Black Water Tank Question

[Buttercup]

After removing our turlet, and before covering the hole, I looked inside the black water tank and found that it wasn’t really empty. There appears to be 3 to 4 inches of mostly dried sludge. No question as to what it is/was but what I wonder is an effective way to remove it. On our TT the drain valves for both gray and black water tanks were left open. I suspect that it is possible that mice may have been in and out of the tanks and may have even built a nest or 2 as well.

I want to flush the tanks out and hope that I can get the dump valves to seal. But first I have to get the gook out. So has anybody else had this problem and how did you get the stuff out…

[markdoane]

Dump in about 5 gal. of warm, soapy water, pick it up and shake it (ask some friends to help) for about 5 minutes, let it sit for a week and everything will be ok. Add some enzyme if you want to speed it up.

[InsideOut]

And/or put in a bag of ice and drive around to let it slosh around...the cubes break up the 'chunks'

Shari

[Buttercup]

Warm, soapy water - got it.
Pick it up, & shake for 5 minutes - no can do.
Drive around - can do.

[RichardT]

You will need at least 50-60 friends to pick it up and shake it if you do not plan to remove it first.

[Jim & Susan]

Uhhhhh.....pick it up and SHAKE it? Me and all my buddies from the planet "Oh, Yea, Sure" will be over help with that. You buyin' the beer?Jim

[Buttercup]

If you saw my turlet removal procedure on our web site, you KNOW that beer is involved.

[05ModPod]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

If you saw my turlet removal procedure on our web site, you KNOW that beer is involved.

Heck from the amount of beer you drank during that wacky toilet removel - why not just reach in and grab the stuff while it is dry - be strong beer guzzling bud

[Buttercup]

Funny you should mention it... I poked a stick in there to see what the consistency was. My darling wife was standing over my shoulder looking on with trepidation. I was tempted to reach in there, grab a hand full and pull it out to see what she would do!

However, knowing that she is concerned that we don't get sick from the mice droppings and things like that - if I were to do that it might possibly be the prompt end of our marriage.

Still the thought crossed my mind.

[fireflyinva]

Your wife is right!

http://www.hehd.clemson.edu/MSP/wild...ld_rodents.htm

Just hope no rodents pooped there! It's bad enough with all the heavy metals, bacteriological spread and irritating odor concentrated in the human variety!

Mary

[Silvertwinkie]

I'd try most of whats been said. Also, a few packets of that bacteria stuff that helps break it down might help once you get it to a quasi liquid form again.

[Buttercup]

Oh great - One more thing to freak her out about the mice!
Actually that is interresting. I'll have to read that whole page while I am eating dinner. Gotta go out and rip out a wall...

Originally Posted by fireflyinva

Your wife is right!

http://www.hehd.clemson.edu/MSP/wild...ld_rodents.htm

Just hope no rodents pooped there! It's bad enough with all the heavy metals, bacteriological spread and irritating odor concentrated in the human variety!

Mary

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

I'd try most of whats been said. Also, a few packets of that bacteria stuff that helps break it down might help once you get it to a quasi liquid form again.

Eric, is that the stuff we used to put in our septic tanks to, umm, process the stuff that went in there? I think it is called Rid-X.

[BreezyPoint]

Bought an '83 Excella last week. I'm really excited with my first RV. After the generator arrives I'm moving the trailer to a lot I had cleared up north in a lake community. Will eventually put in well and septic but for now I need help understanding waste handling. Trailer didn't come with an owners manual and I'm still fuzzy on this issue.

What exactly are the black and grey tanks? And how often should we dump the waste? How is the waste treated between dumps? There's also an instruction placard on the toilet. It says:

(1) spray contents of your bottle into the toilet before adding water.
(2) step on small grey peddle to add water
(3) step on larger peddle to flush

What is the handheld spray bottle? Man do I feel a bit dumb.

Please let us know your ideas.

[thenewkid64]

Originally Posted by BreezyPoint

What exactly are the black and grey tanks? And how often should we dump the waste? How is the waste treated between dumps?

Black tank = toilet water (proper term would be brown tank ) You hold this until the tank is fairly full and then dump. The large volume of contents will pull most of the solids out. Treatment choices are varied. Thertford makes a tank treatment that comes in a bottle (that is why the placard talks about a squirt bottle)

The gray tank holds the water from the sinks and shower. This one you can allow to drain all the time if you are hooked to a sewer hook up. There is normally no treatment for a gray tank.


To dump, hook the hose to the outlet and dump the black first, then once it is done, dump the gray to rinse the system.

[Rivetedude]

I'd like to quote from the movie Joe Dirt - "What you've got here....is a great big ball of poopy! The peanut is the dead give-away."

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Eric, is that the stuff we used to put in our septic tanks to, umm, process the stuff that went in there? I think it is called Rid-X.

No, it's not that stuff, but there are several brands of powder type stuff that starts to break down solids and such. The stuff I bought at Target on winter on clearance (for something like .75 per box) was from Coleman. I've been pretty pleased with it. Stuff does a great job. I haven't been able to find it anywhere since. I tried the Theftford liquid stuff, but that never really did that good of a job.....the Coleman stuff also does a great job with deodorizing too. I bought the last 10 boxes Target had and have been using it for about 3 years now...once I get close to running out, I guess I'll have to find something new.

[Buttercup]

I bought a tank cleaner – one you hook up to a hose and stick in the opening of the toilet to rinse the black water tank. It broke up most of the stuff I could. Dumped in some biodegradable tank treatment stuff and filled up the tank with the dump valve closed. Oh, that’s another good thing – the dump valve closed and sealed perfectly after a good rinsing. I did notice a lot of leaves. looks like some small critter was living in there (why I don't know). I also Dumped the potable water tank into the grey water tank a 5 gal bucket full at a time with no problems. That tank dumped just fine and sealed.