question about the black tank scrubber

patrick1945

Well-known member
I am unable to get the reading on my black tank EMPTY. I either have some build-up or there is something wrong with the sensor. I have used the black tank scrubber but have been reluctant to let it run for any length of time.

Question: If I leave the outflow open can I run the black tank scrubber (BTS) for a long time? Maybe an hour?

The city water connection runs through a pressure reducer but the BTS does not.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
patrick1945, tank sensors are notorious for false readings. One thing that I use, thanks to jnphobe, is use a clear fitting between the dump outlet and the dump hose. I can see when the black tank is actually coming clean. I run my black flusher till I see the water running clear. However long that takes. I do not use a pressure regulator on the flush hose.
One other thing you can do is before you travel, add a cup of Dawn dishwashing detergent some Calgon and about five or ten gallons of water, it will slosh around in the tank as you travel, and clean it. Then dump and flush it out at your next stop.
It all works for me.

Peace
Dave
 

patrick1945

Well-known member
The black tank drains but very slowly. Can I use a snake and where would be the best place for me to use? From the outside or through the toilet?
 

SmokeyBare

Well-known member
Just a thought. If you start by using it at the outside drain connection, and you find it opens things, and things start heading down... your going to be the target it hits.

If you start at the toilet, the risk is going to be greatly reduced of getting wet.

IF there is some type of blockage, more likely it will be a piece of plastic from the tank where they cut the hole out for the drain to be connected too. Seems that some of those pucks get left inside the tank, .

On ours, it eventually flowed out the drain valve and ended up stuck in the sewer hose.

Good Luck !!
 

Jellystone

Well-known member
patrick1945, you say it "drains very slowly", i'm assuming you mean after you have dumped the tank fully and are just using the black tank rinse feature. If that is true then it will drain slowly. I would suggest also picking up a "hydro flush" or "flush king" attachment fitting for your sewer hose/hard pipeing connection. This will accomplish 2 things, #1-as Cookie suggests it will give you a clear fitting to view when "clean" water starts to run out & #2-it will give a shot of back flow pressure to clean out the bottom of the tank & clear up any potential blockage around the dump valve.

Tank sensors are moody, any tiny piece of debris will trigger sensor & give you a false reading. Always make sure black tank is at least 3/4 full or more before dumping. If not, solids will not have enough pressure on them to flush on out of the tank. Treat your tank after every dump with the proper amount of tank treatment chemical and water mixture.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
If your tank is draining slowly, it could be construction debris, or it could be human debris (see, I didn't say SEWER TROUT). Rather than play with a drain snake, get yourself a clear HydroFlush, or DrainKing, or whatever name/brand they have at the nearest RV supply store. It needs to have a twist-on valve, also. Backflushing the tank drain a couple of times from the sewer connection should knock the logjam loose and get your tank flowing.

Trying to run a drain snake into the tank drain from the toilet will be a game of blind man's bluff until you luckily hit the hole. Running it from the sewer connection will probably get you thrown out of the campground.
 
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