OK --- Guilty!

[DutchmenSport]

...for being lackadaisical not attending to my black tank more.

Been on the road a lot, been using the camper every day at home. Bathroom is being used every day. Week-ends hit the road, week-days, spending nights in the camper at home.

I've been using the "back flush" system since we've had the camper. I also use the black tank flusher. I "back flush" every time I dump, and use the tank flusher ... oh... ever 6 weeks or so now.

Well, the last few weeks we've noticed the unplesant smell emitting from the toilet when the pedal is pushed. And if the exhaust fan is turned on in the bathroom, it's really a smell to die for ... literally.

Well, when we left the camp ground earlier today, I dumped at the dump station as I normally do, backflushing and running the black tank flusher.

But, I've been very neglegant at adding some Dawn into the tank before hitting the road. Not this time! I took the time after dumping to add about 5 gallons of water, about a 1/4 gallon of bleach and a very generous dose of Dawn dishwashing liquid.

Once home, I dumped the tank again. Amid the bubbles and bleach, and rinsing with the black tank rinser, the bubbles started to subside. Water drained out and everything said and done.

So then I went into the bathroom, pushed the peddle ... well ... it smells like bleach!

Moral of the story! After every dump, before hitting the road, add some water again and add the Dawn so it can pulverize the inside of the tank and wash out all the "nasties."

Note to self! Just do it, add the water and the Dawn, and then hit the road!

[allen8106]

I don't use anything but water and don't get any smell into the camper. I would suggest you might have an issue with your vent.

[down_home]

camperdave wrote:
I used to be able to dump at home, now I can't. I'm never in full hookups, so it's always a 'dump n run' situation. I do put in a few potty fulls of water after dumping, but I'm struggling a bit with keeping the tanks clean (grey and black both stink, and the black sensors don't work).

I have no idea when I'll dump again, but my next few trips are super light water usage trips (mostly travel, less camping) so it may be a while.

I really miss being able to do a thorough clean out at home taking my time and really getting everything clean.

I might fill halfway with water/Dawn when heading out next trip and dump on my way out of town just to see if it cleans it out. Hate paying to dump, btw. I get it, and understand why the old usual suspects are no longer free (or even open, for that matter), but I don't like it.

Flying J was offering tank dumping and then started charging either 5 dollars or 10 dollar for it Used it one time long ago. Water to flush it with came out in not much more than a trickle. Smart alec wouldn't use the other side and got behind us and sat on the horn.Got it emptied and just a bit of water through it but not flushed.
Some campgrounds will let you empty and flush your tanks for a charge, from posts here somewhere along the line but I have no idea who.
In Al at some reset stops they had provision for it and in Texas. Various commercial enterprises were emptying asphalt sealers and commercial sewer clean out tanks into it and I understand most or all of them stopped it, but maybe not.

[hawkeye-08]

Unless you are filling a 5 gallon bucket and dumping it in, I doubt that you are getting 5 gallons in.. depending on the plumbing, it could take up a good portion of that.. we were sticklers for the "geo method" and all worked well.. last few times we didn't place close attention.. more odors for sure.

[camperdave]

I used to be able to dump at home, now I can't. I'm never in full hookups, so it's always a 'dump n run' situation. I do put in a few potty fulls of water after dumping, but I'm struggling a bit with keeping the tanks clean (grey and black both stink, and the black sensors don't work).

I have no idea when I'll dump again, but my next few trips are super light water usage trips (mostly travel, less camping) so it may be a while.

I really miss being able to do a thorough clean out at home taking my time and really getting everything clean.

I might fill halfway with water/Dawn when heading out next trip and dump on my way out of town just to see if it cleans it out. Hate paying to dump, btw. I get it, and understand why the old usual suspects are no longer free (or even open, for that matter), but I don't like it.

[spoon059]

rexlion wrote:

momentum rv wrote:
Always add some water back into the black tank, it should NEVER be left empty.

Never say NEVER. Because, in wintertime, freezing temps..... 😉

I've always left water in the black tank, never had a problem. Don't FILL the tank, and don't leave water in your 1/2" lines. 5 gallons in a 45 gallon tank won't cause issues.

[down_home]

Manual says as does reasoning, that after flushing black tank to put back in about five gallons of water. That much water sloshing around going down the road is bound to loosen anything in it up. I doubt I let five gallons back into the tank put perhaps three gallons bag and two gallons or so gallons of water and the bag of ice going down the road sure will. The soap,water softener, and commercial black tank chemicals work. It's been a while since I read of pryamids in black tanks here. They always seem to be from those without flush systems or they use the facilities, at campgrounds and are in a hurry or don't want to hold people behind them up or just don't think and drain the black tank or most of it, perhaps but certainly not all of it and voila they all of a sudden realize they have a problem, some 100 degree day in mid July at a campground when the RV really stinks, or they turn a roof fan on, anywhere in the RV and stink the place up. Our RVs are particularly tight, and if the vent pipe to the black tank is the only place air can get in you stinka the place up.

[Lynnmor]

ScottG wrote:
I don't care what you do, if you turn on the fan and suck the air out of your black tank, it's going to stink.

Correct, now consider making the fan reversible.

[rexlion]

momentum rv wrote:
Always add some water back into the black tank, it should NEVER be left empty.

Never say NEVER. Because, in wintertime, freezing temps..... 😉

[ScottG]

I don't care what you do, if you turn on the fan and suck the air out of your black tank, it's going to stink.

[Boomerweps]

OK, talked me into it. Next trip load out will include some Dawn (which we do use at home) and 4-5 gallons of water 😉

[ReneeG]

momentum rv wrote:
Always add some water back into the black tank, it should NEVER be left empty.

Some water may remain in ours then because we've never had a problem and I always thought it was empty in between!

[Eric_Lisa]

fj12ryder wrote:
.....But if everyone, or just a lot of people, do it, you're looking at a lot of bleach going into a septic/sewer system. ....

Ah! However, as reference by the OP, not quite everyone is doing it:

🙂

DutchmenSport wrote:
...for being lackadaisical not attending to my black tank more.

No worries. I think we both have made valid points.

-Eric

[fj12ryder]

Eric&Lisa wrote:

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
1 oz. of bleach to 50 gal. of black water will neutralize the waste. More bleach can cause serious harm to the digestive systems of wastewater treatment systems. Please use bleach sparingly on non community waste water systems. It kills the bacteria that treat the waste.

Not sure how accurate that is. A good friend of ours retired as the county's septic inspector. She told me bleach was fine in moderation for a septic system, it is the anti-bacterial cleaners to watch out for as they will persist.

So I did some quick searching. Link1 Link2 Link3

Short answer is excessive bleach is bad. Moderate is acceptable. Excessive is defined as more than a gallon per day (around 15 loads of whites only laundry with bleach).

So yes, a large amount of bleach is bad for systems. But pouring a couple 'glugs' of bleach in to an RV black tank and subsequently dumping it is not going to ruin a septic or municipal treatment system.

-Eric

This is true, if there is only one person putting in those couple "glugs". But if everyone, or just a lot of people, do it, you're looking at a lot of bleach going into a septic/sewer system. It's not necessary to do it all the time and no sense getting into the habit of doing it.

[Eric_Lisa]

SDcampowneroperator wrote:
1 oz. of bleach to 50 gal. of black water will neutralize the waste. More bleach can cause serious harm to the digestive systems of wastewater treatment systems. Please use bleach sparingly on non community waste water systems. It kills the bacteria that treat the waste.

Not sure how accurate that is. A good friend of ours retired as the county's septic inspector. She told me bleach was fine in moderation for a septic system, it is the anti-bacterial cleaners to watch out for as they will persist.

So I did some quick searching. Link1 Link2 Link3

Short answer is excessive bleach is bad. Moderate is acceptable. Excessive is defined as more than a gallon per day (around 15 loads of whites only laundry with bleach).

So yes, a large amount of bleach is bad for systems. But pouring a couple 'glugs' of bleach in to an RV black tank and subsequently dumping it is not going to ruin a septic or municipal treatment system.

-Eric