Black Tank/Toilet Issue

YooperGirl · 02-14-2017, 02:20 PM

We own a 2015 Pinnacle 36FBTS and are having one heck of a time with our forward bathroom toilet. At the present time, the toilet will only hold about 3 gallons of water/waste/whatever. The black water tank for this toilet (we have 2 of each in this model) has been emptied and flushed repeatedly and still shows 3/4 full. We recognize that there could be a faulty monitor indicating a full tank when it is actually empty, but the fact that we can only put about 3 gallons in the toilet before it backs up in the toilet, leads us to believe that we have a nearly full tank. We have thus far, used a plunger on the toilet, a snake going into the toilet as far as it will go, poured boiling water into the toilet, continued to flush and empty the tank as much as fluid and particulate will come out. We don't get much fluid or particulate when we empty but we do get some. So....we have a black tank that does have good flow for at least until it appears empty, we have a toilet that has little capacity, and a monitor panel that says our tank is 3/4 full. Any suggestions as to what we might try next?

Jopopsy · 02-14-2017, 02:32 PM

Just out of curiosity (and wearing the appropriate clothing/gear) at the point you're at now I might be tempted to run a snake up the outside quick connect sewer opening. Just to see if I could get it to go all the way up to the actual tank.

Then again if something lets loose .... LOOK OUT !!!!!

Have you tried your tank flush (if you have one)? If the tank is empty you should hear the water hitting all the plastic in your holding tank. If it turns on but you don't hear nothing, its probably full.

jasum · 02-14-2017, 02:38 PM

It's a 2015, so did this just start or has it always done this?

Sounds like for some unknown reason, your tank is not emptying the whole tank.

Are you positive you are trying to empty the correct tank??

YooperGirl · 02-14-2017, 02:45 PM

The quick connect has multiple tanks that empty into the one outlet for dumping and the question is how to get the snake to travel up the correct pipe to get to the black tank in question. We have 2 black tanks and 2 gray water tanks.

jasum · 02-14-2017, 02:47 PM

Yeah I'm not really sure.

I only have 1 black and 2 Gray on mine.

Did it just start doing this??

YooperGirl · 02-14-2017, 02:47 PM

We have emptied and flushed both black water tanks and the tank for the 1/2 bath shows empty and works just fine, while the forward black tank shows 3/4 full and the toilet has very limited capacity. This problem started about 2 weeks ago.

jasum · 02-14-2017, 02:49 PM

Have you called Jayco??

jasum · 02-14-2017, 02:51 PM

I have a feeling it's something really stupid like when they cut the hole in the tank, the piece went inside the tank and was left there........

YooperGirl · 02-14-2017, 02:54 PM

We have spoken with our Service Manager at the dealer where we purchased our 5er and he recommends we take it to a Jayco Dealer near us. We are currently wintering in AZ so we can't take it to our regular dealer who we trust 100%.

jasum · 02-14-2017, 02:54 PM

If it was me, I think I would get a garden hose and fill all the way up from the toilet, and then try to dump.

Empty what ever will come out and do it again and again. I know it would be a real pain, but maybe whatever is clogged would work it's way out........

Nukeneck · 02-14-2017, 02:54 PM

I agree with Jopopsy on snaking it from the outside. You may want to pull the toilet up and see if you can access the tank easier to see if/where the obstruction is. Either option sounds like a crappy job (Sorry)

oldmanAZ · 02-14-2017, 02:55 PM

Da UP, eh? I used to be a 'troll' (under the bridge

).

Black tank gauges are usually wrong. 'Stuff' gets on them and is difficult to remove.

From your description, however, my guess is that it's not just the gauge. It's likely you have a build up of solids on the bottom of that black tank.

If it is a straight drop down from the toilet, drain the tank and, with the water off, hold the flush valve open and take a look with a flashlight. I'm betting you'll see that the tank isn't empty. You'll see a 'pyramid of poo' stuck on the bottom of the tank. Most folks need some kind of RV toilet wand to direct water pressure to break up that 'tower of terror'.

That black tank build up usually starts when the black tank is totally empty. Adding some water (~3 to 5gal usually) back into the black after the usual dumping and flushing often prevents the build up.

YooperGirl · 02-14-2017, 02:56 PM

We have tried that as well. Thanks! We actually went on YouTube to get ideas on what to try.

Grumpy · 02-14-2017, 03:01 PM

Not sure where you are in AZ, but contact one of these guys.

Quartzsite, Tucson | RV Holding Tank Cleaning & RV Sewer Clog Removal

Welcome to TankTechs where we solve holding tank problems, GUARANTEED!

TCNashville · 02-14-2017, 06:25 PM

If this just started happening, it could be your gate valve. I assume the handle to this black tank is located in the docking station. The handle is connected to a cable that connects to the valve. The cable has multiple spots where it's fastened down so it doesn't lose its tension. If one of these has broken/come loose the valve will not function. Quite possibly the cable has disconnected from the valve itself. So no matter how many times you pull/push on the handle, it's not going to work. Just throwing another scenario out there. Hope you get it figured out.

bethcb · 02-16-2017, 12:18 PM

We had same problem with exact same RV. Had a mobile RV flush service come to our campsite. They flushed water from the outside into the tank. He said that front toilet is a bigger problem because of the angles of the pipes.
After the flush it all worked great without more problems. We now use extra water w all flushes, especially the more solid flushes. Use less paper. We are using TankTechRX now. No more blue stuff in the tanks. Haven't had a problem since.

YooperGirl · 02-16-2017, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bethcb

We had same problem with exact same RV. Had a mobile RV flush service come to our campsite. They flushed water from the outside into the tank. He said that front toilet is a bigger problem because of the angles of the pipes.

After the flush it all worked great without more problems. We now use extra water w all flushes, especially the more solid flushes. Use less paper. We are using TankTechRX now. No more blue stuff in the tanks. Haven't had a problem since.

Thank you so much for this post! We were hoping someone with the same problem might have a suggestion/answer. One of the other posts suggested using TankTechRX which we got yesterday and have now started to use. The videos on YouTube done by TankTech owner were very informative and helpful. We will also be using more water with each flush. We have yet to get our tanks flushed out by a professional but that is next on the list. Did you use TankTech to get this done? Thanks again so much for your feedback. It assures us we are on the right track.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bethcb · 02-16-2017, 01:48 PM

We got the Professional flush. Then discarded all the blue chemical. Bought TankTech. It took a while but our sensors work better. Not perfect but better. We use Costco TP as recommended. Always put extra water in bowl for the next use after flushing. Flush 1 or 2 times after each use w extra water. Water is your friend!! After dumping we put in 3 to 5 gallons in each tank. More if trailer will be in storage. Use upstairs toilet mostly for liquid...downstairs for other...

Deal Breaker · 02-16-2017, 02:01 PM

Have a plumber drop a camera down the toilet, they'll be able to see everything...

YooperGirl · 02-16-2017, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bethcb

We got the Professional flush. Then discarded all the blue chemical. Bought TankTech. It took a while but our sensors work better. Not perfect but better. We use Costco TP as recommended. Always put extra water in bowl for the next use after flushing. Flush 1 or 2 times after each use w extra water. Water is your friend!! After dumping we put in 3 to 5 gallons in each tank. More if trailer will be in storage. Use upstairs toilet mostly for liquid...downstairs for other...

Thanks again, for the additional info. Is the Costco TP specifically for RV's or is it their regular TP? Have you experienced a very slow drain in your shower in the forward bathroom? At the same time we started having problems with the toilet, we noticed that the drain in the shower was running very slow. We have also experienced a bubbling and splashing of water in the same toilet when we flush it. We are wondering if these are all connected or if we possibly have a problem with our roof vent as well.

You may also like: