Managing Your RV Water Tank: Things To Know

When you think about RV life, do images of scenic mountains and lakes or campfires and relaxing mornings come to mind? Hopefully so! What probably is far from your mind is the maintenance associated with keeping your RV water tanks in good repair. There are three main tanks you’ll want to be sure are functioning well:

• Fresh water tank which provides water that comes through taps
• Gray water tank that holds shower water and water drained from the sink
• Black water tank that contains toilet waste

Naturally the least frightening tank is the fresh water tank and the tanks that may haunt your dreams is the black water tank. However, it is equally important to keep all three tanks in good repair if you want a fun and worry free vacation.

RV Fresh Water Tank

The fresh water tank in your RV stores the water you will shower and wash dishes with. While you might be tempted to think you can get away with just refilling this tank as needed, it is just as important to clean the fresh water tank as it is the gray tank and black tank.

The fresh water tank will be the least intimidating of all three tanks to maintain since you won’t have to deal with sewage or used shower water. Just be sure you have a potable hose, which is a hose specifically designed to work with water that will be used for consumption. Potable hoses are white in color which will help you remember that they are for clean water.

RV Gray Water Tank

Thanks to the gray water tank, the water that drains from your shower and kitchen sink has somewhere to go. Emptying your gray water tank may be a tedious task when you’d rather relax, but depending on how large of a crew you are traveling with, you may not have to empty it more than once every three to four days and you could potentially only have to empty it once a week if it is just you and one other person on the road.

It is recommended to drain the gray water tank after you’ve dealt with the black water tank to help any leftovers in the black water tank to be pushed out of the sewer hose.

RV Black Water Tank

The scariest tank for most people to deal with, and for good reason, is the black water tank. The black water tank holds the toilet wastewater and depending on the size of your RV can be anywhere from 15 to 50 gallons in size. It should be the first tank you empty when cleaning out your RV’s water tanks so that the liquid from both the black and gray tank can help the unspeakables in your black tank to flow out into the sewer without getting clogged in the sewage hose.

After the black tank has been fully emptied, be sure to fill with plenty of fresh water and a black tank chemical to keep the tank in good standing. If your RV ever has a sewage odor, that is a sign that the black tank needs tended to immediately. If you want to have a pleasant RV experience it is of the utmost importance that you empty the water tanks as often as needed and commit to not stressing the systems by trying to stretch the time between emptying.

Know Where Your RV Dump Stations Are

You’ll need to make sure you have access to an RV dump site or a sewage connection before you empty your tanks. There are several websites and apps that are great resources to find a dump site near you no matter where your journey takes you.

RV Motorhome Dealer In Fort Worth

We know the maintenance part of RV ownership is not the most desirable aspect of RV ownership, but you will be glad for any prior knowledge of how the tanks work before you purchase your RV and take it out for the first time. At Your RV Broker, we are passionate about helping you find the best RV to fit your desires and lifestyle. Come check out our inventory at our Justin, Texas location or give us a call today at 817-409-8997 to talk with our team. We look forward to serving you!