How often to Empty tanks

[Ford Idaho]

Why would you want it sitting in the tank fermenting at home?

Dump the tanks, flush, go home without that bloated feeling.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by Ford Idaho

Why would you want it sitting in the tank fermenting at home?
Dump the tanks, flush, go home without that bloated feeling.

Love It ...."that bloated feeling"...Ha ha LOL!

Islander

[barrie1]

Dump that crap Mate. No sense having all that smelly stuff sloshing around. We add water if not 2/3rds full.
I'm on the Wife's side with this one.

[trbomax]

If our tanks get above 2/3 we will dump at campgrounds,but usually wait untill we are home.After all ,it is only a day and since we have a septic dump station right in the driveway where we park it,it makes more sense to wait untill we are home.When we are home I can rinse and flush for 2 hours if I want with nobody waiting and getting upset with my proceedures.

[wayne and sherry]

Love that movie RV!!


JeNNY (2015 FR3 / 30DS)
2000 Jeep TJ Moab Rock Crawler
2013 Jeep JK
USS Seattle (AOE-3) 84-88 Wayne
US Army 06-15 Sherry

[Duke]

If that full I will finish filling it with clear water and then dump it. I'll start adding water to the black water and dump the grey water. When I have about an inch or two of water depth in the black tank I pour in about a half cup of dishwashing liquid. Then I will dump the last time before we reach home. To help clean the tank.

[Wolverine 1945]

Really qljurczyk,,, 20 minutes ???

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Really qljurczyk,,, 20 minutes ???

Does sound a little excessive, I run ours until the clear water flows which is usually only a couple of minutes. Of course, with the Blue Streak on the toilet and squirting a mixture of SuperClean, Pinesol & water in every flush and never putting paper in the toilet, it seems to empty pretty easily with a minimum of clumps.

[comfun1]

Originally Posted by KsWhoDat

Wondering how often most of you empty your black and gray tanks? The wife wants them emptied every time, before we get home. However, I say, if it's only a third full (especially the black), then I don't need or want to dump. I say it can stay in the tank until the next trip.

What's say ya'll?

I have done this a few times and I don't think it matters. In a septic tank the solids are broken down by bacteria and converted to a liquid with a very small amount of fine undigestible solids settling to the bottom of the tank. When you leave the waste in your tanks the same bacterial action will take place and if left long enough all you will be left with will be a thin brown liquid and a minute amount of fine solids that will be easily flushed out the next camping trip. No matter how frequently you dump your tanks and rinse them they are never going to be sanitary. Still, I usually dump and rinse mine when posible.

[Poppy94]

I didn't know NOT dumping, no pun intended, was an option! I do as my wife wants & life is still good after all these years. We dump the tanks every time before leaving the cg.

[aceinspp]

Then folks wonder why down the road they have problems with the tanks. Dump and avoid problems and the nasty smell that builds up. Later RJD

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by comfun1

I have done this a few times and I don't think it matters. In a septic tank the solids are broken down by bacteria and converted to a liquid with a very small amount of fine undigestible solids settling to the bottom of the tank. When you leave the waste in your tanks the same bacterial action will take place and if left long enough all you will be left with will be a thin brown liquid and a minute amount of fine solids that will be easily flushed out the next camping trip. No matter how frequently you dump your tanks and rinse them they are never going to be sanitary. Still, I usually dump and rinse mine when posible.

A septic system needs yeast to promote the bacteria and the solids sink to the bottom and must be pumped out occasionally. We have our 1000 gal tank pumped every 4 or 5 yrs. Holding tanks are not septic systems.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Really qljurczyk,,, 20 minutes ???

Yea, really. When I'm at a site with my own sewer I do 20 mins. And also close the valve a few to partially fill it and pull and dump again. That's way I do it while I'm doing other things, but being excessive so what, it is not stopping anybody in line and I fill my tank before it is dumped which takes about 4 days. I have paid for a full hook-up site. I have no problems with sensors or valves and I know my tank is clean....

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

Yea, really. When I'm at a site with my own sewer I do 20 mins. And also close the valve a few to partially fill it and pull and dump again. That's way I do it while I'm doing other things, but being excessive so what, it is not stopping anybody in line and I fill my tank before it is dumped which takes about 4 days. I have paid for a full hook-up site. I have no problems with sensors or valves and I know my tank is clean....

So what? It is wasting good water regardless if paid for when unnecessary.

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

So what? It is wasting good water when unnecessary.

Exactly! From what I have witnessed, the RV community as a whole has adopted a reasonably 'GREEN' attitude. Not an off to the left, lets do 'GREEN' things that make us feel good way of living, just a reasonable attitude of 'save what we can', way of living. Running water excessively into a sewer system causes overload and cost. Same as running electricity without caution. I see the day coming when all campsites will have electric and water meters at each site and then some will be in for a rude awakening.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

Yea, really. When I'm at a site with my own sewer I do 20 mins. And also close the valve a few to partially fill it and pull and dump again. That's way I do it while I'm doing other things, but being excessive so what, it is not stopping anybody in line and I fill my tank before it is dumped which takes about 4 days. I have paid for a full hook-up site. I have no problems with sensors or valves and I know my tank is clean....

I'm with Glenn here - I have a black tank turbo washer and I'm not afraid to use it! 20 min is about right for me as well. I think it uses maybe 4-6 gal of water.

Wasting water? How? If it is a septic system it will leach back into the ground water. If it is a true sewer system it will go back to the waste treatment site - great circle of life

If you want to address water "waste" how about those drain-the-8-gal-HWH shower hogs


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[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by HSVBamaBob

I'm with Glenn here - I have a black tank turbo washer and I'm not afraid to use it! 20 min is about right for me as well. I think it uses maybe 4-6 gal of water. Wasting water? How? If it is a septic system it will leach back into the ground water. If it is a true sewer system it will go back to the waste treatment site - great circle of life

If you want to address water "waste" how about those drain-the-8-gal-HWH shower hogs

Tell that to the folks in California. It is still wasting water for no reason. The water has to be re-processed, so it is wasting other resources as well. It's just senseless. Remember the old saying, "Waste not, want not".

[dan-nickie]

And I was just going to un-subscribe this thread.
Now I'll have to hang around a little longer.

[RiverRat22]

To All, thanks for all the feedback, and as usual, the wife was right!

What a great forum this is!

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

So what? It is wasting good water regardless if paid for when unnecessary.

This is kinda a false statement we do use CG water for anything but a Navy shower and washing hands my wife even uses a bucket to wash dishes. Maybe 2 1/2 gals for a shower, It has been said many of times on this forum that a black tank should be full to dump even if you have to add extra water. So I will keep doing it my way. My little spay will not even use that much water. How many times have I seen people washing there RV's Please this is getting ridiculous. Worried about campers being green? How many CG have you seen with recycle bins? I have NEVER. alot of CG will charge you a small fee to wash your 45' MH. Would I do that in a drought restricted State NO. There is a time and place for everything....