Stuck grey tank sensor

[Bruce Wray]

For the last few months my 1/3 full sensor on my grey tank has been stuck -- glows "on" whenever I hit the monitor. Before our last trip I put in a gal. of water with Calgon and detergent for a traveling slosh-wash on the way. While camping we mostly filled the tank, mainly dish and was water, and had to drive some miles on the way home before dumping. No luck -- it's still stuck. In looking under the trailer it appears that access to the sensors is up the drain pipe. I'm thinking a tank wand that shoots sideways up the drain pipe could blast it clean. But before I do, I thought I'd check in and seek advice; I don't want to inadvertently destroy the sensor trying to clean the schmutz off of it. Anyone know what the sensor looks like, and/or how sensitive it would be to a pressure blast?

Thanks in advance,
Bruce

[amirie]

Thats exactly what we have donewith ours a few times...one of those RV wands--Reace put a couple screws in the end of it so it really "flushed" towards the sensors.
Doug cleaned the tank out really well after our last trip and quite a lot of greyish soap sludge came out..
Sensors all read empty now...

[gbaglo]

Reace adapted my wand as well, but he didn't put screws in it. He drilled a couple more holes at a 45 degree angle so that water shoots upward as well as out the sides.

baglo

[Hokie Escape]

Hmmmmm....I just noticed ours was stuck on 1/3 or 1/4th ?? on our last outing. Where are you sticking the flush out wand? Know where it goes for the black tank (if needed), but not the grey? Should be some "soap scum de-mucker" somewhere to swish around in there.

[thoer]

Some folks swear that adding bags of ice and then driving around cleans tanks out exceptionally well. I've never tried it so I cannot verify that it does.

[Jim Bennett]

Yeppers, the wand works great for cleaning the sensor.

As a bit of a side note, due to the low mounting height of the grey tank, it really drains slow on our 19, as the drain pipe is almost level. What we do when we pull up to a dumping station is to put a bunch of blocks under the opposite side wheels. This really helps speed up the draining and completely empties it.

[fudge_brownie]

Eric

I tried a bag of ice in the black water tank. Added a small bag through the toilet about half way home. I was surprised how much came out when we got home. Either I did not drain it well at the campground or the ice losened things up.

How would you add ice to the gray water tank? Where are you putting the wand into to wash it out?

Jim

Interesting recommendation on getting it to drain faster. I can't help but think there might be times you do not drain it completely because of a minor slope on the ground around the drain.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

Eric

How would you add ice to the gray water tank?

Paul - I think it is called typing before thinking on my part. I have no idea how you would get ice in the grey water tank in large enough quantity. I was thinking black water..... Can I blame it on age?

[Bruce Wray]

Hokie-

As far as getting to the grey tank sensors goes, looks to me like it's a matter of popping the waste tanks' drain cap, opening the grey waste gate valve, sticking the wand up the grey waste pipe and shooting a cleaning stream sideways onto the sensors, which are right next to the drain pipe junction with the grey tank. Betcha they are right there for that reason. All this is predicated on your 5.0 being built like my 19, of course.

Bruce

[fudge_brownie]

Eric

Maybe we can use Bruce's method and blow ice into the gray tank. How about a pressurized reverse stinky slinky?

[escape artist]

Hi: All...I just used the garden hose pistol and shot water up the drain pipe to the grey tank. Put a pail under the pipe as when you stop shootin' the water/sludge starts runin'. Sometimes it smells worse than the black tank sediment. We put some Cal./Deterg. in each time we drain!!!
I now have a wand but it's still in the wrapper. No sense in doin' before it's time. Alf
escape artist N.S.of Lake Erie

[escape artist]

Hi: All...I finally got around to using the RV spray/flush "WAND". Fits on the hose with an on/off valve and fits right up the pipe through the gate valve and into the grey tank. I took out 8- 5gal. buckets of the most "Grey" water and then flushed several more out. Now the monitor reads "E". This job is not for the squeemish...I can tell you!!!
Because the tank drain is attached to the end of the tank...it is probably better to use a block to raise the other trailer side when dumping. Thanks Jim!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Geo]

I like the block Idea!
I'll have to give it a try next weekend.
Geo

[amirie]

The last site we were at was full services and boy did we clean everything out really well before we left.... Yukko to the color of the stuff from the grey tank...
T'was much easier than at home--had the hose closer and the wand and hopefully we got it all cleaned out..
All reading what they should......
I am pretty sure Doug had it jacked up a litttle to help drain it all...The hints and tips here are very helpful....
Thanks

[Mob2014]

I am so glad to have this forum. Our grey tank sensor has been reading 1/3 full no matter now much we tilted and raised the trailer while emptying. I had a tank wand purchased as part of the starter package. I put a 2 more holes so the water would go forward, stuck it up the grey tank drain and yippee the tank now reads EMPTY!
Thanks so much for your useful advice.

Maureen