usaperuvian Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 I know black tanks don't show proper levels but does that happen to the gray tank? I've noticed the last two times we've dumped our tanks it shows 50% level in our grey tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Same kind of sensors (screws through the tank wall) to accumulated scum like grease in the water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usaperuvian Posted August 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Thank you. I just couldn't think of what would cause it to malfunction now I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Same kind of sensors (screws through the tank wall) to accumulated scum like grease in the water. Very often the gray effluent smells worse than the black...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skp51443 Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Just before you pull out for a trip dump all your hot water in the gray tank along with 1/4 cup of dish soap and it hopefully will slosh around enough to clean up the sensors. Dump the tank as soon as possible once you arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Just before you pull out for a trip dump all your hot water in the gray tank along with 1/4 cup of dish soap and it hopefully will slosh around enough to clean up the sensors. Dump the tank as soon as possible once you arrive. I do this sort of thing also, but rather than dish soap that creates suds, I prefer to use laundry detergent and I use more like a cup full. Pour the detergent into the first of the water and down the drain first. I also do that same thing with the black tank. I usually do this two or three times a year. Most of us soon learn how to know about when the tanks are needing to be dumped based upon time and usage and stop depending upon the gauges to know. The RV manufacturers still use the cheapest type of tank level sensors for the most part and they are very subject to getting a coating of scum over them and so indicating full when there is little or nothing in them. There are now systems like those from Garnet/See Level which work reliably but very few manufacturers will spend the money to put those in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathydavidb Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 We too use dish soap to slosh around before we dump. It really works well and cleans the sensors as well as the tank. (Note: Don't use too much soap or your vent pipe for the tanks will be blowing bubbles as you drive down the road. - Lots of strange looks there!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 (Note: Don't use too much soap or your vent pipe for the tanks will be blowing bubbles as you drive down the road. - Lots of strange looks there!) That is the reason we use laundry detergent. It does not make suds....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legendsk Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Since it's beginning RVing and Gray Tanks, I'll throw in something which surprised me. The manufacturer of my trailer installed a washer/dryer combo which was on my list of necessities because I really don't like laundromats, Apparently the plumbing designer was a fine arts major who simply dumped the washer into the gray tank vent pipe. The result is, after the first quart of water the air pressure in the gray tank keeps it from accepting any more and the vent pipe begins to fill up until it reaches the level of the top of the washer drain pipe (another quart or so). At that point all the water dumped onto the floor and ran down into the basement. I sort of hate to admit that it took a second load of laundry to confirm for me that the system just didn't work. I took the pipes apart inspected everything and glued them back together without finding anything. From experienced folks I learned that many, maybe even most, trailers are plumbed so that you must have the gray tank drain open and dump the water straight through it when washing. So instead of going to a laundromat, I have to go to somewhere I can dump gray water. How dumb! Just from a simple plumbing design mistake. Of course it could be fixed by replacing the gray tank, re-routing the plumbing and redoing everything, which will altogether cost about half of what the trailer did. On the good side, I found a wonderful RV park where I really enjoy life, permanently hooked to sewer and shore power, so it has turned out to not be an issue after all. And I learned what great advice is available on this and the trailer manufacturer's forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark and Dale Bruss Posted August 14, 2015 Report Share Posted August 14, 2015 Dumping into the vent is an oddity. Usually it is either dump the washer drain into the gray tank or into the trailer drain line, after the tank valves. Our trailer is into the drain line which means the cap needs to off the end of the drain line and the sewer hose installed. Actually with the cap on, you can almost finish the first load before the rinse water backs up the washer drain and proceeds to rinse the basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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