Answered Delayed Waste Tank Dump

[RandyB]

We recently made the Covid19 mad dash home from our winter trip out west. To decrease the interactions with anyone, we dry camped our way home over 6 days. Now that we're home and everything is closed, including the nearest sanitary dump station, I'm beginning to worry about the waste tanks. Both toilets are macerators, so I know when the waste went into the black tank, there were no mountains. We also use RV Paper, so I know the paper breaks down rapidly. I added some of the gimmick tank additive, just in case. What is concerning me is several weeks (maybe months) of stationary tanks and contents. The nearest dump station normally opens the first week of May. It's managed by my county government, so I'm sure the priority for opening will be low. My black tank is at 2/3 full, so I was going to be filling it via the flush port to not only get it full, but also to agitate the contents a bit before dumping.

How long has anyone held their waste tank contents without having issues? Suggestions?

 

[Richpatty]

Not sure how long is OK to hold the waste...never had to do that before.... But do you have a sewer clean out at your home you could use?

 

[RandyB]

Not sure how long is OK to hold the waste...never had to do that before.... But do you have a sewer clean out at your home you could use?

no

 

[Neal]

Sounds like a camping trip coming up? I think there is an app that shows dump stations, is there a Cabellas or anything nearby?

 

[RandyB]

I've looked at sanidump, rvdumps, rvparky, campendium, rvlife and a couple more. The next nearest campground has a dump for registered guests only. No nearby RV repair stations have a dump. So yeah, a camping trip may be in order. Post quarantine, that is.

 

[Neal]

Some CG's will allow you to dump for small fee. May be worth a call.

 

[RandyB]

thank you. Something to consider.

 

[MapNerd]

Loves, PFJ, Camping World and Roadies might also be an option.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I would definitely find some place to dump and flush the tanks. Long-term storage of...er..."black" stuff is not recommended.

TJ

 

[Neal]

This is one of those scenarios where adding a sanicon would save the day. You could connect a garden hose to the sanicon and pump into your house toilet.

 

[CoreyinWP]

Yup..portable version

Sanicon 300 RV Macerator System For Waste Management|97586

The Thetford Sanicon Turbo is the fastest and cleanest way to empty your RV's holding tank. The Sanicon Turbo can be installed permanently - 97586

www.pplmotorhomes.com

 

[Neal]

I have the Turbo 400S which is also easy to add. Bayonet mounted.

 

[FL-JOE]

I would find a truck stop and dump. Not sure if there are any closer, but the Loves in Goshen has an RV dump. If I'm not mistaken aren't you folks getting some temps down in the 20's up there again?

 

[Buly]

This is one of those scenarios where adding a sanicon would save the day. You could connect a garden hose to the sanicon and pump into your house toilet.

I would be nervous as heck, pressure feeding the brown Apple sauce into the house. My coach came with Sanicon, but I never touched it. It stays in the storage bay. I let the gravity do the job.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I concur with @Buly regarding using the Sani-Con to pump into the house toilet. I can see a lot of bad things happening and all of them come in basic brown.

That said, we like--and use---our Sani-Con. It works great and I would have ho problem using it to pump to an external sewer connection point of some kind (clean-out, septic tank port, etc.). If something goes awry when pumping to an external connection point, it would be a bit of a mess, but certainly not on the order of having it happen inside the house.

TJ

 

[AbdRahim]

That brings up a question. How fast canyou dump into the cleanout at the house. I always open the gate completely, when dumping, in order to ge as much outward pressure and swirling as possible. I would assume one would have to dump slowly, and thus inefficiently into the clean out. Can someone clarify who has done this?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

In my experience, sewer clean-out fittings are usually 3" or 4" in residential applications. Since the Sani-Con hose is 1-1'2" (apparently, some older ones are 1"), anything over that size should be perfectly adequate.

TJ

 

[RKins]

I am on municipal waste systsem and the cleanout for my house is right beside the coach - I pull the black handle and let it fly, then the grey. I don't think you can do this on a septic tank system though. Something about the leech field.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I am on municipal waste systsem and the cleanout for my house is right beside the coach - I pull the black handle and let it fly, then the grey. I don't think you can do this on a septic tank system though. Something about the leech field.

I had not thought about overloading a septic system. Hmmmmm. Good point., @RKins!

Dumping 100+ gallons of black and gray water into a septic system in a short time period might cause the raw sewage to overflow from the primary septic tank section to the secondary side and then flow out, undigested, into the drain field. Ordinarily, the septic system would receive a gallon or two per flush or sink drain. It digests in the primary tank section and then relatively clear liquid flows over the baffle and into the secondary section that feeds the drain field.

Short-circuiting the digesting process with a large quantity of sewage in a short period of time could, indeed, be a problem. That's causing me to reevaluate my plan to put a in sewer connection for the coach because we are on a septic system. Gotta think about that!

TJ

 

[RandyB]

Thanks for the discussion. I’ll advise when I get a chance to dump.
Condo living (no parking, no sewer cleanout) coach in storage without utilities. No sanicon or place to hose to.
Due to predicted below freezing temps, had to make an urgent winterizing of the fresh water system. Compressed air blow-out and anti-freeze in drain traps. Forgot about the washer until the next day. Dangit