Ajones42
North Texas
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Joined: 11/17/2006
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Leslyons,
I deal with some of your limitations regularly - remote locations, few resources and stationary.
You have gotten some good suggestions in the posts above and pay special attention to the ones in which the products are actually used - not the speculative ones.
Everyone always says check the vents which is good but in most cases, your tank is just stinking. The reasons could be myriad. Make sure you are dumping the tank at only 2/3 full to full. Add water softener and Dawn to keep the tank walls slick. Google GEO method. Rinse after dumping IF you have adequate water supply and disposal facilities.
To get the tank clean NOW and start off on a new page, I would recommend this from experience.
Get one of the digesters mentioned above. Add a pint of Dawn detergent and a pint of Calgon water softener. Fill with clean water. Let it sit for a week (or as long as possible).
Dump the tank. Rinse it if you can.
Add a pint of Dawn, 2 cups of Calgon and a pint of bleach. You can expect some replies to my post which will say the bleach is bad juju. People are certainly entitled to their opinions. I have researched and speak from experience. Read more about using bleach here.
The odor should be gone. Future use of the tank should include regular use of the water softener and Dawn. Use the bleach in moderation and only when absolutely necessary. Dump when only 2/3 full or more. Forget about the blue stuff and other tank deodorizers. Those products just make my RV smell like a Porta John.
Remember your black tank is a holding tank -- not a septic system. It is designed to liquefy the waste so it will run out of the tank -- nothing more. Use PLENTY of water regularly to help this process.
Fulltiming in a 1993 Dolphin 32D
North Dallas, TX
My Old RV
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leslyons
Ramona, CA
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Joined: 11/01/2009
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I appreciate all the replies to my request for help! I have gotten some great ideas and plan to implement them two weekends from now.
Several people suggested installing a tank "sprayer." I saw a YouTube video on how to do this on an RV, but not sure if it would work, or be convenient, on a travel trailer. My black water tank is way up underneath, and I don't see how I could get under there, cut a hole, install the sprayer, and then get to it later, without crawling under it! Ideas or suggestions?
One other question: My dump valve was leaking (probably what created my smell problem - all the liquid drained out, leaving the solids), so I drained the black water tank, removed the dump valve, and replaced it with an identical valve (same brand/model). But now I notice when I dump my gray water, there is a leak on the downstream side of the black water dump valve. Is there a trick to installing the valve properly and tightening the bolts, but not too tight? Apparently I did something wrong. The upstream side is fine (thank goodness!) but the downstream side of the black water valve leaks when I dump the gray water. Thanks for your help!
Les
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Joined: 12/01/2005
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leslyons wrote:
Several people suggested installing a tank "sprayer." I saw a YouTube video on how to do this on an RV, but not sure if it would work, or be convenient, on a travel trailer. My black water tank is way up underneath, and I don't see how I could get under there, cut a hole, install the sprayer, and then get to it later, without crawling under it! Ideas or suggestions?
yes, you have to have access to a black tank to be able to mount a tank sprayer regardless of TT/Class A ,etc. but you also buy the install kit which consists of a short length of hose, anti back flow device, etc. so that you don't have to crawl under the RV to be able to use it.
bumpy
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