Learning to Dump Tanks

[Luv2RV]

What advice would you give a newcomer to RVing on proper methods of dumping black and grey tank water?  Which one first?  Does one need gloves?  How to prevent spillage "accidents"?

 

[Ron]

What advice would you give a newcomer to RVing on proper methods of dumping black and grey tank water?? Which one first?? Does one need gloves?? How to prevent spillage "accidents"?

1. keep Black water tank valve closed until at least 3/4 full. 
2. if parked for a while with full hookups it is ok to leave grey water valve open but should close Grey water valve soon enough that at least half tank of
    water will accumulate before dumping black water tank
3. When time comes to dump insure sewer hose is properly connected and restrained in a manner that it will not pop out of the sewer.
4. With grey tank valve closed open BWT valve and let drain.  If you have an flushing system installed run water through it while draining. If not, fill
    toilet and flush toilet a few times.
5. After BWT is drained and flushed close BWV and open gery water valve.  This will wash out the sewer hose.

It is recommended you use gloves. Some folks don't.  However in either case wash hands imediately with soap and water when done.

Hope this helps.

 

[BernieD]

What advice would you give a newcomer to RVing on proper methods of dumping black and grey tank water?  Which one first?  Does one need gloves?  How to prevent spillage "accidents"?

luv

First make sure your connections are tight and solid, where your connectors and hose meet, and that there are no holes in the hose.

Next, I know that there are some on this forum that always wear gloves, but I haven't in over 5 years. I have never had an incident where I had cause to touch anything bothersome.

Do not plan to dump your black tank until it is at least 2/3rds full. This will put more pressure on the dump and clean out solids better (the Whoosh Effect). Open your black tank valve and fully dump. If you have a backflusher, use it now. Close the black tank valve and open the gray tank valve. When finished close the gray tank valve. Dumping gray second helps clean out your hose and connections.

Add a couple of gallons of water to the toilet to help maintain liquidity in the black tank until your next dump. Most of us have found tank level indicators to be notoriously inaccurate. I usually wait till the gray tank is full (doesn't drain from the sink) and then dump, the black is in the ball park at that time.

Happy Dumping ;D ;D ;D

 

[Karl]

Just a word of caution regarding Bernie's procedure: In my rig (with shower and tub), waiting until the sink doesn't drain is too late. Being lower than the sink drain, some of the waste water will back up into the tub un-noticed until you want to take a shower that morning (or night).

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'll subscribe to the suggestions by Ron and others, but I never wear gloves. Neither ioes my wife, who either helps or sometimes does it all herself.  Just wash your hand with regular soap and water after.  30 seconds of contact with soap will kill any germs and you need to wash anyway, even if you wear  gloves.

I could never figure out why people worry so about handling sewer hoses.  Your hands are much more likley to get "contaminated" touching your own body whenever you use the rest room and few of us wear gloves there! 

 

[Steve CDN]

I feel more fomfortable wearing non sterile medica examination gloves sold inpharmacis at about $3.00 for 50 gloves.  Being disposable, they do not present a storage problem.  However they can protect any open cuts or lesions present on you hand through which the e-coli organism could enter.

In addition I always wear safety glasses with wrap around lenses to protect my eyes from possible splashes in the eye.

Infections can enter the body through  any open cut, or active scratch or though any on the muucus membrane openings on our body..like eyes, mouth nose etc.

Proper hand washing, as Gary alluded to should take a minimum of twenty seconds, using warm to comfortably hot water, scrubbing between fingerts, along wrists and top and bottom of hands,

Any medically trained personnel on the Forum who would care to offer more guidance on proper hand washing?

 

[Tom]

I'm a disposable glove wearer too. Might seem illogical to some, but I almost always have cuts and scratches on my hands. Even if my own bacteria were considered safe, I don't feel comfortable handling stuff at the dump station where others have dumped before me.  It's the same rationale as when I see someone leave a restroom without washing their hands and shortly later want me to shake hands with them (it's happened); I'll walk away.

Call me paranoid, and I'll respond "guilty".

 

[Bob Zambenini]

Does one need gloves? 

Some good advice I got some 15 years ago when starting Rving. Go to auto supply and buy a pair of Battery handling gloves. Large black rubber with cuffs up to mid forarm. They are ideal for handling the dumping chores. So far I have the same pair and have not lost them!  Also same person, said to go get a set of  coveralls, like Dickies, several sizes larger than your normal size. I just slip them on over my clothes, when I go out to get ready to dump and hook up the toad and then peel ttem off when getting into the drivers seat.

Bob

 

[Steve CDN]

Does one need gloves?

Dickies, several sizes larger than your normal size. I just slip them on over my clothes,
Bob

Bob,

I got a pair like that several years ago...trouble is, after all the exposure to the wet conditions, they musta' shrunk, cause they are much too tight on me now!!!

 

[Ron]

Does one need gloves?

Dickies, several sizes larger than your normal size. I just slip them on over my clothes,
Bob

Bob,

I got a pair like that several years ago...trouble is, after all the exposure to the wet conditions, they musta' shrunk, cause they are much too tight on me now!!!

You too ??? ??? ???

 

[Carl L]

Does one need gloves??

Some good advice I got some 15 years ago when starting Rving. Go to auto supply and buy a pair of Battery handling gloves. Large black rubber with cuffs up to mid forarm. They are ideal for handling the dumping chores. So far I have the same pair and have not lost them!? Also same person, said to go get a set of? coveralls, like Dickies, several sizes larger than your normal size. I just slip them on over my clothes, when I go out to get ready to dump and hook up the toad and then peel ttem off when getting into the drivers seat.

Bob

I'll second or third the gloves, mine have lasted some 10 years.    For normal dumping they are overkill, no doubt.  However, they really shine when things get screwed up and you have to 'wade' into the resultant mess.  For normal use I simple rinse them off with water after dumping and store them in a plastic bucket along with my fittings and Johnny Cock in the sanitary stuff compartment.  If a disaster occurs, after the clean up is done, I dunk them, still on my hands, in the strong Chlorox solution I have just used to clean up the mess.

AFAICS the coveralls are a bit much, for most of my dumps I am wearing my hitching-up grubby jeans and really old shirt.  If I would get splatted or soaked, I would strip out and shower.  But then us trailer trash are a grubby lot at the best.  8)

 

[Carl L]

I'm a disposable glove wearer too. ...
Call me paranoid, and I'll respond "guilty".

Hey, remember even paranoids have enemies.  Or in this case, infections.