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Q: How do I care for my RV waste tanks?
Answer(s) to this Question (
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Cleaning It Out
If your black tank has solid deposits in the bottom, it diminshes the total capacity of the tank (and smells even worse than usual!) Before going to the RV specialist to have the tank removed and cleaned, try this: Dump a 5 lb bag of CRUSHED ice down the toilet. Add a little bit of water and go for a drive. The ice will act as an abrasive and may save you a costly tank removal!
Draining
When draining the waste tanks, always drain the black (toilet) tank first. When it is done close the valve and drain the gray (sink and shower) tank. This will clean out the black water from the hose. You will still need to rinse the hose with fresh water, but you won´t be dealing with the black water!!
Chemical Additives
When adding chemicals to your waste tanks, be careful not to use any product that has formaldehyde. In order for your tanks to work properly they need to have bacteria in them to help dissolve the waste. Formaldehyde kills these beneficial bacteria. It is also detrimental to the septic systems that you dump your tanks into. If a park septic tank is contaminated with too much formaldehyde due to campers dumping their tanks the park owners may be forced to have the tank pumped and cleaned; a very expensive operation.
Bad Smell
Do you get a REALLY bad sewer smell after the RV sits for a time? It may be possible that the toilet valve doesn´t seal completely letting sewer gasses escape the tank. To test for this problem, fill the bowl with water and let it sit. If the water drains out the valve is not sealing completely. One way to solve this problem is to put a light coating of waterproof grease or Vaseline on the seal.
Toilet Paper for Waste Tanks
Your RV dealer will be glad to sell you RV/Marine type toilet paper ´specially´ made for your waste tanks. Usually this is more expensive than regular toilet paper and may not be needed. To check if your TP is OK to use in your RV, put one square of it in a glass of water. It should begin to dissolve quickly. If it does it is OK. Look for toilet paper in the store that says it is OK for all septic systems. Usually the cheapy TP is the best.
