Troubleshooting your RV Tank Sensors
09-18-2017
Author: in Henley's Happy Trails
As park hosts, we get asked about RV sensors a lot. Typically these questions come from new RVers who are still figuring out the ends and outs of their rig. The sensors in question are usually associated with the black and grey tanks. These sensors have a tendency to give false readings, indicating a full or partially full tank even after one has been completely emptied.
Related Read: Invaluable Black Tank Tips
Why won’t sensors correctly display levels?
Each holding tank in your RV has miniscule sensor knobs attached to the inside at varying heights. When a knob gets wet, it lights up the sensor panel or tank monitor. Waste tanks, such as black water tanks, have a lot of things that get flushed past those knobs like toilet paper. When the tank is drained, a wet piece of toilet paper stuck to a knob can make the indicator on your tank monitor light up. In short, if your monitor shows that your tank is still full after flushing, it is most likely due to wet debris stuck on a sensor knob.
How do I solve the problem?
Most of the time, false readings are not a big deal. For example, we know that our black tank takes a little over a week to fill up, if not more, so we dump our black tank once a week. We have, of course, lived in our RV for almost three years, so we are very familiar with how much water we use on average and how much time it takes to fill up both black and grey tanks.
Having said that, for those new to RVing or their RV, knowing the overflow point can be difficult to detect. There are a few strategies we suggest to thoroughly clean out the tanks, thus receiving concise readings. The first is getting an RV toilet wand. This device hooks onto a hose and is intended to be put into the black tank via the toilet. We have one of these and it does the trick every time. We try to give our black tank a good spray down once a month or so.
Your next option is to drive around. Driving with a bit of water in your black and grey tank will slosh everything around and break up any solids still in the tank. If you want to get the black tank cleaner, dump a bag of ice down the toilet. This will scour the tank and disappear as it melts.
There are many chemicals for black tanks out there that claim to clean sensors. We have never stuck our head far enough into our black tank to confirm their claims. Suffice it to say, they may stop calcium and other buildup on your sensors, but they don’t stop toilet paper from getting stuck on them.
In a nutshell, if your sensor lights won’t turn off, it’s typically not a big deal. If you saw or heard the waste come out of the sewer hose when you dumped, then your RV is most likely functioning properly. Regardless if you are currently staying in your rig or planning to store it, utilize the flushing methods described above to assist with accurate monitor readings.
Related Read: Invaluable Black Tank Tips
Why won’t sensors correctly display levels?
Each holding tank in your RV has miniscule sensor knobs attached to the inside at varying heights. When a knob gets wet, it lights up the sensor panel or tank monitor. Waste tanks, such as black water tanks, have a lot of things that get flushed past those knobs like toilet paper. When the tank is drained, a wet piece of toilet paper stuck to a knob can make the indicator on your tank monitor light up. In short, if your monitor shows that your tank is still full after flushing, it is most likely due to wet debris stuck on a sensor knob.
Related Read: Is RV Toilet Paper Really Necessary?
How do I solve the problem?
Most of the time, false readings are not a big deal. For example, we know that our black tank takes a little over a week to fill up, if not more, so we dump our black tank once a week. We have, of course, lived in our RV for almost three years, so we are very familiar with how much water we use on average and how much time it takes to fill up both black and grey tanks.
Having said that, for those new to RVing or their RV, knowing the overflow point can be difficult to detect. There are a few strategies we suggest to thoroughly clean out the tanks, thus receiving concise readings. The first is getting an RV toilet wand. This device hooks onto a hose and is intended to be put into the black tank via the toilet. We have one of these and it does the trick every time. We try to give our black tank a good spray down once a month or so.
Your next option is to drive around. Driving with a bit of water in your black and grey tank will slosh everything around and break up any solids still in the tank. If you want to get the black tank cleaner, dump a bag of ice down the toilet. This will scour the tank and disappear as it melts.
There are many chemicals for black tanks out there that claim to clean sensors. We have never stuck our head far enough into our black tank to confirm their claims. Suffice it to say, they may stop calcium and other buildup on your sensors, but they don’t stop toilet paper from getting stuck on them.
In a nutshell, if your sensor lights won’t turn off, it’s typically not a big deal. If you saw or heard the waste come out of the sewer hose when you dumped, then your RV is most likely functioning properly. Regardless if you are currently staying in your rig or planning to store it, utilize the flushing methods described above to assist with accurate monitor readings.
Comment
alpaganoMarch 24, 2021 | 09:19 PM
my problem is a Winnebago, class c ,,,1/3 grey tank light never shuts off. I have tried to flush, chemicals, ride around. wands. My next try will be to remove sensor. have you ever done this?
Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
