Toilet problem

[Quiroule]

Hi everyone

While visiting Yellowstone we ran out of toilet paper and made a stupid mistake, we bought paper that does not dissolve in water. Si it pilled up in the tank to the point that the toilet would not flush.

I removed what I could, the toilet is now functional, but obviously there still some of it in the tank.

Any idea on what I could do to clean the tank.

Thanks

[chuckster57]

Tissue digester may work, but it may take longer than usual.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Quiroule

Hi everyone

While visiting Yellowstone we ran out of toilet paper and made a stupid mistake, we bought paper that does not dissolve in water. Si it pilled up in the tank to the point that the toilet would not flush.

I removed what I could, the toilet is now functional, but obviously there still some of it in the tank.

Any idea on what I could do to clean the tank.

Thanks

For goodness sake, you have been here awhile and do not have your camper listed in your signature or profile. That would really help answer this question if the conformation of your camper was known.

On my camper, the black tank is almost a straight shot below the toilet and I use a magic want stuck down the toilet with a hose connect to give things a blast.

[rhagfo]

So sorry, either you use way too much TP, or too little water when doing #2. We full tile and use just every day TP and don’t have an issue.

[Customer1]

You can use any tp you want, we use Quilted Northern Plush and have for many years. The trick is to use enough water. Use the tank flush if you have it or you can use a twist on valve/hose connection.

[Max23]

You can use the lots of water system if your on full hookups, but I'm usually in a position of having to be very careful with how much water I use. Have to make 40 gallons last 4 days with showers included. As well as holding tank space so that's not always an option. RV tp only for me.

[spicercars]

We have used regular toilet paper for years and never had a problem. Alot of people use the rv toilet for number 2 and number 1 in the nearest biffy which is not good you need the liquid in the tank. Welcome from northern MN.

[Max23]

Start out with your 10% capacity of water in your black tank, use rv tp and your good. Need to make the spaces stretch. Also, as was stated earlier, need to use that flush system at every opportune dump!

[TXiceman]

I surely hope the OP is not guilty of leaving the black valve open to the sewer. Dump with at least 1/2 tank of black and use lots of water in the toilet. We have always used pretty much any TP noted as Septic Safe.

Ken

[Quiroule]

Thanks everyone for your ideas.

Nice to have a community like this one. Drive safely and enjoy.

[dutchmensport]

If you still have a problem with the dreaded "poop pyramid" syndrome going on in your black tank, the easiest way to dissolve that mess is to use some "time."

Get an enzyme eater and add it to your tank. Add water to your tank, enough to cover the bottom of the tank, and then add the enzyme eater. Let it sit for a few days (like a week). After several days, fill the tank full of water and dump it.

Then, every time you dump your tanks, add some more enzyme eaters to your (now) empty tank. It will continue to eat away any residue. Doing this will keep anything from building up in the tanks.

I do this ever time I dump now. My tanks are "healthy."

Here's what I use. Rid-x, used for septic tanks does not work in RV holding tanks. Rid-x needs more time. This stuff works good, and you only add 1 ounce. I add one ounce for each tank.





The other thing, it also keeps your drain pipes clean.

Because of some health reasons, my wife's doctor recommended she use a Bidet. At first I protested the idea, but finally gave in and installed one in the house. Then I installed one on the second bathroom in the house. It worked so well, (and I actually like it too), I installed one in the camper. This happened before the great big Covid Toilet Paper shortage happened (remember those days)???

We were laughing at everyone and everything going on with the toilet paper shortage scare and hysteria because we did not need to use toilet paper at all. Actually, over the 2 years of toilet paper hysteria, we never purchased a single roll. We didn't need to. With a Bidet and a dedicated "butt rag" (color coded wash cloths) for drying (down there), we have saved, probably a thousand dollars on toilet paper expense.

Plus, NOT using toilet paper in the camper means NO TP in the holding tank to cause problems like the OP experienced.... ever!

Our septic tank at home has cleaned up admirably also. It has a lid that can be opened as I use it to dump my camper black tank at home. Between the enzyme eaters and the bidet our septic tank and the black tank in the camper at home is remarkably clean! Add to that mix back-flushing the black tank with the grey tank, and our camper black tank is in really good shape.

The only down side to the bidet it, it does take water. The trade off is TP stuck in the tank. I prefer to use the water.











Dumping at home:

[Domino3665]

Easy.
Get the garden hose. Put the hose down into the toilet bowl, with the flush valve OPEN, and fill up the holding tank with fresh water. Next, drain the holding tank as usual.
“Wash. Rinse. Repeat.”

[Mike71954]

I would use the Valtera FLUSH KING to properly rinse the tank

[Farside]

I use the Flush King when dumping. Know how many gallons your black tank will hold, and back fill the tank two or three times after your initial dump. Cleans it out pretty good. If the water ain't clear, do it some more.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Farside

I use the Flush King when dumping. Know how many gallons your black tank will hold, and back fill the tank two or three times after your initial dump. Cleans it out pretty good. If the water ain't clear, do it some more.

The "Flush King" might work OK if your line from tank to outlet is straight. Since it is not, how is some jet of water supposed to get up to the tank and clean things. A magic want stuck directly into the tank makes more sense to me.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

The "Flush King" might work OK if your line from tank to outlet is straight. Since it is not, how is some jet of water supposed to get up to the tank and clean things. A magic want stuck directly into the tank makes more sense to me.

Years ago I had a "sewer cleanout nozzle" that sprayed both forward and backward in 4 jets of high pressure each direction. It screwed onto the end of a garden hose (3/4" fitting) and was about 1" in diameter and 2" long. I lost it somewhere in one of our "too frequent military moves" and every time I need it I wish I had it, but every time I'm in a hardware store, I forget to look for another one.

I'd use it to clean out my "problem black tank, using a OLD hose that I didn't mind being "down in the muck inside the black tank"... It did an admirable job of spraying high pressure water on the inside of the black tank, and with a little "hose manipulation" I could move it around inside the black tank, possibly more to make me feel good about it rather than improving the cleaning action, but at any rate, it seemed to clean the black tank a little better than the "current black tank flush systems" and certainly delivered more "high pressure water spray" to the black tank walls and floor than any Flush King tank outlet spray fitting.....

If just filling and emptying the black tank is the objective, then using a Flush King to rapidly fill the black tank from outside will fill the requirement. On the other hand, if the tank walls need a water pressure spray to knock sludge off the walls, you'll be "fooling yourself" is you think any Flush King can "spray around corners".... Ain't happnin' ......