Monitor Readings

[Greig]

The reading on the monitor for the Tank 1 on the trailer always reads 1/3 full. It bugs me! Anyone have a fix for me besides, "Don't look at it".

 

[Jim Bennett]

Ours has done that same tank since day one. I assume that is the grey water tank. It kinda bugs me too. I am going to load both waste tanks with the Calgon & soap mix mentioned in here somewhere for my next trip, likely Labour Day. I will be headed out to our property on the James River NW of Sundre, about 1 1/2 hours away, that should give it lots of time to slosh around. I will see if that works. If not, I don't know what to do.

 

[escape artist]

Hi: All...Ok you guys... ya got me thinking and that's dangerous!!! We dumped on the way out of the last campground and I read the grey monitor a few min. ago...1/3 full black empty??? I removed the cap and pulled the valve...dribbles only. Reread the monitor with the valve open, same thing 1/3 full??? Float stuck??? Wire corroded???
We use the Calgon/soap in both tanks,added before we leave to travel. HUMMM :-\ Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[escape artist]

Hi: All... I just checked the monitor @ midnight; grey tank 1/3 full... black tank 1/3 full. Why would the black tank now read differently than earlier??? ??? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[escape artist]

Hi: All...Just read the monitor again noon Sun. Black tank reads empty now...Grey still 1/3 full but I know it's empty??? Maybe it's HAUNTED??? Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

 

[Hokie Escape]

Heh Alf, I know you use the detergent/Calgon mixture for the black tank, but do you use it for the gray water tank also? The soaps film could possibly build up in the gray tank causing the sensors to stick. I find that the gray tank drains very slowly too, because the tank itself is longer, wider and flatter (including the drain line) than the more compact, more vertical black tank.

 

[Jim Bennett]

That makes good sense regarding how slow the grey tank takes to drain, the lack of good head pressure. The black dumps in 1/2 a minute, the grey takes a few minutes to drain. I feel smarter now.

 

[Hokie Escape]

Yep, next time, elevate the passenger side wheels, and lower the front of your Escape (if the 19's gray tank is the same place my 5.0's is) and watch it "swoosh" out!

 

[Jim Bennett]

Yep, next time, elevate the passenger side wheels, and lower the front of your Escape (if the 19's gray tank is the same place my 5.0's is) and watch it "swoosh" out!

Kinda like a male dog does to pee then? ;D

 

[amirie]

We had the issue with our grey tank always reading that there was something in it--Reace used a " RV tank cleaning wand" with a couple extra holes drilled in the top of it to make the "stream" go the right way--- cleaned it all out and it now reads at the lowest part when it really is.....

I usually bounce side to side inside the trailer when Doug is emptying the tanks...Gives the people behing us in line something to look at!!!

That calgon treatment sounds good....

 

[PGDriver]

Every once and a while we used to fill the tank in our camper
to the top with water and let it sit for a week or two then
drain it. Had that camper a long time and no problems.

 

[escape artist]

Hi: All... Using the Calgon/ soap is supposed to make every thing SLICK...not STICK!!!
I have a clear plastic Valtera elbow that fits on the drain before the slinky connects and it has a flush fitting where a regular gardenhose can be attached to spray into the tank and valve while it's draining. That's my next plan of action. If that doesn't change the settings then I think a Majic wand may be required!!! Alf
escape artist N.S, of Lake Erie

 

[Hokie Escape]

Hi Alf, the question is, do you use the Calgon solution in the gray tank as well as the black? I have not in the past, thinking the soaps and shampoos were slick enough. So the soaps from the shower/sinks could have created a film since they seem to sit there for a while and don't drain as well as the black tank. I haven't had the monitor problem yet, so will start using the calgon soln in both tanks from now on, to see if that prevents the problem.

 

[escape artist]

Hi: HokieEscape... Dan We have yet to use our shower and had some odour problems from the shallow v trap in the floor drain so I always add some Calgon solution to that drain as well as the sink and the rest in the loo. What I think is happening is food particles from washing dishes might be causing the float valve in the grey tank to not give a proper reading. What I found odd was the different readings for the black tank at different times of the day??? It's not even being used at the moment??? I will try the RVHydroFlush . Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie www.valterra.com tank cleaning products

 

[JeffZ]

We used one of those clear plastic backflush systems for the black water tank.. it connects to sewer cap & then the sewer hose connects to it..there's a connection on the backflush for a hose.. so you dump & then open the valve for the hose.. the water (from the dump station) flushes back in to the black tank .. then after a minute or so you turn the valve off & the water dumps again (into the sewer).. the back-flush is clear plastic so you see the waste color as it dumps.. when the waste water is clear as well you know the tank is pretty clean..

Anyway I imagine that it would work as well for the grey tank.. I think they cost around $20 at campingworld..

 

[gbaglo]

Just back from three weeks with Toad on the road. I've also had issues with the monitor. I just dumped this morning on the way home and the black still reads 1/3 full. Shone a flashlight down the toilet and it appears empty, but I'm going to poke it with a stick and see if I hit bottom. As I complained to the Old Bag for the umpteenth time, she commented, " that monitor don't know sh*t from nutt'n.
Ain't that the truth?

Went to bed one night worrying that the battery was low ( and it should not have been ). It was in the amber. Got up the next morning, with no charging and it read good. Figure that one. Near as I can tell, the monitor is only there to cause stress.

baglo

 

[gbaglo]

FYI
A stick down the toilet showed that it is empty. Maybe a 1/2 inch in the bottom, which would be from deodorizer and dregs.

baglo

 

[cheryls]

When we first got our Escape I was obsessing about the battery charge level on the monitor, as it would go down a level and then go back up without having been charged.

My husband said, "Don't put too much faith in that monitor. It's just an approximation." I think that's a good attitude to adopt.

 

[reace]

The monitor panel not reading correctly is a constant problem with RV's in general as most holding tanks have stainless steel studs that stick into the tank about 1/4". When the fluid level reaches the 1/3 stud, the fluid acts as a conductor to the ground stud and on and on up to full. As you can all appreciate, it doesn't take long for a film to build up on the sensors studs....especially the 1/3

It is quite an easy fix.....at your nearest RV store, pick up a simple tank wand. I used a basic one that had 4 holes in the bottom which when inserted into the tank will spray out the sides rather than the end of the wand. You can clean the black tank sensors by holding open the toilet valve, and putting the wand into the tank. There is a valve on the wand so you can control the water.....don't turn it on until the wand is all the way into the tank! I learn quickly from experience The black tank sensors are located on the side of the tank that faces the isle of the trailer and right beside the toilet hole. To clean the grey tank sensors, open the grey tank drain valve and insert the wand. You will see the wires for the sensors on the side of the grey tank facing you. You may need to drill a couple small holes in the bottom of the wand to make the spray angle back a bit toward the sensors....you will know what I mean when you see it.

The tanks sensors should be cleaned at the end of every season so they are clean while it sits all winter and will be ready for the next season.

As Doug mentioned, if it doesn't work, fill the tanks with water and let it sit for a couple days to soften up the film build-up, then try the wand.

Reace

 

[gbaglo]

Thanks Reace. I shall give it a try.
I did try the Calgon solution ( pun ). Put two gallons of Calgon into the tank after emptying it the last three times. As near as I can tell it only reduces the amount of room left in the tank, and it wasn't cheap either. I won't bother again.
Now, what to do with half a box of Calgon.

But, any idea what was happening with the monitor reading low battery in the evening and good the next morning?

baglo