Closed until dumping time. If the gray tank gets full early, I'll dump some of it if at a full hook up. I also always rinse the tanks when home before putting trailer away for summer. Our camping season ends for summer unless we go to mountains. To hot.
Once I started this practice, I too havent experienced any more gray tank smells!
Plus, keeping tanks closed keeps anything and everything out of tanks. Not taking any chances....
Always closed. When getting full, ~5-7 days, we set up sewer hose and dump. We rarely stay in one place for more than a day or two and shower only when needed. We use a basin in our kitchen sink and dump almost all our kitchen water in the toilet, a short two steps away. : )
I used to keep my grey tank open all the time. Not anymore. I didn't like having and "open" passageway for any kind of anything coming up into the tank. And like a black tank, stuff still settles into your grey tank and rots. Might not be human waste, but it's just as bad sometimes. I've never had any intruder in the tank, just thought I'd be proactive. Not sure it's the correct way to do things but it works for us.
I just put something under the hose to lift it and make a trap like on your sink. Nothing can go back up into your tank and it keeps the sewage stink out. When I dump black or my kitchen sink gray I remove the block and get a straight run. I lv the kitchen sink gray closed until full. You will always get food crud down the drain and this way it does not dry to the tank.
If I'm staying for a while, I'll leave the grey tanks open so we can wash dishes, take bathes/showers without restriction, etc. Black tank is ALWAYS closed, unless dumping. The day or 2 before we leave, I'll close the gray tank to build up water. The morning we leave, I dump the black tank, flush it, then use the gray tank contents to "clean" out the hose.
For those locations where you may encounter sewer gnats or flies, or concerned with odors, then doing your hose like this will certainly help. Also, keep in mind that all of your sink and shower drains should have a P trap, but the tank drain itself doesn't. ~CA
FYI not my picture just one I found on the internet.
HI all,
We usually keep both tanks closed and then every 2 or 3 days open and discharge the contents of the tanks.
Is there any advantage to keeping them open or opening when there is some volume to off load?
Thanks for your thoughts.
David
We were at a campground once that stunk like an open sewer we finally narrowed it down to a trailer that had his grey tank slide valve open. the gasses from the sewer go up the hose into the RV tank and out the roof vent. Who knows what else might crawl out of the sewer into you tank. There is no water trap for the tank vents. be a good camper and keep your valves closed unless dumping.
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