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Old 11-20-2014, 01:48 PM   #1
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Black tank advice please help!

I just put the airstream away at the boatyard. it's all winterized and ready to rest for the season.

I don't know why I did it, but I shined a flashlight down the toilet valve into the black tank. I can see that there is material there, let's just say it's stuff that you hope would flush down the tube.

What do I do with this? I have no place to dump it if I filled it up again with the toilet chemicals plus we are dealing with freezing temperatures on and off.

I'm not sure why it did not dissolve while we were using it?

Sorry know this is so nasty, but not sure what to do any advice would be appreciated.
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Old 11-20-2014, 01:55 PM   #2
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Leave it for the winter - no place to dump and winterized makes it tough. When ready to use then add lots of a septic tank additive like RIDEX to the tank with water. Maybe drive to your next camping trip with that in there to slosh it around. Let your tank get full while camping and then flush as normal - it will all go away on its own.

IF NOT - then once you can hook up to dump and have time then use a hose that you no longer like too much and do a continuous flush and fill with periods of high pressure washing with the hose. GET RID OF THE HOSE - it will never look the same even clean in your eyes again.

Good news - not a big issue. Bad news - you looked at it.

The why it did not dissolve question is a problem lots of people have - you need to use enough water and it needs to sit and have time to work its magic. Don't flush the black tank too often.
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Old 11-20-2014, 01:59 PM   #3
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Good news - not a big issue. Bad news - you looked at it.

I'm still laughing... Thanks so much for the reply. At least it's something I don't have to stress about.
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Old 11-20-2014, 02:28 PM   #4
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Don't forget the wrist strap on the flashlight either 😄


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Old 11-20-2014, 02:31 PM   #5
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You can also pour a quart bottle of RV Digest It, add water, and do the drive around. My dealer really recommends this product.


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Old 11-20-2014, 02:32 PM   #6
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I cannot simply look down into mine...so ignorance is bliss ....
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Old 11-20-2014, 02:34 PM   #7
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I'd just pour some RV anti-freeze in there so that any water down round the gate vale doesn't freeze and cause any problems.

As a group, we are far too concerned with making the black tank pristine all the time. In pretty short order it will be ugly again.
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Old 11-20-2014, 03:29 PM   #8
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There is no reason to do anything now. My guess is you hooked up in a campground and left te black water valve open while camping. Doing this results in what is indearingly called in Rving circles as mounding.

Next year don't open the black water valve until you are ready to leave the campground. You could help things along on the first trip by putting 3 o4 gallons of water in the tank before leaving home. That will loosen things up.

Any chemicals or other additives you put in the black tank is a waste of money. What is in thee is what it is and you are not going to change that.
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Old 11-20-2014, 03:50 PM   #9
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You should fill out your profile info so we know if we're talking about a new Airstream or an old one.

Either way, all that advice is the same. We also encountered a 'brown mountain' issue. It was in the summer, so I just added water and RidX, and at the next camping trip a month or so later, all the evil stuff flushed right out. We have also done the ice cube trick - water and a bag of ice cubes in the tank, drive to next campground, dump, and away it goes. We actually noticed the brown mountain because we lost capacity, the tank seemed to fill up too fast. It was nice to get that back, because the vintage black tanks aren't all that big to begin with!

Also, I was advised to always put a gallon or two back in after dumping, to prevent build up from happening again. Don't forget to put the RV Antifreeze in your black tank if you leave water in it!

Ah, the joys of being 'hands on' with your septic system!
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Old 11-20-2014, 03:52 PM   #10
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Next spring put a couple of gallons of water and an ice cream pail full of ice cubes down the toilet and take the trailer for a ten mile stop and go drive. End drive at a sewer dump and dump the tank. Helpfull if you have a half tank in the grey tank to flush the line. Works for me every time!!
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Old 11-20-2014, 03:59 PM   #11
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Black tank advice please help!

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the brown mountain

Stop! You guys are killing me! Ahahahahhah!!!!!
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Old 11-20-2014, 05:04 PM   #12
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It helps if you can laugh at it! Some of our best times around the campfire have involved one-upping each other with black tank stories!
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Old 11-20-2014, 05:06 PM   #13
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I got some that can't be posted here


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Old 11-20-2014, 10:11 PM   #14
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I have a washout device which attaches to a hose. You stick it inside the black tank thru the toilet flush valve... turn on the water and 'spin' the device so that it sprays all around.

Perhaps this will allow you to 'direct' a blast at the pile...oh.. close the toilet valve as much as possible .... to reduce 'blow back'... DAMHIK...
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Old 11-20-2014, 10:56 PM   #15
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Oh... close the toilet valve as much as possible .... to reduce 'blow back'... DAMHIK...
No worries, you won't make that mistake twice!
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Old 11-21-2014, 11:33 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cwf View Post
I have a washout device which attaches to a hose. You stick it inside the black tank thru the toilet flush valve... turn on the water and 'spin' the device so that it sprays all around.

Perhaps this will allow you to 'direct' a blast at the pile...oh.. close the toilet valve as much as possible .... to reduce 'blow back'... DAMHIK...
I had one of those with the other trailer. It look like a wand with a pressure nozzle on the business end. Seems like I bought it at Walmart. Now I use the built-in black tank flush.
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Old 11-21-2014, 12:50 PM   #17
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Our Overlander when we first got it the holding tank was about full and had been that way for a long time and frozen when we first got our trailer.. I went ahead and pulled it home that way thinking too myself,, what a jerk..

I worried for weeks about it but once the weather warmed up nothing was broken..

I think if it was mine,, I would go ahead and pour a gallon of RV antifreeze in the holding tank just to make sure nothing freezes hard.. Don't forget to reach your arm inside and get it all mixed up.. ( just kidding,,)

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Old 11-21-2014, 06:21 PM   #18
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I ain't going to look in mine!!!
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Old 11-22-2014, 06:18 AM   #19
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Maybe you could trade the AS for a newer one....
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Old 11-22-2014, 08:06 AM   #20
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So far we have never had the "mounding" problem. And the BW tank looks clean on inspection.
I always try to dump the tanks upon arrival. That way everything has been stirred up from the days travel.


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