Black Tank Meter - Montana Owners Club

Montana_1424 · 02-04-2006, 02:33 PM

I am sure many people have had this problem, my Black Tank meter is reading full, when it is empty. I am sure the sensor and gook stuck on it, anyone know a good way to clean it? I tried flushing the tank, and it didnt clear it. I cant move the rig for a while, we are fulltiming in this spot for a few months, but any ideas would help out.

Thanks

ols1932 · 02-04-2006, 03:01 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kozzy45

I am sure many people have had this problem, my Black Tank meter is reading full, when it is empty. I am sure the sensor and gook stuck on it, anyone know a good way to clean it? I tried flushing the tank, and it didnt clear it. I cant move the rig for a while, we are fulltiming in this spot for a few months, but any ideas would help out.

Thanks

The only way I've found to clear the sensors when you have been sitting a while is to use a flexible wand that you put down through the toilet and let the water pressure through the rotating head on the wand do the trick. Those sensors, as everyone will tell you, are not to be relied upon. Even when you get them cleaned up, they will crud up and they think the tank is full.

For those of us who fulltime, we don't even look at the sensors. You can tell when your black water tank is beginning to get close to the top. When you flush it will momentarily bubble back at you (not serious) which tells you that you've got at least a day of normal use left before you have to dump.

Hope this helps. Others will come along and add their opinions.

Orv

gkbutler · 02-05-2006, 01:56 AM

We don't bother with the black tank sensor. Just flush the tank weekly and you should have no problem.

CountryGuy · 02-05-2006, 02:31 AM

Ditto, what everyone says everytime this question comes up. We don't bother with the idiot lites! You could try the Calgon trick. Get Calgon (other brand names ok too) water softener in the laundry aisle of grocery store. Put some down there every time after you have dumped. Most of us only do this while we are running and with just a little water in there it slushes around and does help to clean the sensors. Not sure how it would work while you are sitting. We do what the Butler's do, rinse well, once a week, and forget it!

richfaa · 02-05-2006, 05:45 AM

When you sit for a long time the sensors are a problem..The only solution is frequent flushing like once a week.The wand down the toliet works real good. You would be absolutely shocked at how much "stuff" will flow out when you use the wand AFTER you have done the normal dump. I kid you not when I say that after clean water after a noramal dump I have spent 1/2 hour with the wand flushing out "stuff"

padredw · 02-05-2006, 06:49 AM

I must agree with Carol. We have had three fifth wheel RVs, each from a major manufacturer (Prowler, Jayco, and Keystone). Empty or full, standing or moving, the little lights are not dependable. I have found that the fresh water tank is the only one where the indicators seem to work pretty well. I will admit that I check the others and find they do have some approximate relationship with reality. Approximate being very broadly defined. Many of us have accepted this reality and have made our peace with it. It is not a matter to complain about for us.

Trailer Trash 2 · 02-05-2006, 01:06 PM

Ok we all know that the sensors in the black tank are as good as a three dollar bill, but my question is, if we buy the wand to go down the hole, what side are the sensors located on and at.

ols1932 · 02-05-2006, 03:14 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Trailer Trash 2

Ok we all know that the sensors in the black tank are as good as a three dollar bill, but my question is, if we buy the wand to go down the hole, what side are the sensors located on and at.

It doesn't make any difference what side(s) the sensors are mounted on. When you put the wand down into the tank, the water pressure causes the swivel nozzle at the end to spin around. The water will eventually clean the sensors off. But why worry about it--they will get crudded up right away again anyway. We don't take the time to do it because we know how long we can go without dumping and I'm sure you'll find that out also, if you haven't already.

Orv

DHenry · 02-05-2006, 03:39 PM

I must agree with the others that the sensors are not worth the trouble to even worry about. We were in Quartzsite for 2 weeks and my grey water said it was 2/3 full the entire time we were there. Even after dumping it remained at that setting.

Treecounter · 02-05-2006, 04:11 PM

We were told by an RV tec. that the sensor is located near the toilet so after the first use. It registers full for ever more.

Parrothead · 02-05-2006, 05:12 PM

I agree with all the others. We have had 3 fifth wheels, none of the sensors worked except the fresh water and the battery charge. We did get the black tank sensor to show empty after we used the back flush on the Montana but it took a long time and a lot of water. We are water conscious here in California so we won't do it often. It is just one of those things I believe you have to accept about RVing.
Happy trails.......................

Garin1 · 02-05-2006, 08:02 PM

Ditto Orv

w4nfr · 02-12-2006, 11:59 AM

My fresh water tank, grey water tanks read very well, but black tank does not read accurately. I dump the black tank about once a week when I see the first burp and chase it with a good run of grey water! Add 4 oz of blue stuff to break up the stuf in the black tank after each dump.

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