Easy Macerator question

[VAtom]

I have been studying my van so I can understand everyone's travails with macerators, auxiliary drains and electric dump valves.

Very interesting stuff and a good primer for future on the road horror.

My question is about the garden hose connection in the hose reel box for "flushing".
Where does it go? I can't trace its outlet/flow in the manual, schematics or in real life.



One other thing I ran across is that the Valterra EZ Valve seems far superior to my Auto-Drain. It has a manual handle that is easily deployed and an inline circuit breaker below the switch that keeps one from constantly blowing fuses.

https://www.valterra.com/product/ez-...alve-system-3/

[gmillerok1]

There is a connection left of the sewer hose reel (at least, in mine, and I don't think they've changed it). It goes inside the van, up, into a back-flow valve, down under the floor, and over to the black tank.

I bought a quick connecter for the hose and the connecction in the box, so it's an easy on-off.

When you break camp and dump, take the blue hose and connect it to the outside shower connection. Turn on the water and leave it on while you dump.

It flushes out the black tank.

For some reason, some units can't open both valves at the same time. I can.

So, I do this.

1. Connect the hose to the shower and flush connection.
2. Turn on the water from the shower connection.
3. Open the black valve until it empties (or mostly empties as the poor design of the sewer system won't allow it to be completely emptied from the pipe).
4. Open the grey valve until it gets close to being empty.
5. Close the black valve.
6 After a minute or so, I close the water connection so the black tank has a bit of liquid in it.
7. Close the grey valve.

One warning if you are new to owning an Interstate. If you store your van outside, you must winterize the flush connections as it contains a back flow preventer valve made of cheap plastic. It WILL freeze, and baptise your interior next time you use it if you don't.

To do that you have to run it through the outside shower connections (which you should do anyway).

And the final challenge is to adequately winterize the pump. This a bit of a challenge because about a gallon of grey liquid ALWAYS remains in the sewer pipe no matter how long you let it run. If you use antifreeze, this will dilute it to the point it may not protect the pump. And you also need to run it through the pump and hose on the reel.

A few of us, including me, have redone the sewer and added a T connection so this liquid can be removed after each trip or season.

More than you asked, but thought you may want to know the in's and out's.

As for the valves, mine are seven years old, and are about the only thing I haven't replaced.

[VAtom]

Thanks for outlining your process.

My question was, where does the outflow from the garden hose connection actually go to? How is it routed?

From your description, it sounds like it goes directly to the black tank, (not the drain line) It must enter at the top....and that's where the check valve should be...or is it right at the garden hose connection?

Last winter, I blew compressed air through the garden hose connection figuring it would clear the check valve.

[gmillerok1]

It goes in, up, over about 3" with the valve, down to the floor, over to the tank, and then up about an inch or two in the side of the black tank between the bath door and the front inside corner (at least on mine).

[Boxster1971]

Gmiller - thanks for tip on using a quick-connect fitting for the black tank flush. I use them a lot around the yard but never thought about using them for the tank flush.

[VAtom]

Originally Posted by gmillerok1

It goes in, up, over about 3" with the valve, down to the floor, over to the tank, and then up about an inch or two in the side of the black tank between the bath door and the front inside corner (at least on mine).

Ok, thanks, I see. The pipe comes in reduces to 3/8" tubing, turns down, forms a trap, heads up and then disappears.

3/8"....man, that's some industrial strength flushing we have.