How to Keep Your RV Drains Clean, Fresh, and Functioning Properly
05-11-2018
Author: in RV Repairs / Maintenance / Upgrades
How to Keep Your RV Drains Clean, Fresh, and Functioning Properly
Generally speaking, all aspects of your RV were designed to work properly, as long as you follow a few basic maintenance steps. Unfortunately, over time, it's easy to become complacent and allow those steps to fall by the wayside. This is even more likely in situations where there is more than one person living or traveling in the RV. It's not uncommon for a resident to omit following through on certain chores under the assumption that someone else will pick up the pieces. This is how easily-avoided problems can become a day-long trouble-shooting adventure.
Take the sink drains, for example. It's easy to keep the drains clear of clogs. Just use dishpans to wash your dishes in, or use paper plates and refrain from cooking. Of course, cooking is one of the reasons that many choose to stay in an RV rather than a tent. Plus, cooking saves money that would otherwise be required for restaurants. Regardless of how they got clogged, remedying the situation and preventing it from reoccurring is perhaps a little time-consuming, but fairly easy.
Some campers believe that there is no purpose for a toilet plunger in an RV, since the toilets generally function differently than a typical brick or stick home bathroom fixture. This, however, is in fact one of the easiest, fastest, and most effective methods for clearing a clog from the drain in your kitchen or bathroom sink. When your sink begins to drain slowly or cease draining at all, you can use a toilet plunger to loosen a mass of hair or food that's causing the problem.
Another easy remedy is to place 3-tablespoons of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for several hours or overnight, and then rinse it down with very hot water. If the drain is stopped up because of a build-up of solidified fat from grease or oil, the hot water alone may be enough to handle the situation.
If neither of these handle the problem, you may need to be more aggressive. Avoid using caustic drain cleaners like regular Drano, as they may damage your valves. Instead, choose drain cleaners that use liquid bacterial enzymes to break down the mass. If necessary, you can unhook the "U-pipe" to see if you can find the clog and remove it. Another option is to use a drain snake suitable for use in your RV's water lines.
Once you've cleared out the drain, you should take steps to ensure that you won't have to do this again. Buy and use an inexpensive drain screen in each sink to keep food particulate and hair from getting into the drains to begin with. Refrain from draining grease into the sinks. Just drain it into a disposable bowl you can throw away or into another container where you can let it solidify before dumping it in the garbage.
Keep the sink clean and free from debris, as much as possible. Regularly clean the drains by using the baking soda and vinegar method above. It helps remove anything that may be in the pipes, clean them, and keep them smelling fresh.
In Conclusion
Before taking steps to remove clogs, make sure that you're grey-water tank isn't full. This is may be easy to overlook. After you have the drain working properly, use screens and regular maintenance steps to make sure it stays that way. Baking soda and vinegar are inexpensive items that most people keep on hand anyway, so they're easy to use to keep your sinks fresh and functional.
Generally speaking, all aspects of your RV were designed to work properly, as long as you follow a few basic maintenance steps. Unfortunately, over time, it's easy to become complacent and allow those steps to fall by the wayside. This is even more likely in situations where there is more than one person living or traveling in the RV. It's not uncommon for a resident to omit following through on certain chores under the assumption that someone else will pick up the pieces. This is how easily-avoided problems can become a day-long trouble-shooting adventure.
Take the sink drains, for example. It's easy to keep the drains clear of clogs. Just use dishpans to wash your dishes in, or use paper plates and refrain from cooking. Of course, cooking is one of the reasons that many choose to stay in an RV rather than a tent. Plus, cooking saves money that would otherwise be required for restaurants. Regardless of how they got clogged, remedying the situation and preventing it from reoccurring is perhaps a little time-consuming, but fairly easy.
Related Read: How to Replace Your RV Shower Parts
Clear the ClogSome campers believe that there is no purpose for a toilet plunger in an RV, since the toilets generally function differently than a typical brick or stick home bathroom fixture. This, however, is in fact one of the easiest, fastest, and most effective methods for clearing a clog from the drain in your kitchen or bathroom sink. When your sink begins to drain slowly or cease draining at all, you can use a toilet plunger to loosen a mass of hair or food that's causing the problem.
Another easy remedy is to place 3-tablespoons of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Let it sit for several hours or overnight, and then rinse it down with very hot water. If the drain is stopped up because of a build-up of solidified fat from grease or oil, the hot water alone may be enough to handle the situation.
If neither of these handle the problem, you may need to be more aggressive. Avoid using caustic drain cleaners like regular Drano, as they may damage your valves. Instead, choose drain cleaners that use liquid bacterial enzymes to break down the mass. If necessary, you can unhook the "U-pipe" to see if you can find the clog and remove it. Another option is to use a drain snake suitable for use in your RV's water lines.
Related Read: Conserving Water While Boondocking
Easy PreventionOnce you've cleared out the drain, you should take steps to ensure that you won't have to do this again. Buy and use an inexpensive drain screen in each sink to keep food particulate and hair from getting into the drains to begin with. Refrain from draining grease into the sinks. Just drain it into a disposable bowl you can throw away or into another container where you can let it solidify before dumping it in the garbage.
Keep the sink clean and free from debris, as much as possible. Regularly clean the drains by using the baking soda and vinegar method above. It helps remove anything that may be in the pipes, clean them, and keep them smelling fresh.
In Conclusion
Before taking steps to remove clogs, make sure that you're grey-water tank isn't full. This is may be easy to overlook. After you have the drain working properly, use screens and regular maintenance steps to make sure it stays that way. Baking soda and vinegar are inexpensive items that most people keep on hand anyway, so they're easy to use to keep your sinks fresh and functional.
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Author: Carrie Todd
