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10-27-2016, 04:17 PM
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#1
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Livingston
Posts: 76
M.O.C. #10395
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Grey Tank valves open or closed?
So, I'm pretty sure that there are some opinions out there as to whether you should leave your grey tank valves open with a "P-Trap" in your line to hold back sewer gas to allow your tanks to drain/stay empty, or, close the valves and drain them as needed...what say you
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10-27-2016, 04:32 PM
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#2
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Fowler
Posts: 414
M.O.C. #12748
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Always keep mine closed and open them after I empty the black tank and flush it. The gray water helps to flush out the hose and aids in flushing out the debris left in the galley tank. If you leave the galley open, the possibility of having food particles, etc remaining in the bottom of the tank is very likely.
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10-27-2016, 04:36 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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Always leave mine open, with the P, until a couple of days before I dump the black and then I let them fill up to flush the line after the black tank. Since I do laundry frequently sometimes the main grey doesn't get shut until the day before.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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10-27-2016, 05:17 PM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Omaha
Posts: 6,794
M.O.C. #7560
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Leave mine closed and when I dump the black tank I use the grey tanks to both backflush the black tank a little and also wash out the slinky going to the sewer drain. When I use the grey tank to backflush I've already used the black tank flush while dumping; using the clear connection on the end of the pull valve on the dump tube until it is running clear, then close the valve I have on the end of the dump tube. I then do the backflush with the galley tank for about 8-10 seconds and reopen the end valve. It's surprising how much more crud comes out of the black tank then. I also put a Flush King on the end and back flush the black tank for about 10 minutes or so, shut it off and watch for more crud coming out until clear. I then close the black tank valve and dump the bathroom grey tank to clear the line and the slinky. It sounds like a lot of time but it really does not take that long and I know the lines are clear then also.
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10-28-2016, 01:51 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Winfield
Posts: 7,327
M.O.C. #6846
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Ours is always left open and I form the slinky into a p-trap shape at the campground sewer inlet. I will close it for a couple of showers to build up some flush water for emptying the black tank every couple of days. We also leave the galley tank open since the washer and dishwasher drains into the galley tank on our model.
Bingo
__________________
Bingo and Cathy - Our adventures begin in the hills of WV. We are blessed by our 2014 3850FL Big Sky (previous 2011 3750FL and 2007 3400RL) that we pull with a 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic DRW CC dually.
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10-28-2016, 01:55 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Englewood
Posts: 3,095
M.O.C. #164
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[quote]Originally posted by DQDick
Always leave mine open, with the P, until a couple of days before I dump the black and then I let them fill up to flush the line after the black tank. Since I do laundry frequently sometimes the main grey doesn't get shut until the day before.
Exactly what I Do!
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10-28-2016, 02:28 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: North Ridgeville
Posts: 20,229
M.O.C. #2839
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Open since both our gray and galley tank failed standing on our lot or driveway/I do not trust them to hold a lot of liquid.
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10-28-2016, 03:53 AM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: McKinney
Posts: 7,361
M.O.C. #6433
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Grey stays open until black tank is near ready to drain. More than once I have had the grey tank closed when the DW did laundry and later when I took a shower I found myself standing in an inch or two of water.
__________________
Bill & Patricia
Riley, our Golden
2007 3075RL (recently sold, currently without)
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10-28-2016, 05:37 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Sioux Falls
Posts: 505
M.O.C. #14162
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Open, P-trap, close 2 days before black flush.
__________________
Steve & Sheryl Engels
2018 Montana 3790RD
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10-28-2016, 05:47 AM
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#10
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Livingston
Posts: 76
M.O.C. #10395
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Thanks to all for the input. I've done it both ways, but definitely close the valve a couple of days before the black tank needs dumping! When I have left the grey valve open, I will fill the the kitchen sin with a few gallons of water to flush out the left behind food particles. I always leave the mail valve open as I found out the hard way that the washer drains directly into the main drain.
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10-28-2016, 01:24 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Pensacola (mail forward service)
Posts: 3,198
M.O.C. #13740
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I leave closed and drain often. I take no chance for having cockroaches finding a nifty place to live and yes...they can easily pass through water in a p trap. Just me... john
__________________
2012 F350 6.7 L dually, 2013 3800RE with 6 pt leveling, Sumitomo 17.5" load range h tires, Samsung 18 cu ft residential fridge, 8k Morryde I.S. with disc brakes. Full timing since 2012.
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10-28-2016, 04:43 PM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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Open
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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11-02-2016, 05:11 PM
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#13
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Established Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 25
M.O.C. #19203
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We have bee advised by many to leave the traps closed until dumping. First the black tank gets dumped, then backflush thru sewer system then backflush thru flushking adapter on dump tube. After I see clear running out of dump, I then empty sink (grey) and then bathroom shower/sink (grey). Helps with the cleansing of the slinky and moving all those "smelly particles" out of the drain into the sewer. Has not failed me yet and my monitor always reads almost total empty after dumps. Heard that not having enough fluid in toilet, shower or sink will not flush the black tank adequately and allow solid build up and sewer smells. My take on this but everyone does have to do as they are comfortable.
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11-02-2016, 05:15 PM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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If i close my gally tank three days before we dump and then I close the grey tank one to two days before depending on how much laundry I'm going to do then I have both gray tanks almost full to push everything out of the stinky slinky. Since we dump every two weeks, I can't close the grey tank sooner since our laundry water goes there and we do laundry often.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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11-03-2016, 09:58 AM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Kville
Posts: 2,865
M.O.C. #7871
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by DQDick
Always leave mine open, with the P, until a couple of days before I dump the black and then I let them fill up to flush the line after the black tank. Since I do laundry frequently sometimes the main grey doesn't get shut until the day before.
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Same here.
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11-06-2016, 05:03 AM
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#16
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Established Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Bradenton
Posts: 36
M.O.C. #13855
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I leave mine open, I blow one gray water tank when I over filled it, know I use my kitchen gray water tank to flush black water,made P-trap for drain hose, dont want to change another tank what a PINTA
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11-06-2016, 04:10 PM
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#17
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Montana Master
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Murrieta
Posts: 5,816
M.O.C. #9257
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I will never leave the valves open. I think allowing the tanks to fill allows for keeping the tanks cleaner. I can only imagine that if one leaves the valves open, the more solid stuff eventually collects to the sides of the water path and with any kind of warm weather, these solids will harden too much. Then trying to allow the fill will NOT remove these hardened substances resulting in problem later. I also imagine letting the tanks to fill keeps all debris wet and soluble and therefore able to evacuate the tanks more thoroughly.
Every couple days, I empty both gray tanks (they are usually about or almost full), then on the third time I do this, I dump the black tank first, flush it out real good and close the valve (then backfill with a couple toilet bowls full of water plus the deodorizer concentrate). THEN I dump both grey tanks tight afterwards to clean out whatever might be leftover in the plumbing and now the gray tanks are empty, too. This procedure also helps not having to remember to close the gray valves to collect it for the black tank flush. Keeping the valves closed also keeps any orders way down, too.
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11-07-2016, 05:58 AM
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#18
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: SE
Posts: 478
M.O.C. #17167
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Leave grey open until a day before leaving. Black always closed for obvious reasons.
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03-14-2020, 06:00 PM
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#19
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Bloomington
Posts: 57
M.O.C. #22743
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Traveltimers2
We have bee advised by many to leave the traps closed until dumping. First the black tank gets dumped, then backflush thru sewer system then backflush thru flushking adapter on dump tube. After I see clear running out of dump, I then empty sink (grey) and then bathroom shower/sink (grey). Helps with the cleansing of the slinky and moving all those "smelly particles" out of the drain into the sewer. Has not failed me yet and my monitor always reads almost total empty after dumps. Heard that not having enough fluid in toilet, shower or sink will not flush the black tank adequately and allow solid build up and sewer smells. My take on this but everyone does have to do as they are comfortable.
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Can you clarify what you mean by the following: "then backflush thru sewer system". Thanks!
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03-14-2020, 06:34 PM
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#20
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: home base IL, OTR anywhere
Posts: 542
M.O.C. #19382
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I guess I'm missing something... if you dump your grey tank every other day or whatever, what's the issue? You go to where your dump valves are, pull the valve... dump the contents or do a black tank dump and flush with grey or whatever, close the valves and then you are done... how long does it take, not that long (a few minutes tops??)... it is what it is.... just dump as needed and move onto other things. Just sayin'.
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2017 RAM 3500 Laramie CCLB Dually CTD Aisin, OEM auto level rear air-ride, B&W hitch
2020 3813MS Legacy Cobalt FBP, MORryde 8K IS & pinbox, PI EMS,DIY mods by in-house "craftsman", RV security system Mk1 Beagle Alerter
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