In Command system issue

[Skye]

Hello from Georgia!
I have a 2022 Alpine and my In Command system is not reading the black tank levels correctly. It shows my black tanks 2/3 full almost all the time, even when they've just been emptied. Sometimes it will update to one tank empty and the other tank 2/3 full. I've rebooted several times but it hasn't helped.

Any suggestions?

[RollaMo]

What your seeing is a tank sensor issue, and not an In-Command issue.

The issue you are describing has been happening as long as RV's have had tank sensors.

They are just not very reliable sometimes.
Black tank sensors especially are notorious for giving inaccurate readings, just because of the nature of the tank contents.


Might be time for a good tank cleaning.

[Skye]

I'm totally new at this. What's the best way to clean the tanks?

[55 & Out]

you should have a fresh water flush for all your black tanks , the fresh water flush will clean your black tank sensors and tank out of debris . That may help for false readings . I flush mine every morning before leaving rv park to head home until next trip .

[Skye]

Thanks for the help!

[Roper46]

First, welcome to the forum from south Georgia.

Second, I have also learned from this forum another method to clean the black tank in addition to the flush system.

That is to add some Dawn dish soap, just a good long squirt into the tank. Then add several gallons of water, say five, to the tank. Then drive home or to your next destination letting it slosh all the contents. I do this especially before I leave home, then after i arrive at my destination and get all set up, drain it.

I do this for every trip on the black tank and say every other trip on my gray tanks. Hope this helps.

[Skye]

Awesome tip! Thanks!

[JRTJH]

I do the same as Roper46, but I don't drain the black tank after I get set up. I leave the dawn/water solution in the tank and continue to keep using the toilet. The more water/waste put in the tank, the higher the level gets to keep dawn working on the sensors.

In other words, keep the dawn in the tank so it keeps working longer.....

That said, it helps with dissolving the sludge, but I still don't trust the sensors any further than I can throw a bucket of black tank contents......

[Skye]

Hahaha! I hear ya! Thanks for the tip!

[LHaven]

The other stuff people have been recommending is Zap Drain Defense enzyme cleaner. Again, you have to have the fluid level higher than the sensor you want cleaned. I just started using this stuff, but I haven't yet gone anywhere to slosh the contents around. I also intend to continue using the Dawn.

(I think last trip I got overenthusiastic with the Dawn, because I ended up with a good deal of water in the cabinet under the bath sink when I got home, and right now I suspect it may have been suds coming out of the tank flush backflow vent. It's the last thing I need to check before we make our first run this summer.)

I know a lot of people here are just resigned to sensor failures, but in 25 years of camping and two rigs, I've never had a sensor problem that didn't resolve with a little added cleaning attention, and I've been very happy with mine. Of course, if Amos misconnected your probes at the factory, YMMV.

[GeekSquadOfUn]

Best advice I can give you is to simply ignore those gauges, they are absolutely useless.
Yes, with some exercises and elbow grease, you'll get them to read correctly once in a while. But you need to keep doing that, all the time.
Can you see how pointless this is?
These have been terrible for decades and there is no real solution.
After a while, you will get a 'feel' for their fullness and empty when appropriate.
You'll have more important issues to worry about.
Good luck and happy RV'ing.

[flybouy]

Personally I don't concern myself with the black/gray tank guages. On my unit the toilet sets directly over the tank. If I flush I can see the bottom of the tank with a flashlight when it's empty. One look and I know there's no poo pyramid.

For this unit I don't see the need to waste tens of gallons worth of water to "sanitize" a waste tank just so I can see an idiot light confirm what I already know. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have this "direct view" but my point is this, I've never had to use copius amounts of water to get it to drain. After draining I put about 1" or so water in the tank. When flushing solids we hold the.pedal down for about 5 to 7 seconds adding water. After dumping tanks pre-travel, add a good squirt of dish detergent and let the "beautiful, smooth as glass, US roads" do the mixing. This is just my experience, YMMV.

[rlh1957]

Liquid level sensors in RV’s.
Try all the tricks, advice and trials given.
Fact is they are notorious for reading incorrectly even brand new. Get to know your system.
When the black tank is full you’ll see water up in the neck when you push open the flapper.
Lots of liquid in the black tank is your friend. Don’t dump unless 3/4 full. More water/liquid make a good emptying dump.
When you push foot pedal to flush and a bubble blows back that gives indication tank is getting near full.
RV toilets don’t over flow like in a home flush toilet.
You’ll see water in the bottom pipe as it is getting topped off. Hold the peddle down with water running and you can force a full over flow.
I never look at indicators.
Get to know your camper. You should be able to start with an empty black tank, with two people
and get two weeks out of the Black Tank.
You’ll run out of Fresh Water before you fill a black tank. My grey tank from shower and sink fills up first.

[Readi2Roll]

I have had the same issue as others with false black tank readings. My latest "success" involves using the HAPPY CAMPERS tank treatment. Once I dump. I follow their direction to add a few gallons of water with a new treatment. This sloshes around while traveling and helps breakdown whatever is stuck on the sensors. I have only been using their regular product (with very good success) but also see they have an EXTREME CLEANING product for stubborn cases. Good luck!
I also have In-Command; and agree with others, that system is not your problem .

[jertour]

We had the same trouble with a gray tank two years ago come to find out the flexible furnace duct was resting against the tank sensor ( poor design ). Sometimes its not the sensor just not good design.

[Camping family]

Not stealing the thread. But my camper is at a permanent spot. What can I use to try n clean the sensor. I flush the black tank after emptying it. But it has not done anything to change the sensor reading.

[Life-in-Him]

Originally Posted by Readi2Roll

I have had the same issue as others with false black tank readings. My latest "success" involves using the HAPPY CAMPERS tank treatment. Once I dump. I follow their direction to add a few gallons of water with a new treatment. This sloshes around while traveling and helps breakdown whatever is stuck on the sensors. I have only been using their regular product (with very good success) but also see they have an EXTREME CLEANING product for stubborn cases. Good luck!
I also have In-Command; and agree with others, that system is not your problem .

Fighting the senser wat is a long term only occasionally successful effort.
2 things have shown up.
1. We put several cupfulls of HappyCamper dry into a 1 gallo
Jug. Fill it with warm to hot water. Shake the daylights out of it.
Then when we've dumped, we shake that jug hard. Pour 1 cup into the tank avoiding the gasket (causes grit on the seal). This enables good cleaning most of the time when you move.

2. The reason the reading isn't predictable is a chemical issue. The "smart sensor's" measure the resistance of the content between probes. All water & content vary. The range being measured on our rig is between . 0.050 & 0.175Volts on the 1st level.
That small voltage difference could be 1 cup of salt water in 25 gallons of pure water.
So a wet piece of toilet paper can make a big level indication difference.

[Bonnah, T]

Something that was suggested to me, and works well, was to use my daily dish washing water to add more liquid volume (and dish soap) to the toilet tank. This increases the water/poo ratio, and gives more flush factor to the tank cleaning. I also top dump a mop pail worth of water to the toilet when the tank is empty and draining.
I always add 5 gallons (20 liters) of water, chemical and a bit of dish soap to the black tank before traveling.
Oh, and never trust the tank level sensors!! Good luck!