If you’ve read any of our previous content, you’ll know that we harp a lot on the idea of implementing the proper holding tank care procedures, but many people may wonder, “Is a tank flush really that necessary?”
We at Unique Camping + Marine believe it is. In fact, we recommend that you thoroughly flush out your black water holding tank for 20-30 minutes every 3-5 dumps using a rinser already installed in your RV, an external tank flusher, or a tank cleaning wand.
In this article, we’ll show you why we believe regularly flushing your tank is so important!
Here’s the simple, undeniable fact: no matter how well your high-quality, bacteria + enzyme holding tank treatment digests waste, there will always be some residual waste that accumulates in the low spots of your holding tank. (To better understand this issue, please see our article on holding tank shapes!)
Some may argue that this isn’t an issue if you park your RV perfectly level, but the fact is that parking an RV perfectly level is extremely difficult. Plus, many holding tanks aren’t even installed perfectly level! The reality is that despite your best efforts, you will likely still have some waste residue accumulate at low points inside your tank if you don’t rinse it out regularly.
Even the most liquefied waste will need to be rinsed out manually, and we recommend that you stay on top of this issue by thoroughly flushing out your tanks every 3-5 dumps. This will remove any current waste residue from your tank and prevent it from accumulating in the future.
Failure to rinse your tank for 20-30 minutes every 3-5 dumps can often lead to unpleasant odors as the residual waste left at the low points of your tank starts to stink. It’s best, in our opinion, to simply remove this waste residue periodically, preventing odors before they become an annoying problem!
As we say, whether or not you implement the proper holding tank procedures can make or break a camping trip. But the fact is that most RVers only focus on one aspect of holding tank care (such as, for example, using a good holding tank treatment) and entirely neglect all other facets of RV maintenance. It’s no surprise that clogs, odors, and misreading sensors are extremely common in the RVing community!
But we don’t want you to have to deal with annoying and disgusting RV issues, which is why we’ve created The Unique Method from thousands of conversations with RVers around the country. The Unique Method is our all-inclusive, easy-to-implement process for proper RV care. We’ve briefly covered rule #8 of The Unique Method in today’s article, but there are many other tips and tricks that go into a comprehensive maintenance plan. The logic is simple: if you are tired of nasty odors, disgusting clogs, frustrating misreading sensors, and solutions that don’t work, The Unique Method is the simple, and more importantly, effective answer to your predicament.
If you have any additional questions, concerns, or comments about this topic or The Unique Method in general, we’d love to help you answer it. You can always reach us at support@uniquemm.com!
Dumping your RV black water holding tank is an essential part of RV camping. Unlike home septic systems, which only need to be emptied (or “pumped”) every few years, RV black tanks need to be emptied every 3-5 days!
Today we’ll discuss why regular dumping is a crucial component of RV camping!