How Do I Dump My RV Black Water Tank?

In a stationary home, using your toilet is as easy as going, flushing, and forgetting. Occasionally, you clean it, but that’s about it. In an RV, however, it’s a bit more complicated and involved. The waste doesn’t just disappear into the pipes beneath your house; you have to be the one to deal with it. In an RV, there are 3-4 water tanks. The freshwater tank deals with any clean water you would want to use to shower, drink, or for anything else of that nature. The gray water tank deals with the waste from the sink and shower or water that is dirty but not as bad as the black water tank. The black water tank deals with the waste from the toilet. They all need maintenance, however, the chores surrounding the black water tank are the ones that no one looks forward to. There are certain things that go into a successful dumping of the tank and we also have a few tips to make the process a little less painful.

How to Hook up the Black Water Tank for Dumping

When you’re trying to hook up the hose to the RV black water tank, there are several steps to take. First, insert the downstream fitting on the 3” dump hose into the sewer port on the tank. Use a dump hose that has a right-angle fitting to connect the sewer port. Make sure it has either threads or locking tabs to hold the hose secure and prevent leaks and odors. You may need to connect several hoses as the length needs to reach both the RV and the dumping location. Second, before dumping the black tank, make sure all of the tank valves are closed. Then, remove the cap to the outlet pipe on the RV and attach the sewer hose bayonet fitting to the end of the pipe. Make sure there is plenty of water in the black tank so that everything goes smoothly. Once it’s securely in place, release the black tank valve and start dumping.

Tips for Dumping RV Black Water Tank

When you’re dumping the tank, there are several steps you can take to make sure that it is more effective and painless.

• When you pour the water or tank treatment down the toilet into the black water tank, turn off the exhaust fan in the bathroom. Doing so momentarily will prevent odors from being sucked into the living quarters. No one likes to smell this, so keeping it trapped in the bathroom is the way to go.
• Leave the black and gray tank valves closed while you’re in the campground. This one might seem obvious, but only open those tanks when you’re away from other campers. No one wants to smell it.
• Keep an eye on the tank levels and drain them when needed. This one might also seem obvious, but this way, you can avoid possible overflow disasters that can put a real damper on your trip.
• Don’t allow the black tank to drain constantly, as there won’t be enough water to keep the solids flowing when you need to empty it. This can then lead to building up or even a plugging up of the system.
• When you’re dumping your tanks, always empty the black water holding tank first and then empty the gray water tank. This allows the gray water tank to flush out the sewer hose, keeping it cleaner without using as much effort.

How Do I Flush My Black Water Tank?

Once the black water tank has been dumped, it will need to be flushed out. This keeps it clean and makes sure that all of the contents have been dumped. Neglecting this step can lead to build up, odors, and a tougher chore of dumping the next time. To flush your tank, there are several things to keep in mind.

When you’re flushing the tank, you can use a clean-out wand. This wand can be attached to a water hose designed for gray water and used to force water down through the toilet valve. If this method doesn’t work for your situation, there are other methods. You can pour a bucket or two of water down the toilet to flush clean water into the black water tank. You can also use the built-in flusher on the tank. The built-in tank flusher is the most effective method, as it designed specifically for this purpose. The built-in tank flusher connects to the black water tank and sprays a stream of fresh water into the tank from a water system separate from the fresh water system in your rig. This prevents any potential backflow. When using this tank-flush system, make sure that the tank drain is open to prevent the tank from overfilling or even rupturing from the overfill pressure. Drain the tank once it is flushed and repeat this step at least once more. When you are flushing your tank, make sure that you do not become distracted, as this can lead to overfilling your tank. Once you are done, rinse off the area around the dump station, add a few gallons of water to the black water tank, and add a holding tank treatment to break down any remaining solids and reduce any remaining odors.

Having a bathroom and toilet aboard your rig is a terrific perk of having an RV. With this perk, however, comes the chore of dumping the tanks. To keep down on stress and frustration, just follow the steps above!