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Old 04-19-2015, 01:08 PM   #1
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black tank indicator in 1/3 right away

after I dump my black tank, if I do just quick flush of the toilet once , the indicator goes up to 1/3 from empty.
Is it really that easy to go up to 1/3?

is that an indication that I have solid buld up on my black tank?

This is a brand new 154bh jay flight, And I only used it 3 times only. 1-2 days each.
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Old 04-19-2015, 01:28 PM   #2
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I would say yes because your black water tank is only 9 gallons on that unit
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Old 04-19-2015, 01:36 PM   #3
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Looked at the stats on the black holding tank and it says 9 gallon capacity. I dont imagine it would take too long flushing to get three gallons in there to give you the third tank full indicator.
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Old 04-19-2015, 02:28 PM   #4
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I have trouble providing a half cup specimen - so 9 gal. sounds like a lot to me <Grin>.
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Old 04-19-2015, 06:49 PM   #5
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1/3 all the time

That's strange, how can 2 adults and one 9 years old girl, with a 5 days total camping since the unit is bought can cause solid build up close to 3 gallons.
I wonder if this has something to do with the toilet treatment chemical that we use .
I'm using the plastic wrapped drop in (not liquid) toilet treatment.
The plastic package has blue powder in it.
The walk in tutor told us, before we put the unit in RV storage, to drop one packet in.
Maybe during weeks of stay in RV storage , the blue powder solidify in black tank ?

But still I probably drop in a total of 10 max.

Do you think we should involve Jayco warranty ?
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Old 04-19-2015, 07:04 PM   #6
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You probably do not have solid buildup in your tank, the accuracy of the sensors are and have always been poor, regardless of your line of trailer.

Think of it this way, 1/3 no means it is no longer empty, 2/3 means it getting closer to full, you might need to dump soon, Full, well, you better start looking for a dump station.

Even at that, you can easily get stragglers in your tank, especially clumps of toilet paper that stick to the sensors.

Next time you dump your trailer make sure you fill the black tank full with water before you dump the tank. Another option that works well, empty your ice cooler including all the ice directly into the toilet, or just dump a bag of ice in there, but something to knock the @#$@ off the sensors while you are driving to the dump station.

Last resort, shine a flashlight into the toilet while holding the flusher open, you can see how deep the tank is.

Even 9 gallons will take a lot of @#$# before you need to dump
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Old 04-19-2015, 07:05 PM   #7
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Oh, by the way, I have never used the chemicals in my tank, they stink and they kill the good flora that helps break down the solids.
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Old 04-19-2015, 07:59 PM   #8
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1/3 always

You got me thinking here. My wife and daughter do tend to use a lot of toilet paper. But that RV toilet paper do break down in water right ?
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Old 04-19-2015, 08:13 PM   #9
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RV toilet paper and regular toilet paper will both break down in water, almost at the same rate, but neither will break down completely in a day or two, therefore you will get some hanging up.
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Old 04-19-2015, 08:27 PM   #10
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1/3 always

In that case, if it takes 1 or 2 days to break down toilet paper, is the following possible ?
1. at the last day , when I dump the black tank, the toilet paper is left behind
2. I store in RV storage for weeks , during that extended period of time the toilet paper is hardened at the bottom in dry black tank.
3. The next time I use, since it's just day or 2 of use, the hardened toilet paper still didn't get a chance to break down, and since we put more toilet paper , the cycle repeat with more hardened toilet paper on the bottom of dry black tank .

In that case, is it a good idea to put some amount of water after we dump the black tank at the last day of camping ??

I never do that so far. I always just dump the black tank, and then go home , and store the RV in storage with a dry black tank
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Old 04-19-2015, 09:26 PM   #11
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After I drain my black tank I fill my 5 gal. Bucket with water and dump it down the toilet as fast as it will go. And I always run with at least a gal. Of water and 1/4 cup of dial dish soap.
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Old 04-19-2015, 11:53 PM   #12
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thanks , what does dish soap do ?
would not it kill the good bacteria?
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Old 04-20-2015, 12:03 AM   #13
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Dish soap helps loosen the solids clinging to solid surfaces. Your black tank is more like a port-a-potty, not a septic tank. Your waste isn't in there long enough for any bacteria to break the solids down. My black tank sensor also reads inaccurately at lower levels. Another option is to use a tank flush wand like this http://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A01-0...ank+flush+hose
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Old 04-20-2015, 04:41 AM   #14
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When I dump my black tank, after I give it a good rinse, I add the chemicals and give it two good flushes of the toilet. If I recall correctly, the instructions on the chemicals say to add 2 gallons of water when adding the chemicals. I doubt it that's much but I haven't noticed any problems either.
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Old 04-20-2015, 07:30 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyrotor View Post
RV toilet paper and regular toilet paper will both break down in water, almost at the same rate, but neither will break down completely in a day or two, therefore you will get some hanging up.
is this accurate? I just bought 48 rolls of RV toilet paper thinking it was required.
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Old 04-20-2015, 06:45 PM   #16
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I dont think i would buy the ultra thick and soft toilet paper but we use normal thinner type paper. Not the rv stuff. Dont want my fingers going through the tracing paper stuff never had a problem yet with that.
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Old 04-20-2015, 07:28 PM   #17
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always add after you dump the tank, never let it go dry with a 9 gal tank I would add at least a gal of water
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Old 04-20-2015, 07:58 PM   #18
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If in doubt about the toilet paper you use being RV friendly a good test is to take a jar almost completely filled with water and then place a sheet of the toilet paper in it and then shake it up real well. After a minute you sould see the toilet paper breaking apart.
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Old 04-20-2015, 09:26 PM   #19
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I always add chemicals and about 3 gallons of water in the black and gray tanks after dumping. They stay smelling good and anything left behind is broken down.

And I learned from another forum to put 1/2 capful of liquid Calgon water softener in the tanks after dumping (with the water and chemicals). It sloshes around on the ttrip home and the Calgon makes the sides of the tanks slick, preventing "stuff" from sticking. I've done that for 8 years and the sensors have worked flawlessly ever since.
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Old 04-20-2015, 09:50 PM   #20
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Calgon is great stuff to use but I have a hard time finding it.
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