Black water tank plugged

[mpierce]

I bought a 2004 All American Sport 38' 5er. Used the bathroom, filled up after 3 days with 2 of us using part time.

Drove it 350 miles home, hoping the sloshing would loosen stuff up. Drained about 3-5 gallons out, but the water in the toilet has not gone down at all after sitting all night.

I am assuming there is dried up crud in there from the PO. There is no way to put water in from the outlet, as there is a 90 deg turn, and the pipe runs about 10 feet along the side of the trailer to the outlet drain.

Any suggestions? Cannot put water into the toilet, as it is FULL.

Are we looking at tank removal/replacement?

MP

[momtovn]

can't you use a snake??

[Ovair]

I'm willing to bet it isn't what you think it is. Dried crud loosens when wet. I'll bet there's a diaper or similar item clogging the path.

[jim44646]

Flush King makes a black water tank flusher with a gate valve that attaches to the tank outlet. You attach a hose to it, close the gate and back fill your tank. Then open gate. You'll be supprised at the gook it knocks loose. You can't trust tank monitors. They can read full if sensors are slimed up.

http://www.flushking.com/

[youroo]

Oh you can put water in the tank ,thru the top vent,but you might not like the end result! Youroo!!

[herk7769]

Originally Posted by jim44646

Flush King makes a black water tank flusher with a gate valve that attaches to the tank outlet. You attach a hose to it, close the gate and back fill your tank. Then open gate. You'll be surprised at the gook it knocks loose

I would not do this in the OPs situation. That water pressure will force black water up the stack. UGH!.

You can not get the tank repaired while full.
No shop will work on it. (Biohazard)

Buy 1 quart of RV-Digest-It and dump it into the holding tank. If the toilet can not be used at all to add a quart of liquid, pour it down the stack from the roof.

Let sit a minimum of 72 hours; a week is better.

It should dump enough to do it again if it does not flush normally.

Here is where you get RV-Digest-it. Buy a couple of quarts.

RV-Digest-It.com - RV-Digest-It

If this does not wok at all or does not improve your situation; then Ovair is right and you have something foreign to the tank in there. (Diaper wipes or diapers)

[Emptypockets]

I want to give HERK7769's suggestion a thumbs up, RV-Digest-it is an amazing product.

[jimh]

if u don't have ready access to a snake, try using a plunger (plumbers friend). if u can pull it back up, it may release and go thru. (use the plunger in the commode...doubt if u can do much good on the drain.
the digest is a good idea. u may want to try the plunger first to see if the plug is between the commode and tank. then use the digest regardless of the outcome.
i'm betting it's going to be plugged at one end or the other but not the tank.

[mpierce]

Ordered the RV Digest it. Thanks. It is hard to back flush thru the dump valve, when there is a 90 deg turn just after the tank, then 10 feet of pipe, then another 90 turn, then the outlet.
Thanks.

[jimh]

Originally Posted by mpierce

Ordered the RV Digest it. Thanks. It is hard to back flush thru the dump valve, when there is a 90 deg turn just after the tank, then 10 feet of pipe, then another 90 turn, then the outlet.
Thanks.

you can attach the drain hose, elevate it to just above what the black tank but below the toilet top and put water in it. that way u can see if it will go back into the tank. if it goes in, u know the outlet is not plugged and the tank will accept water. sometimes a little movement in the opposite direction will dislodge a plug.
i'm concerned that if the water is backed up to the commode, that u won't be able to get the rv digest to go into the tank.
another concern: does the rv digest produce gas? if so, u may want to leave the flush valve open on the commode to prevent pressure buildup.
if u pour a gal of water in the vent pipe, does it come up in the toilet or drain out the drain pipe.
if it comes up in the toilet u know ur free into the tank. at least there will be a place for the pressure to go. if it comes out the drain, u are clear thru the tank and drain.

i would really like to see u make sure u have a place for gas to go before u start dumping chemicals in there. read the label carefully on the digest. forcing the flush valve to stay open while the digest works at least gives u a known path to atmosphere.