We demonstrate how to dump RV waste water holding tanks and thoroughly clean the black tank. Keeping your sewage tank super clean requires following a few simple procedures which will make it stay odor-free.
To view our “express” version of this procedure watch:
Lots of RVers think their black tank is clean when they just empty it and flush out the sewer hose with water from the grey tank.
Even those RVers who use a black tank flush system often don’t utilize the most important piece of equipment necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the black tank: a clear sewer elbow.
And even using a clear sewer elbow on your camper isn’t enough. As we demonstrate, using a black tank flush connection, and plenty of water STILL won’t do the job. Using the proper technique is essential for maintaining the black tank and keeping it clean and odor-free.
We go through the step-by-step instructions for making sure that your RV holding tanks stay clean and fresh, making your motorhome, travel trailer or fifth wheel a nicer place to be.
We’ll also cover a few basics about sewer connections, flush valve use, toilet chemicals and special techniques for cleaning and deodorizing a problem sewage holding tank. In addition, we’ll review some details that every RVer should know about when and where to empty their black tank.
Recent & Related Videos:
- RV Holding Tank Dumping 1-2-3
- RV Water Heater Flush and Inspection (Suburban & Atwood)
- RV Water Heater Flush & Inspection Surprise!
Featured & Related Products:
- Clear Sewer Elbow (45°)
- NOTE: this adapter works with the sewer hose that we use, but if your hose already has the ears/tabs built onto it and it attaches directly to your RV’s sewer port, this won’t work for you. You’ll need an adapter like this one, instead.
- 15′ Flush Hose
- Backflow Preventer
Great video, I am new to this and did not realize the black tank valve doesnt need to be open all of the time. I do have a question? How do you do this if you do not have the cleanout hose connection?
Hi Michael. Yes… it’s very important that you leave the black tank valve closed all the time. If you don’t, the liquids drain out and leave the solids behind… which pile up into a pyramid beneath the toilet and can solidify. It’s a real problem and can be difficult to fix.
If you don’t have a tank flush system built into your RV, you can use a third party wand like this one: https://amzn.to/3ywecpX When dumping your tanks, you’d attach a second hose to the wand and feed it in to the bathroom. Step on the pedal to open the toilet gate valve and insert it down into the tank. Of course, you’ll only want to do this if you’re at a full hook-up campground, and not when you’re at a dump station, since this process takes a little while and you don’t want to hold up the people behind you.
Cool, I will do that. Thank you
[…] Many RVers don’t realize they need this essential piece of gear… until they watch our tank dumping videos! They explain why it’s almost impossible to monitor the health of your black tank without […]
When I remove the cap that seals the pipe for traveling there is black water in it and it spills on me and everything else when I take it off to drain the tanks. My black water gate is closed so there must be the valve is a little open so how do I fix that?
Hi Gary. You almost certainly need a new blade valve on your black tank. You’ll likely need one of these, either of which should work fine: https://amzn.to/2MAdYqj or https://amzn.to/2Th2eeZ You’ll want to empty and thoroughly flush the black tank out before starting the job, then four bolts get removed. Wiggle the old valve out and install the new one. We had to replace ours about 8 or 10 years ago, and it’s never leaked since.
I have a 2003 komfert 5th wheel, I’m seeking info of how, and best way to completely clean out black water tank? I’m in a park and live aboard, since I bought unit in 2015 tank sensor has read no less then 2/3 even after dump, but now within last 6 mos, or so I’m getting odor inside RV! I’ve used the store bought enzymes ,helped with odor, but still reads 2/3 in tank. Is there anything to safely use on pvc plumbing, that will revive the workings of tank sensor,,,as well as odor, and completely clean out tank and keep that way,,also how often for tank dump,,just me living here , seldom one other..
Thank you
Hi Andrew. Sorry to hear about the problem you’re having. Have you tried any products that are designed to super clean the black tank and break down sludge, such as Happy Campers Extreme Clean? If not, we’d suggest that it’s worth a try before you go hiring a pro to power wash out your black tank (which would be the next step). You can find Happy Campers Extreme here: https://amzn.to/2DoczlV We don’t have personal experience with it (we just use their regular tank treatment, which we like), but many people give it good reviews. As far as how often to dump… we suggest doing it whenever the tank reaches about 2/3 – 3/4 full… which you will hopefully be able to tell once your tank is back in ship shape!
What is the water softener that you are referring to about cleaning the black tank? Is it water softener salt?
Thanks, Kristen
Hi Kristen! We usually use 20-Mule Team Borax or Calgon, which you can find in the laundry product aisle at most grocery stores.
This is an awesome video. I knew what you was going to do before you did it when you reached down and closed the drain valve while the tank flush was still spraying water into the tank. I learned that one on my own. One day while draining my tank, I thought to myself, ” If I closed the drain valve and let the water spray into the tank, It would ad water and stir things around. Well I was right. It sure did and there was more brown stuff came from the drain. I do use the clear elbow so I can see whats going on while dealing with this situation. I’ve been full timing sense I was in my teens, and I’m now 62, so I’ve learned a few things over the years… So, Thanks for helping others learn the proper way to drain and clean their black tanks. Thumbs UP !
I wonder if you could help us please, we have a Newmarket Dutchstar, we have tried to flush our black tank but the water is spraying out over the fresh water tank from a small pipe is sticking up by the toilet waste pipe underneath where the black tank is and this is where the water is spraying out. Do you know how we can fix this problem. We have managed to take a photo of this if it would help. Many thanks
Hi Tracy. We’ll need to see the photo, so we’ll e-mail you directly so that you can reply with the photo attached. Hopefully that will help us diagnose the issue.
Hello! I’m fairly new to RV’ing and still learning quite a bit. First I want to thank you guys for all the informative videos you post. I came across your account via Gone with the Wynns. Watching these videos definitely helped with my first RV purchase.
My RV is a 2004 Damon Challenger 348. Not sure if this is a issue or not but I’ve noticed the valve to flush out the black water tank leaks. A fellow RV’er told me that this is normal to prevent overflow. My concern is, based on the leaking flush valve, I have to empty my black water tank in less than a week. It will start to smell and I can see a slow drip coming from the sewage bay area. I’m a single mom of four kids including a set of 1yr old twins; so only three of us use the toilet. I remember you saying you can go two weeks before dumping your black tank. My tank is approx. 50gal, so I find it odd that the leak is from overflow in less than a week. When I connect my hose to the valve to flush out the tank it doesn’t leak at all. Something else I notice is when I dump the black tank I can tell by the amount that comes out that it is no where near 50gal worth of waste.
Not sure if this matters but we currently use the RV toilet for #1 only and we don’t flush toilet paper. I have a DIY composting toilet for #2. The leak will start approx. 4-5 days after I dump.
Looking forward to hearing back from you soon. Thanks for your help in advance!!
Hi Tamyka. First, we have a couple of questions to be sure we understand exactly what’s happening.
We can only go 2-3 weeks without dumping when we’re staying in campgrounds with bathroom facilities, allowing us to avoid using our own bathroom as often. When we’re boondocking with no other facilities available except our own, it’s more typical for us to have to dump our 45-gallon black tank more often, maybe every 1-2 weeks.
Hi guys! Thanks for the quick response.
1. Yes, it is coming from the fitting for flushing the black tank.
2. It is definitely waste water.
3. It is a factory installed flushing system.
4. I dump the tank once I start to smell the odor and visually see a slow drip coming from the sewage bay . The sensor light will kind of show 2/3 full. I say kind of because the sensor light for 2/3 goes on and off, especially if the kids are bouncing around. The 1/3 light stays steady. I’ve never reached full.
5. After I dump the sensor shows empty.
6. I do not leave the flush hose attached.
7. The odor comes from the sewage bay where the leak is present. Sometimes I smell the odor outside first and by the next day I will get whiffs of it inside the RV right above the sewage bay area which is right outside the bathroom door in the hallway. At that point I go and dump. After I dump there is no odor present from inside or out.
Sounds like I need to repair/replace the flush valve. Is this something that could be done without taking it in to a professional? If I do have to take it in is it better for me to buy the part myself? Also, if you have a ball park figure of what a repair like this should cost please let me know. I know for a fact I’m an easy target. :/
Thanks again for all your help! :)
I thought I should mention one more thing. When I open the door to the sewage bay there is a small puddle of waste water inside.
This past week I dumped extra early due to having company. So we only went about 3 days after the previous dump. There was no leak or any waste water in the bay area. That pretty much let me know once the waste water reaches the flush valve which is not that high on the black tank it starts leaking.
Thanks for all the detailed information, Tamyka. From what you’re describing, it sounds like the vacuum breaker (which is designed to prevent liquid in the black tank from being able to come out through the water inlet for the flushing port) has failed. In and of itself, the vacuum breaker is not a particularly expensive part (approx $20 online). But the level of difficulty for replacing it, and the associated cost if a professional is doing it, will depend on WHERE the vacuum breaker is installed (i.e. how easy it is to get to).
If you feel comfortable trying to tackle the job, you could start (after being sure the tank has been dumped) by tracing the water line from the inlet port where you hook up the flushing hose. That should have plumbing behind it that probably goes up (usually above the level of the black tank, so it could be fairly high) to a vacuum breaker. Another hose will go from the vacuum breaker back down to the sidewall of the black tank where the rinsing unit itself is mounted. If you can easily remove the vacuum breaker, you could take it to a local RV repair facility and they will most likely have a replacement (or you could look for a similar unit online… like this one on Amazon). You may want to use a ziploc bag and a rubber band to cover over the hose that comes from the black tank to the vacuum breaker if you remove it… and be sure to keep that hose up above the level of the black tank so that it doesn’t “ooze” anything! And, obviously, you should refrain from using the toilet while this part is removed… JUST to be safe! ;)
If you’re not comfortable tackling the job yourself, you could ask around at the RV park you’re in to see if anyone knows of a local mobile RV repair service. There are lots of them around the country… and they are very convenient, since you don’t have to move the RV to take it in to the service facility.
Hope this helps!
I am noticing a horrible odor from my black tank. I live in my RV so it never moves. I’ve tried several of the additives. Today is particularly bad.
What can I do. I don’t see a tank flushing system on the outside. I have a Mallard M325.
Oh boy, Carol. Sorry to hear you’re having an odor problem. There are a couple of things it could be… and a couple of things you could try.
First off, it’s possible that, since you’re stationary, bees/wasps/spiders have built nests in your black tank’s vent pipe (or pipes… sometimes there’s more than one), which would prevent odor from being able to vent to the roof. So you may have to remove the vent cap and carefully try cleaning the vent tube to ensure there’s a clear path for air (of course being careful not to get stung if it IS bees!)!
Also, since you’re stationary, it’s possible that you need to do a more heavy-duty cleaning of the tank. Lots of the tank additives don’t do much other than try to mask the odor with nicer-smelling odors. So you may want to try something like Happy Camper’s Extreme to “eat out” the “gunk” that may have accumulated. It might take a couple of soaking treatments to get all of the accumulation from the bottom & sides of the tank eliminated.
Since you don’t have a tank flushing system, you could try using a wand like this Camco Swivel Stik that you can put down the open toilet in order to help “blast” loose any accumulated “stuff” in the tank after you dump. We haven’t used one of these (since we have a built-in tank rinsing system), so we’re not sure how effective it would be.
Lastly, if you’ve tried/checked everything else and you’re still having a problem, you could try installing a 360 Siphon Vent on your black tank vent pipe on the roof. These are much more effective at creating suction up the vent stack, so that gases and smells don’t find their way into your RV.
Hopefully, one (or more) of these will help you to get rid of the odor!
I just use Borax in my tanks. After dumping them I refresh them again with borax. Never have had a odor problem. Lots of rinsing before storage and I leave about 3 gallons of fresh water with borax in my tanks when in storage.