Backflush black tank from grey tank?

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by jonshonda

I was discussing this very topic w/ a co-worker the other day, and we figured the grey tank not having a check valve on it would be the reason for not wanting to practice this. But imho it is an excellent way to get the really nasty stuff out of the blank tank.

I know our family produces roughly 2-3 times the amount grey vs. black. So flushing w/ grey would be ideal.

I have also seen that every campsite dumping station we have been to has a fitting at the end which doesn't allow attaching the hose to anything...so this black tank flushing system is useless for us. I am thinking a 5 gal bucket filled and ready to be poured down the *toilet* at the dump station will be our best bet for flushing the black.

I don't see this method as any more "excellent" than simply refilling the black tank and draining it again. (Provided you have the water, of course.)

[jonshonda]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I don't see this method as any more "excellent" than simply refilling the black tank and draining it again. (Provided you have the water, of course.)

More excellent then having to ask your wife to go into the camper, pick up a 5 gallon bucket of water, dump said water, and not complain how heavy the bucket is.......or having to start dumping then remove gloves and run into trailer to dump water down toilet, come back out and put gloves back on.

I am wondering if I can T off the water supply for the sink in the bathroom and have a hose coiled up in the vanity. Then use the hose to poor water into the toilet.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by jonshonda

. But imho it is an excellent way to get the really nasty stuff out of the blank tank.

Get that nasty stuff out of the black tank and flow it into the gray tank.... Not on the top of my list of things to do.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by jonshonda

More excellent then having to ask your wife to go into the camper, pick up a 5 gallon bucket of water, dump said water, and not complain how heavy the bucket is.......or having to start dumping then remove gloves and run into trailer to dump water down toilet, come back out and put gloves back on.

I am wondering if I can T off the water supply for the sink in the bathroom and have a hose coiled up in the vanity. Then use the hose to poor water into the toilet.

Don't understand. If you have water to your sink, why don't you have water to your toilet?

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

Get that nasty stuff out of the black tank and flow it into the gray tank.... Not on the top of my list of things to do.

You have it backwards. The discussion involves using the soapy gray water to flush out the black tank; not the other way round.

[Springerdad]

Someone said this earlier: Think about your house plumbing. Your bathroom sink is plumbed into the same drain as your toilet. Only a few feet away. And even better, there's no 'valves' to separate them. Yet, we never worry about cross contamination there. How come?

[Islander]

IMO the 'equalizing' of the gray water tank into the black tank really can not 'flush' the black tank out....
...it will only equally level out the amount of water from one tank to the other, and what ever is floating in each tank...
...opening the 3" valve to drain the black tank it will only drain that partial amount of water... and it won't be with the same force as with a 'full' black tank.

A black tank internal sprayer does the best job of cleaning and refilling to re-drain the tank.

Islander

[Herk7769]

Yes; there are two different ideas being discussed.

[325BH]

For reasons cited, cross contamination is just not a problem. Notice I didn't say "won't happen " I say just isn't an issue to worry about.

The reason one wants to drain gray after black is to rinse out crud of the shared pipe and slinky. To do that most effectively, you want to close the black first. Leaving it open can rinse more crap from the black which is counterproductive.

[jonshonda]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

Get that nasty stuff out of the black tank and flow it into the gray tank.... Not on the top of my list of things to do.

I didn't make myself clear or elaborate well. We felt if the system was setup so the grey was up stream of black and dumped into the black (grey tank physically higher then black, with pipe entering top of black tank) and then exited out the camper, that would be ideal. Dump black, with valve still open dump grey into black, which would wash away the majority of black residoo. Then you just run the faucets in the camper to flush all the grey and black at the same time.

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Don't understand. If you have water to your sink, why don't you have water to your toilet?

When you are flushing the toilet, is it utilizing the same amount of water at the sink would when turned on high? I guess I am not sure? If it is the same flow rate, then you are correct.

[ColoradoRick]

I never even thought of doing this but, I suppose, it would be okay. (I wouldn't as I have a built-in flush on the black tank and she's always kept very clean after use by multiple flushes.)

[Springerdad]

This is going totally off topic,,,,,,

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by Springerdad

This is going totally off topic,,,,,,

And that....is pretty typical

[Springerdad]

Originally Posted by DreiHunde

And that....is pretty typical

YEP!

[Johntgif]

I have a 2015 - FR 321BHTS with a built-in back flush for the black tank. I never mix the 2 tanks and always flush the black tank for 10 minuets before unhooking FS or at
the campsite dump station before heading home

[D W]

Originally Posted by Springerdad

Someone said this earlier: Think about your house plumbing. Your bathroom sink is plumbed into the same drain as your toilet. Only a few feet away. And even better, there's no 'valves' to separate them. Yet, we never worry about cross contamination there. How come?

Apples and oranges. Your household toilet, shower and sink do not sit over top of a collection tank, unless you're "off-the-grid". When it comes to household sewer plumbing, it's designed to efficiently evacuate the waste using water flow and gravity.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I don't see this method as any more "excellent" than simply refilling the black tank and draining it again. (Provided you have the water, of course.)

When the hose prevents using black flush, I pick up the end of the drain hose, hold it above tank level and run the wash water hose in to the discharge end of poop tube for 3-4 minutes then put tube back in drain. If you have a clear elbow, you will see that this process pulls a bunch more solids out of the tank. Definitely worth the doing.

[BandJCarm]

If I ever open both the black and gray tank valves, may the Good Lord strike me with lightning, or at least strike something close by, so that I get a Sign to never do that again.

I'm totally confused as to why, if you have water to use either tank, you would ever do this? There's water to flush the black tank, use that!! Either use the built in tank flush connection or get a Flush King with a hose flush connection. But taking ANY chance to get black tank residue into the gray? Why????? It's like towing a 18,000 lb fifth wheel with a 1980 Datsun pickup because they wanted a big fifth wheel and already owned the Datsun and can't afford new truck and new trailer. I guess someone somewhere does it, but WHY?

Sorry......my two cents only.

[Oaklevel]

Not sure what the big deal is, our first two campers had one tank period. The black and grey water went into the same tank. We never had issues from that.

Never had a camper that came with a black tank flush. No I don't mix tanks but don't see a problem.