Frozen black & grey

[TLightning]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

I did have one other thought last night. If it's cold and windy enough you could have cold air coming up your sewer hose and causing problems at the valves. The pipes are outside of the rig until almost at the valves. Using a hair dryer on the pipe where it disappears into the rig could help. Just a thought.

Hang a trouble light down there with a 100w bulb in it.

[Irlpguy]

As Alwims said I hope you have not been loosing liquid and now have a solids build up in the tank. I would be keeping a fair bit of water in there and use a strong additive to help break down anything that might be still in the tank. Also when you travel make sure you have at least 5 gal of liquid in there, the motion will certainly help to move things around and using a good tank chemical will also help.

I have had the problem and had to take the black water valve apart to remove the paper that would not allow it to close. I was able to get mine clean first thankfully..

Hope your weather warms up, have a good trip south.

[tweber502]

If your valve should happen to be stuck partially open and you do have a "solids blockage" at the valve, then during travels the blockage could dislodge and fill your drain piping with a lot of YUCK! I would recommend installing the cap below. When you get to your destination before you remove the cap to install sewer hose open the small cap and check for liquids in the line. Better to drain off liquid through the small hose fitting than to get covered with a 4" blast of sewer. The below add is from Camping World but you can also buy these caps at Wal-Mart. Good luck Tim

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping....RZ4cDocX.dpbs

[JandC]

quote:Originally posted by tweber502

If your valve should happen to be stuck partially open and you do have a "solids blockage" at the valve, then during travels the blockage could dislodge and fill your drain piping with a lot of YUCK! I would recommend installing the cap below. When you get to your destination before you remove the cap to install sewer hose open the small cap and check for liquids in the line. Better to drain off liquid through the small hose fitting than to get covered with a 4" blast of sewer. The below add is from Camping World but you can also buy these caps at Wal-Mart. Good luck Tim

Actually the RV dealer down the street sells a cap for the end of the discharge and it looks just like the gate valve in our Montana's. It twists on just like your slinky-slinky and then you can attach your stinky-slinky directly to it. It even has the little pull handle. I was going to put that on when we take to the road.

[steelpony5555]

Here's the link,,,after years of having drippy tank valves and getting a cup or 2 of stinky water I got smart and got one of these. Not only does it block any water from coming out but you can also watch as your tanks drain and see what is happening,,fun fun lol lol,,,also there is a flush valve on it so you can back flush your tank from there.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping....2RLq8D8L.dpbs

[JandC]

Steelpony, that Flushking attachment is SWEAT! The one on the shelf locally is just like that except no clear elbow or hose attachment. I may have to get this local one to get me down the road but I am sure going to get the other one ASAP. I have also already made my notes for my main winter project, which will be to prep my unit for another short cold temperature stay next fall. There will be a permanently mounted heat lamp in convenience center, permanently protected ceramic heater in basement, additional heating introduced into underbelly, and some type of heat tape or insulation on the sewer pipe where it enters the underbelly. If my underbelly end up coming down for gate valve replacement then holding tank blankets or something else will also be installed.

[DQDick]

Sounds like you'll have it covered. We installed a gate valve a couple of years ago and it works great as long as I do. Don't make the mistake of staying somewhere and thinking your not staying long enough to dump and then changing your mind and hooking the sewer up, pulling the grey tank lever and proceeding to do several loads of laundry. A water feature will develop in the rig if you have forgotten that gate valve. You know how I know.

[JandC]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

Sounds like you'll have it covered. We installed a gate valve a couple of years ago and it works great as long as I do. Don't make the mistake of staying somewhere and thinking your not staying long enough to dump and then changing your mind and hooking the sewer up, pulling the grey tank lever and proceeding to do several loads of laundry. A water feature will develop in the rig if you have forgotten that gate valve. You know how I know.

Good point. Having one would require me to actually pay attention again when I am setting up or while dumping. Darn.

[dsprik]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

... and proceeding to do several loads of laundry. A water feature will develop in the rig if you have forgotten that gate valve. You know how I know.

I am familiar with that water feature. And I belive, in my case anyway, it only took one load of laundry from our stackable washer before the alarm sounded (wife yelling/screaming).

[BTK]

To thaw out a frozen tank I have used table salt. Throw a whole package down the toilet and wait a few hours. The salt is heavier than anything in there and will go to the bottom and melt the ice in the lines.

[WaltBennett]

I've found a great way to clean out solid build up is a combo of a few gallons of water, two or three bags of ice and a cup of dishwasher soap (one of those tablets works too). Just drive down the road 100 miles or more and everything comes out just fine. Even the gauge should start working again.