I was dumping my holding tanks and preparing to flush when a neighbor needed my immediate help. I returned to my rig and began flushing then realized both the grey and black valves were open. I do not know how that happened as when dumping grey is only opened after black is closed. Anyway do you think I did any kind of damage and if so how to do I address it.
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Karen and Gracie the Bull Terrier
1999 and 2003 Rockwoods
2016 Rockwood 8291ws
2006 Ford F-250 diesel
I guess I'm not understanding the situation? When you say flush, are you talking about your black tank flush?
If you had it on while your valves were open, then no damage should have occurred. In fact, that's how your supposed to do it. Normally damage is done when people walk away and their valves are closed.
Yes, Check S it must have been the valve fairy!!
Thank you, JohnD10, contamination was my concern. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something understanding the whole plumbing situation.
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Karen and Gracie the Bull Terrier
1999 and 2003 Rockwoods
2016 Rockwood 8291ws
2006 Ford F-250 diesel
Just be thankful you didn't have the hose attached and the black tank flush going and the valves closed when you went to help the neighbor... Now that would be a mess. And getting some black tank liquids in the grey tank won't matter... A little draining and no smell...
just close the drain valve, run the shower, faucet, etc. to put water into the grey tank(s) and then open drain valve and all is back to normal.
There's no way you could have done damage, however, its possible you have contaminated the grey water tank(s). To be sure, I would flush the grey(s) out with a solution of bleach.
As an aside for the Forest River Group, I've been a member for a long time. Suddenly, every time I attempt to answer a question, I have to enter my name and password. I have several passwords, so this requires me to stop and look it up. Its a pain, so if it continues, I will stop attempting to answer member questions.
What very little black stuff got into the grey stuff....not to worry. It will be cleaned out the next time you dump the grey. The only thing I might do, would run some water into the black and grey,, then dump as usual. That would get the bit of debris out of the drains.
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1987 Starcraft Nova tent trailer, purch. '87, sold 8.14
2013 Crusader 290RLT bought new, 8.14 lotsa mods!
2001 Ford F-250 7.3
Loving wife, R.I.P., 6/6/19
and Mason the always dirty dog! R.I.P, 2/19
As an aside for the Forest River Group, I've been a member for a long time. Suddenly, every time I attempt to answer a question, I have to enter my name and password. I have several passwords, so this requires me to stop and look it up. Its a pain, so if it continues, I will stop attempting to answer member questions.
That might be a forum problem, but more likely, a browser problem. Have you cleared your cookies or history. What browser are you using?
I need help understanding how you could get waste from the black water tank into the gray tank.
I will be purchasing a Rockwood UltraLite 2608 BS in the spring, the trailer I currently have does not have a black flush but I cannot figure out how the grey tank could be contaminated by flushing the black tank with both valves open. Thank you for your help.
I need help understanding how you could get waste from the black water tank into the gray tank.
I will be purchasing a Rockwood UltraLite 2608 BS in the spring, the trailer I currently have does not have a black flush but I cannot figure out how the grey tank could be contaminated by flushing the black tank with both valves open. Thank you for your help.
On a lot of RV's the black and gray tanks drain out of the same valve.
If both the black and gray tanks are open it is possible for water from one tank to flow into the other.
As an example, I use the gray water to backflush into the black tank to help remove the sludge and to also help clean out the black tank.
With this add-on gate valve I can keep this closed and force the gray water back into the black tank - called 'back flushing'.
Having an add-on gate valve is a must to do this, and I recommend everyone to put one on their RV anyway as a safety device!
I found out the hard way after coming down a dirt mountain road full of chatter bumps and the black tank gate valve vibrated open just enough to fill that little chamber behind the sewer cap with some nastiness that almost got my sandal laden bare feet!
In theory the backflush sounds like a good idea. My concern would be that black tank stuff might get in the gray tank during this backflush.
Since the gray tank has multiple things feeding it (Kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower) and they all, I'm assuming, have P traps, there should be no odor issues as long as the camper doesn't sit long enough for the P-traps liquid to evaporate.
John, How long have you been doing this and ever had any smell issues?
I will definitely be buying the add on gate for the protection/second seal in case of an open/leaking gate on the gray or black as I too have had that near miss experience. Just not sure if the backflush is needed in my situation.
I generally camp for a week to 10 days on my longest trips. So Black tank space is generally not an issue. It's always the gray that fills first. Knowing that, I generally fill my black tank to about 10% by holding the foot flush before I ever leave home for the trip. This gives me a nice base layer of water that can swish around during my trip as I go up and down hills and make turns, etc, giving a minor scrub to my black tank. Between that and using proper RV toilet paper, I've never had an issue with plumbing or black tanks. After dumping and getting back home, I've turned off the water and held the foot valve open and looked down the toilet with a flash light, it's always looked cleaner than I ever expected it could.
Excess water is your friend in holding tanks.
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2020 Chevrolet 2500 LTZ, 2019 Forest River Wolfpack 23Pack15, 2014 EZGO Golf Cart.
I learned the backflush thing back in the 70's in my teens...
It was just something that was a part of my RV training when I was a kid, I guess!
I used to live just outside of Elkhart, Indiana for awhile and in southern Michigan and most of my relatives and family friends worked in the RV industry, and we all had TT's or motorhomes in our families.
I've personally owned campers for 20 years (was into boats before camping) and have always done this and have never had a gray tank get compromised by the black tank water.
John, do you empty the black tank as usual first, then do the grey flush?
Great idea, and i would like to use it!
Yes...
I empty the black tank while running the built-in black tank flush, and when the black tank starts draining just the black tank flush water I do the back flush several (5-6) times with the gray water.
After you've done it a few times you'll get the hang of it!
You opened both valves. Unless the valve fairy did it. 
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