Sewer Hose Deployment
Sewer hoses are flexible for a reason. These coils of vinyl come in a variety of colors (grey, black, brown, blue and red) depending on the brand. These hoses come in 10 mil to 20 mil thickness and as a general rule the thicker the better. There are many kinds of connectors and various ways to configure them. I will cover these in a future post, what we are going to focus on today are the ways you can deploy these hoses. It is a good idea to have at least 30 feet of hose. I carry a 10 foot hose and a 20 foot hose. Today I have them both hooked together because the sewer hole is about 27 feet from my rig's drain pipe. I use screw-on couplers for quick connection of the hoses. Here is a straight forward deployment of a sewer hose. This uses a piece of plastic rain gutter to help support the hose to achieve a "downhill" drain flow. They just tie it to the rig's sewer pipe or support it with wood blocks at the rig drain. They also use a short piece of PVC pipe for added support which also serves as an added extension if necessary. Notice the clear elbow connection - this alows you to actually "see" when the clean-out process is running "clear" water - meaning your tank is mostly empty of waste.
What happens if you pull into a spot, get level and then discover that the campground sewer hole is level with or higher than your sewer line on the rig? It is best to park the rig so that the sewer line is higher than the campsite sewer dump, but this is not always possible. In this case you need to deploy the hose so that it creates a syphon action. In order to do this you must first run the hose "out and around" so it is approaching the sewer dump hole from a "downhill" position. Here is an example of this configuration.
The expandable hose holders are great for this kind of application. They fold up for easy storage and allow for a varriety of hose deployment applications. It is best to have an elbow type sewer fitting for the hose to fit neatly into the sewer hole at the campsite. Most RV'rs use a rock, bricks, small log or wooden blocks to hold this elbow in place in the campsite sewer hole. You don't want it to come out of the hole (which can easily happen when you first pull the drain valve because of the pressure), so make sure it is secured in place. Remember, keep the grey water valves open when you are set up, but keep the black tank sewer valve closed until the tank needs to be empty (usually once a week). When you empty the black sewer tank be sure to close the grey water valves or you are likely to smell sewer fumes inside the coach. There is a lot more to talk about in connection with the sewer, but I will save these issues for future posts. Jim
What happens if you pull into a spot, get level and then discover that the campground sewer hole is level with or higher than your sewer line on the rig? It is best to park the rig so that the sewer line is higher than the campsite sewer dump, but this is not always possible. In this case you need to deploy the hose so that it creates a syphon action. In order to do this you must first run the hose "out and around" so it is approaching the sewer dump hole from a "downhill" position. Here is an example of this configuration.
The expandable hose holders are great for this kind of application. They fold up for easy storage and allow for a varriety of hose deployment applications. It is best to have an elbow type sewer fitting for the hose to fit neatly into the sewer hole at the campsite. Most RV'rs use a rock, bricks, small log or wooden blocks to hold this elbow in place in the campsite sewer hole. You don't want it to come out of the hole (which can easily happen when you first pull the drain valve because of the pressure), so make sure it is secured in place. Remember, keep the grey water valves open when you are set up, but keep the black tank sewer valve closed until the tank needs to be empty (usually once a week). When you empty the black sewer tank be sure to close the grey water valves or you are likely to smell sewer fumes inside the coach. There is a lot more to talk about in connection with the sewer, but I will save these issues for future posts. Jim
posted by Jim Twamley at
1/09/2007 11:25:00 AM
5 Comments:
I always keep both the grey and black water valves closed to keep and sewer gasses from backing into my tanks when someone else dumps, also I use the grey water to flush the line after I dump the black water.
By
Anonymous, at January 13, 2007 8:47:00 AM PST
Yes, many folks keep the grey water valves closed for that very reason, but they must always remember to release them otherwise the grey water tank will back-up and overflow through the shower drain. Not a pretty site :( I have never experienced a problem with leaving the grey water valves open with my last three RVs. Most RV parks have a system of sewer vents to prevent back-lash fumes from entering neighboring RV's. Most of the time these vent stacks are visible as 10 foot upright black PVC pipe. I must, however close the grey water valves when I am dumping my own black water tank otherwise I get the fumes. Warm regards. Jim
By
Jim Twamley, at January 13, 2007 3:17:00 PM PST
I recommend also keeping the gray water valve closed to prevent build up of solids and associated odors from the sink and washer. I drain it every few days as needed. I also make sure the gray water tank is nearly full when I open the black water valve in order to help flush the hose after dumping the black water tank.
By
Anonymous, at January 13, 2007 4:18:00 PM PST
How are you folks getting sewer fumes into your units from the gray water tank? We have traps in our lines just like in a permanent house and never have any problem. Funny, I don't remember getting fumes in our regular house and the "gray water" line was always open.
By
Anonymous, at January 14, 2007 2:31:00 PM PST
Sewer fumes get into oue rig through the washing machine dischargde line (at least that's what I think). Hard to say why this happens but it happens when I have the grey lines open (alerady drained - I only did this once when I first got the rig - I'm a fast learner) and then open the black tank valve. The grey line pipes that don't have "P" traps will act as a vent and the fumes can enter the rig that way. I know every drain line is "supposed" to have a "P" trap, but appearently the washing machine discharge line does not have this feature, at least not that I can see without taking apart the wall. Perhaps it is caused by something else. Like I said, its not a problem unless I leave the grey valves open when the black tank valve is opened. So far I have remembered to do it right :)
By
Jim Twamley, at January 14, 2007 3:07:00 PM PST
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