Rid-X for black tank treatment

1. Before you dump the black tank, look at the gauge and try to figure out if you can still add some water to the black tank. The more you add the better it dumps the piled up mountain of toilet paper and other stuff you have been building for a few days. Then pull the valve and watch it drain out through the clear plastic 45' elbow you have installed. After it all drains out, fill it up and drain again and again until it drains out all clear. Add five gallons of water and leave it in the tank to slosh around on the way home and leave it there.
2. Add a bottle of your choice of toilet chemicals or nothing. Black tank will be ready for the next rv trip.

branson4020 said:

The black plastic disk is the cut-out piece that falls into the tank when they use a hole saw to make the opening where the the pipe attaches. Sometimes folks have been successful using a back-flush kit to get it out. Maybe others who have had this problem will comment.

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I had that problem in one of the gray tanks. Had to remove the dump valve, saw the cutout in the pipe and removed with needle nose pliers. Put valve back together, a real pain in the neck. No problems since.

(RV Digest It) makes a lot of claims as to how good it is at cleaning the tanks and sensors. Have any of you tried the stuff and does it work as advertized. I've heard of the-- tank plug in the tank-- before but how do you get the plug out of the tank-- just in case we need to someday. Tom M.

IF the plastic floats, might it be possible to back fill the tank with fresh water from the sewer connection and retrieve the cut-out from the toilet? This would be something for a new owner who has not made any "deposits" to do. In a used tank, great care, a facemask and rubber gloves would be required.

To think all of this could be avoided by an installer with a conscience, a stick, and a piece of chewing gum.

When ours wouldn't dump clean, even after using the black tank wash, I left the drain valve open until most of the liquids drained out and dumped a toilet full of water followed by a quick bucket full down the toilet. After doing this a couple of times and then using the black tank wash our sensors showed empty for the first time in a long time. Just an idea for somebody who isn't planning on sloshing stuff around going down the road for awhile. Tom M.

I'm almost convinced that if the sensors are just wet and not submerged, that they will read incorrectly. Last fall, I dumped and flushed rigorously at the CG before we pulled the rig home to storage. The waste tanks still did not read empty, but there was nothing left in them. A couple of days ago, I went out to reinstall the battery in preparation to hauling it for service tomorrow, and all of the tanks read empty.

Would like to know if the Rid-X works. The previous owner of my camper I don't think ever dumped it, so I have very solid matter in the tank that won't come out no matter how many times I fill and dump. Thanks

Rid X is only for septic systems. Just use Dawn or any other surfactant. Sounds like you are a candidate for a bag of ice or two when you are moving down the road.

I always put about 5 or a little more gal of fresh water in tank when done emptying. It will keep the tank wet and able to break up any solids left in there. IT Works..........

I would try it. Fill with water and Rid-X let sit a week or 2. It will not hurt any thing.

bajakelly said:

Would like to know if the Rid-X works. The previous owner of my camper I don't think ever dumped it, so I have very solid matter in the tank that won't come out no matter how many times I fill and dump. Thanks

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JohnDar said:

I'm almost convinced that if the sensors are just wet and not submerged, that they will read incorrectly. Last fall, I dumped and flushed rigorously at the CG before we pulled the rig home to storage. The waste tanks still did not read empty, but there was nothing left in them. A couple of days ago, I went out to reinstall the battery in preparation to hauling it for service tomorrow, and all of the tanks read empty.

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Yep, same deal with mine. Upon return from a trip to east Texas they read a third full, but a week later they read empty.

If you ever use one of those multi-spray tank blasters that hook to your facet from the top, you are never going to get a good read out again as it can loosen it up or torpedo it entirely.
2nd issue: there could be TP stuck *around* the in tank meter causing a false reading.

For 2 summers I'd help in the RV rental section and man, people would bring back every size until with tanks about sloshing over in the middle of summer. It was gross. We'd take turns (we had a hat with names in it) on who was going to take a 5 gallon bucket of water directly from the building water heater, pour it down the toilet (after trying to dump out as much as we could) and then toss them a bottle of cheap dish washing liquid. The cheaper the better as its thick and will lubricate. Once you let it sit for a few minutes and air out the unit, dump and then fill with warm water as far as we could then dump again and as it drained, take cheap dish wash liquid and squirt it in a circular motion as far down as you could.

Cleaned some really nasty stuck black & gray holding tanks every time so its all I use to this day.
(good lord, I think I'm gagging a bit over the thought and that was almost 17 years ago!)

WE use Dawn and Polident(buy at Sams Club). Has worked well for us. I have a question though, why Dawn? Why not Ivory or any of the others?

Dawn cuts grease better than other brands or so I have been told.

It must be true, haven't you seen the ads on TV where they use a Dawn mixture to clean up animals that are soaked with oil from the Louisiana spill? Plus, I've seen it on the internet and everyone knows that Mr. Gore wouldn't invent something that allows lies.

You are right Jim it does cut the grease. I use it in the kitchen but we don't use it in our tanks . We do use water softener and detergent with 6 gallions of water.

The percentage of surfactant is higher in Dawn.