JRS & B
Florida/Michigan
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I would still get a clear plastic back flush adapter. It will have a gate valve of its own just before your drain hose connection. The garden hose connects on the side of the adapter above that gate valve. Once connected, and the water is turned on, and your trailers black water valve is open, you can open and close the adapter's gate valve over and over and over until something positive takes place, without having to do any work other than to watch for results.
It sure sounds like someone left the black water valve open while the trailer was in use and there is a large accumulation of toilet paper and solid waste in the black water tank.
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westernrvparkowner
montana
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Many rigs are no longer plumbed with the toilet directly over the black tank, they use a pipe and that pipe gets clogged, just like any other drain. A plunger will fix 90% of the problems, a snake most of the other 10%. We run into this multiple times a year and people will swear they tank isn't emptying and they start tearing things apart only to find the simple solution is what is needed. Plunge the toilet, problem solved. Be sure to open the valve before you plunge.
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AnthonyNYC
West Islip, NY
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I'll try the clear plastic back flush adapter next. As for the toilet, when I look inside from the top I can see dirty water. Mine is not like a conventional toilet that has a water trap, I can see the stuff and smell it too! Now that I explained that do I still plunge it?
Thanks,
Anthony
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Fred_n_Jo
central MO, USA
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Quote:It sure sounds like someone left the black water valve open while the trailer was in use and there is a large accumulation of toilet paper and solid waste in the black water tank.
Bingo!
If you can see the liquid through the toilet opening then some kind of snake or rod pushed down to try and break up the dreaded "black pyramid" is what's needed.
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Clarryhill
Midcoast Maine
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Sure sounds like the prior owner built the "black pyramid" and let it dry out to me. If that's the case, you've got to get it broken up. The dirty water you're seeing down thru the lav is probably sitting on top of the dry layer. That layer has to be broken up and flushed out. Not an easy job, but necessary.
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JRS & B
Florida/Michigan
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It looks like you have two options. Attack from the top, or attack from the bottom (i.e. the back flush I suggested). I don't know what one of those back flushers costs. I would guess you are talking about $30 to $35.
Camping world sells something called the Flush King. Naturally, at CW, it is just over $50. You can look at it online and decide if that is something you want to try and have in your gadget box if there are problems in the future.
Now a much cheaper, but slightly more gutsy approach would be a piece of PVC pipe the right length connected to a hose and inserted into the problem area, from the top down.
Good luck on whichever approach you go with.
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schwartzworld
Lake County, Ohio
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If all the mechanical parts are working (the valve) it sounds like he needs some mad science to clean the tanks while he drives home. My black tank was doing weird things too until I attacked it with some common cleaners and drove to another dump station. The geo method might work or give this is a try:
2 to 3 bags of ice, the more the better in this heat.
A lot of Cascade dish washing detergent
Whole lot of liquid Tide.
Plus a lot of water, fill it up.
Take the twisty roads home, dump after about 2-3 hours and hopefully the buildup is busted up and comes loose. Don't be disappointed if it's not all out, you may have to do it more than once.
Good luck
Fred
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westend
all over
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Anthony, if you haven't headed out to home, yet, or are just leaving, stop somewhere along the way and get some Calgon (or other brand for that matter) water softener and add some to your black tank from the toilet. The water softener will tend to work on anything in the tank and may break up the clog. From reading of all of your efforts, it may be that the PO dropped something into the tank or you have the grand blockage. I've read where others have used cube ice to add into the tank but the ice has to be melting fast and I'm not sure if it can do anything radical to a stubborn mass.
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LakeN
North Carolina
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Ditto on adding the Calgon to slick up the insides. Also, the Flush King investment is very wise. It should help solve the problem (as described you can see what is coming out!)AND you can use it for regular dumping once your clog is fixed. We use it for every dump...allows you to see water running out clear when blk tank is suffiently dumped. Good luck!
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westernrvparkowner
montana
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AnthonyNYC wrote:I'll try the clear plastic back flush adapter next. As for the toilet, when I look inside from the top I can see dirty water. Mine is not like a conventional toilet that has a water trap, I can see the stuff and smell it too! Now that I explained that do I still plunge it?
Thanks,
Anthony Yes. It won't hurt. Just because you can see and smell the stuff, doesn't mean it just isn't trapped in a two foot long pipe that connects to your black tank. I have seen it work dozens of times. If it works, life is good, if it doesn't you are out nothing but a couple of minutes labor. Let us know your final cure.
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