WHY fresh water tank fill port.......

Spanks79 · 07-07-2017, 10:42 PM

First let me say that I am completely new to RV's so I am still learning but some things just don't make sense. We just bought a 31FS back in May and have been using it quite a bit. We are into motorsports and use the RV as base camp at the race track. Most of these locations are simply in a field with no hookups. As a result we travel with full tanks of water and use the generator a lot.

My question is why are the fresh water fill port and black tank flush port located right next to one another and look exactly the same? At the time of our PDI when I was explained how it worked I thought it was strange and knew it was only a matter of time before I screwed it up. Well that time was tonight. It was raining, I'm trying to get loaded for an early morning departure and hooked up the hose and cranked it on. A while later I thought something didn't seem right, well you guessed it, I hooked the hose up to the flush port! At which point I realized that the tank was now overflowing up through the toilet into the coach! Lovely. In a moment of panic I shut the water off and opened both valves to allow black water to run into the grey water tank, hated to do that but besides draining the black tank onto my driveway I had no other way to stop the sewer water from coming into the coach. I was/am fuming mad. I know its my fault but seems like it wouldn't be that hard to make a positive differentiation between the two ports. like put them in different spots?!?

I finally got it all cleaned up but now my new coach literally smells like a port-o-let. I have no idea how to get rid of the odor. I imagine the toilet chemical / pee water has made its way under and into nooks and crannies like paneling and subfloor that I cant wipe down with Clorox. I'm open to suggestions. I've already considered burning it to the ground,not sure if there is a better alternative.

pconroy · 07-08-2017, 12:01 AM

Bummer

When I hook the hose up to the black flush and turn it on, there's a distinct difference in the sound.

rgolding · 07-08-2017, 05:12 AM

Hard lesson learned.

I'm sure the lingering smell will remind of your error. Get a dehumidifier going. Take all the drawers and anything removable out and wash thoroughly with bleach water and let dry before returning to cabin. This will be a long slow process to resolve.

**norty1** · 07-08-2017, 05:19 AM

All rgolding said. Consider leaving some fans running and fresh air to help allow the smells to dissipate.
Believe me, you are not the first or even hundredth person to do this. Main thing is get it dry.

If you were leaving on a trip, your black tank could not have been that full?

Marcm157 · 07-08-2017, 05:47 AM

You can try a product called Odoban - It is used often in kennels and shelters to neutralize pet odors. I've used it before to eliminate musty basement odors. It may help.

ifallsguy · 07-08-2017, 07:59 AM

a suggestion to prevent this in the future. find some way to make the cap feel different from the fresh water fill. Maybe use some silicon to put bumps on the front of the cap, find another cap that is square, anything so it doesn't feel the same. Make it so you can tell the difference in the dark by feel. Plus it would serve as a reminder in the day if you grab the wrong cap.

stumpshot · 07-08-2017, 08:35 AM

Paint the cap on the black flush bright orange.

The Logans · 07-08-2017, 09:58 AM

Ours are labeled "Black" and "Fresh". Why not get a label maker, and label them?

Doug · 07-08-2017, 10:56 AM

Freebreeze.

After everything is dry for a couple days, spray clorox and water solution in nooks and crannys. Let dry.

Doug

pconroy · 07-08-2017, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Logans

Ours are labeled "Black" and "Fresh". Why not get a label maker, and label them?

I got tired of leaking during the fresh water fills and fishing the hose thru the small hatch.

So I bought a 4' stainless steel washing machine hose, one fitting and now the stainless hose is "permanently attached" to the top fitting - city water inlet.

Simple now to fish it thru the hatch and hook up the fresh water to the stainless hose.

This also makes it pretty obvious which one is fresh and which one is black flush!

oldmanAZ · 07-08-2017, 11:03 AM

I don't connect my fresh water hose to the black tank flush. I have a 'brown' garden hose for that.

I have pondered installing a quick connect fitting on the end of the brown hose and on the flush connection. That could help prevent the situation you encountered.

stumpshot · 07-08-2017, 12:30 PM

I have a 4' hose that drops out thru the bottom of my utility door for the fresh water hose. The 4' hose goes into a brass tee with a small ball valve on 1 run and 1 branch end of it. 1 of the ball valves screws into my fresh port at the panel, the other is attached to an 18" hose that goes to my black flush. To flush, I valve off the freshwater panel and open the valve on the black flush hose. When done, reverse the proceedure.
Roy

ifallsguy · 07-08-2017, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumpshot

I have a 4' hose that drops out thru the bottom of my utility door for the fresh water hose. The 4' hose goes into a brass tee with a small ball valve on 1 run and 1 branch end of it. 1 of the ball valves screws into my fresh port at the panel, the other is attached to an 18" hose that goes to my black flush. To flush, I valve off the freshwater panel and open the valve on the black flush hose. When done, reverse the proceedure.
Roy

Hope you have an antibackflow valve in there between the line going to the black water and your tee.

It is NEVER a good idea to have fresh water and black water feeds hooked up to the same valve.

Also, any health inspector would write you up for your setup.

Spanks79 · 07-10-2017, 10:56 AM

Thanks for the input everyone. We made our trip this weekend without further incident. After traveling with the bathroom window open and leaving the vent fan on for a couple days the smell has diminished to practically nothing.

Upon closer inspection the toilet never actually overflowed, the trap valve was tight as could be. The water pressure actually caused water to leak between the toilet and the flange or gasket. On the grand scheme of things there was not nearly as much water in the coach as there could have been. It stayed isolated to the bathroom itself. At the time of the incident it seemed as if a black tank exploded inside the coach! At this point I just hope the toilet gasket is ok. Everything worked well over the weekend.

So bottom line is from the responses that there is no real functional reason that the fill port and flush port have to be immediately next to one another? Its was just convenient? I will figure out a way to make it obvious.

It could have been worse, while I was dealing with all this our friends were at the race track and endured a severe hail storm that smashed in skylights on their RV's.

elcheapo · 07-10-2017, 03:13 PM

Just paint the Black Tank flush connector Black !!

t18skyguy · 07-10-2017, 03:47 PM

I have the same rig as yours, 2017 31fs. On my rig the fresh water hookup has a label underneath it says "City Water Connection". Maybe they forgot to put that on yours. But I could see that in poor light etc it could be easy to miss it. I think they thought it convenient to have both ports near one another. Glad it's not as bad as you thought. Anyone can make a mistake, I've made my share.

wags999 · 07-10-2017, 03:53 PM

just put a plug on the black tank flush, you would have to remove the plug to attach your hose to it. The fresh water intake has only a cap on it. Could tighten the plug so you would need pliers to remove it.

Lesson you will NEVER forget ! LOL Sorry...

street rod 37 · 07-10-2017, 04:37 PM

You might contact carpet cleaners they might be able get rid of the smell

jasum · 07-10-2017, 04:50 PM

To get rid of bad smells...........

Place WHITE VINEGAR in several bowls or containers throughout your RV. It might take a few days, but ALL of the smell should go away.

tom463219 · 07-10-2017, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pconroy

I got tired of leaking during the fresh water fills and fishing the hose thru the small hatch.

So I bought a 4' stainless steel washing machine hose, one fitting and now the stainless hose is "permanently attached" to the top fitting - city water inlet.

Simple now to fish it thru the hatch and hook up the fresh water to the stainless hose.

This also makes it pretty obvious which one is fresh and which one is black flush!

Like your idea of using the stainless washing machine hose, gonna do that too.
Thanks

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