Black tank flush - with separate hose - WHY?

[GrumpyDad]

Hi all, so I know everyone say you need to use a separate hose to flush the black tanks, and I want to know why it matters. I don't currently have a Jayco, but I assume this system is similar enough between all manufacturers that the answer is the same everywhere.

If the water from the hose is going INTO the black tank flush connection, and not the other way around, who cares what hose you use? How could any contaminants get into the drinking water hose?

Always looking to learn.

[Camper_bob]

Same reason many building codes require back-flow preventers on water spigots. If there is a sudden loss of pressure to that flush line, the yucky water could back-flow into the hose.

And yes, there SHOULD be a back flow preventer on that black tank flush, but they are notoriously undependable, and they often leak, so many users simply remove them.

Sure, it may be a slim chance, but a dedicated hose is not that expensive and certainly worth the small investment for peace of mind if nothing else.

I've had more than my share of GI infections all the way up and down, and if even a small chance exists to repeat that, I'll take whatever precautions are necessary. NO WAY my drinking water hose is getting ANYWHERE NEAR a waste function.

[oldmanAZ]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Same reason many building codes require back-flow preventers on water spigots. If there is a sudden loss of pressure to that flush line, the yucky water could back-flow into the hose.

And yes, there SHOULD be a back flow preventer on that black tank flush, but they are notoriously undependable, and they often leak, so many users simply remove them.

Sure, it may be a slim chance, but a dedicated hose is not that expensive and certainly worth the small investment for peace of mind if nothing else.

I've had more than my share of GI infections all the way up and down, and if even a small chance exists to repeat that, I'll take whatever precautions are necessary. NO WAY my drinking water hose is getting ANYWHERE NEAR a waste function.

X2 (but, thankfully, I've had a lack if GI problems and want to keep it that way )
In addition, I've occasionally had a need for an extra hose for washing or to keep near a camp fire. I have a cheap, light weight garden hose for the black tank flush and those other, non-drinking, uses.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by oldmanAZ

X2 (but, thankfully, I've had a lack if GI problems and want to keep it that way )
In addition, I've occasionally had a need for an extra hose for washing or to keep near a camp fire. I have a cheap, light weight garden hose for the black tank flush and those other, non-drinking, uses.

+1, the hose I use on the black tank flush has many purposes other than that. I guess better stated, the key is not to use your drinking water hose for ANYTHING other than that.

Also, full disclosure: We rarely drink the water that enters our camper through a hose. That includes the water I put in our tank, and the "city" water available at a campsite. We typically bring a 5 gal jug of RO water for drinking. But case-in-point was this weekend when we forgot to fill our jug; we ended up drinking the tank water all weekend. And that's okay because the hose I use to fill the tank is ONLY for "drinking" water, and I use my blue charcoal filter when I'm filling that tank too. Because you never know...

[GrumpyDad]

It makes sense, I just didn't have black flush in my last two trailers, so I'm not used to carrying an extra hose, and I'm looking for an excuse not to.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

It makes sense, I just didn't have black flush in my last two trailers, so I'm not used to carrying an extra hose, and I'm looking for an excuse not to.

Why? I use my "other" hose ALL THE TIME. I've used it to rinse significant amounts of butterfly remnants out of my radiator, safety measure for campfires, to drain grey water (with an adapter on my waste outlet), to rinse off gear (or dogs) that went to the beach, to rinse dirt or debris off the camper...

There are ALL KINDS of uses for a good all purpose garden hose. It's an essential piece of kit IMO.

[GrumpyDad]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Why? I use my "other" hose ALL THE TIME. I've used it to rinse significant amounts of butterfly remnants out of my radiator, safety measure for campfires, to drain grey water (with an adapter on my waste outlet), to rinse off gear (or dogs) that went to the beach, to rinse dirt or debris off the camper...

There are ALL KINDS of uses for a good all purpose garden hose. It's an essential piece of kit IMO.

Probably because I never camp anywhere with water. But you are right, if I was somewhere where I had a water hookup, I'm sure I'd find a lot of uses for that hose.

Also, I think for the $25 or so, I'll stop being cheap and just buy one. getting my family sick just once would be more than $25 worth of hassle. Need to figure out where I'm going to store it that's out of the way, and also isn't right beside my drinking water hose, which would defeat the point.

[Witt74]

You could buy a hose that is a different color than the drinking water hoses, or mark the hose with tape or paint.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by GrumpyDad

Probably because I never camp anywhere with water. But you are right, if I was somewhere where I had a water hookup, I'm sure I'd find a lot of uses for that hose.

Also, I think for the $25 or so, I'll stop being cheap and just buy one. getting my family sick just once would be more than $25 worth of hassle. Need to figure out where I'm going to store it that's out of the way, and also isn't right beside my drinking water hose, which would defeat the point.

Well, ya, that makes sense. Kind of a waste of space if you rarely have a spigot to hook up to.

You could get one of those expandable hoses? They only take up about as much space as a coffee can.

[Jim Smyth]

I never thought about a separate hose for the Black Tank Flush but it makes perfect sense. Just ordered a black expandable hose to dedicate to that function. Thanks for the ideas.

[Camper_bob]

Just don't leave the "expandables" under pressure for any amount of time or they'll pop. Do the job, and disconnect the hose immediately.