|
08-25-2010, 02:53 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pollock Pines, California
Trailer: 2009 Escape 19
Posts: 453
|
Stuck grey tank sensor
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
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 03:32 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Chilliwack, British Columbia
Trailer: 2008 17B Escape
Posts: 766
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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...
__________________
Anna-Marie
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 04:17 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 04:54 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Farmville, Virginia
Trailer: 2006 Escape 5.0
Posts: 900
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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.
__________________
"In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice. In the morning, I will offer my prayer to you, and wait in expectation" Ps 5:3
'11 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab (5' bed) 09 Escape 5.0
Blacksburg, Virginia (Home of the Virginia Tech Hokies)
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 05:20 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,234
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 06:24 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,552
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
|
|
|
08-25-2010, 08:56 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Janesville, WI, Wisconsin
Trailer: Escape 19 (sold) Escape 21 2014
Posts: 1,884
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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.
__________________
Paul and Janet Braun
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 now 2012 Toyota Sequoia V8
Escape 19' 2010 now 2014 Escape 21'
|
|
|
08-26-2010, 08:31 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,234
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
Quote:
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?
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
|
|
|
08-26-2010, 11:47 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pollock Pines, California
Trailer: 2009 Escape 19
Posts: 453
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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
|
|
|
08-26-2010, 04:14 PM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Janesville, WI, Wisconsin
Trailer: Escape 19 (sold) Escape 21 2014
Posts: 1,884
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
Eric
Maybe we can use Bruce's method and blow ice into the gray tank. How about a pressurized reverse stinky slinky?
__________________
Paul and Janet Braun
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 now 2012 Toyota Sequoia V8
Escape 19' 2010 now 2014 Escape 21'
|
|
|
09-07-2010, 07:15 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,038
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
|
|
|
09-12-2010, 12:08 PM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,038
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
|
|
|
10-05-2010, 04:15 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 151
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
I like the block Idea!
I'll have to give it a try next weekend.
Geo
|
|
|
10-06-2010, 02:10 AM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Chilliwack, British Columbia
Trailer: 2008 17B Escape
Posts: 766
|
Re: Stuck grey tank sensor
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
__________________
Anna-Marie
|
|
|
06-27-2015, 01:18 PM
|
#15
|
Member
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Fruitland Park, Florida
Trailer: 2021 Pleasure Way OnTour 2.0
Posts: 77
|
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
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|