Gray tank capacity - two seperate tanks

[no-logic]

We have a 2012 Palomino TT with a gray water capacity of 74 gallons which is great. The problem is it is two separate tanks - one bathroom and one galley. Our issue is that we fill the bathroom tank in 2-3 days between my wife and I taking showers, etc. The galley tank is used very little since we always do our dishes outside with plastic tubs. We have been using buckets to drain some of the bathroom gray water and then dump it into the galley sink. But what I would like to do is either plumb the tanks together somehow or use some sort of a pump system to run the bathroom gray into the galley tank. I'd like to make the process of transferring the water as easy as possible. Has anyone else tackled this issue and, if so, what did you do? Thanks.

[no-logic]

smkettner wrote:
I would not pump but rather just connect a passive line to roughly equalize the tank levels.

Something like a FLO TAP Saddle on the drain pipes:
http://www.plumbingsupply.com/hot-wet-taps-for-pvc-pipe.html

Now that is super slick!!! I love that idea!! Thanks.

[no-logic]

mbopp wrote:
I've been using a cheap HF 12V pump to off load my gray water to a 30-gallon drum in the truck bed. Never had an issue with clogging but we're careful about letting big chunks of food go down the drain.
I found a NIB macerator pump on Craigslist. It has more volume and pressure than the cheap pump.
The cheap way to equalize the gray tanks would be to get 2 caps w/ garden hose nipples and make a short piece of hose w/ female connectors on each end.

We don't use the galley sink for anything but liquids anyway. The equalization method you suggested is a good idea but I'm thinking about having to loosen the garden hose to get the cap off every time we dump unless I can leave enough slack in the hose. (The hose would have to be around 16 feet as the tanks are on opposite ends of the trailer.) The only issue would be when dumping I would have whatever water that is in the hose and caps on the ground when removing the cap to dump. But on the bright side I would only have to dump from the rear valves. See any other issues with this?

[time2roll]

I would not pump but rather just connect a passive line to roughly equalize the tank levels.

Something like a FLO TAP Saddle on the drain pipes:
http://www.plumbingsupply.com/hot-wet-taps-for-pvc-pipe.html

[mbopp]

I've been using a cheap HF 12V pump to off load my gray water to a 30-gallon drum in the truck bed. Never had an issue with clogging but we're careful about letting big chunks of food go down the drain.
I found a NIB macerator pump on Craigslist. It has more volume and pressure than the cheap pump.
The cheap way to equalize the gray tanks would be to get 2 caps w/ garden hose nipples and make a short piece of hose w/ female connectors on each end.

[no-logic]

the bear II wrote:
To pump from one tank to the other if you have two separate dump valves for the grey tanks, you could get by using a 12v water pump but a macerator pump might be better. The macerator pump would break up any small solids (hair, sand, gunk...etc) that might come from the shower.

You can get caps with garden hose attachment bibs, connect a garden hose between the two dump valves. Cut the hose and tie in the macerator/water pump to pump from one to the other. The macerator pump would also provide the ability to pump out all of your tanks to something other than a dump station (like a sewer clean out connection) if needed.

This is the idea that I keep going back to. Do you think the pump would have enough "umph" to overcome the back pressure of the pump-to-tank getting 25 gallons or so in it?

[the_bear_II]

To pump from one tank to the other if you have two separate dump valves for the grey tanks, you could get by using a 12v water pump but a macerator pump might be better. The macerator pump would break up any small solids (hair, sand, gunk...etc) that might come from the shower.

You can get caps with garden hose attachment bibs, connect a garden hose between the two dump valves. Cut the hose and tie in the macerator/water pump to pump from one to the other. The macerator pump would also provide the ability to pump out all of your tanks to something other than a dump station (like a sewer clean out connection) if needed.

[aruba5er]

I, by mistake left the valves open to both the gray and galley tank while my sister and brother in law stayed in the trailer for 10 days. just kinda filled both. No big deal. My pipes have valves (3) that run into one 3" and I put an extra 3" valve to stop all water just before the dump connection. Or you can buy an adapter that adds that valve. A whole lot easier when you come to dump and then you can balance the tanks or like you say, you don't use the galley so you can add gray to it.

[no-logic]

We have two separate dump locations - one front and one rear. One of these days I'm going to drop the belly panels and try to see if I can run a equalizer line of some kind. But I also thought of adding a cover for the rear dump with one of those garden hose fittings in it and use a pump and run a hose to the galley sink. But I want to try and make it easier and more permanent then that. Like maybe a pump set up where I can just open a valve and hit a switch at the panel.

[BFL13]

no-logic wrote:
We have a 2012 Palomino TT with a gray water capacity of 74 gallons which is great. The problem is it is two separate tanks - one bathroom and one galley. Our issue is that we fill the bathroom tank in 2-3 days between my wife and I taking showers, etc. The galley tank is used very little since we always do our dishes outside with plastic tubs. We have been using buckets to drain some of the bathroom gray water and then dump it into the galley sink. But what I would like to do is either plumb the tanks together somehow or use some sort of a pump system to run the bathroom gray into the galley tank. I'd like to make the process of transferring the water as easy as possible. Has anyone else tackled this issue and, if so, what did you do? Thanks.

Some have added a valve at the terminal where you attach your hose for dumping, which gives you control there. That allows you to leave both grey tank valves open so they can "share."

Some rigs have two dump locations though, so that wouldn't work. Also note that galley grey is nasty stuff compared with the shower/sink grey water so you will get nasty grey in both tanks that way.

[ktmrfs]

If they go to the same dump fitting the solution is VERY VERY easy. buy a twist on gate valve. When one tank gets full, install the twist on gate valve to the dump tube, CLOSE the twist on gate valve, OPEN the two grey tank dump valves. Water will equalize between the two tanks.

you can then either leave the twist on valve on till you empty or close the main gate valve and drain the gallon or so of grey water from the line into a bucket by opening the twist on gate valve.

We also have two 32 gallon grey tanks, one in the galley, one in the bathroom. We use this trick. AND when you dump, use the gate valve as well. empty the black tank first, then close the twist on gate valve, Open one of the grey tank valves to backflush into the black tank, close the grey tank valve, and open the twist on gate valve to flush the black tank again. repeat as needed.