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 > Repairs & Maintenance
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-01-2018, 07:43 AM   #1
tech740
Senior Member
 
tech740's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hemlock
Posts: 816
Tank sensors

I have a question about tank sensors. I have a black tank flush and have been using it for a couple days about 4 tank fulls a day trying to get the black tank to not read 2/3. As it fills the full light comes on. I have ran about 8-10 tanks of water through it and it runs clear. My question is if a wire is off the sensor will it read that level only? Or do I need to just keep flushing and letting water sit to soften everything.
__________________
R.J. and Ginger

2019 Ram 3500 6.7 HO, Aisin Trans 3:73
Reese Goosebox
2019 Sandpiper 379FLOK
tech740 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 07:48 AM   #2
Jeepshots
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Central Arkansas
Posts: 235
We use the GEO method. Dunno why it's call that, but it consists of a cup of Dawn dishwashing liquid, and a cup of Calgon water softener - found in the laundry section. Add about 5 gallons of water. If you put it in and are about to travel, we also add a bag of ice to scour around and help keep stuff clean. Can double it and fill the tank up with water and let it sit as well. Does a great job of breaking stuff up, and slicking down the innards of the tank.
__________________
- Doug
2017 Bullet 243BHS
2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab w/6.4L Hemi
~ In your darkest hour when the demons come, call on me brother and we will fight them together! ~
Jeepshots is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 08:01 AM   #3
tech740
Senior Member
 
tech740's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hemlock
Posts: 816
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeepshots View Post
We use the GEO method. Dunno why it's call that, but it consists of a cup of Dawn dishwashing liquid, and a cup of Calgon water softener - found in the laundry section. Add about 5 gallons of water. If you put it in and are about to travel, we also add a bag of ice to scour around and help keep stuff clean. Can double it and fill the tank up with water and let it sit as well. Does a great job of breaking stuff up, and slicking down the innards of the tank.


Is this every tank? I have heard of this but wasn’t able to find Calgon before. I may have to look again.
__________________
R.J. and Ginger

2019 Ram 3500 6.7 HO, Aisin Trans 3:73
Reese Goosebox
2019 Sandpiper 379FLOK
tech740 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 08:22 AM   #4
nied
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Dayton
Posts: 68
From somewhere on this site, a half cup of Cascade liquid dish washing detergent and four gallons of water just before leaving for your next trip. Drain when you get to the dump station. Has worked for me every time.
nied is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 08:28 AM   #5
travelin texans
Senior Member
 
travelin texans's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
One word describes these sensors, WORTHLESS!
DO NOT count on them to be anywhere near accurate!
I know 1 or 2 owners have had good luck with theirs being totally accurate & work every tank full, but I've never been one of them with 6-8 different rvs in 40 years.
I use the Geo method, have tried sensor cleaners, rinsing/flushing with hot water, wasted countless bags of ice & tried all types of magic elixirs & they might work one tank full.
So good luck!
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
travelin texans is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 08:40 AM   #6
Canonman
Senior Member
 
Canonman's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: South Jordan, Utah
Posts: 2,221
Quote:
Originally Posted by tech740 View Post
Is this every tank? I have heard of this but wasn’t able to find Calgon before. I may have to look again.
Just about any detergent will work, same with the water softener. We use an inexpensive powdered detergent and Calgon or Borax water softener whatever we can find. Same recipe, 1 cup (after, not before) each time we dump with a gallon or two of water.

The ice "scrub" was kind of disproven by James at Fit RV, .
This guy is a real rocket scientist... Really!

Finally, here is a good site for info on tank sensors. https://www.guaranty.com/blog/rv-tank-sensors.
I agree with most of what they say including the use of "Happy Camper" as a black tank additive. I've just always used the GEO method but our kids use Happy Camper in their RV and they swear by it. But again, I wouldn't waste time using the ice scrub.
In the end they recommend a product called "Tank Techs Rx" as a proven fix for stubborn, dirty sensors short of having them replaced.

Hope this helps, Good Luck!
__________________
2017 Cougar 279RKSWE
2007.5 Dodge Ram 2500 6.7 Cummins
Retirement Training Completed
I think the little voices in my head have started a chat group.
Canonman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 09:12 AM   #7
Jeepshots
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Central Arkansas
Posts: 235
I don't know that i agree with his findings. He only used ice - no additional water, no additives such as the dawn/Calgon mix or anything else. And his tank was small and rectangular, more boxy than our black tanks that are more flat. Regardless, using ice is up to you. We don't use it all the time. I don't know for sure it's effectiveness, since I sometimes add it, sometimes don't, and we don't dump the solution until the next trip. So it gets to sit and stew on anything it needs to. When we get to the next campsite, I hook up, dump what we had, flush and refresh. Then we're nice and clean for the duration of the camp. Before leaving, dump/flush a few times, then re-do the dawn/Calgon mix for the ride home.
__________________
- Doug
2017 Bullet 243BHS
2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab w/6.4L Hemi
~ In your darkest hour when the demons come, call on me brother and we will fight them together! ~
Jeepshots is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 10:25 AM   #8
chuckster57
Site Team
 
chuckster57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Modesto
Posts: 20,235
Tank sensors, quick lesson:

There are 4 sensors installed in the tank at the factory. The bottom sensor is ground and connected to the frame.

Next is the “resistor pack” that has 4 wires. One is the “signal” wire that goes to the panel. The other 3 are connected to the sensors in the tank, and are color coded. As the liquid rises, the sensor “grounds” and depending on which sensor is covered in liquid the resistance changes and that’s how the panel “interprets” the signal. The resistance lessens as more sensors are “grounded”. That’s the short explanation.

Anybody that says the sensors are useless isn’t keeping them clean. Mine work, every RV I work on has sensors that work before I send it home with the customer. 99% of the time it’s poor maintenance, I’ve replaced a faulty sensor maybe 3 times in my career.
__________________

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 08-01-2018, 10:57 AM   #9
Dave W
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Near Saratoga Springs,
Posts: 1,131
A tank sensor is a very small metal button, ~1/4" in diameter and ~1/8" tall. It is mounted in a rubber grommet and 'squeezed' into the tank by tightening a not. Add another ~1/8" of grommet inside of the tank and you have ~1/4" for paper and waste to hang off of it, possibly draping down to the next sensor. This in turn creates that false reading, Your flusher as it is installed in the tank may not be facing that line up of sensors in the side of the tank. Our on board flusher wont clean the sensors on our tank either. I made up a flusher to shove down the toilet using an old hose cut to a 10 foot and a lawn sprinkler head clamped on the tank end. I've tried about all the available spray angles with probably the 180 the best. It works well. I also have a Camco (and a Thetford) back flusher on the sewer outlet. Run for 3-5 minutes then I drain. Amazing how much, ahem, crap comes out using either method. I also use a secondary gate valve.

Then if you have deep financial pockets, a SeeLvel system work beat and give you an actual percentage of how full each tank is at any time. With that said, they are a PITA to install in most towed RVs : https://www.garnetinstruments.com/rv-shop/
Dave W is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 11:47 AM   #10
travelin texans
Senior Member
 
travelin texans's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Picacho, Az
Posts: 6,809
[QUOTE=chuckster57;299949
Anybody that says the sensors are useless isn’t keeping them clean. Mine work, every RV I work on has sensors that work before I send it home with the customer. 99% of the time it’s poor maintenance, I’ve replaced a faulty sensor maybe 3 times in my career.[/QUOTE]

We've had this discussion before & will just have to agree to disagree!
But if you read my previous post you'd see I've done every cleaning process ever recommended, short of crawling in there with a brush/bucket & scrubbing/polishing each & every sensor individually, nothing works including the WORTHLESS sensors.
To be honest though in the last few years I don't know if they work or not, I haven't bothered to even look at them cause I know what they will be reading, the same as they have for the past 5 years regardless of what's actually in the tanks, 1/3 grey 1, 2/3 grey 2 & 2/3 black.
__________________
Full-timed 10+ years
Sold '13 Redwood FB
Traded '13 GMC Denali DRW D/A
Replacement undetermined
travelin texans is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 12:28 PM   #11
BSHGTO
Member
 
BSHGTO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Hagerstown Md.
Posts: 74
it`s the only way

Had trouble like most people, installed the SeeLevel brand external tank sensors and never looked back. Easy install who ever said they are a pain to install obviously doesn't understand the instructions, yep they work.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	seelevel_wiring.jpg
Views:	284
Size:	50.7 KB
ID:	17792  
__________________
2018.5 Montana 3791 Rear Den, 2018 Ford F350 Dually 6.7 5995 lb payload
Electric brakes …. Disk Brakes....it`s the only way
Andersen Ult TrailAir pin box X Factors MoRryde SRE 4000....smooth ride
BSHGTO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 03:12 PM   #12
fjr vfr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Mechanicsville
Posts: 472
The SeeLevel is the best. On my last trailer I installed these;

https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Sewer/Va...SABEgJuFvD_BwE
They worked pretty good and were easy to install and cost effective...I'm cheap. lol
fjr vfr is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
tank

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 10:39 AM.


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