remove "flushable" wipes from black tank?

[PonyGrrl]

Just returned from another great trip dry camping in the '05 Yellowstone (class C Ford E450 chassis, 27'). We took my mom, who had 'elk rut at RMNP' on her bucket list, so 4 adult women using the toilet for 5 days.

While we stopped off for RV paper en route, apparently I didn't explain clearly enough that "flushable" is a marketing term...so now I have sensors showing full on a black tank I've drained. Twice.

I suspect that the plastic sheeting ("flushable" wipes) introduced into the tank are the problem.

Any ideas as to HOW in the heck I can get this tank back to providing data on levels?

I thought about letting it freeze and throwing in 5 gallons of hot water, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. SWMBO is planning to caravan--with our newly licensed 16 yo at the wheel of the smart car--to a 3 week tournament later this month. If that tank overflows I will never hear (or smell) the end of this!

TIA for any ideas from bitter, stinky experience. I prefer to learn from others when I can.

[opnspaces]

Have you opened the toilet valve and taken a look down the hole? There might not be anything down there and you just have some faulty sensors. Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much and just use the RV. If you're concerned, look down the hole every evening to see how full it is and dump it if it looks close.

[naturist]

As others have noted, black tank sensors are famous for not working properly.

My TT's toilet sits right over the black tank, as many RV toilets do. I made my own flushing wand from a piece of 1/2 inch PVC pipe, capped the end, drilled three holes in the side of the cap so it squirts at right angles to the length of PVC. I can run it all the way to the bottom of the tank, twist it around to spray every which way, and flush the top, bottom, and sides of the black tank thoroughly, and maybe after three or four flushes that show only clear water during dump do I sometimes get the black tank sensors to read empty when it is. And with only my wife and I using it EVER, we are certain that NOTHING weird has ever gone down that hole.

So for what it is worth, with your tank having weird stuff (i.e., "flushable wipes") down there, I'd expect it to take some serious flushing before you could clear the sensors. They may never again work for you. But this is not a tragedy. Pay attention to how long it takes to fill up, and go by time & usage, rather than sensor level.

Finally, no amount of 'splainin' is ever going to insulate you from folks who think nothing of flushing undesirable stuff down the toilet. There was a poster to these forums a couple years ago who ran into trouble when the "flushable cat litter" filled up their black tank. Somehow they had managed to not believe the injunctions both here and in their owner's manual saying ONLY bodily waste and RV toilet paper should EVER go down there. "Flushable" wipes, tampons & applicators, tissues, paper towels, the list is long, and way too many people believe they are exceptions to everything.

Good luck getting those wipes out of there. I hope you do better at it than the cat litter folks.

[tenbear]

I use a Tornado tank flusher, but even with that the indicators don't work perfectly, but they are better than with no cleaning. You will learn when to drain the tank even if your indicators don't work.

[Strabo]

Bipeflier wrote:
Fill, flush, repeat. Unless you can get one of the "wands" down into the tank to spray around that is about all you can do. They will eventually come out.

Yea you have to fill and flush several times, they will let go eventually. You'd be surprised what clings on, buy a king flush connector then you can grab a chair and sit, watch what comes out.

Eewwww

[doxiemom11]

I'd just keep using it and dumping and eventually they should all flush out in the dumps.

[time2roll]

Have you driven around a bit on a curvy road with 3/4 filled?
Go ahead an drive a bit when you can dump at the day's destination.
Otherwise I recommend some type of tank spray rinser nozzle.

I had the tornado. Both leaked or busted.
Now have Quickie-Flush with custom spray pattern that works very well . All sensors now work consistently.

[boogie_4wheel]

Just drive around with 15 gal of water in there and let it slosh around.

Seriously, full the blank tank fill and let it set for a couple days, drain, fill it about 1/3 full, then drive around, drain again.

[Old-Biscuit]

WHAT does sticking your arm down toilet have to do with black tank sensors reading faulty :H

Maybe for a 'poop pyramid' right below toilet (If line to tank is short) but crud on sensors :S

Filling tank, dumping
Using a wand down toilet
Using tank flush system if installed

Or don't be OCD about those crappy tank sensors......they will be faulty again and again as you use tanks

After a few trips you will know how long you can go between dumps

[PonyGrrl]

Oh, for the love of Pete, as my 74yo mom likes to say. Can't take you guys anywhere.

Thanks for the Dawn dish soap idea and I searched 'Geo Method' so this was helpful.

I'll try that this week, will report back if my sensors are restored to proper order, so that others who search for this problem in the future will know that...wait for it...everything came out all right in the end.

After radiation, chemo, surgery and recovery to the point of needing special wipes, my mom has made just about every poop joke a classroom of 5th graders could think up, but you guys managed to make me laugh. Thank you.

[Bipeflier]

Fill, flush, repeat. Unless you can get one of the "wands" down into the tank to spray around that is about all you can do. They will eventually come out.

[Mortimer_Brewst]

Unfortunately no great ideas for you, but I'm still chuckling about the idea of your mom having "elk rut" on her bucket list. Whatever happened to privacy? FWIW I can totally understand why an elk would want this on their list.

[Terryallan]

352 wrote:

PonyGrrl wrote:
Just returned from another great trip dry camping in the '05 Yellowstone (class C Ford E450 chassis, 27'). We took my mom, who had 'elk rut at RMNP' on her bucket list, so 4 adult women using the toilet for 5 days.

While we stopped off for RV paper en route, apparently I didn't explain clearly enough that "flushable" is a marketing term...so now I have sensors showing full on a black tank I've drained. Twice.

I suspect that the plastic sheeting ("flushable" wipes) introduced into the tank are the problem.

Any ideas as to HOW in the heck I can get this tank back to providing data on levels?

I thought about letting it freeze and throwing in 5 gallons of hot water, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. SWMBO is planning to caravan--with our newly licensed 16 yo at the wheel of the smart car--to a 3 week tournament later this month. If that tank overflows I will never hear (or smell) the end of this!

TIA for any ideas from bitter, stinky experience. I prefer to learn from others when I can.

I have not posted this tried and proven theory for awhile. Reach your arm as far down the toilet hole as far as possible. When you feel the solids, squeeze them between your fingers until they get smaller and stir them around. Dump some water in and flush, after you remove your arm . Please wash hands before cooking. This method is guaranteed. I have a self help video available if needed

My arm ain't that long

[Tiger4x4RV]

I agree with 352's method, with the addition of sheathing your arm in a large plastic bag before putting it down the hole. You can turn the bag inside out as you remove your arm from the hole and then of course wash your entire hand and arm. Don't flush the bag. 🙂

[352]

PonyGrrl wrote:
Just returned from another great trip dry camping in the '05 Yellowstone (class C Ford E450 chassis, 27'). We took my mom, who had 'elk rut at RMNP' on her bucket list, so 4 adult women using the toilet for 5 days.

While we stopped off for RV paper en route, apparently I didn't explain clearly enough that "flushable" is a marketing term...so now I have sensors showing full on a black tank I've drained. Twice.

I suspect that the plastic sheeting ("flushable" wipes) introduced into the tank are the problem.

Any ideas as to HOW in the heck I can get this tank back to providing data on levels?

I thought about letting it freeze and throwing in 5 gallons of hot water, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. SWMBO is planning to caravan--with our newly licensed 16 yo at the wheel of the smart car--to a 3 week tournament later this month. If that tank overflows I will never hear (or smell) the end of this!

TIA for any ideas from bitter, stinky experience. I prefer to learn from others when I can.

I have not posted this tried and proven theory for awhile. Reach your arm as far down the toilet hole as far as possible. When you feel the solids, squeeze them between your fingers until they get smaller and stir them around. Dump some water in and flush, after you remove your arm . Please wash hands before cooking. This method is guaranteed. I have a self help video available if needed

[midnightsadie]

real common for the gauges to read wrong.I use the dawn soap after each empty, it does help.