Should anything be visible down toilet 'drain' after flushing?

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Lonestar Guy

Lonestar Guy

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New to RV'ing. Wondering if, after flushing, I'm supposed to be able to see any toilet paper or umm... well, other stuff down in the drain tube for the toilet or should I see only the pipe? It looked as if the paper wasn't being flushed all the way out. I prodded it with a stick and it seem most of it moved along but I still see paper remnants down there. I've poured a bucket of water in there and it still doesn't seem to move all the way out. Yet, there is no clog, at least not enough to even slow the water from draining.

I hope this makes sense. Thoughts? Is it OK for some sludge to be visible or should it all wash out. I can't imagine it should stay there especially when you are done camping for a few weeks or longer. Assuming it should flush out, what do I need to do to evacuate the remnants. Poking and stirring with stick doesn't do the trick. Could there be a partial clog along the drain path to the black tank?

Thanks!
 
Are you camping hooked up to sewer with black tank valve open?

You should have it closed so water builds up in the tank. When tank has enough (I don?t know if half full or what is best), then open the valve to drain. You need lots of flow to empty the solids.
 
It's a 'new camper'... only our 8th night total. 6th on this trip.

Yes, camping now with hookups but am aware to not have valve open all the time. Had valve closed until it was 3/4 full then emptied it and closed it again. Not full enough to empty yet. Will do so in the morning before we leave. I guess I first noticed when maybe 'too much' paper was used before flushing. But it seems it would eventually flush out.

So, I'm guessing I should only see the 90 degree turn of the pipe and nothing else? Or am I looking directly into the black tank? I'm doubting that because when I prod with a stick, it hits something solid about a foot or so below the floor where the paper is visible.

Maybe it is a partial poop clog. Would one carefully use a small snake to clear it or what method?

Thx again!
 
Once you're done dumping and flushing, add about 5 gallons of water to get the breakdown action started.

As far as the pipe, I don't think it will be a 90 degree elbow but it could be. You may be looking at  45 degree elbow and a short length of pipe then another 45 degree elbow to dump into the tank. Or do you have a straight pipe. If you do have a straight pipe, you should be able to see the bottom of the tank. If you have an elbow, and things are hanging up, I wonder if there is some pipe cement in the water way and things are catching on it. You may have to go down there with your arm and feel around for anything pointed. You could run some bleach down there first to kill any bacteria.
 
Thx, will consider. This issue seems to be very high up in the drain like paper is catching on something. Or was too much at one point and all not freed up yet. Maybe it will soften up in a few hours and break loose.

The sensor now says 1/2 full. I will empty in the morning then add 5-10 gallons to slosh around on way to next and last site before heading home, but I don't think the tank itself is the issue at this point. (I repeat, I don't THINK so.) It's just below the toilet at the first turn of the pipe where I see the problem. 
 
Yea, SeilerBird, I'm sure when I have looked before I only saw pipe. Maybe I need a 4" bottle brush!
 
One thing the gravity toilets use less water than a home unit. So it may be you did not have enough water to flush it all down the pipe.. Or did not stand on the pedal long enough.

If it happens again try re-fill and re-flush. then if you still have a problem  Let us know. in fact let us know either way.
 
We never put toilet paper down the toilet. We have a small covered waste basket beside the toilet, and all toilet paper goes there. And, no, it does not smell. This does avoid any toilet paper clogging problems at the source.


We also wash our dishes in a plastic basin in the sink, and then pour the basin water down the toilet. This does several things. It reduces the chance of filling up the gray tank early, which is very common. It conserves water, as the basin is smaller than a sink. It keeps a lot of liquid in the black tank, which also tends to prevent any clogs.
 
Frank B said:
We never put toilet paper down the toilet. We have a small covered waste basket beside the toilet, and all toilet paper goes there. And, no, it does not smell. This does avoid any toilet paper clogging problems at the source.
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Last year before I had the sewer line replaced I was doing the same thing. I mentioned it here and I had a few people attack me for it saying it was the grossest thing they ever heard of.
 
Probably a 45 degree bend - a 90 would be sure to clog regularly.

Back in the day the toilet used to drop straight into the tank, but now the 45 degree offset seems to be in vogue.  I guess to avoid offending someone's sensibilities.
 
You seem to be taking proper toilet precautions.  Start with 5 - 10 gal in an empty yank.  Keep black valve closed until ⅔ full, then dump and add 5 - 10 gal water.

In theory, nothing should hang up below the toilet.  Good suggestions above for finding out why you do.  With that said, it is all below the toilet flush valve, so it should not generate odors and will likely get pushed on down with the next flush.  Note the toilet was designed to handle BM and TP.  I would not get too obsessed unless there is a build up at that point.

If you have a hand flush / sprayer with the toilet or if the shower head hose is long enough, you could use them to flush the problem away.
 
You might have a bit of a lip or projection where the elbow attaches to the pipe that's acting as a hook to snag paper going by.  Was the wad of toilet paper near the junction of two pieces?

If so, clean everything off as well as you can and look for something that can snag stuff going by.  Even running a dowel or stick down the inside of the pipe can identify a rough spot.  It doesn't take much to start the buildup, more stuff gets snagged every time you use the toilet.  Even something as simple as not cleaning up the inside edge of the pipe to remove the rough edges when it was cut can snag debris.

Since it's a new camper you're in luck ... if you can identify a rough spot in the pipe, let the dealer handle it under warranty.  ;D
 
SeilerBird said:
Last year before I had the sewer line replaced I was doing the same thing. I mentioned it here and I had a few people attack me for it saying it was the grossest thing they ever heard of.
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I dunno, which is more gross? Putting tp in a sealed container where it dries in minutes, or running a snake or a bottle brush down into the bowels of the black tank?
 
Frank B said:
I dunno, which is more gross? Putting tp in a sealed container where it dries in minutes, or running a snake or a bottle brush down into the bowels of the black tank?
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I can't imagine how come anyone would think it was gross talking about toilet paper. It is a fact of life.
 
I'm happy that you guys have such a large black tank that you can run 5 to 10 gallons of water in it right off the bat. Ours is 26 gallons and I'm not wasting that much tank capacity. I run two toilet bowl fulls after I dump. We use Cottonelle Ultra Strong and we have never had a problem with the black tanks for 5 years now. I've yet to figure out why folks don't dispose of the toilet paper in the toilet. The black tank designed and made for it. If your RV doesn't have a black tank flush system, I would highly recommend one. They work well, and you don't have to stress on black tank problems.
 
I run enough water after I dump the tank to keep the dump valve submerged so any debris on it remains wet and pliable instead of drying into a hard crust.  That's about a gallon or two depending on the length and shape of your outlet pipe.

Beyond that, having a layer of water underneath the toilet to aid in poo breakup is a plus but not strictly necessary.  If you wait to dump until the tank is 1/2 to 3/4 full, the liquid level will get there anyway as you use the toilet.

Unless you have a tank like I have in my 1993 Hall Chaparral Class A.  The previous owner replaced the black tank with one that has a stepped bottom, so the outlet plumbing can cross underneath the tank.  Unfortunately this places the toilet on the upper level so if I fill the tank until I see water under the toilet I've used about half of tbe tank's capacity.

I just use more water for the first few flushes to wash "stuff" over the step and towards the outlet.
 
We had the poop pyramid on the last 5th wheel we had before this one (we were 2nd owners). I used a wand on a hose and the awning hook to break it up. Since that episode when the 5th wheel is going to be sitting between trip for 2-3 weeks or longer I fill the black tank with water and ad a box of rid-x or a bottle of rid-x which ever is available. Then the bacteria can work on anything in the tank including anything stuck to the sensors. When ready to go on the next trip I drive around for 10-15 minutes and dump the tank. I am lucky enough to have an RV dump that goes into our farm lagoon. The tank stay clean and the sensor works too.
 
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