Black tank flushing

[myezlife]

If you have your water hose attached to the black tank flush, it is turned on, & you have your black tank dump valve closed, shouldn't your electronic fill lights come up as the tank is being flushed/filled? My last trip I wanted to fill the black tank up 3/4 of the way full then open the dump valve to try and really clean tank.This was after I already released and flushed out the system once. The fill light never came over 1 light. Is this normal?

[Bama Rambler]

Unfortunately it is. The sensors they use in the tanks are very unreliable.

I'd be very afraid to rely on them to tell me when the tanks are full. It could end in disaster.

[Mr. Dan]

I would use tea leaves before I would use tank level lights to predict black tank contents.

Secondly, there is no chance I would leave the dump valves long enough to go inside and check tank level lights.

JMO

[Restcure]

Some say it's normal, some say it isn't. I'm in the latter camp - Use of the Geo Method with occasional wanding of the black tank through the toilet meant that all of the tank sensors in our last travel trailer were still working properly when we sold it after eight years of use.

[Shawn.O]

After our last trip my black tank is reading 2/3 full even though I did empty and flush it out. I don't have a built in black water flush so I use the kind that you connect inline with the sewer hose and then connect a secondary hose to. I was thinking of adding some water and chemicals to the tank before we head out on our next trip to try and clean the sensor and the tank in general. Did this work well for you? anyone else have any luck with this technique?

[karrun]

Originally Posted by Shawn.O

After our last trip my black tank is reading 2/3 full even though I did empty and flush it out. I don't have a built in black water flush so I use the kind that you connect inline with the sewer hose and then connect a secondary hose to. I was thinking of adding some water and chemicals to the tank before we head out on our next trip to try and clean the sensor and the tank in general. Did this work well for you? anyone else have any luck with this technique?

I also use the geo method and find my sensors are fairly reliable.

[Shawn.O]

Originally Posted by karrun

I also use the geo method and find my sensors are fairly reliable.

I was just reading up on the GEO method, one question, do you still use the typical RV toilet chemicals along with this method or is this a full replacement for those chemicals? I would still think you would want to help breakdown the solids in the tank, not sure if the GEO method would do that?

[karrun]

I use 1/2 cup calgon, 1/2 cup Dawn, 1 deodorizer packet (Thetford non-formaldehyde), and 2-3 gallons of water.

[Timex]

I use the Black Tank Flush on the side of the TT every time I can. About every 2-3 trips, I'll run the wand down the toilet into the tank to give it a real good washing. After flushing at the campground, I'll leave about 3 gallons of water in the tank with the tank chemical and a capful of Calgon. The solution will slosh around and leave a slick residue on the sides of the tank making it easy for "things" to leave the tank when dumping it.

[Restcure]

Originally Posted by Shawn.O

After our last trip my black tank is reading 2/3 full even though I did empty and flush it out. I don't have a built in black water flush so I use the kind that you connect inline with the sewer hose and then connect a secondary hose to. I was thinking of adding some water and chemicals to the tank before we head out on our next trip to try and clean the sensor and the tank in general. Did this work well for you? anyone else have any luck with this technique?

Unless your drain has a straight line into the tank (pretty rare as I understand it), back flushing the black tank from the outside doesn't do much good. Here's a great video with several products tested:

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If you don't have a tank rinser, a wand (rigid or flexible) is probably your best bet for keeping the black tank sensors clean.

Originally Posted by Shawn.O

I was just reading up on the GEO method, one question, do you still use the typical RV toilet chemicals along with this method or is this a full replacement for those chemicals? I would still think you would want to help breakdown the solids in the tank, not sure if the GEO method would do that?

We never use chemicals in any of the tanks. Not go to into too much detail, but I drain at home and use a clear elbow...



... And there's not much left that's still solid after it's sloshed around in the tanks for a bit.

Originally Posted by Timex

I use the Black Tank Flush on the side of the TT every time I can. About every 2-3 trips, I'll run the wand down the toilet into the tank to give it a real good washing. After flushing at the campground, I'll leave about 3 gallons of water in the tank with the tank chemical and a capful of Calgon. The solution will slosh around and leave a slick residue on the sides of the tank making it easy for "things" to leave the tank when dumping it.

^^^ What Timex said... though with our new-to-us trailer I haven't had to wand the tank yet as the factory rinser does an excellent job.

[5picker]

Sometimes the sensors are somewhat reliable and sometimes not.

I really don't believe it has a tremendous amount to do with what chemicals/method you use.

I think installation and connection reliability suffers during manufacturing.

I've used the same cleaning methods over several different rigs and the sensors acted differently each time.

As someone else stated, I simply don't/can't trust the sensors.
After some time, you will learn how to gauge tank levels in ways other than using the sensors.

[Davidceder]

Every time I dump I try my hardest to use the black tank flush. I would say I am successful in using it 95% of the time. The only time I do not is when I am pressured at a public dump. Each time I am able to get the tank to read "Empty" which of course is my goal. As far as the indicators being correct. Mine seem to indicate that the tanks are more full than they really are. A day after I dump they might show 2/3 full. Maybe that is a good thing. It's just me and my DW so after these few years I have a good feeling of when I need to dump. I would do my best to get the tank cleaned out so the indicators work and try to maintain that level of cleanliness.

[Windjam2]

Some years ago, we were having issues with our black tank sensor not reading correctly even immediately after dumping. It was suggested to us to dump a small bag of ice into the black tank via the toilet just before pulling out to go down the road. The movement of traveling causes the ice to rub against the sides of the tank and cleans the sensor. That seemed to do the trick. This was in our Airstream.

I"ve looked through our booklets and can't find anything to tell us how to use the black tank flush -- could someone who has the time, please explain how to accomplish this? I believe I've read in the past to be very careful about where the hose is hooked up to avoid flooding inside the trailer, is that correct?

As info, we have a 2015 3025W Windjammer. Thanks. Deb

[fella10]

Originally Posted by Windjam2

I"ve looked through our booklets and can't find anything to tell us how to use the black tank flush -- could someone who has the time, please explain how to accomplish this? I believe I've read in the past to be very careful about where the hose is hooked up to avoid flooding inside the trailer, is that correct?

by the way you've worded your question, I assume you don't know where the "black tank flush" connection is,...... if that's true, you may not have one, it would be a connection mounted on the outside wall, usually somewhere above the dump valves that is labeled "black tank flush" where you attach a garden hose and spray water into the black tank,...... after dumping, you can spray more water by way of the BTF and rinse the tank again, and again and again, until you are satisfied with how clean it is,....... if you don't have one there are several aftermarket flushing devices that work very well,.......

[Windjam2]

Fella10, thanks for your reply. For some reason, I thought for certain we had a black tank flush on our Windjammer, but DH said he didn't know how to use it, so I looked through booklets in our packet and couldn't find anything. I decided to post here to see how to use it, then after I read your post, I went outside to find it and couldn't. So, unless I was looking in the wrong place, we must not have one, hmmm. I'll get DH to go out with me to take another look when he returns.

Thanks again for responding.

Deb

[fella10]

Originally Posted by Windjam2

Fella10, thanks for your reply. For some reason, I thought for certain we had a black tank flush on our Windjammer, but DH said he didn't know how to use it, so I looked through booklets in our packet and couldn't find anything. I decided to post here to see how to use it, then after I read your post, I went outside to find it and couldn't. So, unless I was looking in the wrong place, we must not have one, hmmm. I'll get DH to go out with me to take another look when he returns.

Thanks again for responding.

Deb

I have a friend who's flush is mounted on the back outside wall, but it's not a Forest River trailer, if you don't have one, the two links below are very effective aftermarket flush units,.......I prefer and have installed 4 of the quickie flush units and they work very well(2 black tanks and 2 gray tanks)

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-40123-Q...=quickie+flush

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-40126-T...RS5B4S0F67NPKX

[Windjam2]

Thank you fella10. When my DH returned home, he located the black tank flush and showed it to me. I don't know how I missed it when I looked for it. I remembered originally seeing it, but then later couldn't find it.

Deb