Draining black tank into grey tank.....

[Joe & Cherie]

I think some of people's thoughts are how they were brought up or used to. I too have many times dumped on my property when I got home. I also have a friend down the road that still has a functional out house on his 80 acres. We live in rural areas on acerage. Our septic tanks leach into our yards by design. They are meant to do that. It's probably a country mindset. Some rustic campgrounds we camp at have outdoor showers that run off at the full timers sites to shower off after getting out of the lake or river.

I'm not going to mix my tanks but more for the venting reason. Like I memtionef every home with septic has a mixed tank. If you have city sewer you are one ptrap away from the entire neighborhoods black water.

It's all good! ��

[Joe & Cherie]

I do want to add that I respect everybody's opinions here and appreciate them! I'd buy you all a beer but I can't cause then my black tank would be full again !! Ha!!

[WaltP]

I had a Parkliner for awhile. It's a very well designed and built trailer, but one thing I decided wasn't acceptable was a combined black/grey tank, precisely because it meant not being able to dump grey water where wanted/needed.

Walt

[Wayne Collins]

Here is another idea: ParkLiner trailers have only one tank - Grey/Black - because their optional toilet, is a macerator type that makes a "smoothie" out of everything and pumps it back to the grey tank.

[WaltP]

I'm aware of that, but I still don't like the system, for reasons stated. And I'm a firm believer in the KISS principle, which the mascerator toilet grossly violates. It's another drain on the batteries, just one more thing to break at just the wrong time, and a potential for expensive repairs

Walt

[wbullivant]

I owned an Itasca Navion where the manufacturer (Winnebago) drained the bathroom sink into the black tank. It was probably more convenient for them and also kept more water in the black tank. I never experienced any problem from that design but was very conscientious about having clean tanks when the RV wasn't in use. Gray tanks can also get very smelly if not properly maintained much the same way as black tanks.

I regularly read the View/Navion web site and do recall any negative comments on this subject from the more than 5,000 members that have RV's with that design feature.

[Sid]

It appears that the 2017 Airstream 16 foot Sport also combines the grey and black into a 21 gallon tank. They must also have the macerator toilet.

[ShelbyM]

I confess to having drained some gray only into my flower bed just behind where the trailer is parked. Would not hesitate to do it again. But it's my flower bed and nobody is going to have to camp near it! And another camper won't be in tomorrow to repeat the process, over and over. I'll draw the line at having toilet trout basking among the hostas, got to maintain some standards....

[steve dunham]

[QUOTE=mary and bob;635949]

Originally Posted by JWScarab

It is an interesting concept. My home uses a septic tank and only has one tank. The only thing between me and that is my sink p-trap so it is an interesting thought.

There should be a big trap in the sewer line just before it exits your house

My home on city sewer and my cabin with septic does not have a main line trap . If you place a trap at the fixture and in the main line you will be double trapped and that is illegal in most areas and unnecessary. The waste water on a trailer is only trapped at the fixtures ( sinks , shower ,toilet ) and not at the tanks. There is often a back flow preventer on the main sewer line to stop sewage from flowing from the main sewer in the street back into your home
Years ago the used what was called a running trap.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

You might want to think about more use of your gray tank. There aren't too many campgrounds where watering the trees is a good idea, permitted or not. Dish washing involves food residue that can stink and/or attract varmints. If you have the option of keeping it in your tank and disposing properly, why not?

.... .... ....

Last year my campsite neighbor washed their dishes at the back of their RV and then dumped the water in the bushes a few feet behind us.. even though a very nice dish washing station was at the bath house all of 50 feet away from them!

[mary and bob]

[QUOTE=steve dunham;636004]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

My home on city sewer and my cabin with septic does not have a main line trap . If you place a trap at the fixture and in the main line you will be double trapped and that is illegal in most areas and unnecessary. The waste water on a trailer is only trapped at the fixtures ( sinks , shower ,toilet ) and not at the tanks. There is often a back flow preventer on the main sewer line to stop sewage from flowing from the main sewer in the street back into your home
Years ago the used what was called a running trap.

My house, built in 1958, drilled well and septic tank, has cast iron sewer pipe in the basement and out to the 1000 gallon tank. There is a trap at the basement wall where the cast iron goes through. Please don't call the sewer police on me.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by ShelbyM

You might want to think about more use of your gray tank. There aren't too many campgrounds where watering the trees is a good idea, permitted or not. Dish washing involves food residue that can stink and/or attract varmints. If you have the option of keeping it in your tank and disposing properly, why not?

Interesting you said that. At the LBL rally last October, I asked at the ranger station if there were a place to dispose of water used to wash dishes. After giving me an incredulous look, he said "Ya, in the bushes behind your Campsite.

Originally Posted by Tom 72

Note, this is not directed at the original poster, nor am I piling on.
We used to have communal drinking cups at the well that everyone shared. We don't anymore. Disease.

So we have replaced communal drinking cups with drinking fountains, where people have been known to contract hepatitis. And don't forget pot luck suppers where botulism sometimes shows up.

Originally Posted by JWScarab

I do want to add that I respect everybody's opinions here and appreciate them! I'd buy you all a beer but I can't cause then my black tank would be full again !! Ha!!

No......you can still buy me a beer. No concern for your black tank. That's what trees are for! LOL

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by JWScarab

May seem crazy idea but is this a good thing to do to expand time between trips to the dump station?

Let me elaborate lol. If one showers in the campground shower and washes dishes and hands in a sink bowl then waters the trees when bowl is full then the 32 gallon gray tank stays empty.

On to the toilet and if it is only used for #1 ONLY but has some TP in it from the wife (sorry if I'm too much info but it's needed for the subject lol) then on a long trip the 8 black gallon tank can fill fast.

So if I pull both valves then essentially the black tank will drain into the grey tank. Then we can empty the black 5 times before dumping. This is due to gravity with black tank higher than grey. I realize when I do eventually drain that some will spill out as soon as I uncap.

What's the consensus? Is this crazy? Will the TP cause an issue sticking in grey tank? What am I missing that makes this a bad idea? The only thing I can think of is maybe it's a better idea to put the tp In a trash can to keep everything 100% liquid. Have u done this?

First thing is please don't put water that you have washed your hands in or dishes in on plants. It is illegal in 99% of the places I've been. If caught you can be fined. It seems like a good idea but it causes a smell, can damage plants and also attracts bears and other animals. There's soap in the water. Second never put black water into a grey water tank. The reason the hole for grey water is smaller is because it is for water only. The black water is for solids and paper, etc. If you throw paper into a trash can think of the bacteria, etc. you are putting into your trash and that is in your trailer. You are thinking but it's a poor idea.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

First thing is please don't put water that you have washed your hands in or dishes in on plants. It is illegal in 99% of the places I've been. If caught you can be fined. It seems like a good idea but it causes a smell, can damage plants and also attracts bears and other animals. There's soap in the water. Second never put black water into a grey water tank. The reason the hole for grey water is smaller is because it is for water only. The black water is for solids and paper, etc. If you throw paper into a trash can think of the bacteria, etc. you are putting into your trash and that is in your trailer. You are thinking but it's a poor idea.

I would guess from your post that taking a bath in the lake is out ? and thanks , now I know why my trash gets sick , I've always wondered .
In my area the people who pump septic tanks , legally spread the waste out on fields so it breaks down naturally , so I am not worried about a little bit of wash water getting spilled on the ground..

[Joe & Cherie]

I have LOTS to reply but I won't!! Thank you to those that understand!

I must say tho I completely dont get how my original post ended up as using my FRESH water tank for grey or black then switching back. That was NEVER stated nor an option. Thanks for letting me know not to do that! uuuggggg

I think I'm done with this thread. I will think 3x before posting again. Thank you everybody for your replies! If a moderator is reading, this entire thread can be deleted LOL.

[Glenn Baglo]

You asked for opinions and you got them.
If you don't like them, don't read them.
Meantime, others are having a discussion.

[Borrego Dave]

Joe, your question was fine and I've never seen it come up before and was answered by many early on. It was pointed out that some builders do use one tank for both. Like tires, TW, bearings and such, some threads seem to go a bit sideways . Hope none of the mods delete all of it, or a least leave your original question/responses, someone else may have the same thoughts.

[Gerry]

I would think that a problem would arise where the liquids would drain off into the gray tank, leaving a mountain of solid waste in the black tank, unless useing alot of water while flushing.
While working in a campground, Housekeeping would make mistakes and leave the black water tank valve open, on a rental unit, and maintainence would have to go in and break down this mountain of waste with a stick and lots of water...not a fun job.
Also my gray tank has only an inch and half outlet where the black has a 3 inch outlet.

[Gerry]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

First thing is please don't put water that you have washed your hands in or dishes in on plants. It is illegal in 99% of the places I've been. If caught you can be fined. It seems like a good idea but it causes a smell, can damage plants and also attracts bears and other animals. There's soap in the water. Second never put black water into a grey water tank. The reason the hole for grey water is smaller is because it is for water only. The black water is for solids and paper, etc. If you throw paper into a trash can think of the bacteria, etc. you are putting into your trash and that is in your trailer. You are thinking but it's a poor idea.

The National Forest in Maine and New Hampshire will not let you wash dishes of self, at or near, the potable water pumps and tell you to wash at your site and throw water into woods.
The Question is, if it ok to throw this water from a wash basin, why can't I just let it flow out the gray water hose?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

First thing is please don't put water that you have washed your hands in or dishes in on plants. It is illegal in 99% of the places I've been.

If that is a true statement, then I would conclude you haven't been in many places. And I will have to start wearing latex gloves when it rains for fear of rain water dripping off of my badly contaminated hands and landing on the pristine ground that birds and other wildlife never sully with their feces.