Black tank always reads 3/4 full?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by GeorgeFries

Mike,

You sound like you've never gotten your hands dirty! Before there were companies to provide the service, how do you think we emptied our septic tanks? (My brother's and me... a bucket pushed down with a pole, then pulled up full and emptied in the garden!) And too, our 360 dairy cattle didn't clean themselves! (Ever pick up horse buns and throw ‘em at someone?) You’re far more likely getting soiled cleaning your sewage discharge line.

I grew up on a farm. I graduated with a Phd (Piled Higher, Deeper) in Manure.

Even had the displeasure of getting the regular "Tail Wrap" where a cow flicks their tail against the back of your head while you're milking it and the manure dipped end wraps around your head giving you a "crappy mustache". Teaches one to keep their mouth shut and head firmly against the cows side. Didn't milk 350 head, only 100 but it was before milking parlors became the standard. Two Surge Milking Machines and finish "stripping" by hand.

Biggest laugh I ever had was when the owner's kid ran off the end of the plank with the manure filled wheelbarrow after we warned him to watch out. Flipped him end over end and he was covered from head to foot with "nature's freshest fertilizer". Took half an hour to hose him off.

FWIW, there are a lot of things us old-timers used to do. Things we no longer do because we learned more about how illness and disease gets passed around.

As for getting soiled by the sewer hose? Not as likely if one wears gloves, is careful with the hookup, and then washes their hands well afterward.

[kandl]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I grew up on a farm. I graduated with a Phd (Piled Higher, Deeper) in Manure.

Originally Posted by TitanMike

FWIW, there are a lot of things us old-timers used to do. Things we no longer do because we learned more about how illness and disease gets passed around.

Indeed! However, there's some compelling evidence out there that suggests that the prevalence of allergies and just plain sick kids is attributed to their not getting out and making intimate with mother nature near as much as previous generations did. Wallowing in manure excepted...

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Go watch the video in Post #46.

I've watched that video several times...

He didn't do it right...so it is BS!

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I grew up on a farm. I graduated with a Phd (Piled Higher, Deeper) in Manure.

I lived on a horse ranch in my teens...

I have what is called an 'HSS (Horse $#!+ Shoveling) Degree...

[rockfordroo]

If that's all you have to say....

If he didn't do it right, you are obligated to tell us the "right" way. Otherwise your comment doesn't mean squat and doesn't help anyone.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

If that's all you have to say....

If he didn't do it right, you are obligated to tell us the "right" way. Otherwise your comment doesn't mean squat and doesn't help anyone.

You have to dump more than a thimble full of water along with the ice in the tank.

It's common sense!

[A32Deuce]

X2!

Originally Posted by JohnD10

I've watched that video several times...

He didn't do it right...so it is BS!

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

You have to dump more than a thimble full of water along with the ice in the tank.

It's common sense!

Ice floats. Any more water and it all would have been floating, doing nothing at the bottom of the tank. (IMHO, it's the water that does the work, not the ice. The ice just tends to slow the water down.) YMMV.

[BandJCarm]

I still can't visually grasp where these sensors are.............but I'm thinking (I know, that's scary) that the bottom sensor is #1 on the left as you look at it. Thus, if tank is full the #4 sensor is at top of the tank and is shown on far right as you look at monitor.

Thus, it's not #1 that I need to 'clean off'. It's #3 and # 4.......at the top.

Thus, can't see what ice would do unless it truly flops all the way to the top, HARD, as you drive around.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Ice floats. Any more water and it all would have been floating, doing nothing at the bottom of the tank. (IMHO, it's the water that does the work, not the ice. The ice just tends to slow the water down.) YMMV.

Without water in the tank the ice just sits there...

It needs to slosh around in there!

Ice just sitting on the bottom of the tank does absolutely nothing.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

I still can't visually grasp where these sensors are.............but I'm thinking (I know, that's scary) that the bottom sensor is #1 on the left as you look at it. Thus, if tank is full the #4 sensor is at top of the tank and is shown on far right as you look at monitor.

Thus, it's not #1 that I need to 'clean off'. It's #3 and # 4.......at the top.

Thus, can't see what ice would do unless it truly flops all the way to the top, HARD, as you drive around.

Most tanks don't read 3/4, as in the title of this thread (at least I've never seen one). They actually read in thirds. So the first wire is actually the "ground" or "common" wire near the bottom (we won't call this a "sensor") and at the same level as the 1st "sensor." Then there are 3 actual sensors moving up the side of the tank. So when you cover the 1 sensor, you are connecting it to the ground wire and you read 1/3, cover the 2nd sensor, you read 2/3, cover the 3rd (last) sensor, you read full.

So you're pretty much correct, if the readout is stuck at 2/3's when it's empty, there's "crap" between the ground wire and the 1st and 2nd sensor. You don't really need to clean above the 2nd sensor in that case. If it's stuck at "Full," then you also have "crap" between the 2nd and 3rd sensors.

[RandK-M]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

I still can't visually grasp where these sensors are.............but I'm thinking (I know, that's scary) that the bottom sensor is #1 on the left as you look at it. Thus, if tank is full the #4 sensor is at top of the tank and is shown on far right as you look at monitor.

Thus, it's not #1 that I need to 'clean off'. It's #3 and # 4.......at the top.

Thus, can't see what ice would do unless it truly flops all the way to the top, HARD, as you drive around.

That's true, it would be the top two. When I upgraded mine I could see the problem. There are actually 4 sensors:
Common
1/3
2/3
Full

The sensors measure continuity between common sensor at the bottom of the tank and which ever other sensor is in liquid.
The problem is that the stock sensors are just metal buttons that don't extend at all into the tank. They're pretty much right against the inside wall of the tank. Any crud build up on the tank wall, or a piece of damp toilet paper stuck to the wall can give a false reading.

Here is a great post from here last year where a member, Lou (Herk7769) posted a great description of changing out the probes with lots of photos of the probes and install. It's easy to see the problem and the improvement the Horst probes make. They aren't perfect, but made a huge difference for me.


Here's the post:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1552500

And here's one of his pictures of the stock probes vs Horst Probes:



Ray

[RacerRalph]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

If your toilet belches, burps, farts or whatever you want to call it when flushing then it's time to dump the tank.

We use the burp method as well. Works just fine.

[RacerRalph]

Originally Posted by kandl

Mike @ prime Time is likely well-intentioned but has no appreciation for those of us (we are legion) that endure six or more months of frozen hell each and every year. Two or three inches of a soapy H2O mix left in the stinky tank will very likely destroy that tank during those agonizing weeks of -30 temps. Just saying...

I leave three gallons of pink stuff with some Calgon in my black tank over the winter, pink and Dove in the gray tank. (Kansas). When we make our annual New Years trip south we flush with pink stuff until the temperature allow us to dewinterize. When we head back north rewinterize, first blowing out lines, then using the pink stuff, inc. both the black and gray tanks. Cheap insurance. Works well for us.

[Herk7769]

My probes work great after 8 years in the tank.

Lesson learned; used black tank probes in both the black and gray tanks.
Black tank (shielded) probes are not as prone to hair and soap fowling.

[Devon5]

There is a black tank flush on this model but I cannot locate the valve. The instructions say to open the valve and the black drain. The line with water input seems to go up into the coach. Anyone know where this valve is located?

[hammer55]

same problem when I bought mine, they had the sensors installed wrong, empty was full and the full was empty,

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by Devon5

There is a black tank flush on this model but I cannot locate the valve. The instructions say to open the valve and the black drain. The line with water input seems to go up into the coach. Anyone know where this valve is located?

[/B]


The valve is your main dump valve. Also they want the black tank valve open so the input from the cleanout has an unrestricted path from your black tank to the sewer where your main dump valve should be connected to (with your 3" drain hose). The only thing between the cleanout input port and the black tank is a backflow preventer that is located several feet above your floor (could be anywhere). There is no valve for the black tank cleanout input.

[Johnfort]

Is this like the glass is half full thing. Then you are really lucky, as yours is 3/4 full!!!