Using Water Hose to Flush Sewer?

[Skater]

Originally Posted by Poprivet

If you empty the black water tank and then open the gray water tank valve with the black water tank valve still open, the gray water will fill the black water tank to the same level as in the gray water tank and although the gray water does not "pass through" the black water tank, it does help flush out the yucky stuff.

I wouldn't do this. There are some places where you can let graywater run on the ground, but your gray tank may now be contaminated with stuff from the black tank. (On the other hand, gray water is gray because of the soaps in it, so it seems like there'd be a good cleansing action...)

[Skater]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

You know what makes that connection non-potable? Proximity. It's actually the same water you get at your campsite, except it's too close to the sewer pipe at the dump station.

Thanks! I've always wondered what made that water unsafe. I was pretty sure they weren't putting anything into it (at least not intentionally)...

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

You know what makes that connection non-potable? Proximity. It's actually the same water you get at your campsite, except it's too close to the sewer pipe at the dump station. Underground potable water plumbing has to be a certain distance from any sewer or septic system plumbing; the exact distance varies by the state that has jurisdiction. One reason why so many campgrounds have water/electric only; it's a lot easier to figure out where to run the water lines throughout the campground if you don't have to worry about where the sewer lines are.

If public health regulations are concerned about contaminated water moving through soil from a sewer pipe to a fresh water pipe if there's a break in the lines, it only makes sense to be concerned about spreading contaminants through direct contact by using a fresh water hose to flush a black tank. Accidentally drop either end of your fresh water hose once anywhere near the dump station where slinkies have been rinsed out and it will never be a potable water hose again because you'll never be able to trust it.

In concept you are absolutely correct, but you could take the suspect hose and coil it in a five gallon bucket with an appropriate chlorine solution and soak it. If carefully coiled, you can get all the air out of the hose while submerging it. BUT, keep the fresh equipment as far away from the black equipment as possible...and always be conscious of it.

[dkottum]

Speaking of proximity of black to potable water connections, my external sewer flush connection is only inches above the external water supply connection.

doug

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Speaking of proximity of black to potable water connections, my external sewer flush connection is only inches above the external water supply connection.

doug

Yeah, and only about a foot from the dump connections. Care is needed.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Skater

I wouldn't do this. There are some places where you can let graywater run on the ground, but your gray tank may now be contaminated with stuff from the black tank. (On the other hand, gray water is gray because of the soaps in it, so it seems like there'd be a good cleansing action...)

Gray water is gray because it's been used, whether it has soap in it or not. Black water is black because at least some of it came out of a person, and so may contain human pathogens.

But that's just pedantery. Your point is well taken. Just like in Ghostbusters, don't cross the streams, or bad things will happen. If you allow gray water to flow into your black tank through a connection without a check valve, strictly speaking from then on you no longer have a gray tank; you have two black tanks.

[PharmGeek]

I forsee I will be spraying alot of stuff with bleach solution!

That is annoying that the dump station hose does not fit often on tank flusher...I think many of the hookups in my neck of the woods are full hookup....at "full hookup" sites...is there two different spiggots - one for potable and for tank flush/etc? Seems like I recall there only being one...which would require you to use a Y bracket I suppose...

MrUKToad - im a bit confused...when you use your sewer solution at a dump station...if that water hose will not fit for tank flush, it still will allow the hose for the quick disconnect for the ss? If so, you could disconnect that hose...put on tank flush....flush.....then re-connect it to the ss? sorry, bit of a tangent.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Speaking of proximity of black to potable water connections, my external sewer flush connection is only inches above the external water supply connection.

doug

Hope it's actually the other way around, with your sewer flush connection BELOW the external water supply connection. Fresh always above waste, so gravity flows from clean to dirty.

[PharmGeek]

thats "pedantry" - sorry, could not resist

[MrUKToad]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

MrUKToad - im a bit confused...when you use your sewer solution at a dump station...if that water hose will not fit for tank flush, it still will allow the hose for the quick disconnect for the ss? If so, you could disconnect that hose...put on tank flush....flush.....then re-connect it to the ss? sorry, bit of a tangent.

Good point, well made. SS is out when there's no connectable hose!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

thats "pedantry" - sorry, could not resist

I'm a nit-picker, not a good speller. I'm just glad someone else also knew what that word meant! While my ego is so big that my head's now bigger than my hair (look to the image at left for proof of that!) it kind of spoils the effect of using obscure words when all one get's is a "Huh?" reaction.

[PharmGeek]

im trying to understand something else...as it relates to concerns about proximity...contamination...which hose where....etc...

what are you rinsing exactly and how? I mean...if you hook up your slinky lets say nice and snug...then empty black, then grey, then perhaps tank flush (although if you do tank flush, I guess you should save that for after tank flush)...anyway...everything is ran and what you see in your sewer hose window is clear....then disconnect stuff....but then at that point what are you rinsing?

Seems a bit tricky in my mind the idea of spraying water at some soiled area as you may create a force of water that bounces back and brings with it droplets of "stuff" in water....

If you flush everything out right...why do you end up needing to rinse anything? And if you do rinse, I guess one needs to be careful and not spray things under pressure...just let gentle water flow on it...just a thought perhaps....

Why on earth would they put the tank flush above the fresh water inlet, oh boy....not sure where mine will be...but seems reasonble for them to be in some other orientation....

[PharmGeek]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I'm a nit-picker, not a good speller. I'm just glad someone else also knew what that word meant! While my ego is so big that my head's now bigger than my hair (look to the image at left for proof of that!) it kind of spoils the effect of using obscure words when all one get's is a "Huh?" reaction.

hahaha, I am a horrific spellr BELIEVE ME!!

Only pedants know what a pedant is I feel like....your verbal IQ score is likely pretty good there protaganist

Pedantry in this realm....on forums in particular...is a very useful attribute! More detail helps reduce confusion for newbies!

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

what are you rinsing exactly and how? I mean...if you hook up your slinky lets say nice and snug...then empty black, then grey, then perhaps tank flush...anyway...everything is ran and what you see in your sewer hose window is clear....then disconnect stuff....but then at that point what are you rinsing?

The way I would do it if I had a slinky rather than a macerator pump is:
1 - Empty black tank.
2 - Flush black tank.
3 - Empty gray tank.
4 - Put slinky away.

However, if you're one of those people who lets gray water run on the ground, so that when you go to the dump station you are only dumping your black tank, you've got to rinse your slinky when you're done.

In my opinion (and it's only my opinion, worth exactly 2¢ just like everyone else's) rinsing your slinky after dumping your gray tank is optional. Though you certainly may want to rinse the outside of your slinky if the area around the dump station isn't really clean, since that's the part you're touching…

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Hope it's actually the other way around, with your sewer flush connection BELOW the external water supply connection. Fresh always above waste, so gravity flows from clean to dirty.

You make a point but our sewer flush is above the external water connection.

doug

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Fly at Night

Planning a fairly lengthy trip; I do not want to carry any more hoses than I need to.

Is there any real danger in using the water hose to flush the sewer?

Yes,
If you use the same hose, you will develop a serious condition, the first signs of which are light headedness and a desire to have others drive.

Ken

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by dkottum

You make a point but our sewer flush is above the external water connection.

Eww! Bad designer! Bad! Bad! Go stand in the corner and think about what you've done! (Not you, dkottum, you're a victim here…)

[VTSafari]

The procedure that I follow is.
1- Open black tank....wait till it seems drained
2-Turn on water for sewer flush
3 Open gray tank
4- let everything run for about 5 mins.
5- shut off water to sewer flush
6- lift slinky to make sure it is drained
7- turn on sewer flush again for a couple minutes.
8-turn off water and close valves lift slinky to drain.
9- disconnect slinky from TT and cap end lift vertical to drain well

I also connect the male and female ends of my fresh water hose while being stored. Seems like a way to keep it as clean as possible.

I also use a bit of calgonite water softener in my gray and black tanks to keep things slippery in there. I also add a bit of the green liquid soap (name escapes me...think the Alzheimer's is kicking in). Maybe a half a capful each. I also bleach all my tanks at least once a year. Ad a cup of bleach to fresh water tank let it sit a day or two. I then use that water to fill both the gray and black tank. Let them sit a day or two and empty. I then fill them with fresh water and a bit of mineral oil to the tanks and open and close the valves as emptying them to lubricate the seals after being exposed to the bleach.

I replaced the plastic toilet with a porcelain one recently and I wasn't looking forward to doing that....but there was virtually no odder and the plastic inside the tank was amazingly clean.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by dkottum

You make a point but our sewer flush is above the external water connection.

doug

Same here: The flusher port is right above the city water connection (the fresh tank inlet is off to the side). This is on a 2013 25FB Flying Cloud.

And here's a case where it pays to read the directions: The flusher instructions say to first disconnect the hose to the flusher at the far end, and leave it on the ground for a while. This causes the water to drain out of the flusher pipe. Then when you disconnect from the trailer, you don't get a flow of water (but still a few drops). I've done it both ways, and it does make a difference. But still, we always spray the fresh water connection with bleach solution when hooking up.

As for the original question on this thread, we keep separate hoses for flushing and for water supply.

[dkottum]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Eww! Bad designer! Bad! Bad! Go stand in the corner and think about what you've done! (Not you, dkottum, you're a victim here…)

Good discussion here.

Because of the sewer flush connection above the external water connection, I'm leaning toward using the external water supply line on the sewer flush as well, rather than a dedicated contaminated hose that will most probably dribble down onto my external water connection.

Thinking about for the safest possible method here. I think it has a lot to do with sensible precautions in use of this equipment.

doug