Black tank rinse cycle

MFuhrman · 08-23-2021, 11:18 AM

2014 montana 3582rl 5th wh. Ive been told that my black tank has a rinsing option. The keystone manual is vague at best. Does anyone know how to do this?
Mel

**sourdough** · 08-23-2021, 11:54 AM

Is there a port in the convenience center labeled for the black tank flush? Looking at a blurry video it appears it is the bottom water inlet on the left (with a black sticker beside it). Is that what yours looks like?

If so just connect a hose to the inlet (one dedicated for black tank - not your fresh water hose) and turn the water on, you should hear the water running into the tank. Let it run for several minutes, or, for a better cleaning IMO close the black tank valve and let the tank fill for several minutes then pull the valve to drain again. Run the black tank flush AFTER you have dumped the black tank and DON'T close the valve with the water on and forget it or you will have a very nice, stinky mess in the RV.

travelin texans · 08-23-2021, 12:02 PM

Sounds as if you're new to rving?
FYI! NEVER EVER leave the black tank valve open while connected to a sewer connection, wait til it's nearing full then dump & rinse. You can leave the bath grey valve open if those using the shower tend to take extended showers, just close it a day or two before dumping the black so you plenty to rinse the hose dumping the black.
But as Danny said NEVER get distracted while flushing/rinsing the black tank or you'll have a nasty mess inside & possibly outside if it ruptures the tank.

Roper46 · 08-23-2021, 02:52 PM

Ref the flush. Should you connect the "flush hose" to maybe a "Y" connector which is also connected to the water pressure regulator? Or just connect it to the faucet?

bobbecky · 08-23-2021, 08:03 PM

I drain and flush our black tank every week using a Y fitting off of the hose line coming from the regulator and have no problem doing this.

**sourdough** · 08-23-2021, 08:14 PM

I use a 4" at the faucet into a regulator and then the y. I also have a short cutoff valve on the end of the flush hose in the convenience center that stays off in addition to the y since I had a groundskeeper hit the valve on the y once with a weedeater turning it on and running water into the RV.

markcee · 08-24-2021, 04:55 AM

I place the Y-splitter on the spigot first and then the regulator + fresh water hose off one leg of the Y and a utility/black water rinse hose off the second 'unregulated' leg.

Is there an issue using full pressure for black water rinse?

Javi · 08-24-2021, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

I place the Y-splitter on the spigot first and then the regulator + fresh water hose off one leg of the Y and a utility/black water rinse hose off the second 'unregulated' leg.

Is there an issue using full pressure for black water rinse?

Plastic...

Seriously 40-45 psi is all that should be used.. not because of the PEX but because of the plastic parts of the sprayer..

Roper46 · 08-24-2021, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

Plastic...

Seriously 40-45 psi is all that should be used.. not because of the PEX but because of the plastic parts of the sprayer..

This is the reason I asked ref the pressure regulator. But it makes sense to use the regulator with the plastic parts. You never know for sure what pressure you will get straight from the faucet.

**sourdough** · 08-24-2021, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

I place the Y-splitter on the spigot first and then the regulator + fresh water hose off one leg of the Y and a utility/black water rinse hose off the second 'unregulated' leg.

Is there an issue using full pressure for black water rinse?

Always put the regulator in front of the Y; you want regulated pressure inside the RV due to fragile piece parts and the possibility of over pressuring.

markcee · 08-24-2021, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

Always put the regulator in front of the Y; you want regulated pressure inside the RV due to fragile piece parts and the possibility of over pressuring.

I will definitely change that going forward, as I never thought of the potential harm to the rinse assembly. I understand the need to ensure the PEX doesn't get hit with high pressure, and my method was regulating my City Water connection. Right?? I was only the 'rinse' side of the Y I was running as is.

I was setting up this way primarily because my rinse hose is one of those flexi/collapsible deals and the throughput just doesn't seem to be equal to that of a standard hose. I figured regulating it would really slow it down.

**sourdough** · 08-24-2021, 09:04 AM

If you're using one of those cheap straight regulators you get at Walmart yes, it will reduce pressure no matter what it is coming to you (restrictor). If you use a true adjustable regulator it won't cut the pressure until it gets to whatever it is set at. Reducing the size of the hose won't reduce the pressure, just the volume.

Javi · 08-24-2021, 09:28 AM

This is a pressure regulator...

Javi · 08-24-2021, 09:32 AM

This is not....

markcee · 08-24-2021, 09:36 AM

Yes....I use an actual regulator not a restrictor.

The point I didn't get across was that I believe I was still regulating pressure with my method to my plumbing via the City Water connection, just not the black rinse line. I got the impression from your initial reply (Danny) that I was not regulating at all with my method.

All good now, moot point as I will regulate both sides of the 'Y' moving forward

**JRTJH** · 08-24-2021, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

I place the Y-splitter on the spigot first and then the regulator + fresh water hose off one leg of the Y and a utility/black water rinse hose off the second 'unregulated' leg.

Is there an issue using full pressure for black water rinse?

I can immediately think of three that pop into my mind"

1. The anti-siphon valve in your vanity is fragile and breaks regularly with "low pressure", "slamming high pressure" into that plastic valve is a great way to get several gallons of water under your bathroom sink if you're paying attention and maybe 50-100 gallons if you're outside, preoccupied watching the kid in the next site poking at the wasp nest in the tree beside where you're standing.

2. The plastic spray head that's mounted inside your black tank is not the best quality and might break into a thousand pieces with 60PSI or maybe 70PSI, but it might not withstand 50PSI, so not "overpressurizing it" (whatever that means) will prevent risking a $300 repair bill that I'll guarantee you will be denied as a warranty claim by Keystone, even if your trailer is only a week old.

3. All those 80PSI plastic fittings on the 120PSI PEX tubing are held in place by clamps that squeeze the PEX around the plastic fitting. How much "squeezing followed by road vibrations and excess city water pressure" is too much ???? Might be 60PSI, might be 80PSI but also might be 40PSI to split one of those "well hidden in the belly fittings that requires removal of the coroplast to get to it to make that "easy fix"... Three hours to access a 2 minute job in a campground on Saturday afternoon when the kids are expecting to be at the lake swimming, but Mom won't take them unless Dad also goes to the lake and Dad, well, he's got 3 hours of pulling coroplast before supper......

Those three are enough for me to not push more than 35 or 40 PSI through my vanity on its way to the black tank flush nozzle..... YMMV

**sourdough** · 08-24-2021, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markcee

Yes....I use an actual regulator not a restrictor.

The point I didn't get across was that I believe I was still regulating pressure with my method to my plumbing via the City Water connection, just not the black rinse line. I got the impression from your initial reply (Danny) that I was not regulating at all with my method.

All good now, moot point as I will regulate both sides of the 'Y' moving forward

Yes, that was correct. With the regulator on just one side of the Y the other side, used for the black tank rinse, was unregulated and can lead to some very unhappy results. Sounds like you've got that sorted out.

Spock123 · 08-29-2021, 07:12 AM

I never use my outside shower so I hook up the hose from the outside shower to the black water flush. I have a backflow preventer on the black water flush. Plus the black water flush has a water preventer inside the tank

**JRTJH** · 08-29-2021, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spock123

I never use my outside shower so I hook up the hose from the outside shower to the black water flush. I have a backflow preventer on the black water flush. Plus the black water flush has a water preventer inside the tank

My black tank flush connection is on the side of my trailer. I've never disconnected the hose from that fitting without having about a cup or two of water "flow out of the connection and dribble down the trailer side. In my mind, I "logically know" that water comes from the "clean side of the anti-siphon valve"... But, my "cynical side" also knows the "fragile history of that anti-siphon valve" and knows that when they fail, they leak and with that leak comes the probability that the "anti-siphon properties" have also failed....

So, connecting my fresh water system to the black tank system brings a possibility of having "a cup or two of water from the clean side (or if the valve fails, the dirty side) of the black tank flush".... When you connect your shower hose to the black tank flush system, you risk that "water dribble" backflowing to your trailer water system if that "cheap plastic crap (pun intended) under the vanity "craps out" (again, pun intended)....

I wouldn't recommend connecting the shower hose from the convenience center shower to the black tank flush, you might just wind up with some "Tijuana water" and the "Tijuana Trots" are no fun..... YMMV

rlh1957 · 08-29-2021, 07:41 AM

Tanks installed by manf have many shapes some deeper and hang visible underneath, while many today are thinner and wide to fit between the rails and allow it to be sealed under the belly and under the floor.
Imagine a flush or spray with a pressurized garden hose shooting into the side of a tank… the only thing really disturbed or stirred is in the direct stream of water. Volume of water is very important when flushing cleaning a black tank. Fill it up!
You can see the water in the bottom of the toilet long before it is near overflow. But this huge amount of water rushing forth on release is the best way to move settled paper and matter out. The black tank flush just means putting water in the
tank. You could drain grey water into buckets and carry inside and dump in the toilet to fill the tank.
We even travel with black tank half full from camp to camp. It serves to further agitate contents and fill with more fluid at next camp.
When i fully dump, fill and rinse again, I always have at least five gallons water in there. RV foot flush just doesn’t add much water per flush.
I do use the little pods sometime, bust always will dissolve about a cup of Borax in a small bucket of water, add a few tablespoons of Dawn dishwashing liquid and dump it in.
You can research all the reasons not to use house or septic toilet treatments for reg toilets but don't use Rid-X, drain-o, Clorox, etc in RV toilets or black tanks.
My RV can sit for a month with waste in black tank, 1/4 full with this mixture and getting used sometime and never have a smell.
We keep some water on in all the tanks & toilet to keep seals moist. They deteriorate faster when left dry.

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