Black tank flush

[tree1668]

i had a older travel trailer previous to this new one. How do you use the black water flush option? And how often should you use it?

[GaryWT]

After draining it, I hook up a hose, different than my water hose, and turn on the water. Leave the tank open and let the water run until it is clear. Some will close the valve on the tank but if you get side tracked you could flood the trailer so if you close it, keep your hand on it. I only do it once or twice a year but others will do it every trip.

[chuckster57]

To use it, simply attach a garden hose and turn on the water. Obviously don't use the same hose you use for fresh water.

There is probably a sticker that says to keep the black tank valve open during use. You can run the rinser with the valve closed but remember your filling the tank, so if you forget to open the valve at some point you may have a poonamni on your hands. I usually start the rinser and drain the tank, using a clear section of drain hose so I can see how clean the water is. If it's dirty, I close the valve and continue to run the rinser for a few minutes and drain again.

How often? Some people will do this every time they dump. If I stay somewhere long enough to dump before I leave, I don't use the rinser until I am done camping and Ready to pull it home.

[theeyres]

I'm one of those old timers that believe the holding tank is just that: a holding tank. Some want to keep it as clean as a fresh water tank, I don't. I do use the black tank flush, but usually at the end of the camping season to make sure it cleans everything out. Otherwise I don't take the time. I sure don't do it every time I take the trailer out. When I do use it, I'll keep the tank open to flush it out and will close the valve a couple times, let the tank fill up and then flush. As I said I only do this occasionally and usually at the end of the season. Otherwise enjoy your camping and relax and don't get too anal () about that darned tank.

[Bill & Deb]

I use my Back tank flush every time. After draining BW tank I close the valve and run the water for about 4 minutes (first time wife watched toilet to make sure water was not coming up the tube using 4 minutes). Then open and drain, I do this twice. Then I do it again but for 1 minute and do not drain this time. THis puts a small amount of water on the floor of the BW tank. This allows any toilet paper not to accumulate below the exit from the toilet. If you don't there is always a risk of a blockage.
I know from personal experience while travelling with my daughter and a few of her friends few years back. I had a volcano of toilet paper build up the to open from the toilet.
Since adding water after draining, have never had a blockage since.

Bill

[sptddog]

Originally Posted by Bill & Deb

I use my Back tank flush every time. After draining BW tank I close the valve and run the water for about 4 minutes (first time wife watched toilet to make sure water was not coming up the tube using 4 minutes). Then open and drain, I do this twice. Then I do it again but for 1 minute and do not drain this time. THis puts a small amount of water on the floor of the BW tank. This allows any toilet paper not to accumulate below the exit from the toilet. If you don't there is always a risk of a blockage.
I know from personal experience while travelling with my daughter and a few of her friends few years back. I had a volcano of toilet paper build up the to open from the toilet.
Since adding water after draining, have never had a blockage since.

Bill

I'm another that always leaves some water in the tank along with a bit of the blue stuff. As for the black tank, I use it every time I dump. I do a mix of the methods others above use, but I also have found that having someone stand in the toilet flush while it's running also seems to push more 'dirty' water out. So, I let the drain open, let it run until it's clear, and then hold the flush down a few times to see if anything else comes out. Add some water back, and off we go.

[arturob]

We are newbies and don't have a lot of experience with trailers in general. I use the built in flush - which I assume is a nozzle inside the black tank - but even after dumping and flushing my idiot lights in the trailer would show the tank full or 3/4 full. I ended up buying a rotating spray head on a long tube that can be lowered into the tank through the toilet, This seems to get to places the other flush methods dont reach and I'm all in favor of that. I also learned that they call them idiot lights cos you're an idiot if you believe them. I guess in the log run I would rather keep my black tank cleaner than I need rather than the alternative

[Bill & Deb]

Originally Posted by arturob

We are newbies and don't have a lot of experience with trailers in general. I use the built in flush - which I assume is a nozzle inside the black tank - but even after dumping and flushing my idiot lights in the trailer would show the tank full or 3/4 full. I ended up buying a rotating spray head on a long tube that can be lowered into the tank through the toilet, This seems to get to places the other flush methods dont reach and I'm all in favor of that. I also learned that they call them idiot lights cos you're an idiot if you believe them. I guess in the log run I would rather keep my black tank cleaner than I need rather than the alternative

One of the best ways to clean the black tank is to put two large bags of ice in the Black Tank along with a couple of gallons of water before going on a road trip. The ice will scrape the inside of the tank then melt.

Bill

[Bar-OneRanch]

I would suggest also getting the clear fittings to attach to the outlet valve before the hose goes on. I found what I thought was long enough to get the tank clean wasn't, once I could actually see what was running out of the drain. I am also in the close the valve and let the tank fill some while flushing group, it seems to get more out of the tank that way. Since we only get out a few times a year I want the tank as clean as possible while sitting next to my house.
Chris

[Desert185]

We use the flush function every two or three dumps with a dedicated, green hose and a water pressure regulator to go easy on the reverse flow valve and other dedicated connections. I time it for three minutes with the drain valve closed and do this three times, which seems to be the optimum for flushing the "persistent undesirables".

[jtyphoid]

I've seen several suggestions to start the flush with the valve closed and open it after xx minutes, but I use sound instead of time. I can hear when the level of "stuff" in the tank starts to cover the flush spray nozzle and that's my cue to open the valve. During an earlier repair, I was able to see that the spray nozzle was installed about halfway up the side of the tank, so I'm comfortable that I'll avoid a poonami.

Edited to add that I can tell by the sound if the level is already above the nozzle when I start the flush, in which case I go ahead and open the valve without waiting. The spray sound is *much* quieter when the spray nozzle is "underwater", so I don't have any trouble telling the difference when I'm standing near the flush hookup beside my trailer.

[tree1668]

Thank you all for your advice. I think I will make sure I use it every 2 or 3 trips at least

[hdxbonez]

I don't use the black tank flush at all. After draining the tank, I leave the valve open and pour a 5 or 7 gallon jug of water directly down the toilet while holding the foot valve open. This seems to agitate and flush anything remaining in the tank. Then I close the drain valve, and open the gray tank drain. While that tank is draining, I add a couple of gallons of water into the black tank through the toilet, and add an odor control product.