Holding Tank Open or Closed?

[johns4104s]

We are living full time in the MCI 9. Our holding tank is set up where both the Black and grey are mixed in a 125 gallon tank(the fresh water is 100 Gallon Tank). Do we leave the tank open and draining all the time? Or do we let the tank fill up,mix then dump say every three days or so?

Thanks

John

[cody]

We let ours fill and then dump, that way we don't get the little mountain forming, our kitchen sink also goes into the black tank so we have a supply of fluid to mix it with.

[Utahclaimjumper]

You will get a better "flush", depending on how many are liveing in the coach, by dumping every week or so.  A 100 Gal. tank will take a while.>>>Dan

[DebDav]

Any black waste should be saved until a quantity is in the tank mixed with fluids.  If the tank is left open, the black waste will not have enough fluids to mix and flow out.  Eventually the black waste will solidify and grow to clog the system.

I would store a gray and black combined tank until a sufficient quantity is achieved to aloow free flow of all waste and clean the tank.

[JackConrad]

Although we are not full-timing, we never drain our combination black/grey tank until it is at least 1/2 full. This insures enough liquid to flush all the solids out of the tank.  Jack

[Tony LEE]

Also depends on what the temperature is and whether you have heating for the tanks and/or the drain line.

Batch dumping is the preferred method.

[redbus]

I have a black/gray combination tank with a gray water bypass.When in a Park the shower and Bathroom sink goes directly to sewer,the Kitchen sink goes into the black tank with the stool for more water in it.I flush the black tank 1 time a week on average. Do not leave black tank open as the liquid will run out leaving the solids to mound up.

[Lin]

We have a 100 gallon combo tank with a gray water bypass.  In the past, I let the gray drain and dumped the black when necessary.  Lately, I have been letting it all go to the tank and dumping it all every couple of days.  It just takes walking by and pulling the valve and coming back five minutes later to close it.  I'll probably continue to do it this way for now.

[viento1]

We have a 100 gallon combo tank with a gray water bypass.  In the past, I let the gray drain and dumped the black when necessary.  Lately, I have been letting it all go to the tank and dumping it all every couple of days.  It just takes walking by and pulling the valve and coming back five minutes later to close it.  I'll probably continue to do it this way for now.

I just completely re engineered my system and opted for a combo tank. I have no problems letting my sink water drain under the bus through bypass while driving. I also feel that the extra fluid in the black tank while parked is a good thing... The batch dump makes the most sense to me.

[Len Silva]

It might be a good time to consider a remote drain valve operator of some kind for those cold, rainy days when the tank is full.

[Lin]

Len,

Do you use one?  If so, do you use air or electric?

[JackConrad]

Len,
Do you use one?  If so, do you use air or electric?

A friend made one using a Morse cable.  Jack

[Len Silva]

Len,

Do you use one?  If so, do you use air or electric?

It just happened that I was able to use a 1/4" rod straight up from the valve to the bathroom floor right behind the commode.  Just luck and the junk I had laying around.

[johns4104s]

What do you guys use for Tank odor/solid break up?? Do you use this everytime??My 125 gallon is a black/Grey mixture.

Thanks

John

[LegalEagle82]

I have an air controlled valve on my tank.   The bus is an old entertainer, I have a switch wired in at my 12 volt control box above the driver that controls an air operated valve on my black/gray water tank.   Remote dumping is nice.  I've always been told that the entertainer buses had the dump on the passenger side of the bus because the bus could roll up to a water run off drain in town and dump if they had to.  Not legal or anything, but it is very easily done with this setup.  Once it was converted to a motorhome, a seperate gray water tank was added that can pump into the black tank if needed to help flush or it has its own drain also.