New Owner - Black Tank Question On Seasonal Site

[turkii]

Just purchased a new (used) 2010 Jayco Flight 32BHDS and went through the orientation today. Definitely looking forward to years of Jayco'ing.

Question for the pros on the black tank since we are going to be parking on a seasonal site that has a sewer connection. (Actual sewer system, not underground tank).

The technician doing the orientation recommend that even though the trailer would be connected to a sewer we should still keep the black tank valve closed and basically fill the black tank before emptying the tank into the sewer rather than just leave the valve open and connected to the sewer. Is this what most people do? Or is it okay to just connect to a sewer and leave the blank tank valve open?

He also recommends that we put in a new supply of chemicals each time we empty the black tank. (Seems obvious). What's the best way to purchase and store these chemicals? I see they are sold in 2 ounce bottles, 8 ounce bottles, and then larger bottles of 32 ounces, 1 gallon, or larger. About how many ounces would get poured into the black tank each time it gets emptied?

Thanks!

[oobedoob]

I was told you want at least 2/3 full before dumping to make sure there was enough... flow... to clear the hose. Right now we are using the pouch style chemicals that are like dishwasher or washing machine pods so you just drop 1 in and there is no mess. The liquid stuff that came with the TT had a measurement for X number of ounces per gallon holding tank. You'd have to read the instructions for their recommended dose.

[Bassdogs]

Definitely leave it closed and open when at least 1/2 full [most recommend 2/3]. Do the same with the grey tank. Dump the black tank and then the grey tank so that it rinses the hose. "Stuff" is going to go into the black tank and if it is left open, it will [sorry] just plop on the bottom of the tank and pretty much stay there. You don't want that.

[Locky66]

Keep it closed until almost full. Once you dump it, fill the tank up with about 4 gallons of water. You do not want a dry bottom because "stuff" has a tendency to stick. You really do not need to add chemicals each time though. I haven't added chemicals in 5 years and have never had any type of problem.

[stjohneyre]

I agree, leave the black tank closed until 1/2 - 2/3 full then (no pun intended) let 'er rip! I tend to leave the gray tank open all the time until the day before we plan to leave then I close it to store up some gray water to use after the black tank has drained. Also, I've heard mixed comments on leaving the black tank valve open and then opening the gray tank second without closing the black tank valve. I would strongly advise to never allow a chance for any black water contents to enter into your gray tanks. Since we dont typically add chemicals to gray tanks the bacteria buildup could become an issue...of course there are folks who occasionaly do add some gray water specific checmicals to help break up grease that my accumulate over time but that should be infrequently as we should always avoid allowing grease to go down any pipes at home or in our TT's.

[cekkk]

I do as the others. When storing, I also add lubricant to both tanks and put some in the toilet to keep the flush valve operating smoothly. I use our corn oil. There is a commercial product. I've been told it's coconut oil based.

[lx22f/c]

We to have a seasonal site and we leave the black tank valve closed until full . Just like everyone else has mentioned.
We do leave the gray tank open while in the trailer but close it when we leave. I form a p trap with the sewer hose so no smells can come back up. I use no chemicals at all in my tanks to try and mask smells. Ever since i installed the siphon 360 vents on the black and fray tanks i get no smells at all from tanks.

[norty1]

Always keep the black valve closed and only open when dumping. You will hear stories of Poop mountain in your tank if you don't. A dried pile of paper and what ever else, that will stop up your dump valves eventually.

I don't use chemicals and there are many different opinions on that. You will form your own with experience.

[snookwhisperer]

Do what every body says. My friend always kept the black tank open till one night the sh## hit the fan.
OMG it was nasty nasty nasty !!! A mountain of poo. Normally I'd have jumped right in to help, but, NO WAY
you made your bed now go lay in it LOL. I felt bad for him, we all did, it wasn't pretty. He had to drop the tank and chip the mountain
out of the tank. Bad stuff.

[msturtz]

I am fairly pedantic about cleaning out my black tank with my old JayFlight 29BHS and now with my Greyhawk.
Use the black tank until it is full or we are ready to leave
Open the black dump valve and wait until it stops flowing
Turn on the flush system until the water runs clear
Close the black tank valve and wait until the tank is 3/4 full and open the valve
Repeat until there is nothing but clear water exiting the tank
Shut off the flush system and wait for the tank to drain
When the tank is empty blue chemical plus about 1 - 2 gallons of water to the tank
And about every year I do a tank cleaning procedure as follows:
Follow the above procedure to clean the tank only without adding the blue chemicals
Stop and add two very large bags of ice
Add 1 gallon bleach
Drive at 20 - 100 miles over varying terrain
Dump tank
Rinse tank again to remove any bleach residue
add chemicals
add 1 - 2 gallons of water

I have a 45 degree Valterra clear plastic back flush adapter that I always use to see what is exiting the tank - I no longer use it to flush the tank because I use the internal tank flush system.

[cekkk]

Msturtz, I'm going to copy your steps and adopt your practice.

Just out of curiosity, does it make a difference on your tank gauges?

[msturtz]

In the past I had issues with the gauges accuracy. Since I started doing the above I haven't had any problems. I heard on another thread that using automatic dishwasher detergent in the grey tank is a good idea. I probably will try that as a once a year cleaning method.

[rog4kneer]

I usually follow the same procedure for cleaning my tank. I saw an article somewhere saying that adding a certain amount of Dawn dishwashing detergent to black tank after emptying, and adding a few gallons of water really helps keep the tanks clean. I can vouch that it is far better than the blue stuff. I add about 6 ounces.