Gray Tank Cleaning

[Downunda]

I'm in Australia and have a new Class C, its only taken a little while for the gray tank sensors to foul up. The dealer did a tank clean for me and I had to pay.
I've now bought some drop-in RV tank cleaning tablets and have yet see see if they work at all. However, in the meantime I've been thinking about lower cost ideas that might work as well or better.

The first is perhaps to disolve dishwasher tablets and flush them into the holding tank and drive around with the tank fairly full to loosen stuff up. The other is to make up a solution of bicarbonate of soda and try that.

What do forum members think about these ideas?

[Downunda]

Thanks again for the additional resonses... we bought our rig new and it hasn't been used but a few months (continuous), and we are very careful with what gets into the sink. We are vegetarians so virtually no grease is in the wash up water. We are thinking that perhaps one of the body wash products we use in the shower is the culprit.

You have given us lots of ideas to work with, thanks, David

[ksg5000]

Dishwashing detergent (designed to remove crude from dishes) combined with Dawn (designed to remove oil) are all I have ever used. Fill you gray water tank about 1/2 full with water and the above and go for a ride - should act like a big washing machine and eliminate the problem. In general most don't have to pay much attention to gray water tank so long as your washing your dishes with Dawn or similar.

[SoundGuy]

DutchmenSport wrote:
In Australia if you don't have Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, use another dishwashing liquid available to you that advertises super duper grease removal from pots and pans.

Apparently Dawn dishwashing detergent is available Downunder but you have to search for it. Proctor & Gamble, manufacturer of Dawn, also sells the same product in Australia under the name Fairy. Odd name but apparently it's the same stuff.

Dawn Dishwashing Detergent Explained

Personally I'd be cautious about using Dawn in the black tank as it really foams a LOT ... tried it once and had a heck of a time dispersing it.

[firemedic1992]

I had a black tank clog and used Septobac. After sitting in the tank a few days the clog was dissolved and started flowing again. I now use it in gray and black tanks.

[DutchmenSport]

stickdog wrote:
We sit for two or three months at a time volunteering. When we pull out of one of thos spots I'll close the gray tank before we leave and drop a 1/4 cup of Dawn down the kitchen sink and then run the hot water till cold. Drive a couple hundred miles and dump upon arivial. It's greese that gums up the works and nothing better than Dawn to break it up.

2x

In Australia if you don't have Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, use another dishwashing liquid available to you that advertises super duper grease removal from pots and pans.

[SoundGuy]

doxiemom11 wrote:
We don't do anything specific to clean our grey tank. Why? It's filled with soapy water from showers and doing dishes all the time. You will get so you know when it's getting full , same with the black. Sensors not needed.

Grey water stinks when it sits long enough so the "cleaner" the tank is the better. Using Walex Elemonate in the grey tank, Dometic Clean 'n Green in the black tank, along with an occasional dose of Walex Commando and a dash of laundry detergent / Calgon mix when servicing the tanks and I never have any issues with tank odours. Tank monitors I generally ignore anyway.

[Padlin]

The only thing I know that actually works is to change the sensors out with Horst probes, as long as you currently have the standard in thru the wall probes. There are also a couple other styles that do not go thru the tank wall but I've not heard reviews of them.

[stickdog]

We sit for two or three months at a time volunteering. When we pull out of one of thos spots I'll close the gray tank before we leave and drop a 1/4 cup of Dawn down the kitchen sink and then run the hot water till cold. Drive a couple hundred miles and dump upon arivial. It's greese that gums up the works and nothing better than Dawn to break it up.

[doxiemom11]

We don't do anything specific to clean our grey tank. Why? It's filled with soapy water from showers and doing dishes all the time. You will get so you know when it's getting full , same with the black. Sensors not needed.

[JimK-NY]

I cannot imagine what is going into your gray tank that is causing issues. Our gray water is from the shower and from washing dishes. Washing dishes can add some debris to the tank. We use a stainless steel filter to trap most of the solids before they can reach the tank. I do add a little bleach every so often to help keep the tank clean and to avoid any odors.

[Downunda]

Thanks, Elomonate is what I have and will try it in the next few days, however at $18 a packet here I don't see it as a long term solution.

Thanks folks for the other suggestions as well, I wll work my way through them.
Regards

[SoundGuy]

Downunda wrote:
I'm in Australia and have a new Class C, its only taken a little while for the gray tank sensors to foul up.

Even when you're careful about what you allow to drain into the grey tank it still results in an amazing amount of sludge that will foul the tank sensors. For several years now I've been using Walex Elemonate in my grey tank and am amazed at the amount of stuff that comes out with the water. Here's an Australian source for Elemonate.

[cfuller3]

Yeah, get used to that quality. You're going to see a lot of it.

[3_dog_nights]

I drop a Dish-washing pod into each tank, before we leave on a trip. Add about 5 gallons of Hot water and by the time we arrive it's usually clean.