RV Black Tank Practices That Actually Work and 2 That Failed. Rv Black Tank Myth Busted.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Here is the video from RV Tips and Travels It is well worth the watch. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqSvoZSApsaKpqs Liquified : amzn.to/3WPIr9D Liquified Website: liquifiedrv.com/ Flush Valve amzn.to/3WxOLkD Twist on waste valve. amzn.to/3LSFoXO Water meter: amzn.to/3Acjjkq

[@Capt-John-T-Moore]

@@AllAboutRVs I also watch all of Ross’s video’s!

[@websitesbylou]

Ross's black tank video was superb. Being able to see what's going on was most helpful. Lou from Georgia.

[@rickvititoe3814]

@@Capt-John-T-Moore

[@Capt-John-T-Moore]

@@rickvititoe3814 ?

[@TheRVPastime]

Dang it Jared! I wanted to see all the footage from inside the tank 😂

[@InnocentStripedTiger-lg6wp]

Me too!

[@GiantsNinerFan56]

I’m surprised you didn’t show us the tank level sensors since you had the camera down there.

[@krisjordan8037]

Great video. I am on my 3rd camper now, but still watch these types of videos. You never stop learning!! One trick I learned from another video is to release a small amount of the gray tank first, and then close it back. This way you check for leaks in your hoses!! I would much rather clean a little gray water up, than black water!😂

[@kevinking4371]

I do that also. I agree with the minimal clean up with grey vs black.

[@timsteinkamp2245]

You are a smart and cautious person.

[@nathanurick8320]

There is nothing better when watching KZbin is to find somebody honest and that’s right here. For me over the years is I find that cleaning you tanks as much as you can, run as much water as you can through your tanks. I also put an entire cup of dawn in my tank when I travel also h with about 4 gallons of water.

[@JandAReview1]

We travel with 4-5 gallons in our tanks also.

[@tjshine7444]

Add 1 cup of Borax detergent in there too. Low suds but helps the Dawn clean the sludge out. When you get to your next stop, dump your black tank and you'll see how clean you got it.

[@rabusen]

I tried dawn to lubricate the valve, I had to later replace the valve. However remember you probably have created a half of tank of suds that will affect your tank sensor. I knew the tank was empty but it read half full. A confusing moment.

[@nathanurick8320]

@@rabusen you may be correct in some cases. I’ve done this method probably for the last three years and have no issues so far. I think the biggest secret in this entire issue is to flush your tank multiple times and when I say flush fill it half way up with fresh water and open the valve. I do this if not every other day for sure every 3 rd day and I flush it at least 3 times. It takes ten minutes out of my life and the water is free. I haven’t put a chemical in my tank in 3 years for sure, it’s a waste of money

[@gsxr419]

My last camper, 8 years, was flushed at the end of every trip for maybe 5 minutes. I did let it fill completely before I dumped as we used it. Never a problem.

[@dougmyers8767]

I built my own wand out of pvc fittings I bought at Lowe's. It was easy to build and when I drilled holes into the cap at the bottom I made them very small. That creates a lot more pressure and cleans really well. The supply end of the wand has a simple valve that prevents me from having water where it shouldn't be.

[@Fullcrazylife]

Just before pulling the black tank valve open, pull the grey tank for a second or 5, that will put some fluids down the slinky to “lubricate” the side walls a little..less chance of black stuff sticking to the inside of the slinky.. not sure if its needed with the amount of fluids following, but it’s something I was taught 🤙🏻✌🏻

[@Yielar1]

Good way to also check for any leaks as it's better to clean up gray water vs black

[@bobreddert7547]

In defence of the "wand", I find that it is useful specifically when you are trying to clean the tank sensors that are not working correctly.

[@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS]

*Thanks for another great video Jared, and thank you for mentioning my test video. I've been watching your content for years, and always learning things. I ditched the storage bins, currently in the process of building a complete external black tank set up for more tests. As always, great information here. Safe travels bud.*

[@mum2jka]

I watched that video and swapped over to Liquified because of it. Thanks :)

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks Ross! You do a fantastic job, great stuff. Hopefully our paths can cross some day.

[@dannylayton1106]

You 2 guys are tops​ in the industry. I also want to share my tip that applies at home or RV. Once a year I take a small pressure washer with a small high pressure hose and insert it into the discharge of my RV into my black tank. The secret is this has a 4-way jet, 1 forward facing (to clean) and 3 rear facing (to propel the jet). I learned from a plumber, you have 2 sizes. 1 for the device and 1 for the trunk line. An amazing tool. Anyway thanks to both of you and keep it coming.@@AllAboutRVs

[@georgenettels765]

It would be nice if our channel hosts (alll bout.. & RV tips..) would quick trying to sell us liquified. Both channels provide great content. People care about smell and having no problems when it comes to black tank. As far as I can tell, the digestion process yielded by enzymes in products like liquified produce the stinky gas we all dislike. Both channels highlight rinsing as being critically important. What about the gas created with digestion of waste? Perhaps a video about that? Thanks!

[@mum2jka]

@@georgenettels765 so far I have had zero smell from my black tank and we regularly don’t empty until we start getting burping. If you’re getting a smell maybe it’s actually from the piping to your kitchen sink? That can smell worse than a black tank. As for the liquified, Matt is highly respected in the RV industry which is why other RVers will go out of their way to promote his product especially when it is so good. Having now started using g it myself, I will definitely be promoting it because it is good and zero nasty odor.

[@philbaxter487]

Valterra makes a black tank cleaning wand they call the “master blaster”. It has a single nozzle that comes out perpendicular to the wand, and delivers a powerful stream of water only in that direction. You have to rotate the wand around inside the tank manually to clean all the surfaces, but it does an excellent job cleaning.

[@AllAboutRVs]

I like it but ours has 2 bends before the tank. Much more powerful though.

[@2112johnny]

Great video Jared! You have taught RV'ers so much! One question I have about flushing. Say you have a 50 gallon black tank. When flushing, is it better to fill it up fully, then dump (50 gallons at once) - or fill up 10 gallons and then dump - and do this 5 times. Seems like the latter would do more "flushing" with the same amount of water?

[@rvgearandfar]

Fantastic video Jared! Ive looked at that flexible - spinny- down the toilet wand as well and wasnt impressed. However, the cheaper one - thats just a tube with a 90* nozzle- is SUPER powerful - so much so that I had to order a splash guard for it that Camco makes. Benefit of that is you can also clean the downpipe from the toilet into the tank. The septic/holding tank will never die, but we can all agree on this: water water water 💧

[@AllAboutRVs]

Well said! Thanks!

[@paulwinkelman]

Great information! Having an '06 fifth wheel, ours didn't come with a black tank cleanout. So I actually drilled into the downpipe from the toilet from the storage area, installed a threaded pex fitting with epoxy, and ran pex pipe to a hose hookup above our city water hookup on the exterior of the RV. Now all I have to do is hook a hose to it and let it fill the tank up, and then rinse again. Was a easy solution to an older rv, and have less than $50 bucks in it.

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@dw7094]

Reading some of the comments here you'd think we are building rockets. They key to maintaining a black tank is to use an adequate amount of water during normal toilet flushes.

[@williammiller353]

I use the gallon counter device, when I purchased mine I tested it on a five gallon bucket and I was surprised that it was real close. I use to use the timing routine, so many minutes but I found that different RV parks with different pressures was not always accurate. Great video.

[@Austin_Healey]

Jared and Ross are my go to guys! I’ve learned a lot from them.

[@ralphb.3802]

Yep. Fill dump, Fill Dump and Fill dump works for me. I use a water meter too. I have a built in tank sprayer. I have had good luck with the toilet wand.

[@fyfedrum]

Great video, Jared. I've owned several different RV's over the years, and we have always used "Calgon Water Softener(Liquid)" AND the "Rid-X for Black Tanks", in addition to our "cleaner/digester" of choice and multiple rinses with lots of water. Maybe we've been fortunate, but have never had a problem...well, except for a problem we inherited with a used camper...a story for another time! With the new products on the market, it sounds like "Liquified" may achieve the same results we get from our mixture of products. Thanks for sharing!

[@joannepepe8512]

Good tips. I got tired of looking for dump stations when I'm out west and finally got a compost toilet. Nature's Head. It's a game changer.

[@joesteffler6574]

Nice job, very complete as usual. I have an extra step that works for us. After we dump the black tank, I close the valve on the hose at the dump port and open our grey tank valve. This lets the water gush in from the grey tank and back into the black tank. For my rig, it's quite a gush based on what I hear rushing through the pipes. Then I close the grey tank valve and open the valve at the dump port and watch the additional crud run out of the black tank. Based on what comes out using the flush port, this pre-rinse does 90% of the work.

[@kreutztimothy]

@AllAboutRVs Hey Jared, I haven't read all the comments on this video, but there is a 4th way to "rinse" your black tank. 1. Drain the black tank as usual. 2. Leave black tank valve open, and close the exterior discharge pipe (where your hose connects) valve or reinstall the cap (if you don't have a valve) 3. Open grey tank valve and let it backfill into the black tank for a few minutes. (The grey and black tanks will equalize the amount of water in them) 4. Open exterior valve/open exterior cap and drain entire system 4a. If you have a second grey tank (Gally) you can backfill the black tank again and repeat the drain process. This is process is intended for those who don't have a black tank flush system on their rig.

[@peterdonaldson3030]

I have used the grey back flush method for 10+ years. It works great. I used tank flush also but the back flush always seems to get a little more waste out even after what looks like a clean tank flush.

[@XLSLife]

I'll preface this by saying I'm not an expert on RV black tanks specifically, but I am a civil engineer who specialized in water and wastewater treatment, so I do have a related background. I have the exact same theory about that myth. I've seen plenty of people (usually in campers without a black tank flush built in) just open all the valves at the dump station, wait for the water to stop coming out and just leave. Like you said, and Ross' video showed, if you just let the water out it leaves plenty of solids. I would bet all of those tanks do have stuff stuck in them. Especially if they went straight home and put it away for weeks or months and let the tank completely dry out. Sewage lift stations have something similar happen, especially ones with low flow. Every so often a vac truck has to go clean out the wet well (basically the tank the pump is in) of all the solids that didn't get flushed through.

[@dougcooper7934]

Proper preventive maintenance of lift station wet wells includes manually pumping the well all the way down while hosing down the walls and sloped floor of the well weekly or at least monthly depending on conditions. If grease is a big problem, there are enzyme products that can be added to wet wells to decrease buildup. 35 years wastewater maintenance experience and rarely ever had to vac out a sump or wet well.

[@InnocentStripedTiger-lg6wp]

Thank you so much! This was perfect! I've looked and looked everywhere to find out what the rinse connection was. No one else mentions how to use it! I'm new to RVing and have been watching many videos. The one video you mentioned in the beginning is amazing! Both of these videos really helped me understand my system!

[@Capt-John-T-Moore]

When I’m at a longer stay at a full hook up site. After I dump and back flush it a couple of times(we don’t have an installed black tank flush inlet). I add back 20 gallons of water plush 5-7 gallons of hot water to a borax and dawn mixture and let it set up to 4-6 hours. Then rinse it out again. Yes liquified is our choice of treatment. One other thing I do is find a couple of gallons of water through the sewer hose by leaving the flush valve open on the clear elbow with the black and gray tank valves closed. In the south the sewer hose is baking in the sun. This procedure lubricates the hose so the gunk out of the black tank doesn’t stick to it and it’s easier to rinse clean when the gray tank dumps. Not my idea I was told about it from another camper. Thanks for addressing black tank upkeep

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@DNukinFutz]

Using a wax on the valve arm works good too and doesn’t leave a mess or attract as much dirt.

[@scrub175]

Great shoutout to Ross at RV Tips and Travels. Excellent video here as well.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks so much. He really did a great job and I know he has more coming soon as well as RV Gear And Far looks like he has a great test lined up as well.

[@HomerVista]

We full-time, so every 2 weeks, after dumping and flushing I add 10 gallons to the black tank plus a half cup of Dawn, then drive to our next destination. Then I dump, flush, add 5-10 gallons plus Liquied as usual. We always drive with 5 gallons so it acts like a washing machine. In 13 months we've never had a poop pile and the sensors work... that's all I can ask for...

[@USNavyAR5]

I rinse out both the black and gray tanks 3 to 4 times. Then, apply tank lubricant for the seals, and then the orange pods to both with 5 gallons of water to both tanks until our next trip out. Break open the pods for the gray tank and wash down the drain. Keeps it fresh as well.

[@dme2453]

Take videos like Ross’s with a grain of salt. Testing black tank behavior with food that doesn’t break down and floats on top is not real world. Feces will sink to the bottom, even floaters will end up on the bottom after a day or so. The camera is the best idea and helped me to understand how to get my black tank clean. Good no BS video!

[@ICanDoItMyself]

I made my own wand from 1/2" pvc. I drilled holes in it to spray at different angles. Then stick that down the toilet, move it around, and it doesn't take long before it flows clear.

[@wvillewhippoorwill]

A similar set up works best for me as well.

[@joelcatlin7246]

I did this also when we we stationary and had issues.. I capped the PVC and drilled holes in the side of the cap, it worked great! One thing I just thought of recently, the shower hose is 1/2 pipe thread, so the PVC could be attached to the shower hose instead of a garden hose that would need to be pulled inside!

[@theguyofalltrades]

What about winter storage? Thanks for the awesome video!

[@markratliff7991]

Jared, Love the different perspective on the dreaded black tank topic! I am also a fan of the black tank flush method and also typically do 2 flushes when able after every dump. The one additional thing I do after the second flush and drain is I reset the meter to zero and add 5 gallons of water and leave that in the tank and then add the Liquified treatment to the tank. This seems to work well during travel to help with additional cleaning

[@kevincameron8437]

When I dump/flush...I flush until the black water turns clear. I then go inside and fill and flush the toilet 4 times and put in Unique tank treatment. Then, the next time we go camping, that's when I put in a treatment of Liquify. By putting in the Liquify when we set up, this not only adds it to our tank for treatment, it also kills any odors that have accumulated since the last time we camped. Thanks for sharing some great information.

[@angelaklinger2951]

Another fabulous video. Thank you for all your hard work that you do for us Rv folks 🇺🇸

[@AllAboutRVs]

You bet. Thanks!

[@stevesanders2972]

One thing that I often do that you didn't mention is using the grey water to flush out the black tank. On my RV, the drain pipe has the grey water valve a few inches "upstream" from the black water valve then just a few inches of pipe before the drain hose connection. After emptying the black and flushing, I'll pick up the drain hose, two or three feet from the connection to the RV's drain, and open the grey tank valve. I leave it open long enough to back fill into the black tank and fill the drooped part of the drain hose. Then, by raising and lowering the drain hose, you can flush a good amount of grey water in and out of the black tank. (I've got a clear 45 before the drain hose, so I can see what's happening.) After a few "cycles", let that grey flush water go and repeat. It's pretty effective, but might depend on the specific RV's drain plumbing.

[@stevemacedo771]

I used to do the same with the hose with good results. Then I found the Camco Rhino Blaster Pro w/Gate Valve. Sounds like a commercial. I used this and 2 hoses off a splitter to back flush at the gate valve and one hose to go into the black tank flush. Works amazing. Also allows me to back flush my gray tank.

[@jeremyspecce]

I think you are potentially creating a situation that could cause black tank liquid backflowing into your grey tank by doing this.

[@stevesanders2972]

@@jeremyspecce, I don't think so. I only open the grey water tank to let liquid out. Then I close it before flushing the water in and out of the black tank. Since the grey has more water in it than the black, there's really no way for water to go into the grey tank during the time I have that valve open.

[@toddramsay977]

When I use the black tank blaster, I put a water volume counter in-line so I know how much water I push up into the black tank. That way I don’t get a disaster like in the movie RV with Robin Williams. Plus when you get the black tank quite full that extra force helps clean the walls. Great video! Thanks for the tips!

[@affboy-ft1lh]

Tks for all the good advice. I have a smaller travel trailer, 22', and I have found that the ice deal really does work for me. The sensors began to work more accurately and the tank cleaned up nicely. I built a water wand out of PVC and it shoots a really hard stream of water. Works well if one has good water pressure. Be careful using it. I once knocked the gasket loose on the flush flap. Toilet paper in the tank? Don't put it in there. We use a Walmart bag and replace it every day.

[@TravelingwithBeigeBettyRV]

I have an older trailer so I don't have a flush valve but I do all of them to make sure it's flushed. Flushing with lots of water is a must. I count to 8

[@MatthewYBarbo]

This is great information for the RV community. You really showed off a lot of helpful tips that I'm sure will come in handy for many. Great job!

[@JamesJohnson-ru1jy]

Disagree on that exact model wand. Tip 1, don’t use water through your regulator/filter. You want max available pressure. #2, put a backflow preventer outside your rig, #3, install a shutoff on the toilet. You don’t want a waterfall in the bowl while you work. #4, while the wand will do some tank cleaning, your biggest goal is to clean the sensors. I always clean with the built-in flush, but every few weeks (when the sensor is stuck on 2/3) I wand and get the sensor back to empty. I also use Liquified. It has become my favorite. Takes pretty much one whole bottle a treatment at a time before your tank really starts running well with continued use. Don’t give up too soon.

[@edgramza]

When you put the camera down there we’re you able to see the dreaded tank sensors and if they were covered with residue? They never seem to work properly after the first time you use your RV.

[@larryvincent1083]

Although not full time, I’ve RVd for about 30 years. I arrived at the same conclusions you described in this video. Feels good to be verified by a professional I respect! Thank you for the video.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thank you! That is very kind.

[@mikecolie9290]

Another outstanding, useful video as always. I have followed your technique on black tank care for years and have never had a problem.

[@scoobalou]

Thank you for another well thought out vid.... I'm gonna add,... Due to the way the "plastic" tanks are made and installed, the bottom of the tank is either mounted on a completely level floor, Or, if they are under belly tanks they will have a large sag in it them that can hold back up 5gallons of sludge... Either installation is not perfect for a good thorough draining of sludgy effluent.. flushing the system with a high flow of water is the answer... Oil and grease will always rise to the top of the contents that are being held in the tank, as long as there is ENOUGH WATER.. causing bits and particles to stick to the tank and sensors as the water drains away... with enough of a good "surfactant" all the greases and oils will emulsify into the the rest of the effluent and will drain away with it, leaving the tank top and walls as clean as is possible.... Usually, people choose to use an "additive" only when there is a problem.... When, if they use a good product "all the time", and use and drain the system properly, there will never be an issue for them to worry about... Personally, I use borax. One cup in my 40 gallon tank keeps it fresh and clean for about two weeks... Which we usually dump sooner than that. It works well for us.

[@ClintFredenberg]

Jared as always enjoy your stuff. I do something similar to your fill the bowl. I will about 2/3 way fill up a 5 gallon bucket and dump down the toilet a couple of times. The extra water all at once gives it a good swoosh out. Hope this helps. Thanks.

[@luvRVing]

As always pragmatic and straight to the point. Absolutely love your videos. Quite honestly, when I am looking for help it is your channel I scan first to look for answers. I appreciate all the effort and work you and your family put into this channel. thanks

[@ldcooper1]

If you have a fifth wheel and the bathroom is above the living room. The wand may not be long enough to reach the bottom of the black tank. With my bumper pull travel trailer the wand worked perfectly as the toilet was directly above the black tank. No lengthy piping from the toilet to the black tank….it was a direct drop😅

[@Maxid1]

My camper has a spray unit in the tank. I've looked at what I can see of the bottom of the black tank with the water pump turned off and the toilet flush valve open after I empty it and act on what I see (it was always negligible prior to my, event). I did recently start using RV Digest-it (due to a cataclysmic event that I'd rather not discus and I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear about) which I've been pretty happy with the results of the Digest-it. It was borderline miraculous how it liquified the solid waste.

[@airstreamhappyours7548]

Great explanations on various flush methods and tips. We do use Liquified RV which works great. I haven't used a meter on the water inlet for the flush but I always set a timer on my phone so if I get distracted, the alarm reminds me to get back and release the valve, shut off the water, etc... and multiple flushes are always done.

[@100pyatt]

Calgon Water Softener worked wonders in cleaning out our black tanks

[@EarlBalentine]

Some go the home remedies work but not as good as good as others. All those homer remedies have been scientific tested and works so so compare to actually commercial treatments. If something works for you then by all means stay with it.

[@OldManandtheSuperC]

I’ve found the wand works on the black water pipes that some RV’s have. Have also used it on the hoses.

[@scotttaylor3598]

Good tips, as usual. Besides the built-in tank flush, I have found the simpler tank wand (just the PVC pipe with multiple holes at the end, vs the flexible style you used) has proven to be very effective when I need to do a "deep clean" if the sensors aren't behaving, etc. We, too, have switched to "Liquified", and so far I've been pleased with the results.

[@CardelliFamof8]

Started using Liquafied. No issues so far. We are stationary for week and even months at a time at the places we tend to visit more.

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@JeffDentler]

I also use a meter when I rinse my tanks. I fill mine to 75% while I run a stop watch. I then set a timer for the subsequent rinses so I am alerted in case I have been distracted by something else. We have used the Bio-Geo method from Day 1 and our water runs crystal clear after 2-3 rinses. Our sensors still work perfectly after 5 years.

[@birdmandave]

Very informative video. I ordered liquify and used it once, then I seen a video telling me not to use it because the black tank is not a septic system.but to use the homemade stuff from pearls and pines oil. Not saying the homemade won’t work. Just you can watch 100 yt videos and get 70 different ways to treat the tank and 10 ways not to do it.

[@calledtojourney]

I think that Jered and Ross have conclusively shown that the 'black tank is not a septic system' idea is very flawed. The more that the solids in the black tank can be broken down, the more that will come out with regular dumps and, importantly, tank flushes. Kleen Tanks is definitely trying to sell their services.

[@mike.pollard]

I had my tanks cleaned earlier this year by Kleen Tank, they mentioned my tanks were one of the cleanest they seen. All I did was use a reverse flush valve, when I can, and do Happy Camper treatment after flushing/cleaning

[@GreenCtry]

We used liquify since new and we use a ton of water and also flush the tank a bunch, when I had my tank professionally cleaned it had a ton of “peanut butter” in it. I’ve stopped using and switched since then. But I’m not sponsored.

[@AllAboutRVs]

I would tell you if I found it and found no sludge with the camera. My honesty isn’t worth a sponsorship.

[@vairon7474]

Maybe too much peanut butter is being eaten 😳(don’t take me seriously)

[@riccochet704]

I use the black tank flush sprayer to clean the tank. I'll just let that run, dump, close the dump valve and let it fill back up for a few minutes, dump, repeat until it's clear water and I don't see any solids/tp coming out anymore. It's easy and quick. 4-5 flushes like that and it's pretty clean. Maybe 5 minutes.

[@okinawadonkichi]

More or less what I do. I do put more water into the tank after the flush, with a little treatment, just for agitation and to keep everything moist. At the end of the season I do a deep clean as well.

[@WillBelden]

I would suggest that those hose-at-the-valve gizmos could be good for purging any clogs (toilet paper) you might get in the outlet pipe. Have had that happen (once, switched to thinner TP), and it would've been good for that.

[@williamfry6087]

Well you finally went to the Dark Side and I am following you. !

[@markmortier5317]

Another excellent video! We have had similar results with the same simple process you use and Liquified. Thank you for always mentioning common sense tips for being a courteous camper! I see people doing maintenance with no regard for the mess they leave in a campsite.

[@bookooc5605]

Love your channel! Such a great resource, and minimal commercials.

[@OmahaWayne]

GREAT video, thank you. Ice in the tank is myth that just keeps living on even though its been disproven so many times. It does NOTHING that plain water wouldn't do. Thanks for taking the time to help others.

[@douglasdillon9280]

You and Ross do such great jobs with sharing helpful and insightful information! Thanks for the consistent high quality

[@marcomorissette7940]

Thanks again for this clear way to explain black tank! I used Liquified also and rinse using my black tank flush when traveling and my flush king when at our park!👍 thanks again!🇨🇦

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@JudyGraesch]

We have a motorhome that doesn’t have a flush system like Jared’s so we flush a bit differently. We dump, then pour buckets of water down toilet until only clear water comes out. Close valve. Then we put deodorant pod down toilet and dawn and add two buckets of water. While doing this we flush grey tank which washes out hose. Then we use hose at dump station to rinse hose again. Before storing Rv, the last time we dump, we also use wand to rinse tank and of course do not add water and pod as we live in cold weather climate. Doing this every time we dump seems to keep everything clean. Our system is a straight drop to tank so this works well.

[@websitesbylou]

Jared -- Great video. There is nothing mystical about an RV's black tank.

[@benadams9037]

Good info. Still going to stick with the Kleen Tank recipe because it's easy to make, easy to get the products while traveling, cheap, and it's working well for my system. I'm in agreement with everything else you've settled on. It really is a simple model for success.

[@ThomasStone-ul4yk]

Definitely agree on flushing it twice. With my trailer it seems to work best when you leave the dump valve open on the first flush. Then fill the tank up about halfway (done with calculations cause whose level indicator actually works) and let it rip again with the water still running.

[@JustinOneal-r1y]

This is exactly how I flush my black tank while living full time and is spot on! When I am at a spot that alllows more rinsing, I will fill and flush 5 to 8 times. Along with that, I add a gallon of fabuloso when I am on travel day and let it slosh around then immediately rinse at the next stop.

[@davemorin3327]

I always set a timer for the black tank flush!

[@AFR99]

I also use the "magic wand" if the level indicaters are wonky. Nice videos, thank you.

[@AllAboutRVs]

Thanks!

[@mikeweis5925]

My 5th wheel is 20 years old and the black tank gages do and always have worked great. I do exactly as Jared says for years. Two rinses of about 12-15 gallons each. Add 4 gallons in before taking off. Use bacteria /enzyme treatments. Happy Camper and/or Liquified. Happy tank, happy sensors. I 100% disagree with those who say the sensors only work on first time out. Both my RVs have always had working sensors.

[@RTM1958]

Great information. One question, do you run the black tank flush system as you're dumping or after the tank is empty?

[@robertpearson8798]

After a camping trip and at the end of the season I flush the tank out again at home with the black tank flush and use a five gallon pail for disposal in a toilet. I use a flushing wand down the toilet but one with a single jet rather than the 360 degree spray that you used and I move it around in all directions to blast the sides of the tank and break up any solids until the water runs clear.

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@garryhammond3117]

Great "insight" to the inside of the black tank Jared - Thanks. - Cheers!

[@XLSLife]

I've been following similar steps with my tank. Haven't had any issues (except at a few campgrounds I couldn't rinse at) in 2 years of full timing. I picked up a gauge but discovered that my tank flush is about 2/3 of the way up the tank and I can audibly hear when the water level reaches it. So if I have time at the dump station I'll fill it to there twice. Usually the water comes out about as clear as black tank water ever can after that. After I close the valve I'll let it run another several seconds to get a couple gallons of water in the tank to start it out. If I can't rinse, because there's a line or they don't allow it, I'll try to throw maybe 1/4-1/3 of a tank of water in it and dump at the next campground when I arrive. Since I full-time I'm almost always heading somewhere else with a dump station, so I can usually pull it off.

[@tonymarrazzo354]

I bought an angle attachment for my pressure washer, used a 40 degree nozzle so as not to have too much pressure in the tank and flushed the sidewalls and bottom very thoroughly, and the sensors still didn't work. added the Unique Restore it and let is sit for 72 hours and still the same. I ordered some more of Unique's Restore it and will fill the tank and add it one more time and let is set for a week and see if it gets any better. Last resort will be to have it professionally cleaned. Still can't believe the pressure washer didn't help. Maybe try the 25 degree nozzle next time.

[@tomloveday615]

The sprayer tube, I call it the S**t stick. works really good for getting rid of a poop matterhorn if you get an rv that has not been maintained well. if you take care of your tank, you don't need it.

[@efehler]

Hi Jared! I love your videos! I have learned so much from you! Quick question: It seems like most RVers hook up their black tank hose along with their power and water when they arrive at camp. Also, I've heard from many sources that I should leave my black tank valve closed unless I'm flushing. Why should I connect my black tank hose on day 1 and leave it out exposed to the elements when I have no intention of using it for several days (or up to a week)? Why not just wait until I flush and hook it up then? Thanks very much for your time!

[@trooper5157]

Good info, thanks for sharing. As for us, we opt for "never do, number two" in the camper. If you only use your black tank for urine, and never have fecal matter enter the tank, its a whole other ball game for cleaning it out. The females in our family still introduce toilet paper but only a limited amount and the tank is always very easy to keep clean. This does take some planning, some luck and sometimes inconvenient and hurried shuffles across the campground or parking lot, but when it comes time to empty the tank, its so worth it. #yellowtank

[@stevenscott4096]

I set a timer on my phone when flushing with the valve closed. Too easy to forget for a couple minutes.

[@seanLeprechaun]

I swear by Unique RV Digest-It. I was having smell problems on every flush, even when the trailer was new. I started flushing the black tank at the end of each trip, then closing the drain and counting to 20 while water kept going in through the flush valve. Then I poured 2 oz of Digest-it in and let it slosh around on the drive home. While it sits at home, it's dissolving things and keeping the tank smell free and it's ready to go next trip. I do the same thing on my gray tanks. Bonus, I can use regular toilet paper in the black tank with digest-it.

[@island7458]

I prefer the peanut butter river any day over the alternative! I agree on lots and lots of water, even if it means dumping more frequently. I used a 3 gallon mop bucket to determine the toilet bowl volume so I know how many bowls to reach my preference of 5 gallons to start. Last the paper, get a bidet or a wand, you will clean places you didn't know you had. Step in the shower or paper for dry cycle/ confirmation...

[@marcolara-x5h]

As normal. You have made this process easy and helpful. Thanks

[@donaldbailey5576]

Liquid Calgon and Pine Sol mixed 50/50. Half a cup in my tank. The Pine Sol smells great and the Calgon keeps everything slippery and moving. WAY cheaper than all the RV store bought stuff.

[@jerrytalley802]

Another awesome video, I learn something new every time, thanks

[@AllAboutRVs]

Glad to help thanks!

[@sierrafoothillslife4246]

Top notch content Jared. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. ✌️

[@Natedoc808]

I used Dawn with some borax for a couple years, which worked well, then I ended up with a couple tide pods as swag when I bought detergent, so I drained my black tank then closed it, tossed ‘em (2) in there then hit used the tank washer to fill with valve closed. The amount of crud that came out of that black tank was surprising.

[@kevkamo6289]

You should review the Hoss tank flush for pressure washer

[@kevinstenholm40]

There is another way to clean your black tank. I use a black tank cleaner wand that you connect onto a garden hose and stick down the toilet. Mine has a rotating spray head, so it's like sticking a high pressure sprinkler down there. Works great!

[@OmahaWayne]

He shows this in the video, did you not even watch? Also its not that high pressure and isn't worth the amount of effort it takes dragging a hose through your camper

[@kevinstenholm40]

@OmahaWayne I did watch, but posted my comment before I saw it in his video. It has worked great for me. I'm a seasonal and maybe I have higher pressure?

[@gr8705]

I quickly dump TWO 2.5 gallon buckets after I do my initial black tank dump. I feel this does a pretty good job. I have a wand to stick down there, but haven’t tried it yet.

[@designbuild7128]

As someone who had to 1st time RV and shakedown all on a major pre-planned trip, I can say the "flushking" solution was helpful for us only along with the downstream valve. I think we got a paper clog at the manufacturer's valve and being able to backflow water pressure into the tank cleared it really quickly as nothing else worked before that. I did make sure to keep some liquids in there at all times, but we were back to normal once the valve cleared. I am curious about how 'pristine' others feel they need to get if you are constantly using; and not sitting unused for long periods. It seems as long as there isn't solid build up or paper wads, you would just need to drain and put a little water in bottom to perpetually prevent issues until you stop camping.

[@Zippermaze]

Great info dude. Keep making them.

[@robertburns5145]

I flush and rinse our black tanks 3-4 times before dumping the grey tanks. We also use Liquified tank treatment. It’s the best we have used👍

[@grantschim]

We have a vacuflush pressurized waste system which adds some complication. Advertised as a 42 gallon black tank so it figured I would fill it to about 38 gallons to flush it out. Unfortunately, I had a water tower coming out of my roof vent after only 30 gallons so it sounds like we have an issue with our black tank.

[@mikewebster2984]

I use the flushking because I do not have a tank flush usually fill it 2 to 3 times if possible and always keep water in the black tank with tank chemical.

[@timr6290]

We use Liquified also and I flush my black tank 2-4 times when I dump. Then I fill the bowl and put Liquified in it and drop that into the tank when we're travelling.

[@AllAboutRVs]

👍🏼

[@lifeswhimsytutelage]

Hello. I have been trying that Klein Tank mix (PineSol & Calvin) I decided after a few months of using it while being stationary, it isn't helping the system. I watch the clear elbow as I dump and I am not seeing as much come out as I think I should. I purchased Liquified on Prime Day so now I am trying that. I will use the PineSol/Calgon mix in my gray tanks until it is gone. Thanks for the info as always. Safe travels.

[@rickphillips4966]

How well does the black tank flush sprayer work inside the tank? I’m curious of the spray pattern and force.

[@donnanickerson3174]

Great video should the blank tank be full before we empty it?

[@donnanickerson3174]

Oops black