RV Black Tank Maintenance

Black tanks are something that most beginner RVers don’t want to think about, yet talk about. But black tanks are an essential and important part of RVing. Like most RV components, they also require maintenance. Even experienced RVers can overlook some crucial steps for taking care of and maintaining these tanks. Harvest Hosts has you covered. Follow along as we provide some of the best tips and tricks for black tank maintenance.

Cleaning Basics and Materials for Black Tank Maintenance

Before actually cleaning out your RV’s black tank, it’s important to have the correct materials on-hand to do so. One of the important steps in cleaning your tank is flushing it out. This process will look different for almost every RV, depending on what yours is equipped with. Some RVs have a built-in flush valve. This is a water inlet connection usually found near your sewer system connection. When a hose is connected to this valve, it flushes water straight into the black tank like a pressure washer to help remove build-up or residual debris. If your RV does not have a built-in flush valve, you can consider adding in an aftermarket one or purchasing a tool similar to a Camco Swivel Stick. This tool allows you to clean your black tank from the toilet itself by inserting the tool down and spraying directly into your black tank. You will need to utilize one of these methods to completely and effectively clean out your tank. 

Treatments and Cleaners

In order to properly clean out your RV’s tank, you will also need a treatment of some sort. Many stores have an RV section that has several options for black tank cleaning solutions. The liquid and powder choices are among the most popular. These solutions not only assist with the cleaning process, but also assist with breaking down toilet paper and solids to better empty your tank. Most of these cleaning solutions do not contain strong chemicals to ensure no damage is done to your pipes and to minimize the negative environmental impact. Some RVers prefer to use their own homemade cleaning solutions in place of store-bought. This can be cost-saving and also give RVers complete control over what they are putting in their tanks. Some RVers use borax and Dawn dish soap, while others use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Whether or not bleach is safe to use is a very debated topic. In concentrated quantities, bleach can have a corrosive effect, which could be harmful to your RV’s plastic piping. The choice is yours whether or not to use this chemical in your RV’s drains. Another highly-debated topic is the “ice method”. This involves filling your black tank with water, adding about twenty pounds of ice, and then going for a drive. The idea behind it is that the ice will move around and rub away the build-up on the walls of your black tank. This method is not technically proven, but many RVers swear by this all-natural method.