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Old 08-20-2015, 10:15 PM   #1
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To Dump Or Not Dump

I know I've seen this somewhere on the forum but I just can't find it. Why is it NOT a good idea to keep the drain valve for the black tank open all the time when hooked up to sewer?

Doug
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Old 08-20-2015, 10:21 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by NuthatchBC View Post
I know I've seen this somewhere on the forum but I just can't find it. Why is it NOT a good idea to keep the drain valve for the black tank open all the time when hooked up to sewer?

Doug
From the owner's manual:

"The dump valves should remain closed even if connected to an exterior sewer hook up. For proper dumping, empty tanks only when they are nearly full. The idea is to send a large volume of water through the tanks and hose at the same time to assist the solid waste in flushing from the system. Otherwise solids may build up and harden inside tank"

-Dave
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Old 08-20-2015, 10:42 PM   #3
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I know I've seen this somewhere on the forum but I just can't find it. Why is it NOT a good idea to keep the drain valve for the black tank open all the time when hooked up to sewer?

Doug
Because the low flow rate would allow the solids to settle out and build up in the hose. Better to release a gush of water to wash the solids though without them settling out.

Ron
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Old 08-20-2015, 11:20 PM   #4
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Because the low flow rate would allow the solids to settle out and build up in the hose. Better to release a gush of water to wash the solids though without them settling out.

Ron
That, and, have you ever looked down the hole in an outhouse?
Generally it is an ever increasing pyramid of brown.
The water in the tank allows the brown to move around and start the digestion and liquefaction of the brown.
Then the gush of water will have something in it....
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Old 08-21-2015, 04:49 AM   #5
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Not only don't open the valve until you need to dump, but also start out using the toilet/tank with water in the tank (and chemicals if you use them). You don't want stuff to stick to the bottom of the tank.
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:04 AM   #6
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And for a tidier campsite, I (like a few others), prefer to leave the sewer hose put away, until it is needed. Often this is just once at the end anyway, and even if you dump a couple times, it is real easy to set up.
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:52 AM   #7
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We leave our gray tank partially open when we are hooked up. We use the gray tank a lot for dishes, showers etc. Then we close it the day before we leave so we'll have lots of fluid to rinse the hose.
Kathie
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Old 08-21-2015, 10:35 AM   #8
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We don't go #2 in our black tank (if we can avoid it) so there's no issue with the "browns" but I can see the advantage of having a large flow all at once to clean out the hose and the tank at the same time. Thanks for the replies.

Doug
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Old 08-21-2015, 10:37 AM   #9
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We don't go #2 in our black tank (if we can avoid it) so there's no issue with the "browns" but I can see the advantage of having a large flow all at once to clean out the hose and the tank at the same time. Thanks for the replies.

Doug
Thanks for sharing.
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Old 08-21-2015, 11:36 AM   #10
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You really want to avoid the "pyramid of poo" on the bottom of the black tank. We always "charge" the toilet by putting in a couple gallons of water and powder before the first use. We then only hook up and dump when needed. We never leave the hose hooked up the sewer connection when not in use, just personal preference.
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Old 08-21-2015, 12:59 PM   #11
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My aged parents kept a trailer parked permanently at a CG, hooked up with the sewer connections opened. Most of the time they made their way to the CG facilities which was a few steps away.

They did, however, complain about flies which mysteriously hung around their trailer toilet.

So I vote that we don't dump till the end of the trip and keep everything closed.
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Old 08-21-2015, 01:19 PM   #12
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Black Tank

Gotta be a sick campfire song here somewhere.

There's a pile of poo in my loo
It's a tall brown crown that just won't go down
What do I do? What do I do?
I'll ask the forum for an opinion or two
I know they're experts when it comes to poo
Anon.

Sorry, it's real quiet today out on the prairie
Dave
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Old 08-21-2015, 01:36 PM   #13
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FYI, we (and I really should say Terry) dump black water first, leave the tank open and then dump gray water -- on the theory that the splash will help clean out the black water tank. Also, Terry claims that the only women he ever meets at a dump station are either traveling with other women or are solo travelers.
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Old 08-21-2015, 02:26 PM   #14
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Gotta be a sick campfire song here somewhere.

There's a pile of poo in my loo
It's a tall brown crown that just won't go down
What do I do? What do I do?
I'll ask the forum for an opinion or two
I know they're experts when it comes to poo
Anon.

Sorry, it's real quiet today out on the prairie
Dave
Well Done,
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Old 08-21-2015, 06:47 PM   #15
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And for a tidier campsite, I (like a few others), prefer to leave the sewer hose put away, until it is needed. Often this is just once at the end anyway, and even if you dump a couple times, it is real easy to set up.
Exactly what we do, and why.
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Old 08-21-2015, 07:13 PM   #16
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Exactly what we do, and why.
Yep.....ditto!
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:21 PM   #17
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Remember, the stuff that sticks to the tank doesn't need to be the brown stuff, it could be the paper. Who has the Christmas catalog?
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:40 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
Gotta be a sick campfire song here somewhere.

There's a pile of poo in my loo
It's a tall brown crown that just won't go down
What do I do? What do I do?
I'll ask the forum for an opinion or two
I know they're experts when it comes to poo
Anon.
That's better than anything I've done. Keep it up!
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Old 08-21-2015, 09:41 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iowa Dave View Post
Gotta be a sick campfire song here somewhere.

There's a pile of poo in my loo
It's a tall brown crown that just won't go down
What do I do? What do I do?
I'll ask the forum for an opinion or two
I know they're experts when it comes to poo
Anon.

Sorry, it's real quiet today out on the prairie
Dave
There's a man with talent !
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Old 08-21-2015, 10:35 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Dave&Kathie View Post
We leave our gray tank partially open when we are hooked up. We use the gray tank a lot for dishes, showers etc
Even gray waste water has solids; it seems to me that they are more likely to accumulate if drained this way, just like the black tank.

If in a fully serviced site, I hook up the hose when I first need to dump, and leave it until departure, if the sewer connection is threaded so that the hose will stay securely in place.
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