Cloged black water tank drain

[bobofthenorth]

In my HUMBLE OPINION electric is needed only when needed. If it can be done manually I prefer that. Less to go wrong and trouble shoot electrically speaking. I don't mind manual at all, because it's cheaper and I'M CHEAP!
Paul

Amen to that.  **it handling should be kept as simple as possible.  The POs of this coach put the valves right there under the tanks at curb level right next to the spigot for the hose.  A clean, simple design.  On our previous unit however I eventually installed an electric valve.  That was because it was designed by the geniuses at Fleetwood who had, in their infinite wisdom, buried the black tank valve deep under the trailer and then run automotive throttle cable to the curb to actuate the valve.  Then to cap things off they sheeted the underbelly of the trailer such that you couldn't get at the valve without tearing everything apart.  The valve worked for about a week and then the throttle cable seized up.  I took the trailer back to the dealer a couple of times but eventually gave up on that nonsense and replaced the valve with an electric which worked flawlessly for the rest of the time we owned the trailer. 

[JohnEd]

Chaz,

This was in a Winebago and the black tank was in the center rear of the coach and high up  mtd to the floor behind the gen on one side and storage on the other.  My dump valve was on the end of six foot of multi 90 degree bends of abs drain pipe.  Worked just fine and the pipe gave me an extra few gallons of capacity.  I was headed back to McKeesport, Pa. in Oct. and I wanted to freezproof my holding tanks.  I left the long run of abs exposed and installed a multi coil of flex tubing in the in 2 inches of polyisocynite foam  that covered the bottom of the tanks and also wrapped it around all my pipes for gray water.  I had imbeded remote thermometers on both tanks to monitor their actual temps and also imbeded the bulb from a freez switch from a heatpump.  The freeze switch was set for 35 degrees and when it contacted it turned on my house water pump and opened a water valve from a washing machine that put hot water from the propane fired hot water tank to the heating coils.  I switched it on in the winter and left it on and whether I was home or asleep or gone it automatiocally kept all my lines and tanks from freezing.  My fresh tank was in the coach and also protected caus the hot water drained back into the fresh tank and that water ran hot for awhile before the system caught up with itself and shut off.  All I needed was propane that would last a couple weeks on a fill and battery that would go a month with that trickle intermittant drain for pump power.  I installed a rod to the gray tank as  that was a straight shot under the coach.

In my bus I expect to use the hot water to heat my fresh tank in the same way and to build my black and gray over my fresh so the heat from the fresh will raise their temps.  I will be able to adjust the temp of the fresh to achieve this.  Holding the temp of 100 gallons of water at 35 degrees in a well insulated tank should cost ? I don't want to heat the entire wet bay and worry about door seals as well and have the tank heated through convection although many are having success with that methode.

My 2 cents worth.

John

[Fred Mc]

A number of years ago we were at a race where the rv's were packied in tight and you couldn't just leave. So they had a disposal truck come around every couple of days to empty the holding tanks, The guy operating it was a mexican fella and his method was to place the dump hose in a 5 gallon pail and his suction hose in the same pail. He didn't have a direct connection to the rv dump valves. So he got everythnig ready and asked the owner to pull the valve. Of course there was sh*t everywhere including over him. He was yelling :"meester,meester, shut eet off".

Big mess.

Fred Mc.

[H3Jim]

john ed, the company only makes the 2" valve, so I just ate it.  Manual is of coursse better, I had only used the electric because of the inaccessible location of the valve.  I have since figured a way to wiggle my hand around the tire and frame to get at the valve.  I'm still a little close to the $#!% waterfall when it opens, but I havent had to dodge any water drops yet.  My black tank is high in the bay, and the drain is low, so when its even half full, there is a lot of head pressure.  makes for a fast dump for sure, but exciting if all the connections aren't secure.

[Chaz]

My black tank is high in the bay, and the drain is low, so when its even half full, there is a lot of head pressure.  makes for a fast dump for sure, but exciting if all the connections aren't secure.

  HA!!!!!  Exciting??!! I guess!!!!!!!  LOLOLOL  Oh my!!!! I'm thinking pure panic attack!!!! 

   Scares me!!!!!!!!!
        Chaz