Black Tank Dump Questions

[The Lone Ranger]

As probably most feel, the black tank dumping routine is a real pain. I have a 40 gal black tank and it generally will not fill up until the 4th day. Many of the parks have low water pressure at the dump station so the flush kit is basically worthless. Most of the time I wind up using my swisher and it is just inconvenient. I add Cascade dishwashing detergent after each dump to help keep the sensors clean. On the last trip I could never get the sensors to read less than 1/3 full. I know the sensors do not always give you correct readings, so I will shine my flashlight into the toilet and it is still difficult to determine how much murky water is in left in the tank. A friend said he always fills his black tank up before he dumps to increase the flow of the water and solids, makes sense but my sensor says I am full but how can I tell how full is too full by shining a light into the commode drain? Also, maybe some on the forum can offer other suggestions to ease this burdensome task?

[mark5w]

Try using the GEO method to clean the tank and sensors.

https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/

Many of our members use it to clean tank and sensors.

[The Lone Ranger]

Thanks Mark, this all makes sense and I am going to give it a shot on the next trip.

[Lloyd]

I use the Geo method, and have for years.
Just don't expect it to be an over night miracle. Until those sensors get cleaned off nothing is going to change.

[dlakeman]

I use the Camco Dual Flush Pro Holding Tank Rinser with Gate Valve (39062). I have a flow meter attached to the water supply hose. After dumping my black tank every couple days when camped, I back flush it with the Flush Pro. The Flush King is another similar product. I put 10 gallons back into the black tank and flush again. If still not clean, I flush again with 10 gallons. When I'm headed home, I flush both tanks with the Flush Pro until they are clean then I add 5 gallons with a "cleaning tablet" to the black tank. I add 5 gallons to the grey tank with disk detergent, and drive home. The drive cleans the tanks sidewalls thoroughly. I also want water in my tanks to keep the dump valve seals lubricated. I think the GEO Method is great, however my method has worked well.

[rustyg]

I had the same issue with ours. We were using the the dissolvable packs and noticed that the plastic casing was not dissolving, so I did some research. I found that many full timers used the GEO method and some used Happy Campers Treatment. We opted for the HAPPY CAMPERS RV Holding Tank Treatment and it has worked very well. My recommendation is to get away from the drop in pods because they can cause more problems (as I discovered).

Regardless of which option you decide to do, be patient. We switched a year ago and we are just now starting to see positive results. Our sensors are now clear down to the 1/4 sensor and I suspect in another year that too will be clear.

FYI, we had similar issues with our grey water tank sensors because the previous owners would dump grease and oil down the sink drain. We've been using liberal amounts of Dawn dishwashing liquid (and a strict no oils down the sink policy) for two years now and those sensors are finally starting to clear as well.

Good luck!