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It’s Time to Spring Clean RV Septic and Water Lines

Published on April 25th, 2024 by Dave Helgeson

Spring is a great time for us to de-winterize our RV in preparation for the upcoming summer camping season. And it’s also a good time to clean the RV holding tank system that makes up your septic and freshwater system, including the holding tank, and water lines. Get this RV plumbing maintenance done and your tank sensors should work better too.

Do the Dirty Job First: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your RV Septic System

Let’s start with the dirty job of deep cleaning your RV septic system. It’s not exactly the same kind of septic for a residential house, because it’s not designed for waste to sit and break down. But if you do it regularly you can avoid common RV plumbing problems like clogged valves. Here’s how to give a decent clean to your holding tanks.

Gather Holding Tank Cleaning Supplies

Before you start, gather what you need to clean your RV holding tank and sewer lines:

• Disposable gloves
• Sewer hose (aka the “stinky slinky”)
• Sewer hose support or ramp
• Purchase a black tank cleaning wand, a tank rinser elbow adapter and RV-specific tank cleaner or enzyme treatment for best results.
• Safety goggles. Don’t skip them. They protect against bacteria entering your eyes due to errant sprays up through the toilet from the wand.

Park your motorhome or trailer in a suitable location where you can access a sewer dump station. Make sure the area is level to ensure proper draining or raise the low side with the RVs jacks or pull up on blocks to assure adequate flow.

Empty the Holding Tanks

Wearing gloves, connect your sewer hose to the RV’s waste outlet inserting the other end into the dump station inlet.

Insert the tank rinser between the RV waste outlet and the sewer hose. Attach a non-potable water garden hose to the tank rinser.

Open the black water tank valve first to empty the contents, followed by the gray tank valve.

Now wait. Allow both tanks to completely drain.

Flush the Tanks

After emptying the tanks, use a black tank wand to flush out any remaining debris and residue from the black tank.

Open the black water tank valve first to empty the contents, followed by the gray tank valve.

Turn on the water to the hose, allowing it to flush and rinse the tanks thoroughly. Leave the water running until only clear water is seen exiting through the tank rinser.

You will know your holding tanks are clean when clear water appears. This indicates the tanks are empty of solid waste and the water can be shut off.

Add RV Tank Cleaner or Enzyme Treatment

Once the tanks are empty, rinsed and hoses put away, add RV-specific tank cleaner or enzyme treatment to each tank according to the manufacturer’s instructions. These products help break down waste and control odors inside the tanks.

DIY Holding Tank Cleaner Recipe

To make a DIY RV tank cleaner, the folks at Tank Kleen recommend a simple mixture of the following:

• Calgon bath beads (a water softener)
• Pine-Sol.

Similar to the more well-known “Geo Method” tank cleaner many RVers swear by, the Calgon water softener “breaks the surface tension of water in the tank, preventing anything from sticking to tank surfaces and sensors,” says Tank Kleen. The Pine-Sol disinfects and deodorizes your tanks. You can even put 1/2 cup in your gray water tanks to keep them in good shape.

Here’s how to make the DIY holding tank cleaner:

1. Take an empty gallon (128 ounce) container. Add in 40 ounces (5 cups) of Pine-Sol (or something similar, like Pine Power). Pour in 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of Calgon.
2. Fill the gallon bottle or jug with water. Go slow, it will bubble and foam. Once the bubbles are settled, shake it thoroughly.
3. Pour in 1/2 to one cup of this mixture into your black tank as part of this maintenance process.

Fill Your RV Grey and Black Tanks with Water

After adding the tank cleaner or enzyme treatment, fill tanks with enough gallons of water to cover the bottom of each tank a couple of inches deep.

Can’t gauge the depth of water in your holding tank? Add a fourth of the known capacity of the tank. As an example, add 10 gallons of water to a 40-gallon gray tank.

Drive and Agitate

Now it’s time to agitate the tank cleaner or enzyme treatment and help it break down waste.

• Take a short drive with the RV. The movement will help slosh the water around inside the tanks, aiding in the cleaning process.

Can’t drive the RV? You can use an RV tank rinsing wand under pressure to agitate just the black tank.

Let the RV Tank Treatment Sit

Allow the tank cleaner or enzyme treatment to sit in the tanks for several hours or overnight, as recommended by the manufacturer. This gives the product time to work effectively allowing it to break down any remaining waste and odors.

Dump Your Tanks a Second Time

Once the treatment has had time to work, return to a dump station and empty the tanks again.

• Open the black water tank valve first.
• Now open the gray water tank valve. Ensure all contents are properly emptied.

Rinse Sewer Hose and Equipment

After emptying the tanks, rinse the sewer hose, hose support or ramp, and any other equipment used in the dumping process with clean water. This helps prevent odors and keeps the equipment clean for future use.

Stick to this Regular Maintenance

To maintain a clean and odor-free RV septic system, it’s essential to perform regular RV tank maintenance. This includes emptying and cleaning the black and grey water tanks as needed, using tank treatments regularly, and following proper dumping procedures.

If the above steps fail to adequately clean your septic system consider hiring a professional cleaning service.

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