Sewer question

[jburgessx2]

As a full timer, I usually leave my gray water open except when I want to drain
the black water. So, I close the gray water to let it build up so I can use it
to clean the hose after I dump the black water. And, I have done this for years
and years and years with my Beaver. Well, I forgot to close my gray water off
to let it build up and I knew the black water was getting close to full. So, I
close the gray water gate and turn on the bathroom faucet to let the gray water
tank fill a little so I have some hose wash down water.

After about 5 minutes of running, I smell black water and head to the bathroom
only to find the toilet overflowing on the floor.

Since when does the gray water (bathroom sink) go into a black water tank?????
To my understanding, the black and gray water are never to meet or they can
contaminate the gray water tank or contaminate the gray water pipes (i.e.
sinks).

Luckily, not much water escaped to the floor and I removed the carpet to wash it
outside. Of course, some seeped into the floor area (as any liquid will do).
So, I have a little more cleaning/drying, as well as some serious disinfecting,
to do.

Are Wanderlodge pipes plumbed different?

Jerry
85 PT40

[Ralph]

Jerry, the bath sink and commode are black water. The galley sink and shower are
grey.
Safe travels, Ralph &
Charolette Fullenwider
'84 FC35 "Ruff Diamond"
Duncan, Oklahoma
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

-----Original Message-----
From: "jburgessx2"

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:41:00
To:
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Sewer question


As a full timer, I usually leave my gray water open except when I want to drain
the black water. So, I close the gray water to let it build up so I can use it
to clean the hose after I dump the black water. And, I have done this for years
and years and years with my Beaver. Well, I forgot to close my gray water off
to let it build up and I knew the black water was getting close to full. So, I
close the gray water gate and turn on the bathroom faucet to let the gray water
tank fill a little so I have some hose wash down water.

After about 5 minutes of running, I smell black water and head to the bathroom
only to find the toilet overflowing on the floor.

Since when does the gray water (bathroom sink) go into a black water tank?????
To my understanding, the black and gray water are never to meet or they can
contaminate the gray water tank or contaminate the gray water pipes (i.e.
sinks).

Luckily, not much water escaped to the floor and I removed the carpet to wash it
outside. Of course, some seeped into the floor area (as any liquid will do).
So, I have a little more cleaning/drying, as well as some serious disinfecting,
to do.

Are Wanderlodge pipes plumbed different?

Jerry
85 PT40



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

[bwinter1946]

I am not sure how your Bird is plumbed but I do know it is not uncommon on Birds
for the bathroom sink and/or shower to drain into the black tank. I personnally
think that can be good for two reasons:

1. The black tank could use more liquid to "flow" better when being drained.

2. It helps balance the flow between the back and gray tanks.

On my old coach the gray would fill in three days but the black could take two
weeks and would be "ripe" long before it was full.

Brad

1997 37' BMC

[Don Bradner]

Which will vary with model/year. On ours it is galley sink and commode to black,
bath sink and shower to grey.

I think RVIA and ANSI/NFPA 1192 codes allow for one connection to black besides
the commode.

Presumably Blue Bird did it to increase volume through the black tank.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

On 6/12/2009 at 2:53 AM Ralph wrote:

>Jerry, the bath sink and commode are black water. The galley sink and
>shower are grey.
>Safe travels, Ralph &
>Charolette Fullenwider
>'84 FC35 "Ruff Diamond"
>Duncan, Oklahoma
>Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: "jburgessx2"
>
>Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:41:00
>To:
>Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Sewer question
>
>
>As a full timer, I usually leave my gray water open except when I want to
>drain the black water. So, I close the gray water to let it build up so I
>can use it to clean the hose after I dump the black water. And, I have
>done this for years and years and years with my Beaver. Well, I forgot to
>close my gray water off to let it build up and I knew the black water was
>getting close to full. So, I close the gray water gate and turn on the
>bathroom faucet to let the gray water tank fill a little so I have some
>hose wash down water.
>
>After about 5 minutes of running, I smell black water and head to the
>bathroom only to find the toilet overflowing on the floor.
>
>Since when does the gray water (bathroom sink) go into a black water
>tank????? To my understanding, the black and gray water are never to meet
>or they can contaminate the gray water tank or contaminate the gray water
>pipes (i.e. sinks).
>
>Luckily, not much water escaped to the floor and I removed the carpet to
>wash it outside. Of course, some seeped into the floor area (as any
>liquid will do). So, I have a little more cleaning/drying, as well as
>some serious disinfecting, to do.
>
>Are Wanderlodge pipes plumbed different?
>
>Jerry
>85 PT40
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

[jburgessx2]

Thanks. That sure would have been nice to know before tonight. . .

I guess I hadn't expected the bath sink to drain to the black water tank. Tough
lesson to learn. On my Beaver, only the blackwater was blackwater - all the
sinks/shower drained to gray water.

And, contrary to common belief, it doesn't smell like roses. Quite the
contrary, actually........

Jerry
85 PT40




--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph" wrote:
>
> Jerry, the bath sink and commode are black water. The galley sink and shower
are grey.
> Safe travels, Ralph &
Charolette Fullenwider
> '84 FC35 "Ruff Diamond"
> Duncan, Oklahoma
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "jburgessx2"
>
> Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:41:00
> To:
> Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Sewer question
>
>
> As a full timer, I usually leave my gray water open except when I want to
drain the black water. So, I close the gray water to let it build up so I can
use it to clean the hose after I dump the black water. And, I have done this
for years and years and years with my Beaver. Well, I forgot to close my gray
water off to let it build up and I knew the black water was getting close to
full. So, I close the gray water gate and turn on the bathroom faucet to let
the gray water tank fill a little so I have some hose wash down water.
>
> After about 5 minutes of running, I smell black water and head to the bathroom
only to find the toilet overflowing on the floor.
>
> Since when does the gray water (bathroom sink) go into a black water tank?????
To my understanding, the black and gray water are never to meet or they can
contaminate the gray water tank or contaminate the gray water pipes (i.e.
sinks).
>
> Luckily, not much water escaped to the floor and I removed the carpet to wash
it outside. Of course, some seeped into the floor area (as any liquid will do).
So, I have a little more cleaning/drying, as well as some serious disinfecting,
to do.
>
> Are Wanderlodge pipes plumbed different?
>
> Jerry
> 85 PT40
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

[Don Bradner]

There's a good chance that the blackwater tank on your Beaver was smaller than
the grey. I know that was true on my Safaris.

Don Bradner
90 PT40 "Blue Thunder"
My location: http://www.bbirdmaps.com/user2.cfm?user=1

On 6/12/2009 at 3:22 AM jburgessx2 wrote:

>Thanks. That sure would have been nice to know before tonight. . .
>
>I guess I hadn't expected the bath sink to drain to the black water tank.
>Tough lesson to learn. On my Beaver, only the blackwater was blackwater -
>all the sinks/shower drained to gray water.
>
>And, contrary to common belief, it doesn't smell like roses. Quite the
>contrary, actually........
>
>Jerry
>85 PT40

[Ryan Wright]

Yup, as the others have said, this is normal on your model year coach.
The bathroom sink drains to the black water tank. My understanding was
this helps get a little more water in there to keep things "loose" and
easier to drain, since you really get very little water down the
toilet in relation to the amount of toilet paper and smelly
unmentionables.

-Ryan
'86 PT-40 8V92, thankfully learned this little tidbit on the forum,
not by accident (yuck).

On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 8:22 PM, jburgessx2 wrote:
>
> Thanks. That sure would have been nice to know before tonight. . .
>
> I guess I hadn't expected the bath sink to drain to the black water tank.
> Tough lesson to learn. On my Beaver, only the blackwater was blackwater -
> all the sinks/shower drained to gray water.
>
> And, contrary to common belief, it doesn't smell like roses. Quite the
> contrary, actually........
>
> Jerry
> 85 PT40
>

[tommy.rountree]

Jerry, looks like your question has been answered, so my response is a little
redundant. On my 94 WB I had noticed a very slight leak at the elbow going from
the bathroom and extending into the blackwater tank. I couldn't figure it out
because liquid didn't smell like it was coming from the commode. (very
unscientific observation)

Just so happened I was around the blackwater tank one morning when my wife was
taking a shower. I could hear the shower running and the leak was dripping. Yep,
the shower and I presume the lavatory drains direct into the blackwater tank.
Took the elbow off, cleaned it up, let it dry, put a little plumbers glue on it
and reattached. Problem solved.

I always leave both my grey and blackwater tanks CLOSED until I get ready to
dump. Black first, grey last.