Tank Management
Today I would like to address an important issue – Tank Management. Most RV’s have several tanks, fresh water, grey water, black water, hot water, propane and (for motor homes) fuel tanks. I will deal with each one separately:
Fresh Water Tank: Several times I have been at RV parks when the main water supply was temporarily shut down. After the second time of being caught with little or no water in my fresh water tank, I began making sure my fresh water was topped-off once I was at my destination park. It’s always a good idea to keep it full, especially if you are staying a few days. When traveling I usually have it about half full unless I know I am going to be staying overnight in WalMart or another dry-camp situation.
We are close to our weight limit, so I empty all the waste tanks (except for a few gallons in the black tank) prior to our hitting the road.
Black Tank: This is the human waste tank. I do not use chemicals in my system because the natural enzymes sufficiently break down the waste and I frequently clean out the tank with fresh water. Never had a problem, no odors, no funny chemical smell. I keep a few gallons of fresh water in the black tank after I wash it out to cover the waste. If it is able to be covered by water, the enzymes do their job and odor is kept to a minimum. If your gauges aren’t working properly it is often because toilet paper is hung up on the sensor – to remedy this put about 10 pounds of ice and 5 to10 gallons of water in the tank and drive. The sloshing motion of the floating ice should help clean the sensor. We do not put tissues into the black tank nor do we put in toilet paper that was used for other things other than its primary purpose. This reduces the prospects of clogging. Our rig is equipped with an external hose connector that flushes the tank. I use a clear elbow fitting that attaches to the sewer hose so I can see when the tank is clean and running clear water. With the clean water still running into the tank flush out, I close the main valve and allow about 10 gallons of water to accumulate in the tank then open it up again. This flushes out any excess toilet paper and waste. I then fill it with another 5 gallons of water and close the valve. Following these procedures will give you trouble free service of your black tank.
When camping for extended periods where access to a sewer is not available (like at a relatives house) you can purchase a macerator which attaches to the sewer hose fitting and grinds the waste and sends it through a regular garden hose to a dump site like a cleanout, toilet, washer/dryer drain or outhouse. These run off of 12 volts and have a manual switch.
Grey Water Tanks: After I have drained the black tank and have closed the black tank valve I open the grey water tank valves (it is very important to close the black tank valve before opening the grey water valves to avoid odor entering through the sink drains and vents). Opening the grey water valves will wash out any remaining toilet paper and waste left in the sewer hose. We can usually go one or two weeks this way until we have to take a trip to the dump station to empty our black tanks. Grey water tanks fill much faster than the black tank. When two people take showers and do dishes the tanks fill up fast and therefore need to be emptied more often. You can empty the grey water into a portable dump tank. I normally reduce the amount of grey water dumping by showering in the local shower facility if available.
Hot Water Tank: Not much to manage here except to clean it out once or twice a year. You open the drain plug and either hose it out with a strong stream of water or blow it out with high pressure air. This helps clean out the mineral build-up. Some models have anode rods that must be replaced (refer to your user manual for details for your model).
Propane Tanks: I have a 5th wheel so I use two 7 lb. propane tanks. Make sure they are secure for travel (they are not designed to lay on their sides). For safety purposes some people turn them off when traveling – I leave mine on. I also have a spare tank that comes in handy. I purchased a plastic base to hold my spare tank upright in my storage compartment (I have two hooked up to the system and one spare). I have also used this spare tank for the BBQ. With a spare, you can leave one tank hooked up while you fill the two empties.
Fuel Tanks: I carry two plastic 5 gallon fuel containers (one for diesel and one for gas for my portable generator). On diesel engines, it is important to keep your fuel filters clean and try not to run your tank all the way to empty otherwise you may suck up some sludge into your fuel system (like I did somewhere in Indiana last summer) and then you will have a problem on your hands. I have had to use my extra diesel fuel on more than one occasion – you’ll be glad you have it!
Fresh Water Tank: Several times I have been at RV parks when the main water supply was temporarily shut down. After the second time of being caught with little or no water in my fresh water tank, I began making sure my fresh water was topped-off once I was at my destination park. It’s always a good idea to keep it full, especially if you are staying a few days. When traveling I usually have it about half full unless I know I am going to be staying overnight in WalMart or another dry-camp situation.
We are close to our weight limit, so I empty all the waste tanks (except for a few gallons in the black tank) prior to our hitting the road.
Black Tank: This is the human waste tank. I do not use chemicals in my system because the natural enzymes sufficiently break down the waste and I frequently clean out the tank with fresh water. Never had a problem, no odors, no funny chemical smell. I keep a few gallons of fresh water in the black tank after I wash it out to cover the waste. If it is able to be covered by water, the enzymes do their job and odor is kept to a minimum. If your gauges aren’t working properly it is often because toilet paper is hung up on the sensor – to remedy this put about 10 pounds of ice and 5 to10 gallons of water in the tank and drive. The sloshing motion of the floating ice should help clean the sensor. We do not put tissues into the black tank nor do we put in toilet paper that was used for other things other than its primary purpose. This reduces the prospects of clogging. Our rig is equipped with an external hose connector that flushes the tank. I use a clear elbow fitting that attaches to the sewer hose so I can see when the tank is clean and running clear water. With the clean water still running into the tank flush out, I close the main valve and allow about 10 gallons of water to accumulate in the tank then open it up again. This flushes out any excess toilet paper and waste. I then fill it with another 5 gallons of water and close the valve. Following these procedures will give you trouble free service of your black tank.
When camping for extended periods where access to a sewer is not available (like at a relatives house) you can purchase a macerator which attaches to the sewer hose fitting and grinds the waste and sends it through a regular garden hose to a dump site like a cleanout, toilet, washer/dryer drain or outhouse. These run off of 12 volts and have a manual switch.
Grey Water Tanks: After I have drained the black tank and have closed the black tank valve I open the grey water tank valves (it is very important to close the black tank valve before opening the grey water valves to avoid odor entering through the sink drains and vents). Opening the grey water valves will wash out any remaining toilet paper and waste left in the sewer hose. We can usually go one or two weeks this way until we have to take a trip to the dump station to empty our black tanks. Grey water tanks fill much faster than the black tank. When two people take showers and do dishes the tanks fill up fast and therefore need to be emptied more often. You can empty the grey water into a portable dump tank. I normally reduce the amount of grey water dumping by showering in the local shower facility if available.
Hot Water Tank: Not much to manage here except to clean it out once or twice a year. You open the drain plug and either hose it out with a strong stream of water or blow it out with high pressure air. This helps clean out the mineral build-up. Some models have anode rods that must be replaced (refer to your user manual for details for your model).
Propane Tanks: I have a 5th wheel so I use two 7 lb. propane tanks. Make sure they are secure for travel (they are not designed to lay on their sides). For safety purposes some people turn them off when traveling – I leave mine on. I also have a spare tank that comes in handy. I purchased a plastic base to hold my spare tank upright in my storage compartment (I have two hooked up to the system and one spare). I have also used this spare tank for the BBQ. With a spare, you can leave one tank hooked up while you fill the two empties.
Fuel Tanks: I carry two plastic 5 gallon fuel containers (one for diesel and one for gas for my portable generator). On diesel engines, it is important to keep your fuel filters clean and try not to run your tank all the way to empty otherwise you may suck up some sludge into your fuel system (like I did somewhere in Indiana last summer) and then you will have a problem on your hands. I have had to use my extra diesel fuel on more than one occasion – you’ll be glad you have it!
Labels: Plumbing
posted by Jim Twamley at
11/15/2006 10:45:00 PM
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