First "black tank" mishap

[Vista]

Originally Posted by Vista

This OP is a fear for everyone. Hasn’t happened to me, but I do employ all the safeguards described in this thread such as:

Glove up for even minor interventions.
Visual valve handle inspection first.
Extra Gate valve.
Clear elbow prior to it.
Have hose already hooked to sewer and at the ready when removing cap.
Drain a bit of gray first to confirm seals, hoses and connections.

Hopefully that’s enough that if one item fails, the others avoid a catastrophe. Similar type of list for removal and storing.

How timely, my overly repetitive process saved me this week. Soecifically the item in bold.

Turns out there was a tiny crack in the sewer connection collar (just at/below grade actually) on the site we were at. My brief Gray tank pre flush revealed a faint whistle/air escaping sound so I determined I wouldn't be flushing there....

Minor inconvenience to dump on the way out of the campground versus the smell and potential mess if I had just pulled the black tank valve.

[RobLO]

I've always put a clear elbow on my outlet, it does not create any clearance issues.
This allows me to see if there are any issues 'in my hand' as I remove the elbow and cap.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Originally Posted by BLTravels

How do you empty your black tank "the day before you leave"? Are you on a full hookup? Then wouldn't the hose already be connected?

We almost always connect the dump hose the morning we leave. It's one less thing to trip over, leak, be vandalized, or pose an eyesore for our utility-side neighbors.

Our black tank will hold a week's worth and we dump most of our basin-lined kitchen sink water down the toilet as well. When we leave, the black tank is full enough to flush well and the grey tank provides a rinse. We use the black tank flush hose to rinse the interior of the dump hose before removing it from the sewer pipe and shoving it back into the bumper.

[Ken Stanion]

I put a second valve on the output just before the cap to prevent these types of accidents.