Black and Gray Water Holding Tank Maintenance
mac davis
<GeometricEnigma@(NoSpam)yahoo.com> wrote:
great advise for newbies like me!
thank you...
>Black and Gray Water Holding Tank Maintenance
>
>By Charles Bruni
>cbr...@mindspring.com
>Renton, Washington
>U.S.A.
>
>Everyone who owns an RV should be concerned with maintaining its wastewater
>tanks. Problems with wastewater tanks that can be avoided should be
>avoided. Wastewater tank repair is expensive. Due to health concerns, many
>service facilities will not work on wastewater tanks and lines until the
>tanks have been completely emptied and sanitized. This may be quite
>difficult when the tank(s) is in need of repair. So, common sense dictates
>that the tanks should be kept relatively clean at all times. Additionally,
>improper use of the wastewater tanks can lead to a build up of solid wastes,
>which in itself may cause the system to fail.
>
>I've discovered very simple, effective, and inexpensive methods of
>maintaining my wastewater tanks in a relatively clean condition at all
>times. I developed these methods myself through my understanding of
>chemistry, physics, and biology with a smidgen of common sense thrown in for
>good measure. I also read my RV owner's manual. Although we are not full
>time RVers we use our fifth wheel camper at least one weekend a month. We
>never use public bathing and toilet facilities. In other words, our
>wastewater tanks are fairly heavily used. Since I've met a number of RVers
>who don't seem to know how to maintain their wastewater tanks I thought many
>RVers would find my tips useful. If you have not been maintaining your
>tanks I believe you will be pleasantly surprised the first time you employ
>these tips. I do these things and they work.
>
>1. DUMP A FULL TANK
>
>When you are camping and your RV is connected to a sewer/septic intake,
>leave the drain valves closed until the tank is full and ready to dump.
>Dumping a full tank provides a sufficient quantity of water to flush solids
>from the tank. Leaving the drain valves open allows the water to drain off
>without flushing out solid waste. That solid waste will collect in the
>tank(s) and cause problems over time.
>
>2. DUMP TANKS IN ORDER FROM DIRTIEST TO CLEANEST
>
>In other words, dump the black (commode) water tank first, then dump the
>galley tank, then dump the shower and bathroom sink tank. This way you will
>be flushing out the dirtiest water with progressively cleaner water.
>
>3. USE WATER SOFTENER
>
>This stuff is amazing and it works. Buy a couple of boxes of powdered water
>softener at the grocery store. You'll find it located with or near the
>laundry detergent products. I prefer Calgon Water Softener because it
>dissolves quickly in water. Cheaper water softeners work just as well but
>dissolve more slowly. Dissolve two (2) cups of the water softener in a
>gallon of hot water. Then, pour the solution down the drain into the empty
>tank. Use two cups of softener for each wastewater tank in your RV. The
>tank's drain valve should be closed otherwise the softened water will just
>drain out. Then use the tank(s) normally until it is full and drain it
>normally. Add a cup of laundry detergent to the black (commode) water tank
>at the same time. This will help clean the tank. The gray water tanks
>should already contain soap through normal use.
>
>The water softener makes the solid waste let go from the sides of the tanks.
>If you've ever taken a shower in softened water you know that after rinsing
>the soap from your body your skin will feel slick. That's because all the
>soap rinses away with soft water. Softened water also prevents soap scum
>from sticking in the tub. Get the connection? With softened water gunk
>washes away instead of sticking. The same thing applies to your RV's
>wastewater tanks.
>
>I use one of those clear plastic elbow connectors to attach my sewer drain
>line to the wastewater outlet on my RV. It allows me to see how well things
>are progressing during a wastewater dump. Before I began using water
>softener regularly the black water tank's water was brown, the galley tank's
>water was brownish, and the bathroom tank's water was white. The first time
>I added water softener to the tanks the water coming from the black water
>tank was actually black (not brown) and the kitchen tank's water was also
>black (not brownish). The bathroom tank's water remained white. That told
>me that the water softener had actually done what I had intended for it to
>do and made solid waste, which had been stuck to the interior of the tanks,
>let go and drain away. I added water softener to all the wastewater tanks
>for the next few dumps to be certain all the solid waste possible had been
>cleaned away. The wastewater only appeared black on the initial treatment.
>I now add water softener to each tank once after every few dumps to maintain
>the system.
>
>Occasionally, I pour a gallon of liquid bleach into each tank to sanitize
>and disinfect them. I no longer use the blue toilet chemical because it isn
>'t necessary. I have no odors coming from my black water tank. Generic
>brand liquid bleach is cheap and very effective.
>
>4. USE A WATER FILTER ON YOUR FRESH WATER INTAKE LINE
>
>Most fresh water contains sediment. Sediment will accumulate in your
>wastewater tanks and your fresh water lines. It also tends to discolor your
>sinks, tub/shower, and commode. I use the disposable type and have found
>that they eventually fill up and begin restricting the fresh water flow
>resulting in low pressure. That's how I know it's time to get a new filter.
>It works, it's cheap, it avoids problems, do it.
>
>SOME OTHER THOUGHTS
>
>? I believe occasionally traveling with partially filled wastewater tanks
>that contain softened water promotes cleaning by agitating the water. The
>same goes for chlorine bleach.
>? I believe this process works faster and more efficiently during warm
>weather. However, I know it works well even during cool/cold weather.
>? I believe the process works best the longer the water softener remains in
>the tanks. So, I don't add water softener during periods of heavy
>wastewater generation. I wait until I know we won't be generating
>wastewater quickly so that the softened water remains in the tanks for
>several days before dumping.
>? I add a small amount of chlorine bleach to the fresh water tank twice a
>year to disinfect and sanitize the fresh water tank and fresh water lines.
>A weak chlorine bleach solution will not hurt you. However, it certainly
>makes the water taste bad. When we have chlorine in the fresh water system
>we use bottled water for drinking and cooking until the chlorine is gone.
>? My tanks are plastic and my pipes are PVC.
>? Don't be afraid to use your tanks. Just use common sense about their care
>and maintenance.
>? These tips are inexpensive to do. Some of them don't cost anything. You
>have nothing to lose in trying them and I encourage you to do so. I
>actually feel a certain amount of pride in the condition and cleanliness of
>both my waste and fresh water systems. Naturally, these tips make dumping a
>much more pleasant and sanitary procedure.
>? If you have odors in any of your water systems these procedures should
>eliminate them. Odors indicate a sanitary problem and degrade the enjoyment
>you derive from your RV.
>? When my RV is parked and not in use I place stoppers in my sink and tub
>drains. This allows the wastewater tanks to vent through the vent pipes to
>the outside instead of through the drains into the RV.
>
>
>========================================
>"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand
>ready to do violence on their behalf."
>
>George Orwell
>
Bill Cornwell
Bill
01 Jayco Eagle 10UD
01 Ford F150 XLT SC
Geometric Enigma wrote:
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