on sale.. Hooks the wand right up to the faucet, instead of running a hose around. Seems worth it.

Sounds like a pretty good idea, but:

The problem with these is there is often reduced pressure inside the rig so the cleaning/blasting is reduced.

Also many/most Original equipment bath faucets are cheap, weak and prone to break.

[vic46]

GMT830 wrote:
One of the easiest ways to keep the black tank under control is to let if fill as much as possible before dumping. That will allow the solids to soften and breakdown as much as possible.

If you are just doing weekends and don't use the toilet much and have another trip planned soon, just leave it and dump next time. If you must dump, hold the toilet fill valve open and let the tank fill while you are doing other chores packing up to to go. When we left our last trip of last season I wentso far as to tip the trailer sideways and uphill to get a thorough drain. After the initial drain I closed the valve and put another 15-20 gallons water in and rinsed again. It was pretty clean by that point.

Do not add bleach to the tank, especially mid-season. It will kill the bacteria and slow down the breaking of solids.

I will repeat it again though, don't drain the black tank until it's full. Save you all kinds of problems

The tank is a HOLDING tank not a septic tank. The degree of solid break down is minimal at best and not the intent of a holding tank. The breakdown process is a long term proposition that occurs in septic tanks. One can use bleach as the enzimes that do the breakdown of solids are likely nonexistent in a holding tank. However, as referenced above, have a look at the GEO method. Environmentally friendly, no harsh chemicals and very effective. Have been using the method for years with perfect results. The key to the GEO method is the Calgon. It makes the tank surface very slippery and therefore the solid adherence is minimized. A substitute for the Calgon is 20 Mule Team Borax. You will understand the slippery comment when you mix the Calgon or Borax in water before pouring in the tank. You can purchase a sprayer that attaches to the waste out flow that will allow you to rinse both tanks, sort of.

[DatacomGuy]

downtheroad wrote:

BarneyS wrote:
In my opinion, the "down the toilet wand" is the best way to really get all the "stuff" out of your black tank.
Barney

Even though we have a factory installed black tank flush, I have to agree with this. The down the toilet wand does a better job..

Downside is you have to drag a hose through you rig. and it's best if your toilet is a straight drop to the tank.

Camping world has a faucet connection kit.. $8 on sale.. Hooks the wand right up to the faucet, instead of running a hose around. Seems worth it.

[paulcardoza]

Barney --- You'll soon see that your logic and common sense will fall on deaf ears. There are few more hot topics here than maintaining a sterile black tank. ;-)))

[BarneyS]

You really don't need to use anything in the black tank except lots of water. The contents don't stay in there long enough for much breakdown to occur so the chemicals are just for odor and most of the time they smell just as bad as the waste. In my opinion, all the tank additives are just a waste of money, and that includes the Geo method.

All I have used for years is just water and we don't have any odor or blockage problems at all. We also stay in our trailer for several months at a time during the winter months and use it extensivly during the summer, so it is not like the tank doesn't get much use!
Barney

[downtheroad]

BarneyS wrote:
In my opinion, the "down the toilet wand" is the best way to really get all the "stuff" out of your black tank.
Barney

Even though we have a factory installed black tank flush, I have to agree with this. The down the toilet wand does a better job..

Downside is you have to drag a hose through you rig. and it's best if your toilet is a straight drop to the tank.

[Fresno_Tundra_D]

Are they worth it? Yes,for people with OCD. For everyone else just always use plenty of water and you'll be ok.