Many remember the childhood game of tug of war. Two teams grab a long rope and start pulling. Who wins? Well, whichever team gives up or, more likely, topples over and falls to the ground.

A little tug of war history

You may be surprised that the game of tug of war has national and international federations that sponsor worldwide tournaments. And there are rules … lots of them. Tug of war is an ancient game and there is evidence that is was played in ancient Greece, Egypt, and China. Also known as rope pulling, tugging war, and war of tug, it remains today a popular sport today that pits the strengths of two teams against each other and is practiced in some form in almost every country in the world.

The sport is played by both men and women, and historically was part of the Olympic Games between 1900 and 1920, but has not been included since these dates, despite attempts to bring it back. There are many variations of tug of war around the world including Sokatira in Spain’s Basque Country, Japan’s Tsunahiki, Indonesia’s Tarik Tambang, and Korea’s Jul Parigi.

Waring against your holding tank sensors

If there’s one common frustration with RVers, it’s their holding tank’s sensors. You would think something so common could be engineered to work correctly. Sure, the SeeLevel sensing system, which uses ultrasonic technology to read the tank’s waste level, is pretty accurate and common on most high-end, modern motor coaches.

But when it comes to any other kind of sensors, there’s certainly a love-and-hate — or tug of war — relationship that we all seem to have.

What causes the problems?

We hate to keep beating a dead horse (since we’re full of colloquialisms today!), but the most common cause of tank sensors not reading properly is the waste that is inside the tank. Huh? Yep, it’s the waste inside the tanks that the sensors are designed to read that is actually causing them to read incorrectly.

Most RVers use tank additives — enzymes, bacterial agents, harsh chemical concoctions — that are doing exactly what they are intended to do: break down waste (feces, vomit, toilet paper, and anything else degradable that goes into your toilet) into a more liquid form.

The hope is that the now more-liquid waste will exit the holding tank better, faster, and more completely.

That’s not what happens

But your holding tank system is not a septic system. Those tank additives are working, yes. Just as they are intended. But they are creating a thick, sticky slurry that is adhering to and gumming everything up: holding tank surfaces, drainage pipes and hoses, and, yes, your tank sensor probes.

Think about it: what would drain better out of your holding tanks?

A tank full of thick, sticky slurry, that moves at a very slow rate due to its consistency, adhesiveness, and greatly increased density, or a tank full of mostly water with solids suspended in it?

The tankful of water and intact solids, of course, would drain better and more completely.

So what do you do?

There are some “best practices” that you can do to get your tank sensors reading properly again — and keep them that way.

First, you need to get all of that old waste out of your tanks. Kleen Tank’s proprietary hydro-jetting cleaning technology uses the force of 1500 PSI water pressure to blast out any built-up and old waste lurking in your holding tanks and waste system pipes. Having this service performed regularly is critical to get your sensors back in working shape — and keeping them that way.

Next, stop using those enzymes, bacterial agents, and harsh chemical solutions. They are just making the situation worse and countering the intentions of your RV’s holding tank system — to serve as a way to store waste and water until it can be safely and completely removed.

Also, use more water in your RV’s holding tanks:

• Use an extra toilet bowlful of water after you flush down any solid waste.
• Empty your tanks when they are 90% to 100% full (add water to get the volume that high).
• Turn on your black tank’s flush system while emptying to increase turbulence.
• Use a tool like the Valterra Flush King Reverse Flush Valve to keep your tanks clean between professional servicing.
• “Prime” each tank by adding a few gallons of fresh water back into each tank once you’ve emptied them.
• Be sure to add three to five gallons in each emptied tank before traveling to your next destination.

Finally, be sure to schedule regular, professional cleanings by Kleen Tank or any of our sister All Pro Water Flow companies. Your efforts will only get so much waste removed from your holding tanks. A professional service like Kleen Tank has the technology, experience, and ability to get your holding tanks “factory clean.” Full-time RVers should have this service done twice a year while other RVers are fine with having it done annually.

Keeping your holding tank’s sensors reading properly doesn’t have to be an eternal game of tug of war. There are ways you can get an advantage and win the battle.

The post Stop playing tug of war with your holding tank sensors appeared first on Kleen Tank.

With 2018 winding down, we thought we’d take a few moments to count up the numbers, draw some conclusions about 2018, and think ahead to 2019. Ready? Here we go!

Sixteen RV rallies
In 2018, Kleen Tank attended 16 RV manufacturer or owners club rallies, in four states (California, Indiana, Iowa, and Oklahoma). This was an all-time high for us and we enjoyed every single rally we attended (except for Jayco, which we had to leave as one of our Collies, Trey, was not doing well — we ended up putting him down a few days later when we learned he had late-stage cancer).

191 RVs serviced
Another record for us. From luxury motor coaches to gigantic fifth wheels (one with two black tanks and three gray tanks!) to travel trailers and more, we serviced more RVs in 2018 than in any year previously. We’ve got plenty of stories to tell — some really interesting, some really gross, and some, well, it was an adventure!

586 tanks cleaned
That includes black tanks, gray tanks, and hot water heater tanks. That’s a lot of tanks, folks, and we are well on our way to 2,000 tanks cleaned during the six years our company has been in existence. Needless to say, we’ve seen it all!

426 seminar attendees
Every rally we attended had at least one seminar. We typically put on two — one on holding tank maintenance and the other on water heaters — but we also have a “combo” one that covers both topics pretty evenly. If you haven’t taken a look at the questions (and answers!) from our 2018 rally seminars, we have them here: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

633 Facebook fans
Yep, we took a giant leap forward in fans of our Facebook Page (Facebook.com/KleenTank). If you’re not a fan, go ahead and become one. We publish new posts there every day — and they’re not just about poop!

What’s coming in 2019?
Well, we currently have 13 RV rallies scheduled, so we’re being a bit more selective on where we’ll be. We thought we’d be closer to our home base this year, but it looks like Grand Design is calling our name in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri, and we’re doing two new rallies (in a row) down in Louisiana. Wonder if we’ll be at one of your rallies? Check out our Rally Calendar web page. Be sure to sign-up for service ahead of time and SAVE $25 off our rally pricing!

At some of our rallies, we are hosting social events like Pajama Party Breakfasts and Tiki Bar Happy Hours. It’s our way to try to make friends of fellow RVers too! Come join us.

At our seminars, we’ll be featuring a brand new, see-through, plastic holding tank that will show they work, explain where and how sensors are at, and be a better hands-on tool for answering your questions. We’ve got more “show and tell” items to pass around and some special surprises. Don’t forget that every seminar has a drawing for a free VISA gift card.

Our vendor hall booth will still have a lot of great items for sale, including Water Heater Flush Wands, the Valterra Flush King backflush valve, 9.5″ and 4.5″ water heater anodes, Sewer Saddle Bags, and our very popular Save-a-Drop water meters (we sold out of everyone we had at our rallies!).

We’re looking forward to 2019. Traveling, servicing RVers, and meeting new (and old) friends. See you out there and safe travels.

The post 2018 Was a Very Good Year appeared first on Kleen Tank.

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!

The post What the RV Doctor says about All Pro Water Flow appeared first on Kleen Tank.

The other day, we were going over some recent changes Facebook has made to company profile Pages. Wow, were there some things that were different! So, we got busy re-completing our profile and adding in more information about Kleen Tank onto our Facebook page (Facebook.com/KleenTank — pay us a visit and Like our daily posts on all kinds of interesting RV-related topics). One new section was a whole page titled, About Us. So it got us thinking about our start in the industry and what we actually do. We thought you might like to know more about us:

The post Who is Kleen Tank? appeared first on Kleen Tank.