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05-15-2022, 02:27 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Beaufort
Posts: 193
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So why not use soapy grey water for flushing the toilet instead of fresh water?
Make double use of the water and the soap would help loosen stuff in the black tank and dilute it for easier dumping.
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05-15-2022, 04:16 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Lakewood, WA.
Posts: 4,538
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I don’t mix them together but I flush out the black tank with a little dawn dish soap, I flush the tank about three times in the process.
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2023 Jayco North Point 310RLTS
2022 GMC Denali Ultimate DRW
Retired Army MSG
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05-15-2022, 05:31 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3,901
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This is a duplicate of another thread that you created. That one has responses.
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2018 Greyhawk 29MVP-Sold
2023 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
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05-15-2022, 10:31 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Beaufort
Posts: 193
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CAG
This is a duplicate of another thread that you created. That one has responses.
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Thank you however they are different subjects.
One questions why we have two tanks in the first place when one would do.
The other questions why we can't pump grey water into the toilet for flushing. It would require an additional pump but would make good use of the soapy water and save on fresh water.
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05-16-2022, 03:11 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: near Englewood, FL (South of Venice)
Posts: 1,243
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Soap will cancel the effects of many black tank additives. Our kitchen sink drains into the black tank. (... will never buy another one with that configuration, but that's another story.) Camco and Thetford advised not using their products because the soap water would cause them not to work. There are additives out there that claim they will work. I haven't tried any yet so can't provide any useful information.
I'm for separate tanks; it's not really like a home septic system.
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05-16-2022, 03:15 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: In a house
Posts: 1,000
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There are campers who do not use their toilet, but rather use the facilities at the camp itself. Therefore only the grey tank might be used.
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2005 Jayco GreyHawk Class C
2007 Ford F150
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05-16-2022, 07:28 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 3,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann-Marie
Thank you however they are different subjects.
One questions why we have two tanks in the first place when one would do.
The other questions why we can't pump grey water into the toilet for flushing. It would require an additional pump but would make good use of the soapy water and save on fresh water.
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Even if one wanted to do that and besides the reasons above the force of what you pump in would not give you the “flushing” power that the black tank sprayer gives.
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2018 Greyhawk 29MVP-Sold
2023 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
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05-16-2022, 08:05 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 9,769
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To flush the Black tank with water from the grey tank, has added costs and possible maintenance. The big item, you need to have some method to "pump" the water from the grey tank to the black tank.
This would require an additional pump, and piping. The big issue is what type of pump could you use? The grey water tank, in theory is just soapy water, but as we all know, food scraps and other contaminates go down the drain too. Using a pump like our FW pumps would not last long. You would need something called a Garbage Pump. Then is the question, how do you plumb it in?
As you can see without going into much detail, it is just easier to use a hose connection to flush the black tank.
I do agree with you, it would be nice to use the grey tank to flush the black tank, but it is not very practical.
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05-16-2022, 09:39 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Bismarck
Posts: 363
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann-Marie
Make double use of the water and the soap would help loosen stuff in the black tank and dilute it for easier dumping.
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Some people do. I have heard of people with a third valve will close it and let the grey flood up into the black. i.e. open the third valve then open and drain the black. Close the third valve and open the grey. In theory the grey will go up into the black tank because it can't get past the third valve. Then close the grey and open the third valve, hence draining the black that now has grey in it. then open the grey to flush the lines. Close all three valves.
I personally do NOT do that, we have a black tank flush system.
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05-16-2022, 10:03 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: PNW
Posts: 5,195
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann-Marie
Make double use of the water and the soap would help loosen stuff in the black tank and dilute it for easier dumping.
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All you need to do is use a container to save the water used for washing hands and dishes. Use water from the container to flush the toilet after use.
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Bill
2011 Dodge Ram 1500 HEMI Quad Cab
2011 Jay Flight 26BH
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05-16-2022, 11:22 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: ridgecrest
Posts: 1,196
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a few people have created a 'jerry rigged' system to do what you say, but you'll never see a manufacture spend the money to do it. It defiantly makes sense and would help out when you do a lot of boon docking. Every ounce of water counts.
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05-25-2022, 01:37 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Fort Collins
Posts: 30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rpietsch
Some people do. I have heard of people with a third valve will close it and let the grey flood up into the black. i.e. open the third valve then open and drain the black. Close the third valve and open the grey. In theory the grey will go up into the black tank because it can't get past the third valve. Then close the grey and open the third valve, hence draining the black that now has grey in it. then open the grey to flush the lines. Close all three valves.
I personally do NOT do that, we have a black tank flush system.
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I do this when boondocking and using a macinater to pump into my blueboy, when the balck tank has emptied I'll let the grey back fill into the black. As the macinater does not allow a strong flow some 'debris' is left behind, this is flushed out with the grey water. If any stubborn debris remains I have also used a bucketfull of grey water down the toilet to move it.
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05-25-2022, 01:49 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Glendale
Posts: 861
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I suggest OP builds her own RV
Then she can have it Her Way
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05-25-2022, 01:51 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: North Texas
Posts: 3,571
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokerBill
All you need to do is use a container to save the water used for washing hands and dishes. Use water from the container to flush the toilet after use.
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This is what I have done as well when needing to conserve on water usage.
Also, it seems as two different types of responses here, the question is about flushing the toilet, not flushing the black tank. It is simple to do as SmokerBill suggested for "toilet" flushing which of course is not the same as flushing the tank. ~CA
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2010 GreyHawk 31SS
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05-25-2022, 02:12 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: St Johns MI
Posts: 1,724
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rpietsch
Some people do. I have heard of people with a third valve will close it and let the grey flood up into the black. i.e. open the third valve then open and drain the black. Close the third valve and open the grey. In theory the grey will go up into the black tank because it can't get past the third valve. Then close the grey and open the third valve, hence draining the black that now has grey in it. then open the grey to flush the lines. Close all three valves.
I personally do NOT do that, we have a black tank flush system.
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No theory, it works. I do that when I long term with full hookups, use a twist on gate valve before the drain hose, dump black, close twist on gate valve and let grey flow into black tank, close grey valve and dump black again, usually I get a good 2 rinses from both grey tanks. Lots of extra 'stuff' flows out of the black tank, (clear dump hose fitting) then I run a quick final rinse with the black tank flush, which does not seem very effective either by design or possibly how mine is installed. Still plenty of grey left to do a final hose rinse. I do not do this at a dump station with others waiting.
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2020 Pinnacle 32rlts
640 watts solar, 300AH lithium
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Ms says I'm full of useless knowledge and other stuff...
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05-25-2022, 02:41 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SOUTH BELOIT
Posts: 876
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann-Marie
Thank you however they are different subjects.
One questions why we have two tanks in the first place when one would do.
The other questions why we can't pump grey water into the toilet for flushing. It would require an additional pump but would make good use of the soapy water and save on fresh water.
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I can't wait to run pieces of porterhouse or pasta through the flush water in my toilet, Honey isn't that what I ate yesterday it's stuck to the side of the bowl just like yesterday
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2021 Thor Ace 33.1
2019 Jayco 29xk (ex-motorhome)
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05-25-2022, 03:33 PM
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#17
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Lost in the Woods
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Plano
Posts: 542
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I'll take a shot at this. I own a TrailManor with the now recently ( As of last fall) and for good reason, discontinued Thetford Recirculating Toilet. It has a reservoir which you charge when you set up. It uses the contents of the reservoir to flush the toilet until the gauge shows full and then you dump the reservoir into the black tank via a dump valve under the toilet. The smell is the problem and the flap doesn't help. Perhaps using gray water might not be near so bad, but not so sure it may be so good either. May be apples and oranges but having putrifying (that may be the first time in 67 years I've used putrify in a sentence, don't even know If I spelled it correctly) waste in there probably won't contribute much.
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05-25-2022, 04:09 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: State of
Posts: 427
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann-Marie
Make double use of the water and the soap would help loosen stuff in the black tank and dilute it for easier dumping.
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This site is not proving to be a viable place to get your question answered. Just google your question. People do this all the time. I've been using black tank treatment + soap for ~ 20 years with no ill effects.
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2016 19RD Elite - Thermal
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05-25-2022, 04:22 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: SOUTH BELOIT
Posts: 876
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveT
This site is not proving to be a viable place to get your question answered. Just google your question. People do this all the time. I've been using black tank treatment + soap for ~ 20 years with no ill effects.
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She was talking about using gray water to flush the toilet
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2021 Thor Ace 33.1
2019 Jayco 29xk (ex-motorhome)
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05-25-2022, 05:41 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Wheatfield
Posts: 1,099
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bucko
There are campers who do not use their toilet, but rather use the facilities at the camp itself. Therefore only the grey tank might be used.
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At our house we flush the toilet and the "stuff" goes away never to be seen again. Our first house had a septic tank, and we soon moved to a house with a sewer.
We have been camping for about 55 years. NEVER have used the black tank. I simply cannot fathom having black water in a tank living under my RV.
Butttt, cleaning out the black tank is even worse. What a disgusting job!
But that's just my opinion.
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