Tank Sensors

FrozenNorth

FrozenNorth

Member
Mine are schizophrenic, I'm guessing most have trouble with their black and gray water sensors.

My trailer has a 40 gallon fresh, and 30 gallons for black/gray. The fresh water seems to work perfectly, makes sense. The other 2 are constantly showing bad readings so I just look at the fresh water and if I'm down to half in the fresh for a bit then I figure I'm pretty close to full on the gray; most of the fresh ends up in the gray, and I also bring my own bottled drinking water.

But just wondering if anyone has a fix for getting the sensors working again? Does everyone just accept that black/gray sensors are useless after the first 2 years or whatever, or is there some trick that can be used (or better sensors)?
 
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I think all tank sensors ( especially black tank) ar schizo. I never look at them.
I fill the fresh water tank until it comes out the overflow and the gray and black tanks get drained the day we leave a parking place.. or sooner if we have been there for weeks.. you'll know when the tanks are full anyway, as the sink will start to back up... and the toilet, well you can look down that thing and tell if it is full.

which brings up a different question. I see people keep their stinky slinky hooked up, often wondered if they leave the tank drains open... whereas I let the tanks fill for day, then open the dump valves... figuring it flushes them out better.
 
FrozenNorth said:
Mine are schizophrenic, I'm guessing most have trouble with their black and gray water sensors.

My trailer has a 40 gallon fresh, and 30 gallons for black/gray. The fresh water seems to work perfectly, makes sense. The other 2 are constantly showing bad readings so I just look at the fresh water and if I'm down to half in the fresh for a bit then I figure I'm pretty close to full on the gray; most of the fresh ends up in the gray, and I also bring my own bottled drinking water.

But just wondering if anyone has a fix for getting the sensors working again? Does everyone just accept that black/gray sensors are useless after the first 2 years or whatever, or is there some trick that can be used (or better sensors)?
Click to expand...
I have a regiment that tends to keep my sensors working more often than not. For a tank treatment we use a mixture of bleach and dawn dish soap in both the black and grey tanks.

I use a camco tank cleaning hose and pour in a cleaner every so often with 10 gallons of water prior to a road trip. The sloshing helps to clean the tank.

Cleaning hose

RV digest

Just my $0.02
 
MSCH said:
I think all tank sensors ( especially black tank) ar schizo. I never look at them.
I fill the fresh water tank until it comes out the overflow and the gray and black tanks get drained the day we leave a parking place.. or sooner if we have been there for weeks.. you'll know when the tanks are full anyway, as the sink will start to back up... and the toilet, well you can look down that thing and tell if it is full.

which brings up a different question. I see people keep their stinky slinky hooked up, often wondered if they leave the tank drains open... whereas I let the tanks fill for day, then open the dump valves... figuring it flushes them out better.
Click to expand...

We'll never fill up the black tank so agreed, the fresh water tank sensor is how I do it. I just get occasionally frustrated because there are 4 levels on that sensor: empty, 1/3, 2/3, full.

Which means I only have two different readings to work with and I have to sort of guess on the rest. I've had the gray flow up through the shower pan and it's kind of nasty.

When I get a sight with full hookups I leave the hose connected but will drain them every 2 or 3 days. More water means a stronger flush.
 
I could threads I've posted on the topic. Long story short is put the concoction in the tank before trips with about 25% water and you won't believe how nasty the clean water you put in will come out at the end. The surfactant is the key, it's a miracle worker. I have never had an erroneous reading since I've started cleaning the inside of the tank with this concoction.

I played with the tank sensors in my Airstream, because I had easy access to them. I could simply put my hand near the sensor strip and it would drastically change the indicated level or hang a wire by the sensor and get the same results. So, if you have a bit of a build up on the tank wall, it will change the sensor reading.

https://rvthe.us/community/threads/...lectronic-gauges-from-getting-slimed-over.43/

https://rvthe.us/community/threads/keeping-rv-gray-and-black-tank-level-sensors-clean.503/
 
I’ve found that Dawn and hot water keep the sensors in ours. When they start acting up, we put a half of a bottle of Dawn and completely fill the tank with hot water. I have a hot water source on the outside of my house and use a water hose. Let it sit overnight and the stuff that runs out is pretty grungy. Soap film and grease from cooking and washing dishes. We use crushed ice in the black tank when we head out from one point to another.
 
I use a cup or 2 of orange citrus cleaner, 1 cup of dish soap and a couple gallons of water in the grey and black tanks before we set off. The display is not perfect but way more accurate than they were. Found a youtuber that gave out that recipe and I like it. Plus the smell isn't so terrible with the citrus cleaner.
 
you know what is funny about this subject is I dont care if the sensors work .. I stopped looking at them 3 RV's prior. I'm not ssure if I ever pressed the button on the current RV to see what lie they are telling.:)
 
MSCH said:
you know what is funny about this subject is I dont care if the sensors work .. I stopped looking at them 3 RV's prior. I'm not ssure if I ever pressed the button on the current RV to see what lie they are telling.:)
Click to expand...
it sounds like the MPG number on the dash of my truck... 🤣

Just my $0.02
 
MSCH said:
you know what is funny about this subject is I dont care if the sensors work .. I stopped looking at them 3 RV's prior. I'm not ssure if I ever pressed the button on the current RV to see what lie they are telling.:)
Click to expand...
After I started using my concoction, my sensors are always accurate.
 
Wayne said:
After I started using my concoction, my sensors are always accurate.
Click to expand...
how do you know anything is accurate without double checking against a known good measuring device or peering inside the tank? :)
 
MSCH said:
how do you know anything is accurate without double checking against a known good measuring device or peering inside the tank? :)
Click to expand...
I know when they are empty and know when they are full. The gauges always read correctly. The levels in between can't be visually checked, but they make sense. I believe the gauges are pretty darn accurate.
 
Wayne said:
I know when they are empty and know when they are full. The gauges always read correctly. The levels in between can't be visually checked, but they make sense. I believe the gauges are pretty darn accurate.
Click to expand...
Wayne, I know when my tank is empty and when it is full without the sensors. :)
 
MSCH said:
Wayne, I know when my tank is empty and when it is full without the sensors. :)
Click to expand...
:)

My point is the gauges are accurate empty, full, and in between. I prefer not to know when the gray tank is full by visual evidence, because it backs up in the kitchen sink.
 
c'mon Wayne, its all good, you know you are a gadget freak and it's Ok to admit it.
Just like I know I am a minimalist.. :)
 
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