Poop tank enlightenment! And question

[Jenniflow]

Hey Guys,
We are having a most enlightening experience with this company:

http://www.tanktechsrx.com

They have a lot of great information about tanks, caring for them, how to deal with clogs, and what looks like a great set of products, all green.

We made the mistake of not closing our valves and we have a clog, but it turns out it's in the pipe, not the tank.

But that's not why I'm posting here. I want to inform you and ask a question. Does anyone here know whether our classic moho plastic waste tanks are blow-mold or press-mold?

I just learned from Skip, our estimable service guy, that blow molds are stronger than press molds which have a seam that can break.

I checked the Stickies on this but didn't see an item on the waste tanks. Do you know?

He recommends never filling the tank beyond 3/4 because older tanks will break at the seams. And older tanks will just break. Also, sometimes installers put the sensors for 3/4 way close to the full sensor!

He also explained that there are 3 kinds of tank monitors
1) a kind that perforates the tank
2) a kind that sits on the outside and "looks" in
3) a kind that are installed on modern Class As that weigh the tank. They get out of calibration. And they're overpriced and he hates those.

And of course, always use the tanks closed and then drain them when they're full, never just leave them open.

As far as I know, we have two 40 gallon tanks, one grey and one black on our '86 345. Right?

[Jenniflow]

Our tech at tanktechsrx says create a p-trap in your hose close to the sewer dump. Just shape your sewer hose into a P.

It prevents bugs and mold from washing back into your tank. We had those nasty little flies that used to come back up our sewer hose into the the coach, so I am definitely going to do this.

Just create a bend in your hose at the very end before it dumps into the shore sewer.

Then when you dump the tank, make sure your tank is 3/4 full, close the toilet lid (to prevent anything entering the room), and flush, and that will carry whatever is sitting in that p trap into the shore sewer.

[Jenniflow]

Originally Posted by Jenniflow

Our tech at tanktechsrx says create a p-trap in your hose close to the sewer dump. Just shape your sewer hose into a P.



It prevents bugs and mold from washing back into your tank. We had those nasty little flies that used to come back up our sewer hose into the the coach, so I am definitely going to do this.



Just create a bend in your hose at the very end before it dumps into the shore sewer.



Then when you dump the tank, make sure your tank is 3/4 full, close the toilet lid (to prevent anything entering the room), and flush, and that will carry whatever is sitting in that p trap into the shore sewer.

Here’s the pic

[A W Warn]

It does not matter about the type of tank unless you pressurize it. Since the tank is vented it will be difficult to create more than a few psi inside.

When I had a clog in the pipe, I used an electric leaf blower to break up and push the clog back into the tank.

WARNING_ if the tank is 100% full do not do this, it will not work and may damage the tank since the vent will be blocked.

What I did:
Make sure the toilet flapper is closed and warn anyone present to not try to flush the toilet.
Close both dump valves. Drain the sewer hose completely. I used a short length of sewer pipe, connected to the sewer connection of the Airstream, that came out horizontal then turned upward (L shaped). If using a full length sewer pipe is used, keep as much of the pipe as possible above the water level in the tank (this is very important). Insert the blower into the open end of the pipe and wrap with an old towel (try to air seal), open the black tank valve, turn on the leaf blower. This pressurizes the pipe and pushes the clog back into the tank. This does not apply a lot of pressure to the tank since the tank vent lets air flow through and out. As soon as air starts to flow into the tank, close the black tank valve. A lot of air will come out of the vent (and stink terribly). Repeat as necessary until the clog breaks up. If the hose is kept above the tank there will be a gallon or two of sewage in the pipe. Catch it in a container and/or dump it directly into the sewer.

I can't stress enough KEEP THE PIPE ABOVE THE TANK. If the pipe is kept above the tank there will be only a little sewage in the pipe once the clog breaks. If the pipe is lower than the tank it will fill rapidly and the leaf blower will fill with poop. And, you will smell BAD!

[bobmiller1]

Geesz......if you can clog a 3” pipe, you are either using way to much toilet paper or your crap is to big......I would try to examine the inside of the black tank with a boroscope to make sure it has no previous residue and give it the “old” Clorox treatment on the next trip......Regards, Bob

[mkcurtiss]

....Better yet, make life simple, and don't poop in your Airstream......then all you need for a sewer drain is a water hose.....too easy.

[Jenniflow]

Originally Posted by bobmiller1

Geesz......if you can clog a 3” pipe, you are either using way to much toilet paper or your crap is to big......I would try to examine the inside of the black tank with a boroscope to make sure it has no previous residue and give it the “old” Clorox treatment on the next trip......Regards, Bob

We went for the whole service. He removed the clog, cleaned out both tanks, made sure the sensors were working properly, cleaned out the valves, sold us some great tanks stuff, explained all kinds of great stuff, and rode off on his silver steed into the sunset. It was worth every penny for the peace of mind. $250.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by bobmiller1

Geesz......if you can clog a 3” pipe, you are either using way to much toilet paper or your crap is to big......I would try to examine the inside of the black tank with a boroscope to make sure it has no previous residue and give it the “old” Clorox treatment on the next trip......Regards, Bob

When a dump valve seal fails and it leaks liquid but block solids it leaves a whopper of a paper/poop clog.

[Magnet18]

Blow/roto molded polythene with spin welded fittings, I wouldn't worry about overfilling for any reason other than overflowing, airstream used quality poo tanks

Your grey tank is bigger than 40 gallon i believe, or black is smaller. Grey is usually significantly bigger than black.


I thought the flies came more from the vent pipe than the sewer hose, crawl up and inspect your screen when you get a chance

[Isuzusweet]

I always dump at 1/2 to 3/4 full.

I never hook up with the dump valve open, as only liquids will dump and you'll end up with a dried out pile of poo on the bottom of your tank. If you have by chance have such a problem, a big bag of ice cubes and a drive with lots of stops and starts will sort that out.

Open black valve first, wait until empty, then open grey valve; some of the grey water will travel back up the black tank, performing a tank flush as it were.

I have never had a problem dumping my waste, ever. Never thought of it as rocket science.[emoji849]
Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[nvestysly]

Originally Posted by Jenniflow

Hey Guys,
We are having a most enlightening experience with this company:

http://www.tanktechsrx.com

They have a lot of great information about tanks, caring for them, how to deal with clogs, and what looks like a great set of products, all green.

We made the mistake of not closing our valves and we have a clog, but it turns out it's in the pipe, not the tank.

We recently spoke to a service tech who performs similar RV tank cleaning. He indicated RVers leaving their valves open is one problems he addresses and also said "hard" water is one of the main reasons tank level sensors begin to give mis-readings. Another suggestion for avoiding problems is to use liquid hand soap and bath soap. In his mind, solid soap wants to return to a solid state and will begin to make a film on the inside of the tanks and pipes.

Glad you got your problem fixed. A clog would certainly be an issue that has to be addressed quickly.

[drbrick]

WOW .. like Bob, this sounds like an overabundant use of toilet paper or possibly the wrong type. We never connect directly to sewage outfall at campsites because all that drains is the liquid and you need the liquid to have the Black Tank digestive treatment product to breakdown the solids and to flush the tank.

To get rid of the clog you could consider something like the Camco 39085 Rhino Blaster Sewer Tank Rinser with Gate Valve (there are several different types on Amazon) https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...K6Y9EEQB&psc=1

[Popsnkiki]

When our black drain gets clogged we simply fill our gray, close the Valtura valve we have on the drain outlet, open the gray valve, fill the chamber that connects the two tanks, then open the black valve. This causes the gray water to back flow into the black tank and has always cleared the congested black waste. Before draining close the gray valve, open the valtura valve and you’re good to go.

And yes, only empty black tank when it’s roughly 75%. We allow our gray to drain freely BUT ONLY when we’ve created a P trap close to the Airstream. This keeps odor and critters out of the tank/AS. That 75% level is what helps water break down the debris in the black tank. Highly recommend the solvable tabs or liquid solutions that help digest solid and paper waste.

[DR M]

Jenniflow,

you must be in Arizona, we have hd to have Skip out a couple of times. We we bought our 98 31' and the again when we bought our 2011 34' AS to clean the tanks so we had a known starting point. Skip if fantastic and full of knowledge and I have recommended him to several friends and they really liked the info they received from him. All I can say is follow his tips and you will be good.

[Jenniflow]

Great advice, all!

Except Skip cautioned us about the ice in the tank. He says it breaks into shards and actually pokes into the plastic tank when stopping and starting. He says you can see the perforations. Don’t do it.

[PatLee]

I am responding so I continue to see inputs to this thread; but I have to add my own 2 cents on this. I took the advice of my dealer and have never dropped toilet paper into the poop tank. I have a little stainless steel TP waste can with a step-on lid (which my daughter-in-law beautifully decorated with a sign that says "Toilet Paper Goes Here"), that has been a hit with guests and a reminder to me. I have always been struck by how much TP is in there by the end of day 3 and think "Thank goodness, THAT is not in my tank!" It also allows me to use any TP I like.

[Jenniflow]

Originally Posted by PatLee

I am responding so I continue to see inputs to this thread; but I have to add my own 2 cents on this. I took the advice of my dealer and have never dropped toilet paper into the poop tank. I have a little stainless steel TP waste can with a step-on lid (which my daughter-in-law beautifully decorated with a sign that says "Toilet Paper Goes Here"), that has been a hit with guests and a reminder to me. I have always been struck by how much TP is in there by the end of day 3 and think "Thank goodness, THAT is not in my tank!" It also allows me to use any TP I like.

Yup. Skip said, “An Airstream? NEVER put paper in an Airstream black tank!”

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Jenniflow

Yup. Skip said, “An Airstream? NEVER put paper in an Airstream black tank!”

AMEN.

And if you ever help a newbie who has flushed disposable diapers down the toilet for a week... that act will get you 5 years early release from purgatory!
The fix - let most of the liquid drain, then place a plastic cement mixing tray under the drain and pull the slinky off. Gag, then repeat. Use metal coat hangers and the awning tool to remove whatever you can reach. Rinse and repeat. Triple bag or dispose of the solids in a lidded bucket.

Burn clothing shower repeatedly and sterilize your innards with a strong distilled drink.

[drbrick]

I like the strong distilled drink I do that every time I dump my black tank

[rmkrum]

We use Charmin Ultra Soft toilet tissue, dump 3/4 tank minimum using a sewer solution system.

When I dump I make sure plenty of fresh water is available for the black tank flusher (mine works perfectly) and the sewer solution flusher and a transparent extension so I can see how it’s doing...have avoided any signs of clogs even.

Last trip we did two weeks before stopping overnight at a campground to flush tanks, etc. No issues.

DW and daughter, by the way, are heavy users of TP and won’t put up with a TP collection bin...hence the Ultra Soft which works better than anything we’ve found for RV use. It passes the two sheets shaken in a quart of water test. It dissolves very quickly.