Monitor panel for tanks not working

[soohma]

I know I've seen this discussion on here somewhere, but can't find it.

For the last 5 dumps, the indicator lights don't move. They don't indicate the two tanks are empty. I've been over bumpy roads, but it didn't help. Any other ways to get it working again?

[Mike]

Can you try filling them up and adding some bleach to the water, drive the van around for a while, then dump them, and wait for a day or two. If there's a way to allow air to get at the sensors to dry them, that might help. It's not always the sensors not working, but clogged with leftover wet waste that makes them register full, when you know they're empty.
Inexpensive, and worth a try?

[markopolo]

Some people use a bit of Calgon Water Softener and do the rest as Mike described.
I've had sewer connections at home and I'd dump the tanks normally then refill with water and dump again and that usually cleared the sensors.

You can buy a flexible wand for cleaning the black tank that attaches to a garden hose. You insert it into the black tank via the toilet. It has a spinning attachment head that shoots jets of water that help to clean the sidewalls of the black tank. Not the most fun job .....

[soohma]

Since suggestion 1 is the easiest, I'll try that first. Thank you so much.

If that doesn't work, I'll resort to suggestion #2.

Didn't think about the senors needing to dry out.

Thank you both.

[scroller]

I had read that putting ice cubes in the black tank and 3/4 full of water and go for a drive that the sloshing effect of the cubes can sometimes help clean off the tank sides as well as the sensors worth a try.

[Bruceper]

Someone on YouTube busted most of the theory of Ice Cubes in the tanks. The one thing the ice cubes did manage to clean was the sides. It did not clean the bottom. That may just work in this situation.

[Mike]

What it takes to clean out your tanks largely depends on what you put in them regularly. I don't have any stats beyond word of mouth, but we've met quite a few owners who only use their black tanks for liquid bio - waste. I think that simplifies cleaning them up when the sensors start reading full when you know they're empty. I generally only use either bleach or vinegar to clean out the plumbing depending on whether we're on our way out, or just returning. Bleach has its obvious disinfectant properties, and vinegar can help break up calcium and lime deposits in the tubing and water heater. We also use regular formaldehyde free tank treatment to control any odor.
And no, not at the same time.

[avanti]

The contents of your waste tanks should be irrelevant to bathroom odors. If you bathroom smells, either it needs to be cleaned, your tanks are not properly vented, you are not keeping water in your toilet and/or traps, or you have a leak somewhere.

[Mike]

Wow! Sounds like you've run into a few smells out there? Thanks for the input.

My point about contents was more in relation to cleaning sensors. Nothing to do with odors.

Actually, we've never had any odor problems, so it must all be working.

[obgraham]

Repeat after me:
"RV tank sensors are unreliable"
"RV tank sensors are unreliable"
"RV tank sensors are unreliable"

It's wasted energy trying to get them to work as advertised!

[Mike]

Sage advice, "ob" wan.

[Fastpaddler1]

Yes. OB has it right. The only gauges which work are the ones on the OUTSIDE of the tanks like Winnebago uses. We use the long wand attached to a hose with lots of pressure to clean ours out and free anything stuck to, usually, the black tank guage but sometimes both. Seems to work for us but it is a pain. Takes us a good ten minutes or more for this procedure. When hooked up to RV site sewer it is academic really, but with dry camping it becomes a guessing game whether guage is accurate or not.

[Mike]

I've never had any tank sensor issues, but again, our tanks only see liquid bio waste. That's all. No solids. So ours have always been as accurate as fluid conductive sensors can be.
It's the solid waste and toilet paper that gets stuck on the sensors that usually cause them to misread. The home remedies for cleaning them should help, but they're a pita as mentioned.

Another rule of thumb if you don't trust your sensors might be, "if in doubt, dump them out".

[obgraham]

So Mike, what do you do with the chunky waste?

I didn't spend half a fortune on a fancy B just to traipse into the nearest mini-mart when the need arises! We use ours, don't worry about keeping it "clean", or relying on the lights.

[Mike]

We wrap it in little gift bags and use it for barter with the local vendors.

Actually, we leave it wherever convenient. Thats what public restrooms are for.
Just like those who don't use other class b systems, most notably like the aisle or wet baths abd showers. We farm it out to the professional toilet and shower providers like campgrounds and truck stops and coffee shops and the list goes on.......
Just because they come with a toilet doesn't mean you can't be creative about dealing with bio waste.
And our sensors are pretty accurate.

[avanti]

I'm with obgraham. We use our humble wet bath for all its worth--liquid, solid, showers--the whole ball of wax. In our humble opinion, next to having our own bed, having our own bathroom is the best part of B-vanning.