Black Tank Questions - Montana Owners Club

drjjj · 04-11-2007, 02:57 PM

We have been in our 3400 for 9 months now. We have been in one spot for most of that time. With our lifestyle we dump the black tank every 5-8 days. Recently we have noticed that 1)the flush system is not as noisy as it once was and 2) the tank monitoring system reads 1/4-1/2 full even after dumping. I should add that we 1)open the valve then 2)open the flusher once the flow slows to a trickle then 3)turn off the flusher after it has run for 20-30 minutes then 4)leave the valve open for at least 20 minutes after the flusher is turned off before we close it. Do we have defective monitoring sensors?

gkbutler · 04-11-2007, 03:26 PM

Nah, they never work right. The majority of us feel that the monitoring sensors were put in just to aggravate us. Personally, I never look at them. When the toilet "burps" we flush the black tank. You will know when to flush the gray tank also. The Monty will tell you when she needs "flushed".

richfaa · 04-11-2007, 03:44 PM

A lot of folks have problems with the sensors..we are just the opposite..4 previous campers and the sensors worked fine in all of them Our 3400 is 10 months old and we do have a problem with the galley sensor but I know what the problem is..we did not flush and dump..we did not care for the galley tank properly and have crud build up on the sensors, all of the others read accurate.. we have had a high active bacterial agent working in the tank and I will bet it will work ok once we dump the tank. Here is a little trick we learned some time ago. When parked for a long period of time let the camper be a little off center bubble toward the dump valve..it helps with the black tank draining and of course use a lot of water..We dump our black tank EVERY DAY.. when parked for a long perod of time..it does not take all that long and becomes a routine thing.

ols1932 · 04-11-2007, 04:05 PM

Everything's okay. The sensors never work properly. Ours read Full all the time.

Orv

sailer · 04-11-2007, 04:17 PM

We have a 3000RK and the black tank always reads 3/4 full even when we flush

Ozzie · 04-11-2007, 05:14 PM

I'm thinking of try the enzyme thing Rich has been talking about. I've tried most everything in those tanks, now on totally environmentally safe products (water softener, detergent, and occasionally a safe bleach). Those sensors work every now and then - even when they do appear to work I don't trust them.
Those enzymes sitting for as bit working on things between outings sounds like a plan. We are still weekend warriors and my wife works every other weekend. We have access to a free dump station only a couple miles away. I'm gonna load up the tanks and let it work for 10 days...doubtful, but I wanna try it.
Part of me feels if a system is in place, it should at least try to work...

old turbo · 04-12-2007, 02:21 AM

I do the twenty pound bag of ice cube trick in the black tank. Add any type of cleaner to the tank before you hit the road, pour in the loose ice cubes. While you drive the agitating action of the ice cubes will bust up the crud in your tank. The ice melts and you still have the sloshing motion of the cleaner. Work for me.

madeforeachother · 04-12-2007, 05:57 AM

We have a 3400Rl and have the same problem with the black, grey, and galley sensors but in reading the previous forums I think I'm missing something in my rig. I only have a flush system for the black tank. Was the flush an added option for the other tanks?

Cat320 · 04-12-2007, 07:36 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by madeforeachother

We have a 3400Rl and have the same problem with the black, grey, and galley sensors but in reading the previous forums I think I'm missing something in my rig. I only have a flush system for the black tank. Was the flush an added option for the other tanks?

Nope. The flush system is for the black tank only.

Montana Sky · 04-12-2007, 09:55 AM

Mine tank sensors have never read empty on the black tank. Even the day I bought the coach and brought it home from the PDI the black tank read 1/4 full. Also my galley tank reads the same way, never has read empty.

richfaa · 04-12-2007, 10:10 AM

I would suggest that you give bacterial/enzyme treatment a chance. You may have to do the treatment more than once depending upon the condition of the tanks.Our gally tank has been working for a week with a tripple dose of the bacterial agent. We dumped some out this afternoon and the nasty smell was over powering.it is working.

Cat320 · 04-12-2007, 12:12 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

I would suggest that you give bacterial/enzyme treatment a chance. You may have to do the treatment more than once depending upon the condition of the tanks.Our gally tank has been working for a week with a tripple dose of the bacterial agent. We dumped some out this afternoon and the nasty smell was over powering.it is working.

Rich...what is it exactly, and where do you get it?

richfaa · 04-12-2007, 02:12 PM

Bert. I made 2 post over in the Montana technical help& problem solving forum, April 8th and 10th, page 13..On the subject and there is a link to what I use although there are similar brands. The black tank and the home septic system do the same thing..Break down waste.. Our black tank is a "holding tank" and the waste is not in there very long as in a septic system so need some fast acting bacterial additive to work on the waste fast. The home septic system uses natural bacteria to break down the waste although there are additives such as Rid-X but Rid-x is slow acting. We have been using this system for years but used Rid-X because there were not many products on the market. That is a very simple explaination I am sure there is a expert out there who can do much better.

rickety · 04-13-2007, 12:40 PM

Rich is right on RID-X is a slow acting multigenrational live enzyme, designed to break down fecal matter and fats in septic systems. The little buggers

become massivelyt hungry and and eat everything thye can. The junk in the septic system breaks down and becomes liquified and drains out through your drain field and dissipates and becomes worm food which critters enrich the earth with thei "droppings". I Know, TMI

.
The stuff that Rich uses is a fast acting 7th genreation or later enzyme type product that essentially does the same thing, as the RID-X, but reacts faster. To increase the activity of the product and make it work even faster you mix it with warm NOT HOT water, much like activating yeast. This will give it a "headstart" on its mission to make your tanks sparkly clean!

Whew, haven't had to explain this way since I sold these type products for my company years ago,
Hope this helps a little.
Bye the bye Rich, be very careful what you use in your washer at home, heavily perfumed detergents like T__e, and certain others will cake in septic system tanks and pumpers sometimes chrage to break up the "iceberrg" that forms. I have found that ARm and Hammer is the very best detergent product out there for not caking. It is a simple formula, has no perfumes or foaming agents in it and does a great job of cleaning. A good non chlorine bleach is the best whitener you can use. and beware of the "concentrated" softners, sue very samll amounts, if you use too much you make your laundry "waterproof" and in following washes you will find that things are not as clean.
Sorry for the long post.

richfaa · 04-13-2007, 03:08 PM

Nice explanation Rick..As we are citified folks we do not have a septic system but did years ago and we remembered what we were told about how they work.. We have become conditioned to doing and buying whatever the marketing folks tell us to and we have forgotten how to think and research for ourselves.When we started camping years ago all the old timers use Rid-x or similar products in their black tanks. And as I said before.. we have never had a set of gauges that did not work properly, till now, and it is my fault the galley tank guage is not working properly....but it will

carlson · 04-13-2007, 07:25 PM

Just removed our black tank to replace it.
What a mess I found in the bottom of the tank.
The new tank weighted about 12 lbs, the old one we took out weighed 50 lbs.
The bottom of the tank was coated with waste sludge, partly because the leak in the tank leaving a solid, but RICH is right, you need a fast acting additive to distroy the sludge so it can be emptied when the tank is flushed.

Fire5er · 04-14-2007, 02:33 PM

Rick and Rich,

What is the name brand of the fast acting bacteria you use in your black tanks?

Karl

richfaa · 04-14-2007, 04:09 PM

This is the product I use www.opproducts.com but there are similar products out there ..have seen them at C.W and wallmart.I pick this product up at FCRV(family campers and rv'ers) rallies that we attend during the year as the distributer is a vendor there. The name of the product is "pure power"

Fire5er · 04-18-2007, 05:22 PM

Thanks Rich. I will have to get some and use it from the start since we have a virgin system...we just pick our unit up on Monday.

Karl

happy campers · 04-25-2007, 03:06 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by old turbo

I do the twenty pound bag of ice cube trick in the black tank. Add any type of cleaner to the tank before you hit the road, pour in the loose ice cubes. While you drive the agitating action of the ice cubes will bust up the crud in your tank. The ice melts and you still have the sloshing motion of the cleaner. Work for me.

I like this method as well, but also add some similiar product to the tank for a little extra help.

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