Tank treatment that can restore sensor accuracy?

[Teleman]

Both my black and grey water tank sensors read full or partly full even when empty. Has anyone found a product to truly clean the tanks to restore them to proper functionality?

[jjrbus]

I use Seelevel. Fresh water tank is where I can see the level. Turn off water push pedal, shine light in hole and see level. Grey tank best guess.

[pianotuna]

IAMICHABOD welcome to playing "whack a mole". You are in excellent company.

Teleman

To have the sensors work they have to be treated OFTEN. But we can't make a reliable level sensor even for nuclear reactors.

[Dave_H_M]

If it is the black tank the wand from wally world will do the trick.

[3_tons]

3 tons wrote:

IAMICHABOD wrote:

3 tons wrote:
Dump a large bag of ice cubes into the tank and drive stop and go for a few miles…

3 tons

And the Myth Continues :S

Ha, unless you’re inside the tank, how would you know?? (lol!)

3 tons

Well, not too sure about the ‘mythology’ so please excuse my poor attempt at humor 🙂 but on a more serious note you could do what I did (almost 13 years ago) and invest in a SeeLevel monitor by Garnet…The sensors rest OUTSIDE of the tank (via double stick tape) and very accurate and trouble free - This puts this dreaded issue behind you…

3 tons

[wa8yxm]

The standard "Sensor" is basically a nail. if it's wet the level must be that high right (NO it's not)

Sometimes, you add like a half to cup of Dawn. plus a half to cup of Calgon water softerner and fill tank to aroudn 1/3 or 1/2 with water and drive and dump. once the bubbles pop it will show empty.. SOMETIMES Steam cleaning works. Sometimes a water jet (Valterra Master blaster though I don not like the design of the break it off jet) can blast the slime off the wall. Sometimes.

See Level Sensors.. those work

[2oldman]

3 tons wrote:
Ha, unless you’re inside the tank, how would you know??

I guess you'd know if your sensors work.

[3_tons]

IAMICHABOD wrote:

3 tons wrote:
Dump a large bag of ice cubes into the tank and drive stop and go for a few miles…

3 tons

And the Myth Continues :S

Ha, unless you’re inside the tank, how would you know?? (lol!)

3 tons

[Teleman]

2oldman wrote:
I have a feeling anything that would make your sensors work would be something you'd have to do on a consistent basis. Spend enough time in your coach and you won't need them. You'll get a pretty good idea of how long you can go.

Yes I have been able to go by feel pretty much. I'd like to have them work if possible. I'll try the Commando product mentioned above.

[Boon_Docker]

ford truck guy wrote:
In all my years of camping, I have yet to find that "silver bullet" cure to mis-reading tank sensors...

So far my best solution has been 1 cup of calgon liquid, some dish soap, and about 10 gallons of hot water right before leaving.... let it slosh around and dump/rinse well once I get to where I am going...

X2
Calgon water softener and soap works great.

[2oldman]

There's a Seelevel post going right now.

[Learjet]

Best thing I have found is to occasionally travel with tanks 1/2 or so and dump immediately after arriving. The sloshing seems to help clean everything...doesn't always work...but helps most of the time for me...over the last 20 years and 3 different RVs this is what I have found.

[Gdetrailer]

IAMICHABOD wrote:

3 tons wrote:
Dump a large bag of ice cubes into the tank and drive stop and go for a few miles…

3 tons

And the Myth Continues :S

They are trying to sell their tank cleaning "product" by putting down a possible free or next to nothing cost non chemical repair.

Their "tests" was done by placing a tank in the back of a pickup truck basically over the axle..

Pretty smooth sailing for the load that sits on top of the axle..

Not so much for the average RV black tank which sits as far as possible BEHIND the axle(s) of a RV.. Not so smooth ride where the average black tank sits in a RV..

Think of it like riding a school bus, the front seats are where the smoothest ride is but sit in the last seat of the bus behind the rear axle and even the smallest pot hole will easily lift you out of your seat..

I personally don't believe that ICE cubes is a cure all for sensors, but, hey, they are cheap and if they sort of fix it, why not? Nothing to lose and if it works no chemicals involved.

Most likely the absolute best thing to do with black tanks is to not allow them to fill above the first sensor with waste and dump more often as long as you add extra water before dumping and then fill black tank again with fresh water for a rinse.. That is all I do with mine and yet no issues with the sensors in my 1984 TT..

Best cure to the sensors is to not allow stuff accumulate and sit for weeks on them.

[jjrbus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfTd0Slt_cU

[jjrbus]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfTd0Slt_cU

[ford_truck_guy]

In all my years of camping, I have yet to find that "silver bullet" cure to mis-reading tank sensors...

So far my best solution has been 1 cup of calgon liquid, some dish soap, and about 10 gallons of hot water right before leaving.... let it slosh around and dump/rinse well once I get to where I am going...