Black Tank Flush - New Question

[homer3]

How many of you if any, while flushing the Black Tank and still hooked up to city water have ever ran a hose from the hot water heater relief valve in to the hose bib of the Black Tank flush. Just wondering if the hot water would help break things up a little bit. Would the water be to hot for flush lines? .... ???

[Tbos]

Never tried it. I'd be more worried about the hose handling the heat than I would the flush tubing. Use lots of water each time the toilet is used. That will help too.


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[chuckster57]

Interesting question. I would think the lines could handle the hot water, but I'm not so sure there would be any real benefit since your just going to dump in a matter of minutes.

[CaptnJohn]

Have watched 2 use the shower hose. One had a quick-connect on the shower hose/black flush. He used hot water.

[theeyres]

Seems like overkill to me. No need to break things up if use plenty of water in the first place. In 40 years of RVing in various rigs I've never had a build up of solids. KISS.

[ctbruce]

6 gallons of hot water is not going to make much difference in 30-40 gallons of black water. I don't think this would be worth the trouble. That said, try it and report back the results. I'd be the first one to admit I was wrong. Good luck.

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Fuzion Impact 312
2015 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ
WELL....THAT WAS FUN!

[Desert185]

Originally Posted by homer3

How many of you if any, while flushing the Black Tank and still hooked up to city water have ever ran a hose from the hot water heater relief valve in to the hose bib of the Black Tank flush. Just wondering if the hot water would help break things up a little bit. Would the water be to hot for flush lines? .... ???

I use Dawn in the tank and just flush with cold water. Hot water may have some some additional effect, like washing dishes in hot water, but its a poop tank, so (to quote an ex-politician), "At this point what difference does it make."

I think in this case, an anal endeavor cancels an effort to be anal.

[hankaye]

homer3, Howdy;

Even with such things as check-valves and such in place .... they are
man-made, and as such prone to failure. I find the thought of creating a
"closed loop" with the RV's fresh water system as a "Does NOT compute!"
item, regardless. If I felt that hot water was needed I'd heat some up
then dump it down the commode.

hankaye

[Pull Toy]

You tell 'em Hankeye!!!

+ 1 here.........................

Good luck,

[concours]

I don't think that opening the pressure relief valve on a regular basis is a good idea it was never intended to be an on off tap. I think that you will end up with a leaking valve.

[bmach]

Why are people afraid to hook a hose to their black tank flush? If to hooked your shower hose to the flush, do you think stuff will crawl back to your hose from the black tank? Just curious why the aversion to it.

[srvnt]

Absolutely you could possibly contaminate your fresh water if you tie in anywhere using your fresh water. Even with the tank flush so called cheesy in-line vacuum breaker/check valve, you could back-flow if this device failed, and fail they do. I removed my cheesy in-line vacuum breaker/check valve before it could fail and flood my RV as has happened to others.

[CWSWine]

I have used my outdoor shower connect for years and haven't had a problem. If there not a line at the dump station I will use the outdoor show hooked the black tank flush and turn cold water till runs clean then turn the hot I get more stuff out the tank. If I have hookups and just use the cold water from the camp grounds to run the flush. I don't leave it hooked up, right after the flush I will disconnect from the black tank flush.

[JRTJH]

Let's set up an example of why the anti-siphon device is necessary and why it should be working. Let's "throw in a single use hose" that is used for black tank flushing as well as filling the fresh water tank/connecting to the city water source. Now, "act 1" of our example

OK, "camper X" decides to flush his black tank, he's connected to city water and closes his black tank valve (just for a couple minutes) with full intentions of opening the valve after standing beside his trailer, looking at the second hand on his watch to be sure he doesn't go over 3 minutes.....

He and the next door camper get to talking, "camper X" is also watching his second hand. Three minutes are up, he turns to his camper, pulls the tank valve and goes back to talking to the neighbor. Several minutes later, he realizes that he pulled the gray tank valve, not the black tank valve, so in a panic, he turns off the water at the spigot and rushes to his trailer to check. NO DAMAGE !!! WHEW !!!! So he goes inside to see if there's any damage. Nope, none !!! Again, WHEW !!!!....

Now, let's consider that he's filled his black tank FULL!!!!! It's pressurized, because of his mistake (yup, he screwed up and opened the wrong valve while talking to the neighbor (distracted from his intended job). So, with the black tank pressurized (but not yet busted or split) no damage has been done, but the black tank contents are being pushed up the black tank flush nozzle all the way to the anti-siphon valve. (good thing he didn't replace it with a couple of 90 degree angle fitting, eh?).... So, as long as the anti-siphon valve is working properly, his hose is protected.... BUT, if the anti-siphon valve is leaking (allowing black tank contents to back flow) his "dual purpose hose" is going to have "gunky poo" trickling from that leaking valve down into the hose. Will he see it in time? Who knows.....

Imagine now, he pulls the black tank valve, empties his black tank with a "gush" as the pressure is relieved, and then decides to disconnect that hose and fill his fresh water tank for the trip home.

YUP, you guessed it, when he sticks that hose end into the fresh water gravity fill, turns on the campground spigot and starts filling the tank, I'll let you guess what flows into his "used to be sanitary" fresh water tank.....

So, in summary, if the question is: Why not connect the outside shower faucet to a hose and use that to flush the black tank? Now you've got one reason: It's possible to contaminate your RV water system if things don't go right......

If you've ever had an intestinal e-coli infection, you'll never want another one, and if you can prevent your family from getting an infection, it's worth the effort to protect your water system by not taking the chance......

Just my thoughts on why we ought to "respect" the black tank, the black tank flush system and not "mix and match" hoses used for flushing the black tank and providing fresh water for consumption..... Your views may differ, and if they do, that may be a good reason for not loaning camping equipment to people we don't know.......

[Desert185]

Good example. I have a dedicated flush hose for just that reason. I can't even trust the spigot near the dump station to be cootie free, and sometimes that water is not potable. I also have a dedicated water pressure reducer for that hose.

[CWSWine]

If that does happen and forces the black tank water backing trough my 20 foot outside shower hose couldn't back up though my 15 or 25 foot connection to the camp ground water system also. I guess you won't want to use a y at the camp ground connection either for both fresh water and black water tank hook up.

[busterbrown]

Originally Posted by Desert185

Good example. I have a dedicated flush hose for just that reason.

Me too. A black expandable 25 foot hose with stop cock is dedicated to my black tank rinse. A small black Rubbermaid tote to store it in completes the package.

It's amazing how many times this past season that someone adjacent to me at a CG dump station would ask me about these expandable hoses. They work well for a specific purpose such as a black tank rinse, I tell them. If heavy duty purpose is required from a hose, I'll suggest a traditional, crush and scrape-resistant, polymer design.

[canesfan]

I too carry a separate hose for flushing the black tank. Nothing fancy, it's just an old one I've accumulated over the years from the new hoses they give you when you buy a new RV. Keep it separate from everything else and only use it for that. Also have a pressure regulator and anti-siphon valve for the same purpose.

[michael_h]

I shake/rock my trailer side to side a little while I have the BWF hooked up with my sewer only hose . . . . sometimes more stuff comes out

[srvnt]

I shake it a little too. Every bit helps.