Sewer Solution "Dry Run"

[AnnArborBob]

I emptied both the black and grey holding tanks in our brand new 2014 27 foot Eddie Bauer today using the Sewer Solution system that I've seen discussed on this forum. I decided to perform this "dry run" using fresh water and virgin tanks rather than wait for the tanks to fill "naturally" and discover any issues in the field.

I filled both tanks with fresh water to perform this test, hooked up the SS along with the fresh water flush hose and opened up the black tank first. Using the water flush the entire time, the 39 gallon black tank took about 6 or 7 minute to empty completely. Obviously there were no solids of any kind in the tank so I suspect that a truly used tank would probably take a little bit longer to drain. The grey water tank (also 39 gallons) also took the same amount of time to empty. I played with the back-flush feature on the SS a little bit with the black tank and was able to flush out some leftover construction debris from the tank (at least that's what I told myself it was!)

From what I can see with this dry run, the Sewer Solution is going to be a clean and tidy way to dump the tanks in those situations where pressurized fresh water is available for the macerating/flush function to occur. In those cases where water is not available, we will use the conventional stinky slinky we will carry and, if possible, only dump the grey water tank and hold off doing the black tank until water is available to use the SS.

I want to thank those of you who made comments about their use of the Sewer Solution on previous posts. I found those posts most helpful in making up my mind to go in this direction.

[acstokes]

I think you'll really like it. I'm a snowbird and had it hooked to my trailer all winter long. Unlike the stinky slinkies, it's very easy to keep clean with no sewage residue left in the hose. Of all the stuff I've bought it's one of the best.

[PharmGeek]

I've had mine since last year

At first I was a bit annoyed by it

Paula (aka "foiled again") made a suggestion and I am happy to report it made using the SS really great today

I just run a hose to the AS sewer flush inlet - no water running to the SS flush - let it empty by gravity only - then flush the black tank 2-3 times till satisfied (mine was near perfect clear after 3rd black tank fill of 2-3 min) - then attach flush line to sewer solution flush to clean and done

In sold

[acstokes]

PharmGeek,

I just run a hose to the AS sewer flush inlet - no water running to the SS flush - let it empty by gravity only - then flush the black tank 2-3 times till satisfied (mine was near perfect clear after 3rd black tank fill of 2-3 min) - then attach flush line to sewer solution flush to clean and done

I'm not sure you're correctly using your SS based on what you said about letting the tank empty by gravity only. The SS acts as a macerator and uses water pressure to break up toilet tissue and other "stuff" so that it proceeds rapidly out the drain pipe. Sounds like you're only using it to clean the black water tank after emptying.

I like to close my gray water tank valve before using the SS both to accumulate water to flush the drain pipe after draining black water and to keep black water from backing up into the gray water tank.

The attached Youtube link demonstrates proper use of the SS and may help anyone unfamiliar with its use.

Valterra Sewer Solution Video - YouTube

Also, I highly recommend buying the 10' extension hose because I have found it necessary to reach the sewer at some campgrounds.

[Foiled Again]

I have a couple of "stick & brick" friends who are totally grossed out by the mere thought of having to dump tanks... eeeuh! Oddly, they've all either had children or are planning to. Diapers? eeeuh! And if I've visited their homes, they don't seem to have any exotic bathroom gadgets to wipe themselves. How DO they manage? eeeuh?

With the SS, the mascerator is a handy OPTION.

I'd never use my white hose on the mascerator - So if I don't have to mascerate, I don't need to use, drain and store the green "pocket hose." (PLUS, the occasional sanitation Nazi doesn't want you hooking anything but a white hose to Potable water - even though you DO use backflow protection at the SS.) So, I almost always flush without using the mascerator - and I do a thorough if not pristine flush every time. Full timers tanks don't stay pristine.

Starting your black tank with a gallon or two of water and some chemicals helps create a soluble solution. The un-mascerated flush works if A) you have a lot fiber in your diet, B) adequate water in your black tank to dissolve any solids C) use something like Rid-ex that digests solids D) use an easily broken up toilet paper and D) you use your tank flusher.

Alternatively, if your tanks aren't very full, travel even 50 miles, pull into your site and IMMEDIATELY hook up the SS and use it while everything is fully agitated.

Another way to easily get both tanks really clean? (Why DON'T they have flushers in your gray tank?) It can get pretty icky too - hair, coffee grounds, dead skin, small bits of food from plates, etc. So, retract your stabilizer jacks, and rock the trailer up and down with the electric tongue jack while dumping. Add extra water to the black tank if you wish, by simply flushing a bucket or two of water. After your black tank is empty, flush the gray tank and add water at the end via the kitchen sink and or shower pan.

[PharmGeek]

I should add that my toilet has a macerater mechanism between the head and the black tank so it chews up everything - that plus the tank chemicals and all that comes out are very small bits and flow without a problem.

Draining through grey water last before final SS tube flush seems a good idea

But im skeptical that even without the macerater I have - that use of the SS sprayer macerater thingie is a necessity as Paula describes.

I guess "your mileage may vary" could be added here - but worst case scenario and you get stopped up a bit then use the SS sprayer thing

Question - how would black water go back to grey tank?

[PharmGeek]

To clarify - I am aware that this is use as not intended - I used the SS sprayer for first few uses and found that kinda annoying because you have to use two flush hoses - one for the sewer flush on the AS and one for the sprayer on the SS OR alternate screwing on hose from SS to AS and back to SS and so on

That or just forget using the AS sewer flush but I'm too anal - I like using the AS sewer flush and to do so till very very clean as my AS can sit for weeks unused

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by acstokes

I like to close my gray water tank valve before using the SS both to accumulate water to flush the drain pipe after draining black water and to keep black water from backing up into the gray water tank.

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

Question - how would black water go back to grey tank?

It's all about geometry. I can't speak for your trailer, so I'll use my Interstate to illustrate:
The blackwater tank is above floor level. As the highest tank, it has the greatest hydraulic head.
The graywater tank is below floor level, so even though it's the larger tank, it has less hydraulic head.
The dump station is at ground level, and so has lower hydraulic head than either tank.
Both tanks drain to a Y fitting right before my macerator pump. In your trailer, to a Y fitting somewhere before the fitting where you attach your slinky or Sewer Solution.
The drain valves on the black and gray tanks operate independently. It is possible for both valves to be open at once.
Basic principle is that water flows from a position of higher hydraulic head to a position of lower hydraulic head. So, if the outlet is open to allow water to flow to the dump station, both tanks drain.
BUT, if the outlet is closed, and both valves are open, the black tank will drain into the gray tank throuh the Y fitting.
AND, if you're adding water at the outlet instead of allowing water to drain, you'll fill the gray tank to overflowing before you even begin to fill the black tank, because at least on mine, the top of the gray tank is lower than the bottom of the black tank, and the water will flow to the position of lower hydraulic head, i.e. the gray tank.

In the case of my Interstate, I can never get graywater into the black tank because of the elevation difference, but I could get blackwater into the gray tank if both valves are open at once.

That is to some extent an oversimilification; if you've got a strong jet of water coming in through the Sewer Solution, you will get some water in the black tank as well, but the gray tank will still capture the majority of the water. And as soon as you shut off the water but before you open the drain again, the water in the black tank will drain into the gray tank.

So, you can use the Sewer Solution to back-flush both tanks, but only one tank at a time, with the other valve closed.

Now if your black and gray tanks are both below floor level at the same elevation, things are a bit different, because whichever tank has the most water in it has the higher head; it's not always the black tank. I'll leave it as an exercise for the readers to determine which way the water would flow if you had both valves open at once in that case.

[PharmGeek]

I'll just do one valve at a time for sure - I have so far but not because I had any idea of this happening

I have found the SS very insufficient at flushing the black tank while the AS flush agitates plenty of remnant stuff to come out

But I very much like the SS sprayer once all dumping done and then all valves closed - and flush the exit area and the hose and done

[polarlyse]

Thanks all for this. I've read about the SS for some time now without fully understanding it's operation / function. I think I've got it now. Will think some more on it before deciding on a purchase but I feel much better now that I have a better grasp of what it has to offer.

Thanks all. See ya'll on the road sometime

[AnnArborBob]

Pharmgeek, I bought a garden hose "Y" valve (with shut off valves for each leg) and a short six foot hose section and can have both the SS flush and on-board AS black tank flush connected at the same time. There may not be enough pressure on the fresh water supply to run both at the same time, but the y valve makes it easy to switch between the two. I plan to dedicate these hoses and connections to this application and leave all this connected together when stored to facilitate set up at the dump stations.

[PharmGeek]

AnnArbor - that is exactly what I did on my second attempts - this is better than switching the hose back and forth for sure

My first attempt I had switched back and forth

Then next two attempts I used your method but running the AS flush and the SS flush I wondered about loss of water pressure and it's just more stuff still to do (that is in most cases superfluous?) and for me it felt kinda cumbersome. I like feeling like the full water pressure is going to the SS flush - but it's probably a subjective notion I have?

My experience as suggested by Paula was appealing to me - and I'm pleased so far and I'll keep you all informed

But I do really like that once done the SS is all nice and clean inside when all is said and done and I don't have to fiddle with the holder things for the slinky and obsess about stuff stuck in it or odors (some if that may be my own paranoia? I've never used the rhino hose yet I keep as backup)

[AnnArborBob]

Agreed, in my mind, the relatively clean condition of the SS setup after use is one of the more attractive features of this system.

[Triumphdude]

When using the extension, do you all use hose clamps to secure the extension to the metal fitting? It seems pretty lose and the lubricant from the factory makes it seem like it could come disconnected easily.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Triumphdude

When using the extension, do you all use hose clamps to secure the extension to the metal fitting? It seems pretty lose and the lubricant from the factory makes it seem like it could come disconnected easily.

Triumphdude, I never have used hose clamps. There isn't a lot of internal pressure in the hose unless you're draining UPHILL and even then the majority of the pressure is in the tank being drained and the mascerator on the SS. To make "it" run uphill (slightly uphill) the pressure of the tank puts waste into the hose, then the mascerator comes into play. Instead of pointing the pressurized water into the black or gray tank, you point it down the SS hose. That pressure continues to push water out of the black or gray tank.

As long as the water is flowing to a drain their isn't a bunch of pressure inside the hose.

Paula

[TerraYacht]

Originally Posted by Triumphdude

When using the extension, do you all use hose clamps to secure the extension to the metal fitting? It seems pretty lose and the lubricant from the factory makes it seem like it could come disconnected easily.

The small stainless steel connectors for the 10' hoses are tight enough hat there is no leakage.


My slinky is now long gone, just use the SS. When we are fully hooked up I just leave the grey tank open, one less thing to keep track of, and then for teardown I backflush the grey tank while I'm hooking up the other green hose to the black tank internal sprayer. After I am happy with the grey tank outflow I close its valve so the black tank does not flow into it: the two large 3" valves would make that easy for tanks at the same height.


The rest of the session has the jet spray running to flush black tank contents down the exit, and I turn on the black tank sprayer and close/open the black tank. The backflush doesn't seem to be as effective as I had hoped but the internal sprayer works pretty good.


The other issue with this is that it seems to use a lot of water, and we are pretty dry here. I'm going to put a flowmeter on the green hoses next time to see how much I use.


Also bought, but have not used, two 10' lengths of pvc pipe and fittings to get to my home sewer cleanout. A colleague (FreshAir) uses his SS at home and pumps uphill 35 feet!

[AnnArborBob]

TerraYacht
Please do post your observed water usage when using the SS. I was concerned about that very issue when I was doing my dry run. While not an issue in the water logged Midwest, I suspect that some folks in the arid SW would bring that up when we dump using the SS and it would be nice to report a modest amount of extra water if that is truly the case. I would guess that the amont of water would be in the range of 7 to 10 gallons per tank (based on 40 gallons in each waste tank).
Thanks,
Bob

[TerraYacht]

I will do that, but no plans to take the moho out, except for new tires. Our next few outings are are time-share or airplane.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Airstream Forums mobile app

[Endodoc]

Camping World has the Sewer Solution on sale today only for $89.99.

[mefly2]

Is the SS efficiency dependent upon the pressure of the water supply?