Forum Discussion

old_guy's avatar
old_guy
Explorer
Jun 07, 2014

black tank blocked

when in Yuma last winter I learned a lesson and boy I don't want to do that again. I went out to empty the back tank and pulled the handle. every thing was going fine until DW called me to tell me something and BANG a senior moment. I forgot the close the valve on the black tank. a week later I again went out to empty and the handle was in the out position. I knew I had screwed up. luckily I was at a lot in Yuma that had other facilities and I went to the RV dealer in Fortuna and got a bottle of black tank digestor. poured that in and waited a few days and put as much water in as I could and pulled the handle. clean as a whistle. lesson learned, do not leave the area until the black tank is empty and cleaned then close the valve. I still counting my blessings on that one.
  • And there are those that say digestors are a waste of time in the black tank.
    Maybe some of them will read this. Possibly those that repeatedly have clogged tanks.
  • normally I do not use digestors in my black tank. the only reason I used it is the rv guy said it would cost me about $200 plus to have the people who do tanks to come out and clear the blockage. he said you only have $12 to loose if you try this stuff first. I usually empty the tank and hook up a quicky sprayer to clean the tank out and to clean the probes. I know for a fact I got lucky on this one.
  • You are lucky you found it so quickly. A week isn't really enough time for "stuff" to petrify completely. Remember, even with the drain open, the tank is still a damp environment. If it had been 6 months later, you may not have been so lucky.

About RV Tips & Tricks

Looking for advice before your next adventure? Look no further.25,102 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 18, 2025