blackwater sensor lights
- Thread starter jtmiller
- Start date
Don't count on those monitor lights to be accurate, they seldom are.
My system of monitoring the tank level is that when I'm in the shower with water up to my ankles it's time to drain that tank.
When my wife tells me the water is not draining out of the kitchen sink, it's time to drain that one.
And when the toilet burps when it gets flushed I know it's time to drain that one.
Peace
Dave
My system of monitoring the tank level is that when I'm in the shower with water up to my ankles it's time to drain that tank.
When my wife tells me the water is not draining out of the kitchen sink, it's time to drain that one.
And when the toilet burps when it gets flushed I know it's time to drain that one.
Peace
Dave
I have had good luck keeping the sensors clean by dumping 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dish soap, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of laundry water softener (20 Mule Team Borax is an example), and 5 gallons of water prior to leaving the house or after dumping and flushing. Still use a black tank additive. Ice cubes also work to scorer the sensors when the unit is moving.
Look for posts about natural black water tank cleaning.
Look for posts about natural black water tank cleaning.
esscobra
Well-known member
I am fortunate that in our storage lot- they have a dump station and hose for rinsing- usually I don't dump until I get back , then flush tank clean and then put 3/4 or fill tank with water from hose using flush and add packet or some liquid chemical and leave that - and dump just before heading out - that way everything stuck to sides doesn't dry and stick permanently and dump as I am leaving for next trip- never had issues in 7 years with previous trailer - if only will e short time before next trip I will flush really well and only put small amount of water in tank with packet of chem and ready to go for next trip
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
During our walkthrough, the tech showed us they had filled the tanks with water and the lights all said 2/3 full. Then, we went outside and dumped them all, to show us the handles all worked, and we saw them drain. I forgot to check the panel, until we got the unit to an RV Park that night (30 minutes down the road). The tank readings all said 2/3 full, except for the fresh tank! So that became a warranty item, when we went back about a month later. The dealer flushed all the tanks from inside with high-pressure, and got them all reading empty. YAY! Except they were misreading again, about a 3 months later. We just go by usage, now. We can go about a week on the black, 3-4 days on the bath/WD grey. The sink doesn't ever get full before the others need dumping.
wdk450
Well-known member
You can spend a LOT of money on a Sealevel system which you will have to install self-adhesive capacitive sensor strips to the outside of the tanks, buy Horst Miracle probes that you will have to install in place of the OEM probes, or follow Dave's no cost/no install advice in post #3.
As a retired electronics tech I am wondering if just a lower impedance sensing circuit tied to the sensor probes would NOT be as prone to alternate current paths through the "residues" inside the tanks as the currently used high impedance sensing circuit. I may try fooling around with this. Maybe add a trimmer potentiometer in series with the bottom common probe in each tank. Or start with a 12 volt DC sensing voltage with an appreciable current flow (100ma?) to a comparator to turn on the LEDs.
As a retired electronics tech I am wondering if just a lower impedance sensing circuit tied to the sensor probes would NOT be as prone to alternate current paths through the "residues" inside the tanks as the currently used high impedance sensing circuit. I may try fooling around with this. Maybe add a trimmer potentiometer in series with the bottom common probe in each tank. Or start with a 12 volt DC sensing voltage with an appreciable current flow (100ma?) to a comparator to turn on the LEDs.
Thank you every one for the help