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Old 07-20-2013, 01:54 PM   #1
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Question on Black Water tank

I am a newbie to the rv scene and had a question about the black tank. Checked on the black tank by shinning a light down the toilet and notice a small amount of water in the tank. The black gauge still just shows one red light compared to four and there is no real smell in the rv. I was wondering if this is ok?
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Old 07-20-2013, 07:01 PM   #2
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I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
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Old 07-21-2013, 12:04 AM   #3
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I had a similar question. After three days usage with only two adults and minimal usage my tank ready was full which I thought was weird because I've went a whole week without having to dump. And we're talking only number ones in my toilet... On day three this time the water level was about six inches from the top.
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Old 07-21-2013, 05:16 AM   #4
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We are having a similar issue. There are just two of us and the sensor display seems to stay 2/3 to full even after a dump. I have tried it running with ice cubes and adding the recommended packets that digest and clear the waste but still find it happening. Is there a way to really know?
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Old 07-21-2013, 06:14 AM   #5
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We give up on the gauge as I think most people do. I found out that if I see a gap between the bottom of the pipe and the water level i'm good. We go for 5 day trips and when we leave I think its almost full but yet I can put at least 10 gallons in with a pail. It takes a lot of liquid to raise the height level since the tank is wide but shallow.
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Old 07-21-2013, 06:38 AM   #6
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Question on Black Water tank

When I dump it takes me an hour to do. We have a clear fitting on the stinky slinky so we know whats coming out.

The first thing I do is step on the toilet to make sure it's full. Then I'll dump it. Then I'll run my black tank flush for 2 minutes or so. I then close the valve and then fill my black tank up with fresh water again. I don't stop until the water level starts coming up by the wax seal of the toilet. Then I dump again.

This second dump is almost as disgusting as the first dump. Then do the black tank flush for a few minutes before closing the valve and filling the black up with fresh water again before dumping again. Then run the black tank flush again for a few minutes.

Basically, I'm dumping three times and using the flush kit three times. I do the initial dump followed by two more dumps of clean water and I also spray the tank after dumping. Even that third dump and spray will produce some little nuggets and paper.

Just use lots and lots and lots of water.
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Old 07-21-2013, 07:36 AM   #7
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We've all had the same problem from time to time and you'll get to know your rig and how long you can go between dumps, without even using the guages. If the water is up to the bottom of the toilet drain, then your tank is full and it's time to empty, otherwise, you're probably fine. On occassion I'll fill with 3/4 water and 2 bags of ice cubes and drive around sloshing the mix in the tank to clean the sides and sensors, but I don't worry too much about what's left inside after we empty and fill the toilet a few times and flush, after all, it's called a black tank for a reason. We also have a wand that hooks up to a hose and is used to rinse the tank from the toilet entrance. Oh and there is the geo method that many people use with great success. Remember; enjoy your experience and don't sweat the small stuff.
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Old 07-21-2013, 07:40 AM   #8
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An hour?? Wow! Remind me not to get in line behind you at the dump station (Haha...JK! We are really patient people and find ways to keep ourselves amused while in line at the end of busy weekend... especially at the "free" dumpsites).
We actually do the same "three volume flush"method, using an angled clear elbow with a flush nozzle installed in it (Amazon, for about twenty bucks). I swear by this attachment. Makes the filling/flushing go much faster. (My three volume flush only takes about twenty minutes, including the final drain of the grey water and final flush of the hose).
One "tip" I started doing (that does take a few extra minutes) is to ensure the TT is side-to side level, and then pitched at abit of a down-angle to get all the "stuff" from the black water tank to the drain valve.
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Old 07-21-2013, 08:11 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by ktbarrentine View Post
An hour?? Wow! Remind me not to get in line behind you at the dump station (Haha...JK! We are really patient people and find ways to keep ourselves amused while in line at the end of busy weekend... especially at the "free" dumpsites).
We actually do the same "three volume flush"method, using an angled clear elbow with a flush nozzle installed in it (Amazon, for about twenty bucks). I swear by this attachment. Makes the filling/flushing go much faster. (My three volume flush only takes about twenty minutes, including the final drain of the grey water and final flush of the hose).
One "tip" I started doing (that does take a few extra minutes) is to ensure the TT is side-to side level, and then pitched at abit of a down-angle to get all the "stuff" from the black water tank to the drain valve.

LOL, only at full hook up sites.
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Old 07-21-2013, 12:33 PM   #10
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Question on Black Water tank

Quote:
Originally Posted by tnka trk View Post
We've all had the same problem from time to time and you'll get to know your rig and how long you can go between dumps, without even using the guages. If the water is up to the bottom of the toilet drain, then your tank is full and it's time to empty, otherwise, you're probably fine. On occassion I'll fill with 3/4 water and 2 bags of ice cubes and drive around sloshing the mix in the tank to clean the sides and sensors, but I don't worry too much about what's left inside after we empty and fill the toilet a few times and flush, after all, it's called a black tank for a reason. We also have a wand that hooks up to a hose and is used to rinse the tank from the toilet entrance. Oh and there is the geo method that many people use with great success. Remember; enjoy your experience and don't sweat the small stuff.
What is the "geo" method?
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Old 07-21-2013, 06:03 PM   #11
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I don't have black tank sensors and given all I've read about the issues with them I don't think I'm miss much. Probably the two best pieces of advise I could give would to be fill the tank before flushing and after flush add a few gallons of water to the tank to insure whatever stuff remains on the bottom after a flush doesn't solidify.
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Old 07-23-2013, 11:22 AM   #12
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Thanks cm11599ps That's what I did this last trip over the weekend and everything was clear. It just takes time, a littler more effort, and like you said lots of water. I am thinking about getting that pocket hose because some hoses at dump sites don't feed through the camper to reach my toilet to really get those extra flushes.
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Old 07-23-2013, 05:58 PM   #13
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We had a similar problem with our 1997 262FK. I'd ordered it with insulated tanks which meant that they put an additional aluminum shell around the tank with insulation between the shell and the tank. What happened was the outer tank was touching the gauge wiring located on the outside of the inner tank telling me it was 2/3's full when in fact it was empty. I repositioned the outer tank to provide clearance and that took care of the problem.
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