Adding water to black tank. (Dumb question?)

[moff34]

Originally Posted by timdsmith72

How do you guys add the 3 - 5 gallons of water to your black tank before using it? Connect a hose to the black tank rinse? Hold down the toilet flush a really long time? Stick a hose down the toilet?
Thanks for suggestions!

I use the black tank flush hose to always add a few gallons of water prior to first use or after draining.

In case you haven't heard of the GEO method, which I feel works great in keeping both the grey and black tanks clean, here is a link to it:

https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/

[BobHanke]

Some might want to push the water pump more than necessary. We got a longer hose with a new shower head so it reaches the toilet for cleaning and putting some water in after dumping while on city water.

[Gottaluvlife]

Originally Posted by timdsmith72

Be gentle if this is a dumb question, my search-foo is apparently weak today.

How do you guys add the 3 - 5 gallons of water to your black tank before using it? Connect a hose to the black tank rinse? Hold down the toilet flush a really long time? Stick a hose down the toilet?
Thanks for suggestions!

We use a 5 gallon plastic kerosene can (see Lowes)

[raysen]

Why carry a bucket full of water for no reason. Do what BehindBars does. Easy .

[alicemerrill]

I hope I can explain this. It’s called a tank Chuck. It’s a hard plastic cylinder size of toilet flush. Once the black tank is empty we close the BLK Tank valve. Put the Chuck in toilet to hold the toilet flapper open. We fill our Black tank with 7 minutes of water (make sure
you have an alarm to remind you to shut it off. Then we empty the black tank. Repeat. Last time put 3 minutes of water in tank for travel. Don’t use toilet without water in tank. Just like your toilet at home has water in bowl. Stuff won’t stick to tank.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Gottaluvlife

We use a 5 gallon plastic kerosene can (see Lowes)

I remember my dad talking about his unit in WW2 using jerry cans for both fuel and water. The ones they used for water were stenciled with WATER in 3" letters though there were a few times that someone put water in one for used for fuel. He said if someone put fuel in a can labeled for water they were assigned KP duty for the duration after any other punishment deemed appropriate by the CO. He refused to tell us what the appropriate punishment was so I don't know if he was on the receiving end. He made staff sergeant in the 2 years he was in so my guess would be no.

[emm-dee]

It can take a while to backfill a black tank using the flush. Mine can flow about one gallon per minute at 60 psi inlet pressure. The exit holes in the flush fitting are pretty small. I’ve posted this before to show he actual operation of the flush fitting.



After putting four gallons in the tank via the flush I fill a one gallon bottle and then put the single scoop of Happy Camper powder in the bottle. It’s important to rapidly shake the bottle to dissolve the powder because that stuff starts to crystallize in less than 30 seconds. By pre-mixing it one should get a better mix with the four gallons already in the tank.

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

I either just fill thru the toilet holding the flush lever or if I have the black tank flush hooked up, I'll run that for about a minute.

this is how I also do it, just figure out how long it takes to fill a 5 gal bucket. After you flush just close the valve and look at your watch for timing. You will be close enough, and then your done.

[bedubya]

Originally Posted by Roberte52

I partially fill a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket from an outside faucet and pour directly into the toilet. Do so after draining the black tank when leaving a campsite so water can slosh around while driving.

As a Home Depot retiree and stockholder, I love to see those Homer Buckets in campgrounds!

[timdsmith72]

Man, thanks everyone! So many great ideas! I'll fool around with it and see which is easiest for us. At least I know where to start now. For something that seems so simple, I was at a loss. lol

On another note, we have our first trip booked next week! Going for a week long stay!

[AlaskaErik]

The instructions on my black tank treatment says to add one gallon of water. That's all I've ever added to my Freedom Express and I've never had any black tank issues. My KZ only has a 15 gallon black tank, so I add even less than a gallon, and have never had any issues.

[markb422]

Slam the black tank valve shut after dumping and let the black tank flush run for another 30 seconds +-.

[mnoland30]

X44 on the GEO method. Cheap, easy, and effictive. Here in the southwest where we have hard water, the water softner makes a lot of sense. As for wearing out your pump, I've used my pump to water trees on my property and run it for hours and hours and hours. Of course the reason I have that pump is as a spare for the one in the trailer. Nothing would ruin a trip faster than having your pump go out. The pump on our houseboat is 20 years old, and the only failure was when someone let the pump intake hose sit in the sand. Even then, all it needed was a quick cleaning.

[dahagen]

My toilet is right next to my shower, so I use the shower head to fill the toilet. I also have a toilet cleaning wand that I connect to the shower head cord to clean the toilet tank.

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by dahagen

My toilet is right next to my shower, so I use the shower head to fill the toilet. I also have a toilet cleaning wand that I connect to the shower head cord to clean the toilet tank.

On no, the sanitation police are going to be after you. Or do you have a back-flow preventer in that setup?

[mmartin_tdc]

I picked up a water flow meter that hooks onto my black tank flush hose. After flushing the tank, I zero out the meter and run it until I have added the 5 gallons. Found it on Amazon for $18.

[dahagen]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

On no, the sanitation police are going to be after you. Or do you have a back-flow preventer in that setup?

Yes I do. It's on the city water connection outside the RV.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by mmartin_tdc

I picked up a water flow meter that hooks onto my black tank flush hose. After flushing the tank, I zero out the meter and run it until I have added the 5 gallons. Found it on Amazon for $18.

I do this too and on the times I dump without flushing the tank with the black tank flusher, I simply add two full bowls of water via the toilet after dumping and closing the valve. No need to pull a hose out of the shower or through the door or drag in a sloshing full bucket of water. The toilet is directly coupled to the black tank, it has a convenient water source and couldn't be any easier.

[Bowhunter183]

What the wife and I do is I attach a little $20 water meter and a shut off valve to the end of the hose I use on the black water rinse. When I am through with the black water rinse from the outside, she pulls it in the camper and does the Geo treatment(with 5gal of water) to each three waste water tanks. I usually check the little water meter with a 5 gallon bucket two to three times each season and it's been spot on every time.

[michalsee]

I use a "Champion Sports 6 Gallon Ball Bucket W Padded Lid". (AMAZON)

It can serve as:
1) My in-camp Outdoor Recycle Bin.
2) A spare chair. (w Padded Lid)
3) A small stepladder, when needed (careful, it's a bit tippy)
4) After I dump the recycleables at the trash station, I use the bucket to measure the 3-5 gallons for black tank water, and pour into the toilet.
5) On the road, I can carry those somewhat dirty drain elbows, in the back of the truck, with the covered lid snapped tight.