Recently, we received a question on our Facebook page about a clogged up black water tank. The answer we gave may surprise you. You may already know this little trick, but if you don’t, and happen to run into a clogging situation, this may help.
I have a question…. In regards to the black water tank in my CrossRoads Cruiser; we were out camping this past weekend and when flushing, I saw water in the hole. I had just drained it and my son had plugged it up. I ran a snake down and it seemed to open up, however, the next day it was plugged up again. I snaked it again and it seemed to open up. My question is, should I fill the tank COMPLETELY with clean water and use chem clean type chemicals and let it sit full at the storage lot until our next camping trip in a couple of weeks? What is the correct procedure to get it cleared where I don’t have to deal with this again anytime soon??? Thanks for your help. You guys have been AWESOME from the day we bought our camper from you!! Thanks!!
Michael F.
This was our answer:
Michael,
I would not suggest leaving the tank full until your next trip. If the valve has a small leak, the water could leak out and then the waste will harden. Your best bet is to verify that the valve for that tank actually opens; then attempt to clean the tank out with a tank wand or water hose. If that does not work, you may want to look for a service that cleans holding tanks and see if they can pressure wash the blockage out. There is an ice trick once you get it cleaned too! Driving your RV around with a couple of pounds of ice and some additional water in your black water holding tank may help clean the walls of your tank a little more thoroughly. Hopefully it will prevent it from getting stopped up again. Feel free to call me for more advice if you’d like.
Now, this may not work in all cases. There are times the clog could be something more serious and may require parts and maintenance. If that is the case, feel free to call PPL Motor Homes and we can discuss more options to help you out.