can i manually check the gray water tank?

[popshumphrey]

Like many others i am convinced my gauges are off as well. I am trying the fabric softener idea and then going to use the tanks as suggested in other posts. I bought this unit used and so need to trace things down myself. I am also new to rving.

The gray water shows 3/4 full but when I drained it nothing came out so the gauges are apparently off.

I am going to use it on a brief trip. Assuming the gauges are off, when can I tell the tank is full if I can't rely on the gauge. I can manually check the black tank by looking down the toilet. But how about the gray water tank?

One day someone will figure all this out!

Thanks folks, Pops

[Cypressloser]

You are right, the gauges are not very precise at all. Having said that, the gray tank still showing 3/4 full when it's empty is odd, it should return to empty or close to empty within an hour or so. If not, try filling it up with clear water a few times and then flush, repeat if necessary. What do you rinse down the drain can possibly settle in the tank, stuff like grease, cooking oil and coffee ground could do this in a very short time.

[rockfordroo]

Showing 3/4 full (actually, usually 2/3 full) is not unusual at all. I'd suggest you start the Geo Method (https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/), which is the softener you speak of. That will hopefully, eventually, clean the tank. In the meantime, you'll know when the grey is full when it backs up into your shower. After you've Geo'd the tank a couple times, you might want to travel with it 1/2 full once and let the sloshing help clean the sensors.

[popshumphrey]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Showing 3/4 full (actually, usually 2/3 full) is not unusual at all. I'd suggest you start the Geo Method (https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/), which is the softener you speak of. That will hopefully, eventually, clean the tank. In the meantime, you'll know when the grey is full when it backs up into your shower. After you've Geo'd the tank a couple times, you might want to travel with it 1/2 full once and let the sloshing help clean the sensors.

Thanks for the back up in the shower note! My wife won't like it but she will get over it. I am going on a short trip tomorrow and have placed the water softener in the tank with some water in it. I will continue to work on it and see if the sloshing works!

Thanks to all

[SecretSquirrel]

When the shower starts backing up around your toes it's time to go pull the handle While i sounds like I'm being facetious it's actually happened to me on more than one occasion. With a little experience you'll learn how many showers, etc. before the tank is full. If you're someplace with full hook ups it's no big deal, just establish a routine of emptying the tank every morning. DO NOT just leave it open! Tanks should in fact be as full as possible before emptying. Goes for black tank even more so. Promotes better emptying because you have enough water in the tank to flush solids out.

[Cypressloser]

Originally Posted by SecretSquirrel

When the shower starts backing up around your toes it's time to go pull the handle While i sounds like I'm being facetious it's actually happened to me on more than one occasion. With a little experience you'll learn how many showers, etc. before the tank is full. If you're someplace with full hook ups it's no big deal, just establish a routine of emptying the tank every morning. DO NOT just leave it open! Tanks should in fact be as full as possible before emptying. Goes for black tank even more so. Promotes better emptying because you have enough water in the tank to flush solids out.

There is one exception to this rule and that is when there is a dishwasher or washing machine running .

Save

[rvpezzano]

If you can gain relatively easy access to the grey tank, you can install a back flush. I did it on my GT and the grey is always reading empty when it is EMPTY!
It involves drilling a hole in the tank with a hole saw, but I sealed it, and no problems

[gastan]

Originally Posted by popshumphrey

Can I Manually Check The Gray Water Tank?

How good are your knees? Unless your rig has an enclosed underbelly all it should take is a look under the rig to see how full or empty the tank is.

[changing it up a bit]

Since you inherited this problem. There are services that will go in with high pressure water and clean the tanks. May have some stuff stuck to the sensors. Just an FYI dont run your tanks open. Keep the valves close, water and Dawn dish washing soap are our best friends.

[cariboo camper]

A one gallon jug of pure white vinegar, half a cup of dawn soap and about a half tank of water. Let it slosh around for a while when driving. Fixed my gauge problem. I do this quit often and have not had any problems for a year.

[popshumphrey]

Just got back from a short trip. I worked on the tanks while I had them hooked up. I filled the gray water tank till it backed up with calgon in it. I dumped it and did it again. It seems to have worked.

I also did the same with the black water tank. Did it twice and it now seems to work.

while I was at it, I put a little, very little bleach in the fresh water tank. Filled it Drained it and did it again.

I will try the other methods periodically to keep it "minty fresh". I hope I have not done something I should not have done. It was not fun in 100 degree weather but it was done.

Blessings to all, pops

[Sunseeker24]

Originally Posted by popshumphrey

while I was at it, I put a little, very little bleach in the fresh water tank. Filled it Drained it and did it again.

Blessings to all, pops

fill your fresh water storage tank half way. Add a half cup of household bleach. fill tank the rest of the way. Open each faucet one at a time allowing water to run till you smell bleach. do this for every faucet both hot and cold, shower and toilet. Let water set for at least 4 hours. Drain system, refill and run water until no more bleach smell. drain system and refill.

This will kill any bacteria that may be growing in your system. Do each spring prior to first outing. If in the south where summers are quite hot, you may want to do it again half way though camping season.

Have a well at home. pour a gallon of household bleach down it and do the same thing.

Hope this is of some help.

[popshumphrey]

That is helpful! Thanks

[popshumphrey]

Originally Posted by gastan

How good are your knees? Unless your rig has an enclosed underbelly all it should take is a look under the rig to see how full or empty the tank is.

Bad knees!! Just filled it til it came up in the shower. Better on my knees

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Sunseeker24

fill your fresh water storage tank half way. Add a half cup of household bleach. fill tank the rest of the way. Open each faucet one at a time allowing water to run till you smell bleach. do this for every faucet both hot and cold, shower and toilet. Let water set for at least 4 hours. Drain system, refill and run water until no more bleach smell. drain system and refill.

This will kill any bacteria that may be growing in your system. Do each spring prior to first outing. If in the south where summers are quite hot, you may want to do it again half way though camping season.

Have a well at home. pour a gallon of household bleach down it and do the same thing.

Hope this is of some help.

You need to flush the chlorine down the well.

I have been doing this for years. Grew up doing it, did it at work for a private well 25 years, City of Madison required the well tested every year even though the water was not used for anything other than manufacturing. If you have a submersible pump in your well you need to flush the bleach off the wires, pump and well casing. The pure bleach will eat the wires and metal used in the pump and casing. The stupidvisor just poured 6 gallons of bleach down it without rinsing it down when I was off work for 6 weeks from an injury. 8 months later had to pull the pump and run new wires, so we put in a new pump, too. Previous pump and wires had been there since 1972.

I had always mixed 6 gal of bleach with 5 gallons of water each, have a garden hose putting water in the top of the well as you pour the bleach solution in. Let hose run for 20-30 minutes after dumping the bleach in to mix the solution into the water table. Shut off the pump and let it set at least 24 hours. Remember, you are putting the bleach solution in the water table below ground and you need to give it more time to do the job. I always did it on Friday and let it sit until Monday morning. Water test came back good every time with no noticeable chlorine odor or measurable chlorine in the test results.

[Wolverine 1945]

Sensors do get dirty !!!
They even make a tank cleaner,,, probably does not work any better than Bleach !!!
Maybe be a little off subject but out battery monitor says the batteries are Full Charge,,,
even tho the other night they were to dead to run the TV !!! & the lights were very dim !!!
My next project will probably to replace Batteries ???

[railroaderone]

Now for the redneck way to check drink a twelve pack of your favorite adult beverage or half a bottle of jack leave black tank closed remove sewer hose look into outlet while someone opens the Grey water valve, if water comes out it ain't empty

[Wolverine 1945]

Do you really have to be a redneck to drink a 12 pack ???
LOL !!!