#2 gray tank problem

[btbaillie]

I know the tank lights are not too dependable but all 4 are all lit for tank #2. I have the drain valve open at all times. If I close it the sink will not drain after a day of usage. If I leave it open the sink drains.

How can I tell if the tank is full and the valve is working?

Bruce & Lu

 

[JohnDar]

Has it always been like this? If yes, I'd suspect the relief vent is somehow blocked or installed too deep into the tank. As for the sensor lights: yes, they are not the most reliable things. But it's usually the black tank that's the worst. Gray #2 is normally the galley tank and doesn't fill nearly as fast as the lavatory (Gray #1) or black tanks do.

 

[wdk450]

Bruce:
I checked the Heartland RV's website and came up with the following capacities chart: http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.php?p=35&c=midprofile&sc=SD&view=specs
The chart lists 80 gallons for "gray tank" and evidently adds the capacities of the 2 gray tanks together, so I would assume your tanks are 40 gallons each. That is a lot of grey water to generate in one day, so I would be suspicious, too. The OEM status monitor in-tank sensor gauges are pretty much accepted by everyone as being worthless. There are upgrades out there with good reputations that either measure THROUGH the tank wall using capacitive sensing, or another brand that uses a sensitive pressure sensor screwed into the outflow piping before the gate valve.

If you really want to test if you have a problem: dump the tank, close the valve, and refill it until it backs up into the sink using a measured container like a 5 gallon bucket. That will give you an approximate capacity measurement.

One problem that has been reported often is the when the 3 inch (?) plastic holes are cut in the tanks for the piping at the factory with a hole saw, the cut out plastic disk falls into the tank and is not retrieved by the worker. This jams up the tank outflow.

I hope you are still in warranty.

 

[danemayer]

Hi Bruce,

One thing that can cause false readings is if there's moisture on the sensors, perhaps associated with food scraps or grease. You may find it helpful to clean the tank(s).

Many people successfully use the GEO Method or a variant of the GEO Method. It’s based on laundry detergent, bleach, and Calgon powdered water softener.

Before starting a day of travel, add 8-10 gallons of water to the gray tank. Dissolve 2 cups of Calgon Water Softener and a cup of laundry detergent in a gallon of hot water. Pour directly into the drain. You may also want to add a cup of bleach.

Allow it to agitate from vehicle motion.

This and other tips are included in our owner-written Water Systems Guide.

 

[btbaillie]

Trying to track the problem down.
1. Close #2 and #1 valves and fill the sink several times. Open valve #1 and no drainage. Open #2 and the water drains.
2. Close both valves and fill the bathtub with about 10 gallons then pull the plug. Open valve #1 and no drainage. Open valve #2 and the water drains out with a gurgleing sound from the kitchen sink and a bad odor.

What the heck is going on?

Bruce & Lu

 

[danemayer]

As JohnDar mentioned earlier, for the tanks to drain properly, there needs to be a vent somewhere. If the vent is blocked, the tank will start to drain but will create a vacuum. The vacuum will prevent the sink from draining properly.

The bad smell in the kitchen may be caused by the vacuum suctioning the water out of the p-trap, allowing vapors from the tank to come into the kitchen.

When you leave the gray valves open, the kitchen sink may be getting vacuum relief from the bathroom vent stack because the two lines are tied together before the sewer outlet.

Don't know why both areas drain when you open #2 gray valve.