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Old 07-01-2019, 05:42 AM   #1
Spletbr
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Black tank gauge

My black gauge is always off, showing more (I believe!). Maybe needs a good clean? Anyway, how can I tell when it really is getting close?
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Old 07-01-2019, 06:07 AM   #2
JRTJH
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The next time you're in a full hookup campground, let the black tank fill while you camp. As you think it's getting "close to full" start filling the toilet bowl by using the "foot pedal bowl fill" feature. Flush and listen. Repeat until you hear a "DISTINCT DIFFERENCE" in the sounds as you flush the bowl contents into the black tank.

You will notice a "DISTINCT DIFFERENCE" in the way the water sounds as it leaves the toilet bowl. That sound change will warn you the tank is full or nearing full. When our toilet/black tank reaches the "3 flushes left" level, we can hear the tank contents "gurgle in the rooftop vent" while flushing. We know, at that point, that it's time, within the next day, to dump the black tank.

It's sort of like "a baby's cry". Any parent can tell you, by the sound of their child's cry, whether the baby is angry, is hurt, is sick, wants attention, is hungry or needs a diaper change..... Not to compare babies to black tanks, but if you pay attention to your black tank sounds, you can tell "what it needs" just like most parents can tell you what their baby needs.....
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Old 07-01-2019, 06:57 AM   #3
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What he's saying is, don't bother looking at the pretty red lights.
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Old 07-01-2019, 08:46 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by travelin texans View Post
What he's saying is, don't bother looking at the pretty red lights.
It's a feature. When the gauge shows full all the time, there are more pretty red lights to look at.
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Old 07-01-2019, 09:23 AM   #5
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John's comments are spot on. Ours will sort of "burp" when you flush when it is time to dump. As a last resort you could open the toilet and use a flashlight to see where the water level is (hopefully not up to the toilet bowl ). The sound also changes from dropping down into the tank vs hitting the water level as it gets higher.
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:29 PM   #6
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Hey there. We have a 24' Hideout. After this long weekend, we dumped our tanks, flushed and filled 3 times and dumped. The water is clear as a bell coming out. However, when we look down the toilet, we can still see water sitting just below the tube part of the toilet. Advice??? We're on our 4th summer with this RV and have never noticed standing water like that. Black tank registers it's 1/3 full, but, it isn't. Any help/advice is very much appreciated. Thanks.
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:37 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Lapirini View Post
Hey there. We have a 24' Hideout. After this long weekend, we dumped our tanks, flushed and filled 3 times and dumped. The water is clear as a bell coming out. However, when we look down the toilet, we can still see water sitting just below the tube part of the toilet. Advice??? We're on our 4th summer with this RV and have never noticed standing water like that. Black tank registers it's 1/3 full, but, it isn't. Any help/advice is very much appreciated. Thanks.
Unless you angle the rv to the dump side substantially you will never drain any of the tanks completely.
Plus you always want a few gallons of water with some sort of deodorizer, soap or chemicals in the black tank to keep the solids from drying up & the odor down.
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Old 07-08-2019, 02:40 PM   #8
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So even after draining completely, it's normal for that water to stay there? It's right at the base of the toilet bowl.
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Old 07-08-2019, 07:35 PM   #9
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Yes, it's normal for a small amount of water to remain in the tanks after emptying. It's sort of like dumping a glass filled with water, then sitting it on the counter. A minute or so later, turn the glass upside down again and a few drops will still fall out of the "empty glass". It's the same with RV holding tanks.
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Old 07-09-2019, 11:57 AM   #10
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Never understood why the lights are like they are. Retired from selling industrial controls 9 years ago and for 12 years before that we sold an external proximity switch that our customer used to make a similar system for telling how full a grain bin is. Worked forever and was never wrong.
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Old 07-09-2019, 12:08 PM   #11
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It’s about money and simplicity. 4 probes in the side of the tank, hook up a resister packet and let the water do the work. One is ground and the three others will measure resistance.
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Old 07-09-2019, 12:40 PM   #12
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There are aftermarket proximity sensors/gauges but the system used in the tanks is likely a lot cheaper. There are contacts inserted through the tank sides are various levels and fluids touching these close a circuit that sends a voltage to the idiot lights. At least, that is my understanding of the things. I think there are four level sensors per tank and a ground. I tried my best to make my black tank idiots lights read as they should. Cleaned the insides as best I could. Didn't work. Changed the sensor probes to "Miracle Probes" which are the same as factory but have hoods to keep crud from hanging on them. Didn't work. Checked resistance for each probe and they were all good. Still didn't work. Changed wiring harness at the tank; resistances still good. Didn't work. Changed the control board with the idiot lights and that didn't work.

Fortunately, I developed a fool proof method that lets me know when the black tank is full. Since it is connected to the shower, I wait till my wife complains that the shower won't drain then I go out and dump all three of my tanks. Probably not the best system.
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Old 07-09-2019, 04:31 PM   #13
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Your shower goes into the black tank? That's a first for me. The black tank is often the smallest, and the shower the biggest source of waste water. Out here at water/power sites where gray water release is allowed, we depend on the shower coming out the gray.
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Old 07-14-2019, 10:53 AM   #14
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I got my accurate mounted on the outside of the tank from these guys. https://www.garnetinstruments.com
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Old 07-14-2019, 04:09 PM   #15
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I got my accurate mounted on the outside of the tank from these guys. https://www.garnetinstruments.com
I installed the SeeLevel system (from this link) about a year ago. Works great! I just have to remember to check the levels. I'm getting old-timers disease....CRS.
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