Holding Tanks
Tech > Holding tanks
Aside from the fresh water tank and the water heater, larger trailers typically have two holding tanks - grey water (from the sinks and shower) and black water (from the toilet). Managing and draining the holding tanks may seem like an unpleasant and dirty job, but that doesn't have to be the case. We follow a few simple steps to keep it as clean and trouble-free as possible.
- Use RV-friendly toilet paper. Note that it doesn't have to be branded RV-specific as long as it breaks down in water. To test this, put a couple of sheets in a container about half full of water. Let it sit for a minute or so, then shake the container a few times. Check the contents... if the paper is in shreds it'll be fine. If it doesn't, keep it for home use and try another brand.
- Dump from dirtiest to cleanest. Draining the black tank first has a couple of benefits. Firstly, the grey water can be used to help flush the near-empty black tank - just leave the valve open when you open the grey valve. Secondly, finishing with the relatively clean grey water rinses out the drain hose(s) and attachment(s).
- Dump a full tank. Having more content in the tank helps flush out the solids. This applies especially to campsites with sewer hookups... don't leave the drain valves open just because you can. All of the liquids will drain out immediately, leaving the solids behind. The end result is a black tank with a poopcrete liner in the bottom.
- Drive with content in the tanks. The sloshing action in the tanks helps to break down solids, including toilet paper.
- Keep the tanks clean. We use The Geo Method, developed by Charles Bruni. In short, it involves adding water softener to both grey and black every few tankfuls, with the inclusion of laundry soap for the black tank. We use powdered water softener, Calgon in particular. It can be hard to find, but for my fellow Canadians I suggest talking to your local Home Hardware dealer... ours will order it for us. The water softener helps keep stuff from sticking to the sides of the tank and may even get those pesky and unreliable tank sensors working again!
- Prime the black tank. It's a good idea to add a few gallons of water to the just-emptied black tank... it keeps the tank from drying out and getting stinky, and it means that the first solids to enter the tank will start to break down right away.
We also use a FloJet portable RV waste pump for dumping the tanks at home... it's nice not to have to line up at the dump station on the way out of the park!
