Help!! Black Tank Blockage

[Bill and Ann]

Since my Black tank developed a leak I have been dumping every two days to make sure I didn't overflow I think I might have a blockage from a buildup of paper products.
I didn't have any success getting a new black tank while in Texas this winter so I had to resort to dumping often. I have outlined my problem with a dealer's service under a diff. topic.
Anyway, my black tank will not drain. I have tried to backflush but it won't work. Any suggestions?

[Icehouse]

Have you tried the wand that you attach to a hose, drop down the toilet and strong water pressure creates a jet of water to shoot it out? Didn't work for us, but other have said it helped them. If dropping it down the toilet doesn't work, you may have to try and run it up the dump valve line to the black tank and try and dislodge it from the back side.
Tammy

[CRUZIN 2]

Bill

I had the same problem about 3 years ago, what I did was back flush the tank by filling the gray tank. I also have a valve at the end of the outlet which I close, after draining all you can from the black. With the black valve open, release the gray so it will back flush then close the gray, then open the valve to drain the black. Don't let the black go into the gray. This worked for me, hope this is some help to you.

Have you left RGV yet?

[HamRad]

Steve Reigle had a similar problem and he bought a "root feeder". This apparently has a lot of outlet holes for the water and he said it worked for him.

You'd need to contact him for additional information.

HamRad

[Ray Audet]

I had the same problem a few years ago.

Get a bottle of 'digester' from your local RV store. That's not the manufacturer name but rather what the product does.
Pour the whole bottle in, along with some water, let it sit overnite. Hook up the RV and take it for a drive to move the water and digester around. Let it sit again. Then dump.
I had to repeat several times. It eventually got it cleaned out.
I also used a piece of flexible plastic tubing which is flexible enough to go around corners, yet strong enough to get into the tank. I moved it around trying to move the obstruction both from the toilet end and the drain end.
Good luck. Not the most pleasant task.

[stiles watson]

Bill,

Sorry to hear the Montana is constipated. Please share how you get it solved. It would be important knowledge to add to the MOC.

[ronnilu]

Bill & Ann - sorry about the situation, it's never a pleasant experience & I should know. The following worked for me: disconnect your sewer drain line from the park ground connection, hold that end up so it is higher in elevation than your black water tank, open the black water drain valve, then have your helper begin adding water by hose into the elevated end of the drain hose. After you get several gallons in the drain hose, have your helper go the the other end of the drain hose and hold the connection to the trailer so it doesn't come loose. Now raise & lower your end of the drain hose several times to make the water in it backflow into the black water tank & hopefully dislodge the blockage. Quickly place your end of the drain hose into the park ground sewer connection & hope everything drains as it is supposed to. This worked for me, however I did not have someone at the connection of the drain hose & the trailer, and after pumping up & down several times, it did dislodge the blockage, but the drain hose also came off the trailer! I didn't know I could move that fast - only about a gallon spilled out on the ground. After reconnecting, all drained properly. Hope you get this resolved. mike

[HamRad]

Mike,

I knew you were a brave man.......... But your experience with the black tank proves beyond a doubt that you are FEARLESS! Now that process takes some real cajones!

Glad it worked but there has to be a better way!

Dennis

[Bill and Ann]

I was going to try Larry's suggestion when it first happened, but had to wait until I can get the Grey full. I do know that Mike's remedy will be the last resort. Thanks for the tips. Will keep you posted.

[Waynem]

No Bill, the last resort is to stick a garden hose down the toilet and try to siphon it out like we used to siphon gasoline.

Good luck with that one.

Now that would be fearless.

Maybe that's something you could teach D..... never mind.

[jwedell]

I purchased a Flush King http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...20522&src=SRQB from Camping World. You can close off the outlet of the tank and use a garden hose to back flush the tank. (any of the tanks). I've never used it but a camper with lots of kids had his black tank really blocked and we used it on his rig. Worked great. Hope this helps.

[Icehouse]

I did forget to mention in my earlier post that when we were going thru our black tank drama, I seriously considered a gun. I figured with enough holes in that tank, it was sure to drain. Someone on this forum (who had much more about themselves than I did at the time) talked me out of it. Then a surface to air missile was mentioned. It gave me warm fuzzies. Fortunately, my sweet Bernie fixed the tank and not a moment too soon!
Tammy

[Waynem]

Please describe "not a moment to soon?"

[Icehouse]

You know that urgency...

[Bob & Lee]

Sounds like the making ao another RV movie staring MOC LOL. hold the drain up high!

[trukdoc]

I have a flush king I got at Camping world much safer than raising and lowering sewer hose with simular effect.

[Bill and Ann]

flush kin didn't work. I have one installed on my outlet and it was the first thing I tried.

[carlson]

I knew it! I knew it!! I knew it!!!
You have finally proved it!
But I figuired Glenn would of had the problem!!!
Bill, what you need to get is Rid-X or if you can find a quicker acting Rid-X, and put it in the tank and it will eat away at your blockage.
If you have the blank cap with a hose fitting on it, take a double female hose contector and the blow out fitting that you use to blow out the air lines.
With low air pressure just put pressure on the blockage with the valve open.
Also a swedish question, does you valve open up when you pull it all the way, the handle came off the galley tank on the way up to MN.
Good luck and remember what goes in will finally come out, don't wear good cloths or new sneakers, and have two 5 gallon buckets, or make sure that you are inside and Ann is outside.
E. Sven and Pat

[sreigle]

quote:Originally posted by HamRad

Steve Reigle had a similar problem and he bought a "root feeder". This apparently has a lot of outlet holes for the water and he said it worked for him.

You'd need to contact him for additional information.

HamRad

It has a single small outlet that outputs a very strong pressure jet of water. It has an on/off valve as well. I bought it at Ace Hardware but other hardware stores may have it. Any high pressure nozzle will do. I wanted one with a long handle to keep my hands, arm, face and body in general out of the line of fire should this things ricochet back out the toilet. I also used rags in the bowl to keep that from happening. I stuck that root feeder down the toilet, surrounded by rags, leaned back as far as I could, turned my head, and turned on the water flow. It instantly blew that pyramid to smithereens and the toilet drained. But I wonder, Bill, is yours a blockage just below the toilet or at the dump pipe inlet from the tank?

If no dump at all, could it be a defective dump valve not opening?

Bill, have you tried the dump cap with hose connection and using that to power backflush through the dump pipe? If you have the pyramid, that probably won't help (didn't for me), but if you have a blockage at or in the dump pipe then it might shove it back a bit. Tissue Digester in the tank for a few days would then take care of that wad of paper.

[Bill and Ann]

Sven: Ann says thanks for the last comment. She likes you too.
Steve: I have a root feeder on order from Home Hardware in our town. S/B here on Wed. sometime.
As far as I know the valve is opening and closing ok.