You may have heard of the RV Doctor, Gary Bunzer, author, technical educator and RV/MH Hall of Fame member. Gary’ popular column, The RV Doctor, has been in continuous monthly publication since 1976. It has been featured in many different consumer RV publications over the years; currently in Family Motor Coaching Magazine as “House Calls with the RV Doctor” and “Doctor’s Orders” in RV Open Road Magazine. Comprehensive technical articles, blog posts, videos and product reviews by Gary are regularly published in print or online. As we’re involved in the new All Pro Water Flow website, we came across some mentions by the RV Doctor about our parent company and problems people were having with their RV’s holding tanks. He’s answered three RV owner questions on his website, RVDoctor.com. Noted below are condensed and slightly edited versions of those questions.
Holding Tank Stoppage
“Our black tank in the RV is plugged up in the toilet tank. We bought one of those back-flushing devices and back washed the tank several times. We took a snake and ran it as far as it would go from the toilet side and still the tank will not drain. The snake seemed to just coil up. Is there something else we could try?”
– Randall, Phoenix, AZ
“Randall, the subject of those dreaded holding tank blockages surfaces from time to time. It’s further compounded when the holding tank is not positioned directly under the toilet. The optimum set-up finds the toilet drainpipe going straight down and into the holding tank without the use of elbows. Unfortunately some manufacturers, because of the floor plan design, are forced to use elbows to connect the toilet to the black water holding tank, which I’m guessing is the situation on your coach. Additionally, toilet tank blockages often occur when tank valves are left in the open position while in the campground allowing all the liquid to drain out leaving the solids behind to dry out and stick in the drain piping or coagulate at the tank outlet. Always keep the tank termination valves fully closed until each tank is above 3/4 full before evacuating. In most cases, an almost full tank will provide enough force to completely drain all the solids along with the liquids.”
“Perhaps it’s time to contact All-Pro Water Flow. Their specialty is hydro-cleaning holding tanks and drain assemblies by using very high water pressure and a special nozzle that allows cleaning of the entire tank interior. I recommend this procedure at least once a year anyway to keep the tank probes clean and to eliminate false readings on the monitor panel. Back-flushing with typical city water pressure will not adequately clean or clear stubborn blockages.”
– Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor
Waste Management Woes
“What is the best method for thorough cleaning out of the sewer holding tank? Maybe like a pump or a back-wash system or an inside flush system?”
– Darryl, Albuquerque, NM
“Darryl, if I had to pick just one area where I feel RV manufacturers have let us down, I would have to pick the waste management system.We can all agree that waste management is probably the least appealing aspect of the RVing lifestyle. But to enjoy the total freedom RVs give us, it is something we must endure.”
“Thankfully, many RV coach builders have just about mastered the waste containment part by going to full-flow 3-inch outlets on all tanks, including the gray tank, improving the venting, adding better, non-invasive, monitoring systems and installing electric termination valves at the container outlet instead of a manual valve at the end of a long drain pipe. These additions to waste systems have generally made containment and evacuation easier and much safer. And safety is the key when it comes to the health and well-being of RVers! Just ponder the many bacteria, viruses and other disease-carrying critters that must thrive within the holding tanks and termination assemblies of our coaches. But, a serious problem lies between the termination assembly on your rig and the inlet to the dump station or sewer connection at the campground. That gray area (no pun intended), is not governed by any standard! Both entities, the RV manufacturer and the campground, leave that totally up to the discretion of the RV owner. Think about it, that portion of waste transfer, the most vulnerable to spillage, leakage, contamination, and disease, is left to the end user; in many cases, a novice RVer with little or no experience in the correct methods of evacuation and transfer.”
“I’m also a firm believer in allowing both holding tanks to be filled to above 3/4 full before emptying; the fuller, the better. The more force you have behind the evacuation, the less chance you’ll have of leaving contents behind. Any residual build-up in the bottom of any holding tank will eventually grow to become a blockage. You’ll notice I said “both” holding tanks above. Many RVers are instructed to leave open the termination valve for the gray tank and simply let it drain continually while connected to the campsite sewer inlet. This practice will leave behind a residue that will dry out and lead to odors and possible blockages. That’s right; holding tank odors can emanate from the gray tank as well as the solid waste tank. Fill them both and then evacuate when near full. Additionally, leaving the gray tank valve open all the time disrupts the sewer venting balance within the campground sewer system itself.”
“Ever notice a waste odor while strolling through the campground? With open gray valves, the campground now has multiple vents (individual motorhomes) spewing odors closer to the ground via the gray vents on the RV. It’s common practice to dump the black tank first, then the gray tank in order to help rinse the solids out of the termination piping and sewer hose. Continue to do this. I also recommend, where practical, to flush each tank with lots of clean fresh water to help rinse away any particles left over after evacuating. You cannot use too much fresh water in this step.”
“My final recommendation is one you’ll have to sub out. Locate a dealer offering the cleaning services of All Pro Water Flow. This company employs high-pressure hydronics (500 – 3,000 PSI) for cleaning the entire interior of each holding tank. Macerators and pumps may allow holding tanks to be evacuated faster while RVing, but the results will not likely be cleaner or more thorough than liberal amounts of high-pressure water spraying the entire interior surface of each tank once or twice a year (depending on use). For those holding tanks with internal monitor probes, this process will eliminate those erratic tank readings also! Randall, this service will eliminate your current condition.“
– Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor
Black Tank Flush Not Working
“I have a 2006 Fleetwood Pacearrow 36B, and this is the first time I have had this problem. The black tank has a built-in San-T-Flush device that I think may be partially blocked as I am not getting the usual water pressure from it. Water is getting through, but not with enough pressure to really clean the tank. My question is, can this be cleaned somehow without having to remove the tank? I thought of possibly filling the tank and adding some sort of chemical, then let it soak for some time. I would appreciate any feedback you could offer.”
– Olwyn
“Thank you for your recent email to the RV Doctor website. Sorry to hear about the issues with your tank flush. I am not a big fan of these products, simply because they are prone to failure in my opinion, and cannot adequately clean the inside of an RV holding tank in the first place. It might be good for filling and rinsing, but the gunk that builds up inside the tank (that promotes disease, shorts on monitor sensors and causes odors), is almost impervious to common water pressure simply being forced into the tank. I’ve been convinced that the better option and the only way to effectively clean the inside walls of holding tanks is by using extremely high water pressure; somewhat approaching 1,500 PSI or even higher in some cases. All Pro Water Flow is a company that performs such services. You’ll have to contact them to find the nearest service provider in your area. They actually can go as far as inserting a video camera into the holding tank before and after the cleaning process. The results are dramatic.”
– Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor
FYI, the picture used in this post is not of Gary Bunzer, but we think it captures the experience of the RV Doctor and certainly is of the style our Kleen Tank fans are used to!