Grey water tank full

[jamaddox]

On this trip out something odd seem to happen. We filled our grey tank in two days. I dumped our tank twice with an 18 gal tote. My gauge said 1/3 after that. In about 12 hours it filled back up. I thought just having a teenager and 10 year old was the problem. Until I checked the Jayco site and aw I only had a 30 gal tank. This does not make sense since I dumped a full 18 gal tote twice.

The only way this makes sense is that the soap we use is a foaming soap and maybe the foam is causing false readings. Does this make sense and if so should I do anything specific to clean it?

And I guess I should not use the foaming soap.

[bzeller]

The gauges are notoriously poor. I doubt it's the soap.


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[travelingjw]

On a recent trip a neighbor had a similar issue. We emptied the grey tank and stuck a hose into the sink first and turned it on to as full as pressure as to cause no backwash. We then drained the tank and put the hose up into the tank and turned on the water full blast. It solved the issue but I can't tell you why. My guess is that something was interfering with the gauge.

[Rustysocket]

The tank isn't really full until it backs up into the shower... the guages are generally off.

[jamaddox]

Before I dumped the first time it looked like the water was backing up into the sink as it was coming close to the top. The morning we were leaving it still showed full but I as able to run lots of water in it. I stopped because I was just wasting the water

[cekkk]

Those gauges and travel trailer salesmen are about equally reliable.

[Jagiven]

The gauges are poor. I have found when my sensors are reading false, I pour a 1/2 cup of liquid fabric softener and a few extra gallons of water down each tank after dumping. Let it slosh while driving. Usually the tanks are read decently at out next campout.

[Hazman65]

Watch the faucets on the outside kitchen. I have a 23 MRB and on our first time outmwe we're filling the gray tank very quickly. Found out that when I pushed the outside kitchen slide back in the top of the faucet handles hit the top of the enclosure and turned the faucet on slightly. Gray tank filled up over night.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Hazman65

Watch the faucets on the outside kitchen. I have a 23 MRB and on our first time outmwe we're filling the gray tank very quickly. Found out that when I pushed the outside kitchen slide back in the top of the faucet handles hit the top of the enclosure and turned the faucet on slightly. Gray tank filled up over night.

Lol, we do not have an outside kitchen. When I wrap our outside shower hose to put it in the tiny compartment, I usually turn on at least on faucet. When this happens my water pump cycles every so often, indicating a leak.

[RunningDad]

Same issue here with my new 28BHBE. We camp at a lot state parks that are electric only. Grey tank appears to be filling "faster". Even did some math based on how many gallons per minute pump produces versus how many gallons 1/3 tank equals (I'm nerdy like that). Going to try to one of the cleaning methods suggested and see if that works.

[troutslayer]

I don't know if this helps but this is what I have in order to maximize gray water tank use. I installed this at the end of the sewer pipe then open both gray tank valves. The two tanks equalize, essentially making one large gray tank. This helps cuz the shower tank fills much faster than the kitchen tank. https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-T58-...=rv+gate+valve

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by jamaddox

On this trip out something odd seem to happen. We filled our grey tank in two days. I dumped our tank twice with an 18 gal tote. My gauge said 1/3 after that. In about 12 hours it filled back up. I thought just having a teenager and 10 year old was the problem. Until I checked the Jayco site and aw I only had a 30 gal tank. This does not make sense since I dumped a full 18 gal tote twice.

The only way this makes sense is that the soap we use is a foaming soap and maybe the foam is causing false readings. Does this make sense and if so should I do anything specific to clean it?

And I guess I should not use the foaming soap.

Forget the gauges they are worthless. As for 2 18 gal dumps in the tote, you likely didn't fill them all the way and only emptied 30 gallons. Dump it until there is no more flow. Then wait 24 hours with no actual use. Then attach the tote and drain again. If you get any amount of significant volume from the tank there is only 1 explaination -- You have a leak in the fresh water system somewhere. If you are not connected to a fresh water hookup, then it is in your on-board tank/pump system. Not easy to find, but a little trial and error and you should be able to narrow it down. Then w/o a fresh water connection and a drained tank, turn off the pump and wait. After a few hours turn the pump on and listen. If it takes more than a few seconds to pressurize you likely have a leak somewhere past the pump allowing the system to drain off pressure when the pump is off. Try and try again until you isolate it.

[mike837go]

I gave up on my waste tank gauges....

The black tank (20 gal) shows empty until the toilet is used twice. Then it shows 2/3 full for the rest of the trip.

The grey tank (50 gal) shows empty until the first load of dishes or shower. Then jumps to 1/3 full and generally stays there for several days. It may make 2/3 full by the end of the trip.

The fresh water (50 gal) is the only one that makes sense. It shows full when we arrive and I open the vents (overflows). Then drops to 2/3 after a few days use. Never hit 1/3 while out in the field. During sanitizing and filling the readings are linear with time from the garden hose.

Since 95% of our fresh water winds up in the grey tank, I can use the fresh water gauge as a pretty good indicator of how much is in the grey tank.

Two adults, up to 5 days, with access to plenty of other toilets don't generate 20 gallons of black water. Only once did we ever fill the 5 gallon black tank in my old trailer...

So, we can't trust the gauges! We just have to get a feel for our water usage and act BEFORE something messy happens.

[jamaddox]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Forget the gauges they are worthless. As for 2 18 gal dumps in the tote, you likely didn't fill them all the way and only emptied 30 gallons. Dump it until there is no more flow. Then wait 24 hours with no actual use. Then attach the tote and drain again. If you get any amount of significant volume from the tank there is only 1 explaination -- You have a leak in the fresh water system somewhere. If you are not connected to a fresh water hookup, then it is in your on-board tank/pump system. Not easy to find, but a little trial and error and you should be able to narrow it down. Then w/o a fresh water connection and a drained tank, turn off the pump and wait. After a few hours turn the pump on and listen. If it takes more than a few seconds to pressurize you likely have a leak somewhere past the pump allowing the system to drain off pressure when the pump is off. Try and try again until you isolate it.

That might be true about the secon tankful but the portable tank pop up valve popped up and showed full. When I go out again I will check things. It is also possible that my kids forgot how to do water management. That still does not explain the gauges



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