Galley and grey tank valves.

[Jeff&Karen39MB]

Good evening, I'm pretty sure this is a dumb question, but never the less, looking to leave my Galley grey tank open, right now we leave the grey tank in bathroom open to avoid continuous dumping and thinking of doing same for galley.
Is this ok to do, realizing of course if I want to clean out line after dumping black tank, I can always close galley allow to fill and have enough for a good line wash out.

[travelin' texans]

Shouldn't be a problem, but never leave the black open continuously. My galley usually last as long as my black so I leave it shut.

[Shane Wood]

Jeff
In the last 10 years when parked I have never closed either when connected. I close them and open the taps running water into them while flushing black which usually takes 3/4 of an hour till it runs clean. Then open both greys to flush line. They stay open until I dump which is weekly. Have never had an issue

[hoosierguy]

Originally Posted by Jeff&Karen39MB

Good evening, I'm pretty sure this is a dumb question, but never the less, looking to leave my Galley grey tank open, right now we leave the grey tank in bathroom open to avoid continuous dumping and thinking of doing same for galley.
Is this ok to do, realizing of course if I want to clean out line after dumping black tank, I can always close galley allow to fill and have enough for a good line wash out.

I think what you are proposing will work just fine.

When we stay in Florida, I keep all the valves closed and dump the tanks generally every 6 to 8 days. I use an additional gate valve added externally on the drain line to equalize the galley and grey tanks. I close the external valve and open the galley and grey gate valves in the utility center. By doing this, the galley and grey tanks fill at about the same rate as the black tank. When it comes time to dump, I close the galley and grey gate valves in the utility center, open the extra exterior gate valve and open the black tank valve. After flushing the black tank 2 or 3 times, I then dump the galley and grey tanks. The whole process takes about 45 to 60 minutes.

[Jeff&Karen39MB]

Thanks all for your quick responses, it was as I thought, just wanted to be sure.

[ted 95]

The reason I do not leave the gate valves open is I have heard stories of visitors finding their way into the tanks by more than one person. This would freak my wife out completely.

[piper guy]

I leave the greys open until the day before dumping black tank. We tend to use our washer almost daily and a couple of loads plus showers will put 20-25 gal into each tank when the outside gate valve is closed.

When I leave the greys open, I'll drop about a 2' section of hose off the support stands so that it forms a P trap to prevent "critters'

[travelin' texans]

I also leave a sag in my hose just to stop sewer gases, I have never had/seen/heard of anyone ever getting critters up through their hoses, I suppose it's possible, but the day it happens to me I'm rushing out to buy a lottery ticket as the odds of both are astronomical.

[Ford truck guy]

I am another that leaves my grey valves open till the night before we depart... I too create a P trap in the hose. Close them the night before, dump the next am and you have plenty of good soapy water to clean out the sewer hose..

[johnboytoo]

I leave them both closed and just periodically go 'Whoosh' them

[Ford truck guy]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

I leave them both closed and just periodically go 'Whoosh' them

I USED to do that, but as Murphy has a law..... I would always be too late, and my wife would be in the shower and the shower water would stop draining....

[Jim & Mary]

That's only happened to me once....................

[johnboytoo]

I hear ya --- that whoosh is usually right before SWMBO's shower
I guess with water in her eyes she forgets she's not at home !!!

[atom ant]

It was the wash machine that always got me - water on the floor in the hall.

[Dave&Ginny]

I agree you can leave the gally open but I never do. There are food particles coming from the sink and I always figured that with a good flush of water help flush them out. I've seen inside a slinky that had a bunch of food particles on the bottom of the hose.

I'm also fearful of the critters that either crawl or creep into sewers.

[Shane Wood]

I've never had a snake crawl up and bite my ass but there could always be a first time

[piper guy]

Same as Brad and Joe and Jim ~ you only get the "shower scream" one time till it convinces you to make sure it never happens again.


I'd love to boondock more but haven't figured out a way to supply Tracy with water and sewer connections LOL

[atom ant]

So like most have done, I put one of these on but only because I had a few surprises from the gray tank when I took the cap off. First trip out for the spring, I'm getting the shower yells from upstairs, and I'm running around like Schneider on "one day at a time" trying to see what's wrong. I checked and rechecked the tank drain valve, tore into the basement looking for something wrong. After cleaning out the drain trap and almost ready to get a plunger out, my daughter looks down, smiles and points at the closed valve on the end of the sewer pipe underneath.

Each year I age, I get newer and newer to the RV life. Soon I will be a newbie

[johnboytoo]

Ha Ha

I can just hear the scurrying feet !

[spindrift]

Originally Posted by atom ant

Each year I age, I get newer and newer to the RV life. Soon I will be a newbie

I hear that. Just this past weekend I said to my wife that it may be time for me to start using the 'ol check list from yester year.