Black water level indicator not accurate

[ehomme]

Anyone with success with getting the LED indicators to report accurately? We can empty the holding tank and the LED's still show full or 2/3 full with when the tank is empty.

[Grumpy]

Typical of many OEM guages

[Tunce the traveler]

My LED indicator lights have worked perfectly now for 6-1/2 years, they always show “ FULL”.

[RedHorse1]

Kinda like havin a broken watch, it’s correct twice a day

[pward]

I have read about two potential solutions. Place a bunch of ice cubes and water in the tank and drive around. The agitation may help clean the sensors. Use a spray wand to do the same, clean off the sensors and also helps clean the entire tank.

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by ehomme

Anyone with success with getting the LED indicators to report accurately?

Nope, ours stopped being accurate after 1 year and I am very thorough in flushing every trip. Finally put SeeLevel gauges in and couldn’t be happier, it nice getting a percentage number rather than 4 dots.

[edatlanta]

When you flush and it burps at you it is full. If it doesn't burp it isn't full.

Easy.

[Midnightmoon]

I have found that a couple of scalding hot buckets of water down the toilet (be careful not to burn yourself in the process) will help clean off those sensors. The steam created seems to clean them off very well.

[CAG]

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

My LED indicator lights have worked perfectly now for 6-1/2 years, they always show “ FULL”.

I wanted to give this one a "like". Pretty much the story with factory gauges. They never give an accurate reading.

I use Dawn (a health dose) and fill the tank about 1/2 full. Go to your next destination and dump. You will be surprised at how bad the water looks even though you just flushed the tank three or four times after dumping. I do this between each stop.

[travelingjw]

After almost 3 years and having tried everything above and more I still cannot the sensors to report accurately on a consistent basis. Dawn and water softener seemed to work for a while but that failed too.

[salsa]

This appears to work for me, for the last fourteen years. When the trailer is not being used especially for the long winter months. I leave the dump valves open on the gray and black tanks. I think this lets air circulate into the dump valve through the tank and out the vent. This dries the crud on the sensor probes. The dry crud then drops off.

[cekkk]

To be expected. It's like your first love. You gotta let it go. This is why God made flashlights.

[mokurt]

How about using a dip stick down the toilet!

[maejoicer]

Originally Posted by ehomme

Anyone with success with getting the LED indicators to report accurately? We can empty the holding tank and the LED's still show full or 2/3 full with when the tank is empty.

we would like figure that out too, ours do the same thing and we have only had our trailer for 4 months!!! It is a royal PIA....need to figure out how to get the good indicators without tearing into the enclosed underbelly

[Route 66 Traveler]

Mine started acting the same way. I bought this "Tank Blaster" stuff from Amazon. Took two treatments but now my gauge reads Empty when it is empty. Also works on the grey tanks.


Amazon.com: Thetford Corp White 1.6 oz 96527 Blaster Holding Tank Cleaner

[norty1]

After a while, If you know who you camp with and what you put in the black tank, you can anticipate when it needs dumping.

After 20+ years of camping we don't worry about the small stuff anymore and that is small stuff. It will always be a time waster unless you want to spend some money to put in a better system like SeeLevel, etc..

[RetiredLEO]

This seems to be the most reliable. Winnebago uses them on their Class A's. I believe Newmar does also.
https://www.garnetinstruments.com/rv-shop/

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by RetiredLEO

This seems to be the most reliable. Winnebago uses them on their Class A's. I believe Newmar does also.
https://www.garnetinstruments.com/rv-shop/

That what I just installed on our Seneca and they work great! You get a percentage reading instead of dots. Sensors are on the outside of the tanks and don’t get fouled.

[Vicr]

Originally Posted by pward

I have read about two potential solutions. Place a bunch of ice cubes and water in the tank and drive around. The agitation may help clean the sensors. Use a spray wand to do the same, clean off the sensors and also helps clean the entire tank.

The ice cube theory has been proven false. There is a You Tube video where a guy did a complete controlled experiment and proved it's false.

[norty1]

Originally Posted by Vicr

The ice cube theory has been proven false. There is a You Tube video where a guy did a complete controlled experiment and proved it's false.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH6acEmqvcw