Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Tech Forums > Keystone Questions
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-21-2018, 05:11 AM   #1
Steelworker
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Fenwick
Posts: 22
Shower and bathroom sink grey water tank.

Because my bathroom grey water tank fills in 2 days is it ok to leave the dump valve open all the time? We are connected to a permanent sewer in a park model unit. I have heard that you should not leave them open any feedback on this thanks.
Steelworker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2018, 05:39 AM   #2
chuckster57
Site Team
 
chuckster57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,203
Bathroom gray should be ok to leave open. You may eventually get enough soap residue to make the sensors worthless.
__________________

2012 Copper Canyon 273FWRET being towed by a 1994 Ford F350 CC,LB,Dually diesel.
Airlift 5000 bags, Prodigy brake control, 5 gauges on the pillar.Used to tow a '97 Jayco 323RKS.

Now an RVIA registered tech. Retired from Law enforcement in 2008 after 25+ yrs.
chuckster57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2018, 07:35 AM   #3
MarkEHansen
Senior Member
 
MarkEHansen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 1,005
I'm not aware of any downsides to leaving the gray valve open (others may), but one thing is that you need sufficient gray water to assist in the flush of the black tank through the dump hose. When you're planning to dump the black tank, you'll want to make sure you close the gray valve enough in advance that you have sufficient gray water to aid in this dump/flush.
MarkEHansen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2018, 08:24 AM   #4
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,772
An "alternative" to closing the gray valve and accumulating "used soapy water" to use when flushing the black tank is to close the gray valve a few minutes before dumping the black tank, filling the gray tank with clean water (actually flushing the gray tank) and when it's full, then go about dumping the black tank, flushing it, then using the "cleaner gray water" to flush the sewer hose. While it may be "somewhat wasteful" it will help remove any "sour smell from the gray tank, especially if you add some dawn to the water to help "flush and clean" the gray tank.

As for leaving the gray tank valve open while connected to campground sewer, there's no downside as long as your P traps, HEPVO traps and vents are functional. If you have a issue with any of them, you could get campground sewer gas migrating through your sewer hose, through the tank, up the drain lines and into your trailer. If that's happening, you'll know it soon enough. If you don't smell it, you don't have a problem. To "combat" that, form a P trap with your sewer hose, so a part of it is filled with gray water and that will prevent sewer gasses from migrating up the hose.
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2018, 10:50 AM   #5
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,553
I've tried up but won't leave them open. I went for about 3-4 months when I first started camping for longer time frames and thought it was nice not to have to mess with dumping every 4th day on our first trip. Trying to remember to save water in the gray tank to help clean out the sewer line after dumping the black tank didn't always happen but ran the black tank rinse "thinking" all would be OK - it wasn't. When we went to leave I disconnected the sewer hose to pack it up; it weighed about 5 times what it should so thought I had excess water in it; nope, nothing came out. Looked inside and the bottom of the hose with the ridges was completely full of
"goo" from soap scum buildup etc. which wouldn't come out. Bagged it up, threw it away and bought a new one. Haven't done it since and haven't had a clogged sewer hose since. I think they do make some hoses now that have a smooth interior so that may help but I've resigned myself to pulling the handles every 4th day....
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2018, 09:15 AM   #6
bobbecky
Senior Member
 
bobbecky's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 2,888
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelworker View Post
Because my bathroom grey water tank fills in 2 days is it ok to leave the dump valve open all the time? We are connected to a permanent sewer in a park model unit. I have heard that you should not leave them open any feedback on this thanks.
If this is really a Park Model unit, why does it have tanks? If all your plumbing fixtures are residential type fixtures with p-traps, and the toilet has a water tank for flushing, you should be able to not need valves closed. This would be just like a sticks and brick home.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402 Montana
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC
bobbecky is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2018, 11:29 AM   #7
bob91yj
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Escondido
Posts: 163
We are stationary full timers, we leave our gray tank valves open all the time. With full hook ups filling and flushing the black tank with fresh water solves the hose flushing issue.
__________________
2017 Outback 330RL 15th Anniversary Edition (stationary full timer)
2006 GMC 2500HD Duramax CC 4x4 w/SunLite pop-up camper
Dust Junkies Racing, 3 time Baja 1000 Class Champions
bob91yj is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2018, 12:47 PM   #8
wiredgeorge
Senior Member
 
wiredgeorge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Mico, TX
Posts: 7,371
I camped in Utopia TX a couple weeks ago and hook up my sewer hose. Left the galley gray tank open but the main gray (bath sink and shower) and black closed. Main gray was for washing things out while dumping the black. We had fire ants crawl up through the slinky stinky through the hose and ended up looking for something to eat in our kitchen drain. Guess the sewer that we were using hadn't been used in awhile. Suggest you at least run a tank or so through the sewer system for this reason; after that, likely OK as you probably drowned anyone living in the sewer.
__________________
wiredgeorge Mico TX
2006 F350 CC 4WD 6.0L
2002 Keystone Cougar 278
2006 GL1800 Roadsmith Trike
wiredgeorge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2018, 01:07 PM   #9
bob91yj
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Escondido
Posts: 163
I do form a P trap with my slinky hose to keep the sewer smells out. The hose gets flushed out with water from the washing machine almost every day so it doesn't get smelly.
__________________
2017 Outback 330RL 15th Anniversary Edition (stationary full timer)
2006 GMC 2500HD Duramax CC 4x4 w/SunLite pop-up camper
Dust Junkies Racing, 3 time Baja 1000 Class Champions
bob91yj is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
sink, tank, water

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:51 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.