Coffee grounds ok for black/ grey water tank?

[Oregonconversion]

Is it ok for me to put my coffee grounds down my sink? I have a combined grey/ black tank.

Thanks.

[JackConrad]

We don't. It is jst as easy to dump the grounds in the garbage can, lined with a walmart shopping bag. We try to put nothing in our combination black/grey tank that has not been filtered through our body (except shower and sink water).  Just our way YMMV. Jack

[fe2_o3]

   We decided not to dump grounds down the drains cause they could possibly foul the seal of the dump valves. That's an issue I'd prefer not to address on the road...Cable

[RTS/Daytona]

Best thing for the black tanks is a bag or two of ice down the toilet and a few hours of traveling before you flush the tanks

Pete

[WVA_NATIVE]

Pete, please explain what the ice is for as I have never heard of doing this.

WVaNative

[RTS/Daytona]

all those ice cubes - sloshing around with the movement of the bus down the road - scrubs the tank clean - loosen the solid mater and  doesn't kill the airobic  action in the tank - get the picture - ;-)

[bobofthenorth]

In theory the ice bashes around and cleans up the inside of the tank.  In 20 years of RVing I have never bothered with this or many of the other black tank "remedies" that flood the internet.  We used to religiously put little blue tablets down the toilet but have now stopped even doing that.  

We treat the RV waste systems much as we did our home waste systems and those systems included municipal services as well as septic fields.  We're a little bit careful about not pouring grease down the drain but not really anal about that either.  We tend to dump the black tank after a move rather than before but we don't sweat that if it doesn't work out that way.  If its too liquid for the garbage can and too lumpy for the kitchen sink then it goes down the toilet.  

Its a waste system.  If you use a modicum of common sense and lots of water I don't think it matters what you put down it.  As far as cleaning the inside of my tanks with ice goes, its still going to be the tank where the toilet dumps into.  Even if the walls are cleaner than they were before, its still going to be the tank where the toilet dumps into.

[Chopper Scott]

I'm kind of with Bob on this one but the ice cube idea by Pete is a good one if you need to clean the inside of the tank for whatever reason. It may help for the tank level sensors. I don't worry about any anerobic action being necessary. I'm not storing it long enough to need that. I do pour some water and clorox down the toilet when leaving to ward off any smell that may occur while traveling. Wrong or right it's just my way. Later

[bigjohnkub]

I first heard of the ice cube thing about 4 years ago. The po had used this bus as a home , hooked to a septic tank. When I got to Terlingua cookoff, my tank filled rapidly. The portapottie guy came by to clean and said there was not much in tank. Gee, thanks. I could see waste at the flush valve of commode. So now what. He got a flash light and looked in dump valve( a brave person). He said I had dried piles inside tank. He suggested the Ice with a nearly full tank,and it worked. I would guess a third more of capacity available. Now when I leave a  camping area, I put the ice and water out of my outside cooler in commode. It works.

[Chopper Scott]

That's one of those "Ask Heloise" ideas. I am going to put the ice cube trick in my shrinking memory bank!

[ktmossman]

Now THAT is funny...  Waaaaaay back when I was the Night Manager at a convenience store in a bad part of Atlanta, they taught us the ice cube trick as a way to clean out the glass coffee pots.  A double handful of ice cube with a dash of Comet, a couple shakes and you have a clean coffee pot.

[loosenut]

Now THAT is funny...  Waaaaaay back when I was the Night Manager at a convenience store in a bad part of Atlanta, they taught us the ice cube trick as a way to clean out the glass coffee pots.  A double handful of ice cube with a dash of Comet, a couple shakes and you have a clean coffee pot.

I had similar teaching in St. Louis, ice cubes and salt.  Salt provided the abrasive action.

[JohnEd]

Some people have left their Black tank valve open while camped with hookups.  The result is that the solid stuff piles up on the bottom and the fluid runs off down the drain.  Let it fill "naturally" and add some of the septic tank starter.  All will be well after the following drain.

Really folks, Ya gotta stay outta that black tank....really. You ain't needed in there.  Putting ice in your black tank to clean it would only make sense if you planned to use the tank to make coffee.  Please!!!!!

John....This just gets funner and funner.

[bigjohnkub]

Do you guys realize how much nerve it takes to look in your tank through the dump valve. I have worked on everything from cows to cranes, even some locomotives. It was hard to keep my head still to look inside. I've got guts, some even over my belt, but that was nerve racking. Use the ice, instead of letting it melt in the grass. Much easier.
  big john

[Don4107]

The ice trick works good for cleaning out the garbage disposal too.  Fill her up, turn her on, and turn the water on.  Noisy but clean!

Don 4107