When the gray tank is full?

[DC8Captain]

So if the gray tank is overfilled what happens? Will it just back up into the tub to let you know or is there a real problem if it's accidentally overfilled?

Dale

[norty1]

The lowest drain will back up. Usually the shower drain. Time to drain the grey.
It has happened to me several times and no harm done except the verbal assault from my wife who is usually standing in the water!

When I don't have sewer hookups, I hook the drain to the blue boy when I get set up and then it's just a matter of pulling the valve and draining some of it off. Another handy item is a Valterra external twist on valve. If you have 2 grey tanks, you can close the twist on and open the other 2 valves and the grey water will equalize in the two tanks.
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-T58-...=1&*entries*=0

[dewey02]

You'd better hope that the factory tightly sealed your shower drain and didn't just fit the pieces together. When gravity draining from the shower pan/tub to the GW tank, it may work flawlessly. When the GW is full and water is backing up and going the other way, it may be leaking water at the drain and pipe connections beneath the shower pan.

[Murff]

Originally Posted by dewey02

You'd better hope that the factory tightly sealed your shower drain and didn't just fit the pieces together. When gravity draining from the shower pan/tub to the GW tank, it may work flawlessly. When the GW is full and water is backing up and going the other way, it may be leaking water at the drain and pipe connections beneath the shower pan.

+1

Murff

[norty1]

Agree, it's a good idea in a rv to check every plumbing drain fitting and assure yourself it is hand tight. I can look under my drain from the pass thru storage and there are no leaks. It has backed up several times.

[Edd505]

I have heard that you can leave the cap on and open both gray valves and the tanks will equalize. Have not tried it but is sounds like it would work. Anyone done this?

[BuddyRay]

Edd505 - That would work - but then what do you you do when it's time to dump? Even if you close the valves, when you take that cap off you're going to dump about a gallon of dirty water on the ground.

Even if it's just shower soap (except for biodegradable soap) it isn't particularly good for the environment. If there are food particles from the kitchen sink then you'll be attracting bugs and wild animals by dumping it on the ground.

I suppose, if the campground dump station has a large enough cement pad that slopes properly to the drain that you could pull the cap and then hose off the excess - but 90% of the campground dump stations I've used are poorly designed with little or no cement skirt around the dump.

[norty1]

If you put this on the outlet valve you will have complete control when equalizing.
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-T58-...=1&*entries*=0

[Edd505]

I have a cap like this on mine. One of the camp sites I go fairly regular to wants the gray water on the trees between sites. Water in NM is scarce with little rain.
Close the valves before dumping and gallon or so of gray water at a regular dump site. I don't thing would be an issue, just flush it with the hose. I have seen more than that in black tanks with people don't know how the system works. There was a post yesterday from on a guy did just that. Black tank was open when he took the cap off. Last year I went to a dump site leaving and the guy before me just dumped the tanks on the cement pad no hose, what a mess. I got a ranger and took him back before I dumped and told him it wasn't me.
Norty1 I like your idea I need to put one of those in my fittings box.

[Dustdevil]

I have seen the results of the black tank valve being opened before the main drain hose is fully attached, and it ain't pretty. That was almost 40 years ago. Poor guy was a mess, and his wife was hysterical. Not with laughter. Sure, it's funny now.

Here in the California desert, BLM generally doesn't mind at all if grey water is emptied on a dirt road somewhere in their jurisdiction. We asked them. They just want it dispersed. So, they recommend cracking the valve open and driving down the road until it's empty enough. Certainly they would have a problem with black water. And you don't really want to empty all the grey water by itself. You want to keep some in the tank to flush your drain hose after the black water has washed through.

[cekkk]

Originally Posted by dewey02

You'd better hope that the factory tightly sealed your shower drain and didn't just fit the pieces together. When gravity draining from the shower pan/tub to the GW tank, it may work flawlessly. When the GW is full and water is backing up and going the other way, it may be leaking water at the drain and pipe connections beneath the shower pan.

That was one of the only two problems our TT had when we bought it. We caught it before the several times I've had grey back up into the shower. In our case I was heavy enough to keep the male shower drain snug into the waste pipe. DW at a hundred pounds wasn't. It took a couple of puddles on the floor outside the shower to figure out what was going on.

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by Dustdevil

I have seen the results of the black tank valve being opened before the main drain hose is fully attached, and it ain't pretty. That was almost 40 years ago. Poor guy was a mess, and his wife was hysterical. Not with laughter. Sure, it's funny now.

Somehow I'm picturing Robin Williams in the movie RV...... "Turn it OFF" "Turn it Off"!!

[Dustdevil]

Originally Posted by glsimms

Somehow I'm picturing Robin Williams in the movie RV...... "Turn it OFF" "Turn it Off"!!

Wasn't far off. Not to divert the thread, but it was a guy and his wife in a brand new camper on his pickup truck. The nozzle on the outside, and the rip cord inside under the toilet. He told his wife to let 'er rip when he yelled. He was struggling to get the hose on and cussed out loud when it wouldn't cooperate. She heard him yell, pulled the handle, and he tried desperately to get the hose on the nozzle. The rest is history. I was right behind them in line, and I have to admit it was like watching two of the Three Stooges. Live.

Just wish I had it on video.

[dewey02]

Originally Posted by Dustdevil

Wasn't far off. Not to divert the thread, but it was a guy and his wife in a brand new camper on his pickup truck. The nozzle on the outside, and the rip cord inside under the toilet. He told his wife to let 'er rip when he yelled. He was struggling to get the hose on and cussed out loud when it wouldn't cooperate. She heard him yell, pulled the handle, and he tried desperately to get the hose on the nozzle. The rest is history. I was right behind them in line, and I have to admit it was like watching two of the Three Stooges. Live.

Just wish I had it on video.

Let 'er rip, indeed!

[Kim Gass]

Grey water is often used in some irrigation systems and we use it at home if the plants need watering and there is a drought. We are on a private well and sometimes there is a risk of not reusing water. Fresh is precious at times.

It does not attract bugs and animals unless you have a standing water pool.

Tenters dispose of grey water all the time.

The real issue is volume.. you dont need an 80 gallon mud puddle in one spot.

So I disagree. Grey water can be good for the environment

Greywater Reuse -

[Dustdevil]

Yeah, I think so. Grey water can be used to repurpose for watering gardens, etc. It seems toxic, because it smells. And it has soap in it. But not having enough fresh water can be a bigger problem.

[norty1]

e live in a small town and I have a large lot. I often drain 4-5 gallons out of my grey tanks and dump in around the out skirts of my yard. Never had a smell or any accumulation. Usually it's just water that I put in before leaving a campsite that I don' want to haul or fill my grey tanks pre maturely.

[cekkk]

Those with private wells and own their water are lucky. My well was only paid for by me. Denver Water Board, many miles away, controls my usage. Can't use it outsides of the four walls of our home with a residential permit. I was luck as when we drilled it 25 years ago there was a brief window when you could get a domestic rider. That means we can legally water our horses. As far as I'm aware, no one else on our hill has that rider. Many water horses anyway, but it seems whenever someone gets in trouble with the county over virtually any issue, somehow the DWB shows up and tells them they have to get a cistern and haul water for their horses. I know of two that has happened to. As for grey water, I'd like to drain our shower, our large jetted tub and the washing machine into the yard to lighten the load on the septic. Nope. Illegal.

[Rootus]

Originally Posted by glsimms

Somehow I'm picturing Robin Williams in the movie RV...... "Turn it OFF" "Turn it Off"!!

As someone who just experienced this a few days ago, I have to say that I'm happy my reflexes under fire are reliable. I put that cap right back on when the tidal wave of sewage came at me. Can't completely stop the mess but at least you're not standing there watching 30+ gallons of sewage drain out under your RV.

[BuddyRay]

I thought detergent was a problem in grey water? Dish and laundry detergent takes forever to break down in the environment and washes into creeks and streams.
There are biodegradable detergents but most people don't use them.

Ever notice a persistent foam floating down a waterway?


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