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Post Info TOPIC: Grey water tanks
iana


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Grey water tanks
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OK have now put an inspection hatch in the end of my grey water tank, the inside of the tank walls etc. are covered in a whitish goo, and I've been thinking about how to clean the tank. Hi pressure water jet from a cleaner, wand is too short, and can not get it into the area, so no good, looked at a garden hose sprinkler, a tank washer similar to what we used in the winery, no good, water jet angle would be wrong, more holes in the tank, not a good idea.

Am back to giving the tank a good dose of caustic before the start of a trip, and just letting it slosh around. I'll get a ph test kit and make sure its neutral before dumping (by adding acid). This won't have to be done very often, but when the goo builds up it will need to happen.

Jayco owners who have the grey water tanks factory fitted, and have the level readings through the Coaster unit, bad news, it will block up and never work, I discovered that the probes in the tank are not the same as in the manual, the probes, brass, are moulded into the tank, with only a small hole open to the tank, this will become blocked, and the level readings will cease, as what happed to our unit. I am going to install the probes as shown in the manual, in a position where I can clean them, but also these are removable to be cleaned as well.

I did consider the float type level probe, but I don't think it will manage the vibration of travel, but the probes will not be effected.

Nappie San will get rid of most of the smell, but for severe cleaning I would doubt it will do the job.

 



-- Edited by iana on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 01:09:06 PM

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Dougwe


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Hi Ian,

I tried that cheaper nappy treatment stuff but didn't like it. My Opinion, obviously. I also put some in about 1/2 a bucket of water and swished around to disolve.

Over a period of two weeks doing this on a daily basis I noticed a white scale around the inside of bucket so thought, what does it do to your grey water tank over a period of time confuse

I now only rince out with water and bleach every now and then. It's a grey water tank so not too concerned to be honest. 



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iana


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My last episode I trundled away over 3000 litres of grey water, but that's not going to be the norm. I don't see me having to clean the tank that often. Chorine doesn't really clean, but just removes the color and sanitizers. Caustic removes organic matter (including human flesh), and acid removes minerals, i.e. calcium, iron oxide etc. In the winery we cleaned tanks a with an acid wash to remove the minerals, then a caustic wash to remove organic, and finish with a citric acid rinse to neutralize. So if you want to do that with your tank be my guest, it will come up very clean. But I do not expect us GN to be doing that.

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Peter_n_Margaret


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Who cares if it is clean or not? It is a waste water tank.
The biggest build up will be caused by fat residues. Add a slug of truck wash and let it slop around for a while, then dump it in a dump point.
There is really no need to use any nasty chemicals.

Cheers,
Peter

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Dickodownunder


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Peter_n_Margaret wrote:

Who cares if it is clean or not? It is a waste water tank.
The biggest build up will be caused by fat residues. Add a slug of truck wash and let it slop around for a while, then dump it in a dump point.
There is really no need to use any nasty chemicals.

Cheers,
Peter

 Now there is a practical solution to a "third world problem"

biggrin biggrin

I guess if the problem was analized to the "enth" degree then someone would have come up with washing the tank out with.....

soap..biggrin 



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Moonraker


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Best thing is not to store grey water in the first place. The amount of chemicals being used to clean the tank is much more unfriendly to the environment than fresh grey water IMO? And I dont mean dump it on the road as you drive away from camp either!

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iana


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Actually I got a torch and had a look in the newly installed access hatch, and the tank was not as bad as I thought it was. So the Nappy San was all that was needed to get rid of the smell. I have also got to retract my remarks on the probes, putting my finger in on them, the stainless screw that holds the wiring terminal pokes through the hole in the plastic of the tank fastener, and I was easily able to clean them. So Jayco sorry about that.


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T1 Terry


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There is a drain cleaning enzyme available from Bunnings etc. Of course I can't find the bottle now to give you the name, but the writing is in purple and is an enzyme in the drain cleaner section. Part fill the grey tank with water and add this stuff, drive around for a bit and all the gunk comes out when you drain it at the dump point.

T1 Terry

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Stuart-Jan


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Strangely enough I was in Cooktown a few weeks ago so took a drive into the showgrounds camping area. Saw the notice about must be self contained with built in storage, drove around the camp and many were using 25 litre buckets or similar to catch their grey water. Seems the rules change with no notice.no

 



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rockylizard


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Stuart-Jan wrote:

Strangely enough I was in Cooktown a few weeks ago so took a drive into the showgrounds camping area. Saw the notice about must be self contained with built in storage, drove around the camp and many were using 25 litre buckets or similar to catch their grey water. Seems the rules change with no notice.no 

Gday...

It isn't that the "rules change with no notice" it is only that the rules differ from venue to venue.

Some insist in COMPLETE self-containment (loo/shower/sink/everything) others accept a dedicated portable greywater catchment tank external to the van, others accept a drum or bucket - and to make all that worse, some who stipulate such firm and fast 'rules' very often do not enforce or police them - and then there are other camps/showgrounds/rest areas/van parks that INSIST on the grey water going onto the grass/trees/garden.

It is simply our place to be aware and to comply with whatever the owner/host of the camp/rest area stipulates.

cheers - John



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Ron-D


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They Come standard in most motor homes ,so there is huge support for them in that area beating there chests and promoting any one else as environmental bandits.you Can look after grey water with a portable tanks common sense ,let others that have no room to fit the things enjoy there free camping...



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