Black Tank Plumbing

[BarbandFrank]

We accidentally flushed a stainless steel teaspoon down the toilet in our Landmark. We are wondering if it will find its way out through the normal flow of fluids when emptying the tanks. The teaspoon measures 6” long. We are worried that it will get stuck somewhere in the pipes and cause a problem.

Is there a diagram available of the black tank plumbing?

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[danemayer]

Well, we won't ask what you were doing with the teaspoon...

On most rigs, the toilet drainpipe is either straight down, or a a slight angle going into the black tank. Worst case, maybe 45 degrees. I would think a 6" teaspoon would have no trouble dropping to the bottom of the tank.

But coming out of the black tank, there's often a 90 degree fitting after the gate valve. That would be a more challenging turn and worst case, it could lodge there and could possibly prevent you from closing the gate valve. If that happens, you'll likely notice that the valve handle doesn't go back in normally, and because the valve stays open, all the water will drain into the outlet pipes making a mess when you uncap the sewer outlet.

There's often another 90 degree turn just before the sewer outlet, which is another possible place it could get stuck. If that happens, you'll have difficulty dumping the tank.

There's a good chance it'll just stay on the bottom of the black tank forever. And until it causes a problem, there's probably not much you can do about it.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Here is an illustration of how the 90 degree elbow's look like, that Dan was referring to above.

FYI...this is the layout for our Bighorn, so yours might be a bit different, but you get the general idea.

 

[BarbandFrank]

Thank you both for your insight and information - very helpful. I’m not sure what, if anything, we will do - just hope the teaspoon doesn’t cause a problem. It’s going to be like a black cloud hanging over our heads every time we empty the tanks. We are full time, so we empty the tanks at least once a week. As for how the teaspoon got there - DW emptied a pan of soapy dish water into the toilet - and you know the rest of the story.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Thank you both for your insight and information - very helpful. I’m not sure what, if anything, we will do - just hope the teaspoon doesn’t cause a problem. It’s going to be like a black cloud hanging over our heads every time we empty the tanks. We are full time, so we empty the tanks at least once a week. As for how the teaspoon got there - DW emptied a pan of soapy dish water into the toilet - and you know the rest of the story.

Bummer...

Why not just pour the soapy dish water down the kitchen sink?

 

['Lil Guy']

do you even think that the water pressure there would even move the spoon? Thought about pushing a strong extension magnate down to see if you could fish it back up? Just a thought and probably a dumb one at that. But having them in my storage, I would have given it a try right away.

 

[WalterGruer]

IF it gets caught in the valve -
I bought an extra gate valve that I ALWAYS keep on the sewer outlet of my camper where the cap goes on. I also bought a 90 elbow with the water hose connection built onto it. When I am having trouble getting a good drain, or feel like I need to flush the black tanks (end of season), I put the 90/hose connector UPstream of the gate valve, close the valve, and run copious water back up into the tank. Turn off the water, open the gate, drain - repeat if necessary. This may allow you to flush until the spoon comes out to restore your piece of mind.

And since the black tanks are 3” drain lines, I don’t think the spoon would get wedged in a 90 elbow. Sure hoping it doesn’t stick in a valve for you. Having the additional gate valve out the outlet of your camper has provided me some piece of mind for potential leakby on one of the tank isolations - I don’t care to get caught in THAT deluge.



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[BarbandFrank]

Thanks Walter

 

[carl.swoyer]

We accidentally flushed a stainless steel teaspoon down the toilet in our Landmark. We are wondering if it will find its way out through the normal flow of fluids when emptying the tanks. The teaspoon measures 6” long. We are worried that it will get stuck somewhere in the pipes and cause a problem.

Is there a diagram available of the black tank plumbing?

Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes! stop using the toilet as a serving bowl.
You do realize that I had to say that. ROLOL

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[MountainDon]

RE: the magnet solution.

Stainless steel is not magnetic

 

[DaveC6]

For about $37 on Amazon you can buy a lighted camera that has a 11 foot rigid cord and connects to your cell phone for viewing. You could drain the tank and then go looking for it. I dropped a plastic tube down my son’s Harley oil pan and had to fish it out. I would have never found it without that camera. There’s a lot going on in that oil pan. It come with a hook attachment and magnet, but like the post above says, stainless is not magnetic.


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[carl.swoyer]

Yes! stop using the toilet as a serving bowl.
You do realize that I had to say that. ROLOL

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Are we spooning?

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