New owner with question

[Viper1618]

Greeting we are new owners of a 2017 BIg country 5th wheel and Loving it and have a question. We are currently in an RV park for about a month and have all the electrical/plumbing hook ups. My question has to do with the gray and black tanks. When we are connected to city sewerage do we need to close the tanks and then empty them as they fill up or can we just leave the tanks open so it directly flows in the drainage without having to go out and drain the tanks every 3-4 days? I would think at least the gray tanks could be left open and close the black tanks so as to not allow material to stick to,the bottom if the black tank is dry? Any suggestions and help are greatly appreciated

 

[danemayer]

Hi Viper1618,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. There's lots of useful information here along with a great bunch of friendly and helpful people.

If the weather is mild, you can leave the gray tanks open, but you absolutely do not want to leave the black tank open. The water will drain, leaving solids behind to create a hardened pile. Eventually the black tank will stop working.

Most people ignore the tank sensors and just fall into a routine for emptying the black tank. Weekly for us. If the toilet "burps" when flushing, the tank is full.

The black tank will empty much better if it's nearly full.

And in order to flush out the sewer lines and hose after dumping the black tank, you'll find it useful to build up some water in the gray tanks. I usually close the grays 2 days before the planned black tank dump.

It's also important to thoroughly flush out the black tank. If you close the tank valve before it's really emptied, you could have solids or paper lying across the valve, in which case closing the valve will jam that material into the blade guides, resulting in a slow leak that will cause you lots of problems down the road.

We have an owner-written Water Systems Guide that you may find helpful. If you start on page 17, you can find out all about managing the holding tanks and get information on useful accessories.

 

[Viper1618]

Hi Viper1618,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum. There's lots of useful information here along with a great bunch of friendly and helpful people.

If the weather is mild, you can leave the gray tanks open, but you absolutely do not want to leave the black tank open. The water will drain, leaving solids behind to create a hardened pile. Eventually the black tank will stop working.

Most people ignore the tank sensors and just fall into a routine for emptying the black tank. Weekly for us. If the toilet "burps" when flushing, the tank is full.

The black tank will empty much better if it's nearly full.

And in order to flush out the sewer lines and hose after dumping the black tank, you'll find it useful to build up some water in the gray tanks. I usually close the grays 2 days before the planned black tank dump.

It's also important to thoroughly flush out the black tank. If you close the tank valve before it's really emptied, you could have solids or paper lying across the valve, in which case closing the valve will jam that material into the blade guides, resulting in a slow leak that will cause you lots of problems down the road.

We have an owner-written Water Systems Guide that you may find helpful. If you start on page 17, you can find out all about managing the holding tanks and get information on useful accessories.

Thank you very much. We appreciated the advice and help. Have wonderful travels and a great new year. Dave

 

[Kathi-27]

we just started living in our bh full time in sept. just the 2 of us found we empty the black tank every 2 wks and flush real good.close the gray tanks a couple days before emptying black tank to help flush out hoses. found that it really helps to do power toilet flush at least 2 times when black tank is empty.[fill toilet all the way till 1 inch from top of rim. then flush] this helps knock out any clumps that build up at bottom of tank below toilet pipe.

 

[kowAlski631]

Never leave the black tank open. The dreaded poo pyramid is something you never want to experience. Use lots of water with each flush and clean the tank as well as you can. We also put Dawn dish detergent and water softener in the gray and black tanks about every third dump before heading out for a run. Then dump and wash out again.

 

[Piperflyer]

You don't want to leave any of your tanks open. You can google or Utube the reasons why.... We flush our black every 7 days for the two of us and empty the gray every 2-3 days.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

The dreaded poo pyramid is something you never want to experience.

Pyramids in Egypt....NICE

Pyramid in your Black Tank....NOT nice.

 

[SNOKING]

Here is the routine I have developed over many snowbird winters.

1. Get a clear sight adapter and put it between the trailer and the sewer hose.
2. I leave the black tank closed for a week at a time. Grey tanks open.
3. I form a pee trap in the sewer hose with a couple boards, one 2x and a 4x4.
4. To dump and flush, I remove the pee trap boards.
5. Close the grey water tanks.
6. Open the black water tank and turn on the hose to the built in flush system.
7. Watch the sight tube until I am down to just hose water coming out.
8. Go inside and do two full bowl super flushes. "Bomb the Pile!" Note: Full bowl means filling the bowl to the bottom of the upper rim.
9. Go back outside and view discharge.
10. Close the black water tank and run the flush water in for four(4) minutes. Do not let anyone distract you at this point.
11. Open and drain and repeat 10 again.
12. Flush a bit and verify that you have nice clear water coming out of the tank. If not go back to step 8 and start again.
13. When you have nice clear discharge, put the pee trap boards back the sewer line and fill the pee trap.
14. Close the black water tank and add about a minute worth of water to the tank with the flush hose.
15. Secure the flush hose. I have a little inline valve adapter at the side of the trailer and the other end gets turned off.
16. Open the grey water tanks and go add your chemical to the tank.

I have had the burping a couple of times, however the super flushes seem to have fixed that issue.

Having piles in not good!!

 

[JohnD]

I use the gray tank water to back flush into the black tank to help blow out anything in the black tank that might want to cause a clog.

Then I rinse out both tanks completely.

 

[stesmi52]

Leaving the tank valves open without a p-trap will provide a direct vent of the campground sewer system through your tanks and out your rooftop vent. Very smelly for you and your neighbors!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Kathi-27]

I second snoking list on dumping tanks. started using his way and it worked a lot better

 

[CoveredWagon]

I use the gray tank water to back flush into the black tank to help blow out anything in the black tank that might want to cause a clog.

Then I rinse out both tanks completely.

And how do you do that, backflush that is ?

 

[JohnD]

And how do you do that, backflush that is ?

First . . . put one of these on your sewer drain ($25 at Camping World):



If you've ever gotten that 'Golden Foot Shower' when removing your drain cap, you'll love one of these.



Anyway, after draining the black tank and running the built-in tank flush or other means of rinsing the black tank, you close this valve, then open the gray tank valve, thus allowing the gray water to blow back into the black tank.

When you hear the bubbling sound stop, close the gray tank valve and let the water run out of the black tank.

Do this two or three times, then close the gray tank (leaving water in it), and finish flushing and rinsing the black tank until it is clean to your satisfaction.

Close the black tank drain, then drain the rest of the gray tank to clear out any black stuff still in the drain hose . . . the rinse out the gray tank to your satisfaction.

 

[mlpeloquin]

First . . . put one of these on your sewer drain ($25 at Camping World):

View attachment 49101

If you've ever gotten that 'Golden Foot Shower' when removing your drain cap, you'll love one of these.

View attachment 49102

Anyway, after draining the black tank and running the built-in tank flush or other means of rinsing the black tank, you close this valve, then open the gray tank valve, thus allowing the gray water to blow back into the black tank.

When you hear the bubbling sound stop, close the gray tank valve and let the water run out of the black tank.

Do this two or three times, then close the gray tank (leaving water in it), and finish flushing and rinsing the black tank until it is clean to your satisfaction.

Close the black tank drain, then drain the rest of the gray tank to clear out any black stuff still in the drain hose . . . the rinse out the gray tank to your satisfaction.

A golden shower is bad, but brown trout with wrapping paper is worse! That added valve is a must have item. It is not if your main valves will not function correctly, but when.

 

[Apropdoc]

A golden shower is bad, but brown trout with wrapping paper is worse! That added valve is a must have item. It is not if your main valves will not function correctly, but when.

That's why you wear flip flops....keeps your shoes from smelling

 

[JohnD]

A golden shower is bad, but brown trout with wrapping paper is worse! That added valve is a must have item.

I was trying to come up with another name for it . . . but golden shower was all I could come up with that wouldn't get deleted!

- - - Updated - - -

That's why you wear flip flops....keeps your shoes from smelling

I was wearing sandles when I almost got mine . . . was able to jump out of the way when I realized what was about to happen!

 

[CoveredWagon]

I get the idea

 

[Piperflyer]

Watch this video on Black and Gray Tanks. https://youtu.be/Q4A-41EdBBc

 

[JohnD]

Excellent video . . .

We should get that guy to come to some of our HOC Rallies and do some seminars!

 

[jmgratz]

Agree with leaving the black tank closed until flushing. I believe you should leave the galley (kitchen) tank closed until it needs to be flushed because food debris will get into the galley tank and can 'stick' in the tank if it is left open. So by allowing it to fill that helps flush out the food debris. Also have found in over 20 years of RVing that the galley tank will smell worse than the black tank due to deterioration of food debris.