Black Water Flush

[Camper Bob]

When flushing my black water tank, do I need to use a separate hose, or can I use my portable water hose?

[AndyO]

I use a separate, different colored hose. The one time you get a"few"nasties backed up into your water hose, then relocate them into your fresh water system, will ruin a trip quickly, especially for what a second, short hose will cost you.

[JFlightRisk]

For sanitary reasons, it's best to use a separate and dedicated hose for that, just in case there's a backflow. You don't want that contaminating your fresh water hose. Any hose will do for that.

[Marcm157]

Fully agree separate hose without a doubt...

[NCMFFD]

I also agree with the others and use separate hose for the black water tank flush.

[RetiredOne]

Why can't you use the same water hose?

1) Most rigs have a backflow preventer or a vacuum breaker on that flush line. The water line to the black tank is plumbed higher than the tank, so gravity can do it's thing.

2) There's no back pressure coming from the black tank, so it's not pressurized. How can it force contaminated water back into the flush line.

I believe you can use the same water line, and if you're concerned, just flush water and let it run through the hose when you disconnect it from the black flush.

[Trapper2020]

Not worth the risk no matter how small. Use a separate hose. My regulator set up has a separate faucet just for a black colored hose for the flushing purpose. I also use a bleach solution to clean camp faucets prior to hooking up to them. To each there own.

Enjoy the journey

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

Why can't you use the same water hose?

1) Most rigs have a backflow preventer or a vacuum breaker on that flush line. The water line to the black tank is plumbed higher than the tank, so gravity can do it's thing.

2) There's no back pressure coming from the black tank, so it's not pressurized. How can it force contaminated water back into the flush line.

I believe you can use the same water line, and if you're concerned, just flush water and let it run through the hose when you disconnect it from the black flush.

LOL. You can, I won't.

Seriously though, many people would be performing a tank flush at a dump station. That water hose typically isn't potable to start with. You want that in your hose?

How many of those cheap backflow preventers are noted as bad or failed on RV forums? My Dilbert math says, lots.

[Camper Bob]

Thanks for your help!

[Rubber Man]

For complete rundown on the black water tank visit www.trbowlin.com. He tells you how to flush and keep your black and gray water tank clean and odor free.

[Camper_bob]

I would (and do) use a separate hose. But I use that hose for other stuff too.

I agree with RetiredOne to some extent that it is HIGHLY unlikely that hose will get contaminated, but still ... Potable water hose is for potable water ONLY.

And you stole my "handle"!!

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by madmaxmutt

LOL. You can, I won't.

Seriously though, many people would be performing a tank flush at a dump station. That water hose typically isn't potable to start with. You want that in your hose?

Don't many dump stations already have a hose there to use? Why would you use your own hose?

How many of those cheap backflow preventers are noted as bad or failed on RV forums

Many... and if they haven't yet, they probably will. That's why I cut mine out and put a Pex loop in, instead.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I agree with RetiredOne to some extent that it is HIGHLY unlikely that hose will get contaminated, but still ... Potable water hose is for potable water ONLY.

I think this is a Ewwww topic for most. I think, it's more of an emotional response versus a physical possibility.

I know in my rig, the black flush Pex tubing runs in a loop up into a cabinet and back down under the floor to the black tank. The top of that loop is approximately 3 feet above the black tank connection. In all my decades of doing plumbing work, I've NEVER seen water run uphill against gravity... Never. Water seeks it's own level, and the flush line has 40+ PSI of pressure. That water is going ONE direction only, into the black tank.

So, I believe your water line contamination from the black tank flush connector is a physical impossibility. In my case, I use a brass elbow with a shutoff valve when I connect my water line at the rig, so I can shut off the flow. This kills the incoming water supply right at the connector on the rig. Once the valve gets shut off from the pressurized water, it's another physical impossibility for any backup into the water hose. Once I disconnect that elbow, I can crack the water back on and flush that connector, if I'm concerned.

Just think how many gallons get pushed though the black flush piping in during the flush.

[Atlee]

Always use a separate hose. Don't want any possibility of contamination of fresh water with the black water stuff.

Originally Posted by Camper Bob

When flushing my black water tank, do I need to use a separate hose, or can I use my portable water hose?

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

Why can't you use the same water hose?

I'm more in your camp - I think the odds of contamination are really small.


However, I too use a separate hose.
It was a couple of bucks at Walmart. And I sometimes leave both connected at the campground.


Makes its easier to quick flush.

[CAG]

I was returning from an elk hunt in northern Arizona and stopped at the Flagstaff Giant station as they have a dump station and I wanted to dump the black tank before going down the hill. There was a rig just finishing with the tank dump and I watched the owner drop the end flush hose that is always there with the water bib into the gutter below where most of the black hose hookups are made. I have no idea what the fluid was in the gutter but I then watched the next rig owner pick that hose up, put it in his freshwater inlet and begin filling his fresh tank. It was at that point that I decided I would never use the supplied hose, nor would I fill fresh water from that or any other dump station.

Sit back and watch those who use the public dump stations and then make up your own mind whether it is a ewww factor, or a sanitary issue. Some say no problem, I don't use that water to drink, but you probably do use it to wash dished or shower in.

I use separate hoses on fresh and black tanks.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

Don't many dump stations already have a hose there to use? Why would you use your own hose?


Many... and if they haven't yet, they probably will. That's why I cut mine out and put a Pex loop in, instead.

They typically do have a separate hose. That nasty hose connects to the RV inlet. The next time the owner uses his own freshwater hose. He connects it to that same now contaminated RV inlet connection. That is enough for me to never want to tempt fate even if the backflow preventer were a sure thing.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by CAG

I was returning from an elk hunt in northern Arizona and stopped at the Flagstaff Giant station as they have a dump station and I wanted to dump the black tank before going down the hill. There was a rig just finishing with the tank dump and I watched the owner drop the end flush hose that is always there with the water bib into the gutter below where most of the black hose hookups are made. I have no idea what the fluid was in the gutter but I then watched the next rig owner pick that hose up, put it in his freshwater inlet and begin filling his fresh tank. It was at that point that I decided I would never use the supplied hose, nor would I fill fresh water from that or any other dump station.

Sit back and watch those who use the public dump stations and then make up your own mind whether it is a ewww factor, or a sanitary issue. Some say no problem, I don't use that water to drink, but you probably do use it to wash dished or shower in.

I use separate hoses on fresh and black tanks.

Similar reason caused me to stop renting RVs when I got out of the military. German couple at Yellowstone filled their Rental RV tank with non-potable water, at the dump station in front of us.

[Berjr]

Not that i think you need to use a second hose but it sure does keep the tension down when my wife see me filling the tank with the black hose instead of the white one...... white hose good , black hose bad LOL

[Florida Ranger]

Let us know how your case of diarrhea works out for you. Yes,,it is a personal preference on using 2 different hoses. It is more convenient to already have a separate hose hooked up to flush black tank. Then you do not have to un-hook your fresh water hose to your camper, flush tank ,then hook hose back up to camper. ( just more convenient in my opinion). This applies only when you have a full hook up campsite. When using dump station use thier hose not yours to flush with...