RV
How often should I empty my RV’s black holding tank?
Living with a black holding tank is one of the less thrilling aspects of a long RV adventure. But caring for your black holding tank will help you avoid common issues like persistent odors, clogs, and false sensor readings. One of the most important things to know about your holding tank is when to empty it (although knowing where to empty it is also handy).
More frequent emptying is not necessarily better, and will actually probably worsen your holding tank issues. If you dump the tank often or keep it hooked up to the campground’s sewer system, the liquid waste will drain out, but the solids will remain. That’s how you end up with residual waste caked to your tank's sides, interfering with sensor readings.
Instead, wait until your holding tank is about 2/3 of the way full so that when you dump it, there’s adequate flow. With two people living in the RV, that shouldn’t be less than one week, but keep an eye on your sensors.
If you have a grey holding tank that also needs to be emptied, dump the black before the grey. The greywater, which comes from your sink and shower, will flush out any remaining solids in your hose.
After a while, you might notice your sensors not reading as well as they used to, or a residual odor emitting from your black tank. When this happens, you can always use a packet of deodorizer to deep clean everything. Commando contains powerful enzymes that break down solids and digest odor-causing bacteria. Just drop in a packet, add water, and wait about 12 hours. Your tank will be good as new.
Can I leave Commando in my tank for longer than 24 hours?
Some of the most common questions we receive have to do with how long to leave Commando in the black holding tank.
If you don’t leave it in the tank long enough, the enzymes won’t have time to work thoroughly, but people also worry about leaving it in for too long. The short answer is that you should aim to leave Commando in the tank for a minimum of 12 to 24 hours, but there’s no real harm in leaving it longer.
Commando is a pre-portioned product designed to work in as little as 12 to 24 hours for those in a hurry. However, if you need to leave Commando in your holding tank for 48 hours, 72 hours, or even a week, that would be okay and will not harm your holding tank. Each packet contains enzymes that immediately go to work, breaking down waste and paper and penetrating build-up on your tank walls and sensors.
Walex chemists designed the super-concentrated formula to work quickly to eliminate the most robust waste and paper build-up. Although it’s rare to have build-up after using Commando, when used according to instructions, if you continue to have issues due to extreme build-up, you can repeat the process.
If you have further questions about Commando or any other products, call us at 800-338-3155, and we’d be happy to help.