Separate hose for blackwater tank flush

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

I use the same hose to flush the black and fill the fresh tanks. I put a pressure regulator and an anti-siphon valve on the end of the hose before attaching it to the trailer’s black tank flush. The trailer also has an antisiphon valve built in.

The pressure regulator in on there because of reports of people blowing out the sprayers inside the black tank with some campground high water pressure sources. As you can imagine, that is not easy or cheap to fix!

One reason I use a separate hose is that I don't want to be handling my fresh water hose when I am working with sewage- 2 separate jobs and 2 separate sets of tools/hoses stored in 2 separate places. I take care of the fresh water needs first, put everything away then take care of black/gray, put everything away and scrub up.
Was in the food business for a long time and cross contamination happens a lot easier than folks realize. I don't even think it's a good idea to use the potable spigot at all when you're messing with poop but you won't be able to stop folks from doing that so it's a good idea to sanitize the spigot when you arrive, you just don't know what the last person that handled it had on their hands/gloves.

[SYC2Vette]

Originally Posted by brick1

Dedicated sewer flush hose ( it is black ) and a backflow preventer at the water supply spigot.

Yes, other thing I would mention is that sometimes you flush with non-potable water if you have to use the dump station at the exit. I always connect the ends of the hoses after using so don't have any water spilled in the storage compartment.

[PC Conner]

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

One reason I use a separate hose is that I don't want to be handling my fresh water hose when I am working with sewage- 2 separate jobs and 2 separate sets of tools/hoses stored in 2 separate places. I take care of the fresh water needs first, put everything away then take care of black/gray, put everything away and scrub up.
Was in the food business for a long time and cross contamination happens a lot easier than folks realize. I don't even think it's a good idea to use the potable spigot at all when you're messing with poop but you won't be able to stop folks from doing that so it's a good idea to sanitize the spigot when you arrive, you just don't know what the last person that handled it had on their hands/gloves.

"Potable spigot"? How many spigots are at most RV spaces? Some have 2 but not all.

[dsatwork]

Originally Posted by doughpat

I’m sure the very-very-careful folks on here won’t agree with me here, but I’m guessing there are lots and lots of people who carry one hose, use one hose, for both. I would imagine the actual probability of actual black water from the black water flush making its way up (against the direction of flow) into the hose is pretty minimal. If you’re really concerned, disconnect the hose after flushing and let the water flow out the hose for a a bit…push any contaminated water out. Rinse the make threads of the hose. Maybe don’t turn off the Spigot (fully) while disconnecting to keep positive pressure in the hose. Same thing applies in reverse: before using it to fill your tank, flush the hose….

People get so paranoid about black water. It’s not radioactive, it’s not going to kill you if a single bacterium remains in a nook of the hose. “Dosage makes the poison.”

I don't disagree with this but all the same I carry two hoses. As a fulltime RV'er I need a second hose to use for all sorts of stuff and I'm not as careful with my orange hose as I am with my drinking water hose system. I always keep drinking hose and filters in a separate container and am extremely careful about where and if the hose hit's the ground.

[guskmg]

Your black water flush has an anti-syphon valve located in the trailer. Theoretically, there can be no reverse flow back to the water source. Having said that, I always flush a hose if sewerage contamination has been a possibility. I use a short hose to connect the water source to the black flush. The would be no difference than connecting a sewage specific hose to the city water connection. Most cities inject chlorine into their water systems to kill the harmful bacteria anyway.
guskmg

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by PC Conner

"Potable spigot"? How many spigots are at most RV spaces? Some have 2 but not all.

I consider the one at the RV space to be potable and the one at the dump station to be non potable.

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by guskmg

Your black water flush has an anti-syphon valve located in the trailer. Theoretically, there can be no reverse flow back to the water source. Having said that, I always flush a hose if sewerage contamination has been a possibility. I use a short hose to connect the water source to the black flush. The would be no difference than connecting a sewage specific hose to the city water connection. Most cities inject chlorine into their water systems to kill the harmful bacteria anyway.
guskmg

Agreed but that's not the whole equation. The other part is handling your potable water hose while you are working with sewage. It's kind of like the restaurant worker who uses the restroom and goes back to work without washing his hands IMHO.

[nitzo]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

pressure regulator and an anti-siphon valve

This

Originally Posted by SuperTrouper

Separate Hoses.

And this.

[Tschupp]

I don’t drink or use for cooking any water that is in my fresh water tank. I have a Berkey that I buy and filter all my drinking/cooking water through. I also carry multiple hoses. The fresh water tank is for showers.

[Bluetick]

Here's another question. If you're hooking up to city water (or to someone's garden hose valve), and you just intend to use the water for flushing toilets, showering, or washing dishes, and you're fresh water drinking hose won't reach, can you substitute a long garden hose just for the time being?

[ITSNO60]

Originally Posted by Bluetick

Here's another question. If you're hooking up to city water (or to someone's garden hose valve), and you just intend to use the water for flushing toilets, showering, or washing dishes, and you're fresh water drinking hose won't reach, can you substitute a long garden hose just for the time being?

I've done that, I first run a bit of water to flush the hose then hook up. I've added water twice this summer from relatives home garden hoses. We don't drink our fresh water either but may cook with it. We try not to brush our teeth with it either but I have forgotten on occasion. (If you do that in Mexico you will be sorry) My first job was a landscaper in the Tucson heat, I drank from peoples' garden hoses for years with no ill effects other than the occasional rubbery taste. Of course who knows what I ingested but so far I seem to be OK of course others may not think so.

[Doc Foster]

Originally Posted by Kanusport

Yes I do use two different hose that are different color

Same here, I keep an old hose for the flush hose.

[airmaine]

Separate hoses for fresh inlet and for flushing, and I carry some chlorine bleach with me to swab the inside of the water spigot before I connect my fresh water hose, running the water for a minute without the hose to rinse out the bleach--just a safety protocol--as some users use the same hose for everything. Each to one's own, I guess.

[Saluda372]

Separate hoses that have a big color difference. Never thought of regulating the pressure to the black tank flush. In the past would use a Y adapter with no regulator on it. That's just changed.
Love this site.

[Overstreet]

Originally Posted by doughpat

........ I would imagine the actual probability of actual black water from the black water flush making its way up (against the direction of flow) into the hose is pretty minimal. ”

Well, my airstream black water flush system is double checked just like water pipes in city cross connect codes. There is a check valve and a vaccum breaker in the line installed during construction of the trailer. Blackwater isn't going to be near my hose. I check the operation of those units annually.

What does your trailer have? Have you read the manual? Is your unit old or relatively new? Is the system a add on or factory installed?

[Airlock]

Two hose set up for sure

[richard5933]

We have two hoses. One is strictly for freshwater. The other is for everything else.

[kmrice]

Originally Posted by geo

Not only do I use separate hoses, but I also store them in separate compartments. I store the black tank flush hose in the bumper compartment along with my sewer hose and chocks. The drinking water hose is stored in the side compartment along with my electrical cable, tools, and other clean stuff.

That’s what I do. Carrying a separate hose for black water isn’t difficult. I use a sort of Zero-G knock off which is very flexible and bright green. It stays in a bin in the truck bed with other sewer related items.

[Castaway]

I modified the outside shower, cut off the handle and replaced with male end of garden hose. I screw this into the black water flush while still hooked up to city water. I also put a female end of garden hose on the handle so I can reconnect to the other part if I ever need to use the shower.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by Bluetick

Here's another question. If you're hooking up to city water (or to someone's garden hose valve), and you just intend to use the water for flushing toilets, showering, or washing dishes, and you're fresh water drinking hose won't reach, can you substitute a long garden hose just for the time being?

IMO, no. Unless the extra hose is drinking water approved. I recall as a kid we all drank from the rubber hose, and nothing bad happened. However, I don't want that rubber smell to find it's way into my fresh system.
Not a scientific answer, but just an opinion.