All you want to know and don’t want to know about your Black & Gray Tanks
Black & Gray Tank Issues
Odors (unpleasant smells in your RV)
The Dreaded POOP Pyramid
Compacted Tank
Blocked Toilet Line
Misreading Sensors
Black Mold
Mildew
Struvite
Fats – Oils – Grease (FOG)
Odors (unpleasant smells in your RV)
The odors you may be smelling in your RV (as unpleasant as they may be) are an indication that your wastewater system needs attention. The odors can be coming from several sources (Black and/or Gray Tanks, feeding in from the septic tank connection, or being released from faulty gas valves). The primary culprits for foul smelling odors come from the buildup of Struvite, Fats, Oils, Grease, Mold (yes Black Mold), Mildew, and the junk we introduce into our tanks (food, hair, skin, cleaning products, and chemicals).
You may be suppressed that the Gray tank in your RV is most often the bigger culprit for fowl odors. The fats, oils, grease, soap, hair, skin, food partials and other debris contribute to the unpleasant smells.
In some cases, it can also be contributed to a faulty Air Admittance Valve.
The dreaded POOP Pyramid
This is waste (poop and toilet paper) that accumulates into a pyramid shape right under your RV toilet line and has finally reached the top where it is now preventing anything from being added to the tank.
The Compacted Tank
A compacted tank is when solid waste has accumulated in the bottom of your black tank, preventing waste from exiting the tank when the black valve is opened.
Blocked Toilet Line
A blockage of toilet paper and solid waste can become trapped in the actual pipe that leads from the toilet bowl to the black tank. More common in 5th Wheels as they have bends in the line from the toilet to the tank, unlike other rigs that drop directly into the Black tank.
Misreading Sensors
Misreading sensors that are caked with waste and toilet paper debris (black tanks) or grease and oils (gray tanks) can sometimes falsely indicate you have a clog, telling you the tank is full, but nothing comes out when you open the black valve.
The sensors can also be damaged or broken. This can be from normal ware and use or from harsh chemicals that have damaged the sensors.
Gray Tank Issues
Fats – Oils – Grease (FOG) & food partials all accumulate in our tanks from the foods we eat and remain on the dishes we wash. This settles in our tanks, sticks to the walls and sensors in our tanks. We also have hair, skin, dirt, etc. that come from showering.