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Old 04-01-2013, 05:16 PM   #1
nateman96
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Black water tank level indicator shows 1/3 irrespective

My Hideout 22RBWE Black water tank level indicator shows 1/3 all the time, and I am at a RV park and flush it out once a week, so it should fluctuate. Any idea what might be the problem? Thanks
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Old 04-01-2013, 06:20 PM   #2
mowin
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About the only time the remote level will be correct is when the TT is new. Toilet paper on the sensor or any other "stuff" will give you a false reading. Keep your black tank valve closed untill the tank is at least 1/2 full. Add some water to the bowl before using and flushing. A open valve will allow the solid waste to biuld up making the dreaded solid waste pyramid....
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Old 04-01-2013, 06:48 PM   #3
SteveC7010
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My Hideout 22RBWE Black water tank level indicator shows 1/3 all the time, and I am at a RV park and flush it out once a week, so it should fluctuate. Any idea what might be the problem? Thanks
Don't dump it on a schedule! Let it get pretty full and since you are full time in it and have city water, flush generously each you use the head. More water in the "mix" will help clean it out better when you do dump. 1/2 full is minimum; 3/4 or more is optimal.
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Old 04-01-2013, 07:10 PM   #4
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The common OEM tank gauges are pretty much useless, and especially so for the black water gauge. There are tricks to clean it but even when they work they don't last long and as a result aren't worth the bother. You'll soon learn to tell when the tank is nearing full by the sound of the flush. Wait until then to dump it.
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Old 04-01-2013, 08:01 PM   #5
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try putting about 5 gallons of water in the tank then right before you travel add a couple bags of ice thru the toilet.
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Old 04-02-2013, 03:04 AM   #6
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There are some products you can buy that can help break down items such as toilet paper but another trick is to add a couple cups of fabric softener. Let it sit for a couple days then flush but the tank needs to be full before you flush.

Are you using RV TP or are you using regular house brand?
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Old 04-02-2013, 05:01 AM   #7
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On our old trailer the valves were at the outlet so I would put some water in till I figured the lines were full or nearly then fabric softener or Rain Soft water softener. Both rather cheap at Dollar General. If you know your headed home to the dump station add a bunch of water so it sloshes around before dumping. Adding Ice probably wouldn't do any good unless it's BIG hunks
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Old 04-02-2013, 06:00 AM   #8
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Adding Ice probably wouldn't do any good unless it's BIG hunks
Actually, it does work very well, but it needs to be cubes otherwise you could not get then into the tank. There also have to be enough of them in the tank at one time to hit all the walls.

The best way to do this is to partly fill the tank (at least 1/3) with the coldest water possible so that the ice doesn't melt prematurely. Then dump 5 or more large bags of ice cubes and head on down the road.

If I remember correctly, this is only necessary when the tank has gotten to the dry dreaded black pyramid state and there is a lot of stuff clinging to the walls of the tank.

Continued good maintenance and operation practices will almost always eliminate the need for the ice cube remedy. They include:
  • Charge the tank with several gallons of water after dumping.
  • Use enough water with each flush to gradually increase the total volume of liquid in the tank.
  • Just before dumping, top off the tank with water.
  • After the initial dump, flush generously with either the onboard tank flush or use the "wand". Then dump again. Repeat if necessary.
  • The fabric softener trick is probably a lot more effective than most expensive tank treatments.
  • Never allow a tank to dry out unless you are certain that it is really clean.
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Old 04-02-2013, 06:15 AM   #9
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But none of those things will keep the level sensor working reliably, or at least not with far more effort than it's worth. And even then the fix will be temporary at best. The only real solution to OEM sensor problems is one of the aftermarket systems.
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Old 04-02-2013, 11:56 AM   #10
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But none of those things will keep the level sensor working reliably, or at least not with far more effort than it's worth. And even then the fix will be temporary at best. The only real solution to OEM sensor problems is one of the aftermarket systems.
As Smiller stated, the one real solution is aftermarket sensors. On our new fiver, we had the "See-Level Gauge System" installed. (www.rvgauge.com) The See Level system does not use internal sensors, so it never gets fouled. It uses an sensor strip that applies to the outside of the tank and connects to the panel via 22 gauge wire. The sensor uses induction to sense the fluid level in the tank. The read-out is continuous in 3% increments, and when the read-out says 100%, it means it! I'm probably lucky that I didn't know about it when I was in the underbelly of the Alpine or I would have installed See Level gauges at that time! But if you need some work done that pulls the coroplast, or if you are adventurous enough to venture into the underbelly, I would highly recommend See Level - they are extremely easy to install (pull off the protective tape and apply to the side of the tank!).

Note: I have no connection with Garnet Technologies except for being a customer who purchased a set of See Level gauges.

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Old 04-02-2013, 01:24 PM   #11
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The work in getting the belly apart is the only thing that keeps me from installing a working tank gauge system, and if/when it ever needs to come apart for some other reason then an aftermarket system like SeeLevel is definitely going in. It's amazing how long the utterly worthless OEM systems that are installed on standard RVs (and even many high-end units) have persisted.
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Old 04-02-2013, 02:33 PM   #12
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It's amazing how long the utterly worthless OEM systems that are installed on standard RVs (and even many high-end units) have persisted.
Amen! There are very few differences between the components of my old 1976 Prowler and this 2011 Cougar.
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Old 04-02-2013, 02:39 PM   #13
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The sensors probably didn't work in '76 and they still don't work in 2013.

If they can land a roving vehicle on Mars that can give us all sorts of data about the oxygen content in a chunk of Martian rock, why can't they tell us how much poop is left in a holding tank in an RV??

Go figure. And this is progress?
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Old 04-02-2013, 03:07 PM   #14
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The saddest thing is how well-known the faults of these systems are (and have been for decades), yet they are still being installed on a large scale. To me that can only suggest any manufacturer that uses them simply doesn't care whether their product works as advertised or not. Again, just sad.
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Old 04-04-2013, 05:27 PM   #15
Inherentwired1
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The factory level sensors are really "low end"....If you opt to use them, get used to looking down the crapper hole for the real level...lol
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