A clog in your RV toilet or black tank is always a hassle. Clogs can cause smelly bathrooms and other disturbing events that will ruin your trip and ruin your mood. There are many types of clogs that can form inside your RV toilet or black tank. To remove these clogs, you must first understand the type of clog you have.
Poop Pyramid
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A poop pyramid is a type of clog that happens inside the black tank of your RV. You can understand by the name that it is a pyramid of poop and toilet paper. Like any other clog, a poop pyramid is no less a problem. However, in a small place like an RV, it becomes worse. Sometimes people confuse between a toilet clog and a poop pyramid. Therefore you should first identify the problem and then move on to find the solution. Some basic signs of a poop pyramid are given below.
- When you open the valve of the black tank, nothing comes out of it.
- When you try to add water to the black tank, you cannot. This means that the pipe is also clogged.
- If you already know that you have left the tank valve open, you know what you are now going to deal with.
Prevention of Poop Pyramid in Black Tank
When you leave the valve of the black tank open, the liquid waste inside the tank escapes from the open valve. The solid waste that is left behind becomes hardened due to the absence of any liquid. This becomes the main reason for the poop pyramid clogging inside the black tank. Therefore the best way to prevent a poop pyramid inside the black tank is to keep the tank valves closed when you are not dumping.
Another method to prevent poop pyramids in the black tank is to use toilet paper that is made primarily to be used in RVs. Toilet papers are designed in a number of ways. Their thickness and paper quality are different from one another. You should understand the fact that your RV’s septic system is not able to handle every other type of toilet paper.
Therefore you should act wisely while choosing toilet paper for your RV to avoid the clogs and poop pyramid inside the black tank of your RV.
Getting rid of Poop Pyramid in Black Tank
It is recommended that you should seek professional help if you do not have enough knowledge about the drains or clogs etc, but still, there are some tips and methods that you can use and try to solve the problem yourself.
1. Keep Black Tank Valve Closed
One of the biggest mistakes you make is leaving the tank valve open after dumping. When you leave the tank valve open, it gives way for the liquid inside the tank to drain out easily. The left-behind solids in the tank start to get hardened as time passes. The solids sit at the bottom of the tank and the chance of getting a clog increase. After every flush, the solid waste keeps on increasing inside the tank while the liquid continuously escapes out. This becomes the main reason for a serious clog known as a poop pyramid.
When you keep the tank valve closed, the solid and liquid waste mix inside the tank making the dumping process easier. The liquids inside the tank will also help drain the solids, and the chance of clogging will decrease. Liquids are necessary when you want to empty the black tank because without liquids it will become impossible to get the solids out of the tank.
2. Flush Lots of Water After Every Toilet Use
Water is the solution and savior in most cases of clogging in your black tank. You should always use lots of water after every use. The amount of liquid going into your black tank will decrease the chances of clogging and build-up of the poop pyramid. Liquid has the ability to soften the solids. That is why, if you want to avoid the poop pyramid inside the black tank of your RV, then you should make it a habit to flush down lots of water after every use. The presence of excessive liquids will also help in the dumping process of black tanks.
3. Holding Tank Digestive Enzyme
The holding tank enzyme is a type of cleaner that is used for breaking down the solids inside the holding tank. Any sewage or toilet paper can make clogs inside the black tank. A holding tank digestive enzyme cleaner is best known to break down any type of solids that can cause a clog inside the tank. It is recommended that you flush down lots of water in the toilet.
The water will reach the black tank. Then you add the holding tank digestive enzyme inside the black tank, you can also flush down the enzyme through the toilet. Let the mixture of water and digestive enzymes sit inside the tank for a few hours. After that, rinse and drain the black tank.
4. RV Safe Toilet Paper
There are many different types of toilet paper available in the market. They differ in thickness and quality as well. The type of toilet paper you use in your RV toilet can be the main culprit for the clogs inside the black tank, the drains, or the pipes. That is why it is recommended that you should always choose RV-safe toilet paper. They dissolve quickly and help reduce the chance of clogging. The best way to check the toilet paper you are currently using is RV safe or not, you can put a few pieces of that toilet paper in a container with a lid. Fill the container with water and place some toilet paper in it.
Close and lid and start shaking the container. See if the toilet paper has started dissolving in water or not. Many brands have launched RV-specific toilet papers. You can choose any one of them by first performing the shake test.
5. Often Flush the Black Tank
The more you flush your black tank, the less will be the chance of poop pyramid formation inside the black tank. The flushing of the black tank more often helps in reducing the chance of build-up and it helps in the cleanup of any debris inside the black tank. Flushing the black tank regularly also keeps it clog-free and smell-free. Flushing your tanks after every time you return from a trip is the best idea that will help to reduce the chance of clogs, reduce the smell, and makes the tank cleaning and dumping process easier.
Conclusion
This article will help you to differentiate between an ordinary pipe clog and a poop pyramid. This will also help you to get rid of this messy situation. We have mentioned several methods in this article to get rid of the poop pyramid in your RV black tank. You can use any of the above methods to clear the poop pyramid yourself instead of spending money on getting professional help.
FAQ’s
How to take care of RV Toilets?
The maintenance of RV toilets is essential if you do not want to get into any hassle during the trips. There are many RV-specific cleaners available in the market that help in cleaning, maintaining, and protecting your RV toilet from clogs and other issues.
