Black flush hose vs fresh water hose? - Montana Owners Club

sgtpp214 · 08-21-2007, 04:26 PM

I have read here that people use and have seen others at campgrounds use a different hose for fresh water connection and for flushing the black tank. My question is WHY? It would seem there is no way that there is any problem with any contaminated water getting to the hose that would cause problems when connected to fresh water. The forum has been a great help in our travels with our Monty and we always enjoy meeting other Monty owners. See ya on the road. Have safe travels.

bncinwv · 08-21-2007, 04:37 PM

Not sure of others reasoning, but I will give you mine. I keep white hose for fresh water and gray hose for flushing and then after I flush, I use the gray hose to run water through the sewer hose before storing. I personally would not feel comfortable using the same hose that supplies the fresh water for flushing the sewer hose after dumping.
Bingo

dsprik · 08-21-2007, 04:52 PM

The Keystone manual is adamant about this - DON'T DO IT! Good enough for me. Just the thought of an accident...

ols1932 · 08-21-2007, 05:08 PM

Don't do it! Reason: Siphoning action created. You'll also see people in RV parks take their sewer hose over to the freshwater faucet and rinse it out. That's a no-no also. What happens there is that the water splashing into and onto the sewer hose also splashes back on the faucet. Do you want to connect your fresh water hose to that faucet? I think not. We carry a small spray bottle of a disinfectant mixture that we spray on every fresh water faucet before we connect to it.

Orv

dsprik · 08-21-2007, 05:19 PM

That's a good idea, Orv.

DHenry · 08-21-2007, 06:10 PM

Orv, you are a genius, that is a great idea.

Mudchief · 08-22-2007, 02:00 AM

Orv thanks for that good information.

bsmeaton · 08-22-2007, 04:40 AM

At least out here many of the dump stations provide non-potable water for flushing. Once a hose is connected to that and used, it is contaminated and no longer suitable for potable use. That hose will always be the gray hose for me.

The Oldguard · 08-22-2007, 08:11 AM

It also doesn’t hurt to use disposable rubber gloves when handling the sewer hose!!

Driftwoodgal · 08-22-2007, 01:50 PM

Orv,

The little spray bottle is the first thing that comes out when we are setting up. I keep my spray bottle of straight Clorox in the connection cabinet. I spary the faucet handle then the faucet threads, then the picnic table. Before putting up our wate hoses I spray both ends and then cover them with a cap. Hubby thinks I am using overkill, but heah I don't want any bugs.

Colleen

dieselguy · 08-23-2007, 04:47 PM

I agree with Brad's observation ... many places I frequent have 2 separate water spigots at the dump stations ... the one right at the dump hole is non-potable water ... one about 50' away is for filling your tanks. I'd never hook my fresh water hose to the spigot right at the dump hole.

ols1932 · 08-23-2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by dieselguy

I agree with Brad's observation ... many places I frequent have 2 separate water spigots at the dump stations ... the one right at the dump hole is non-potable water ... one about 50' away is for filling your tanks. I'd never hook my fresh water hose to the spigot right at the dump hole.

dieselguy,
Brad's observation is right on. However my post has to do with the fresh water spigot right at the lot you park on. Full hookups have the sewer hose right there and I have observed people flushing their sewer hose right on the lot by holding it right up to the spigot. Germs are bad man, and they live a long time.

Orv

bncinwv · 08-23-2007, 04:57 PM

Wow, Orv, I never thought about others doing that, I just know that I don't (that is what the gray hose if for). Now I am going to follow your lead and carry a bottle of disinfectant at all times. What exactly is the mixture that you are using????
Bingo

B and L Express · 08-23-2007, 05:46 PM

Orv---Thanks for the great idea.----B and L Express

clutch · 08-23-2007, 07:46 PM

It looks like one more item in the trailer for me after reading all this. One spray bottle comming up. Thanks

dsprik · 08-24-2007, 04:12 AM

I know people do this at their site to clear their sewer hose if it is NOT all downhill to the sewer connection. My experience is about one out of every 5 to 7 parks are actually set up correctly on the FHUs...

simonsrf · 08-24-2007, 05:26 AM

We use the spray bottle with a 50/50 combination of water and clorox and always spray the water faucet before hooking up our water supply.

We have noticed lots of people who don't think when they handle those sewer hoses with their 'leather' gloves. Don't they understand that the contamination can be carried by those gloves from the last time they dumped? We've watched people clean their sewer hoses with their gloves on, then use other tools with those very same glove on (?).

The sewer solution dumping system has worked great for us. It comes with an anti-siphon connection, we still use the grey hose off of a Y from the faucet to the sewer solution, and the other side of the Y is for the white drinking water hose.

snfexpress · 08-24-2007, 01:09 PM

Like simonsrf, we, too, use the Sewer Solution.

My solution to the hose entanglement was as follows:

Heavy duty Y at the faucet. This Y has the brass quick-connect fittings on each end. The 5/8" white drinking hose has the same fittings on it as does the inlet to the fresh water on the 5er.

The gray hose also has a brass fitting on both ends. Then, I have another plastic Y that has a brass fitting on the inlet and the plastic type quick-connects like come on the Sewer Solution on the outlets. The corresponding plastic fitting is attached to the black flush inlet on the 5er and also on a regular green garden hose. The plastic Y attaches easily to the fitting on the black flush, and the garden hose attaches to the SS. BTW, the plastic Y has shutoffs.

With these shutoffs, I am able to regulate the amount of water going into the black flush so that I don't overfill with fresh water.

With a white hose, gray hose and green hose, along with how I have the fittings, no one can connect the hoses incorrectly, thus helping to preserve the integrity of our drinking water. I did it this way in case I am unable to set up due to an injury and my DW needs to do it. With a little encouragement from me, she can hook up each hose properly - they cannot be hooked up wrong!

ols1932 · 08-24-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by bncinwv

Wow, Orv, I never thought about others doing that, I just know that I don't (that is what the gray hose if for). Now I am going to follow your lead and carry a bottle of disinfectant at all times. What exactly is the mixture that you are using????
Bingo

We use a mixture of a capful of Amway's Pursue disinfectant (only because my wife is very partial to it) in a pint spray bottle of water. But you can use any spray disinfectant like Lysol that you can pick up at the Dollar Store or any grocery store.

Orv

sgtpp214 · 08-25-2007, 02:05 AM

As usual I sure learned a lot in starting this thread. David, in my family I get a lot of razing from everyone for reading manuals cover to cover and rules for games. How I missed this in the Montana manual evades me. It is there in bold print.

Orv great idea about the spray bottle. I am surprised the DW hasn't picked up on that before. It is now in the Monty along with more hose for sewer flush. The siphon reason is the best explanation. I believe I didn't make it clear what I was questioning. I would only use the white hose at site connected to the sewer flush on the Monty. Wouldn't even consider using it to flush the sewer hose directly.

I also second the use of disposable gloves, I only wish campgrounds would have a trash barrel at the dump station to dispose of them.

One thing I always do is flush the water faucet before hooking up to it. Several times some nasty water bugs have been flushed out. We also always use a filter even if we are on a city water system.

You may also like: