Help - Black Tank Clogged

1stline · 08-10-2011, 11:46 AM

can someone give a detailed play by play on how to flush out my blk tank, i think it is clogged. it is a 2011 jayco toy hauler and the water is right there as soon as you push the plunger for the toilet. i was told to try a broom handle and that did not work?

Terry · 08-10-2011, 02:09 PM

Sounds like you are clogged at the dump end and not the toilet end. Do you have an open underbelly? If so, does the tank look like it is expanded? If so, then you are probably full and clogged at that end.

How close to the top of the toilet are you? Is it above the floor level and inside the toilet itself or just to floor level? If you are just at floor level, I would try a back flush device. It hooks onto the outside coupler and sends water backwards which should push the clog out of the way. You would just have to be very careful if it is that full that you dont push sewage out the vent pipe on the roof. I imagine you are probably camping somewhere? If so, you might try asking some of your neighbors if they have one you could borrow.

Let me ask you this -- if you open the dump valve, does it at least trickle out? Might be worth leaving open for a few hours and see if you can get the liquid level to drop down a bit before using a back flush.

Maybe others have some better ideas? Only other solution I can think of as a last resort is to use a snake through the dump hole, but that does not sound pretty when it breaks loose so not sure how you would handle that.

edatlanta · 08-10-2011, 04:44 PM

Is it possible the tank isn't full and only the pipe from the head down to the tank? This happened to me one time when I had a group of campers that didn't remember me telling them to use "lots" of water with each flush. If this is the case a quick shot with a standard plunger should break it loose. Just make sure you are hooked up to a dump and have your dump valve open so when it does break loose it can keep on going.

Terry · 08-10-2011, 09:39 PM

He did say he tried a broom handle so that is why I am guessing it is in the output side...but a quick look at the underside of the tank is usually a good indicator. At least on mine, when it is full all the ribs on the tank expand out. Not a fun problem....

clutch · 08-10-2011, 10:53 PM

Last winter a friend had a clogged tank. He used his macerator pump and it sucked out the clog. He first tried the garden hose down the toilet trick but that just added a lot more water. You might also try pushing a garden hose up the drain as it is most likely plugged where the pipe comes out of the tank. One hand on the shut off valve and a 5 gallon bucket are a must if you try this.

Murphie · 08-10-2011, 10:56 PM

A couple of thoughts about this. I agree with the wisdom of the above posters on how to deal with this. It has happened before that the factory has sent the inlet pipe too deep into the tank and thereby plugging the tank. If you have one of the clear plastic back flush units you attach to the dump valve , attach the sewer hose but instead of attaching a hose to to send a jet of water in , send a small diameter rod thru the rubber gasket and into the plugged dump valve to clear it. If you have one of those rods that you pull the awning down with, that would work. You may have to straighten the end of it a little. I needn't tell you about gloves and a few rags. This is what I would do as a last resort.
I was at a dump station once where the guy just let his tank drain onto the ground without a sewer hose attached. He than washed the area down with the park hose. I wasn't impressed having to wait for him but he did leave the area clean. Fortunately the cemented area drained toward the sewer.

Jrmay25 · 08-12-2011, 08:28 AM

Yet another possibility and one that happened to me about 5 years ago. It was during the winter and just before leaving I ran out and quickly pulled by black tank drain, but because it was so cold outside I didn't stick around to make sure fluid was actually flowing. A few minutes later I closed the black value and knowing I would be back in a couple weeks, I dumped a pack of Thetford in along with a few gallons of water. When I returned for the next trip, I once again used the holding tanks and when I went to dump, noticed nothing was flowing out of my black. The pull handle felt normal and it was now in the 50ies so I knew it couldn't be frozen. Long story short is the actual gate value had frozen shut and when I pulled it to drain that first time it had apparently broke inside the valve. Not sure if you have checked this or not but make sure the gate valve is sliding out when you pull the dump handle.
I ended up having to replace the entire black tank as well because it had frozen, cracked and would drip raw sewage. Let me assure you this is 1 job that is absolutely no fun at all.

mikefos · 08-12-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jrmay25

Yet another possibility and one that happened to me about 5 years ago. It was during the winter and just before leaving I ran out and quickly pulled by black tank drain, but because it was so cold outside I didn't stick around to make sure fluid was actually flowing. A few minutes later I closed the black value and knowing I would be back in a couple weeks, I dumped a pack of Thetford in along with a few gallons of water. When I returned for the next trip, I once again used the holding tanks and when I went to dump, noticed nothing was flowing out of my black. The pull handle felt normal and it was now in the 50ies so I knew it couldn't be frozen. Long story short is the actual gate value had frozen shut and when I pulled it to drain that first time it had apparently broke inside the valve. Not sure if you have checked this or not but make sure the gate valve is sliding out when you pull the dump handle.
I ended up having to replace the entire black tank as well because it had frozen, cracked and would drip raw sewage. Let me assure you this is 1 job that is absolutely no fun at all.

Yowza

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