Disposing grey water from motorhome tanks

[maguirem]

Recently purchased my first motorhome and want to rinse the water tanks - both grey and fresh - Because it has been stood in storage for two months - whilst on sale. The plan so far is fill the fresh water tank with a puriclean solution then topped up with fresh water - some time later switch on all taps and transfer it to grey tank. But can I drain the grey water tank down the grate outside my house where my drains flow through?

 

[Jim]

Storm drains, sewer? Where soes the water go when you wash cars and the van? Is it the same drain? Don't forget you can easily collect grey water in a bucket and chuck it it the garden, it won't do any harm. Collecting grey in a bucket or bowl is good practice as you are bound do have to do it sometime in the future

 

[The Wino]

Recently purchased my first motorhome and want to rinse the water tanks - both grey and fresh - Because it has been stood in storage for two months - whilst on sale. The plan so far is fill the fresh water tank with a puriclean solution then topped up with fresh water - some time later switch on all taps and transfer it to grey tank. But can I drain the grey water tank down the grate outside my house where my drains flow through?

If the sewers flow there it should be fine but not if it's just rainwater from drainpipes.

 

[VXman]

I don't see why it shouldn't go down normal road drains. It's going to be clean anyway as you say its a new van. Personally I didn't think of running water through my new van and I'm still alive.

In general terms I am happy to put grey water down the drains. People wash their cars and it goes there. All the filth from road traffic goes on the road and gets washed down there - rubber, oil, fuel, etc will end up there after it rains. Grey water is clean in comparison.

 

[hja]

We keep our van at the front of the house. It is on gravel surrounded by borders. Water from fresh, grey and washing van all just go onto the gravel. No problem anywhere. It is absorbed by soil below gravel.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Otter Spotter]

Most CL sites will ask you to dump your grey water in their hedges.
If you consider the pollution the Water companies pour undiluted into rivers , your grey water is going to cause no problems.

 

[Jev88]

I lift a manhole and dispose black and then grey to clean pipes out - thankfully right next to house where my sewer does a dog leg turn to reach the mains in the road.

 

[maguirem]

Thanks for all the replies - come to the conclusion I'm going have to spend a night on a site for the easiest solution - not that I mind that prospect as it will give me chance to practice setting up. Solves a few things in one go as I'm still reading the Owners manual as night time reading so can discover what/where all the controls are - Namaste

 

[Mzracer]

Recently purchased my first motorhome and want to rinse the water tanks - both grey and fresh - Because it has been stood in storage for two months - whilst on sale. The plan so far is fill the fresh water tank with a puriclean solution then topped up with fresh water - some time later switch on all taps and transfer it to grey tank. But can I drain the grey water tank down the grate outside my house where my drains flow through?

That approach works really well, done the same myself.

Drained onto our gravel drive no problems.

 

[PP Bear]

Thanks for all the replies - come to the conclusion I'm going have to spend a night on a site for the easiest solution - not that I mind that prospect as it will give me chance to practice setting up. Solves a few things in one go as I'm still reading the Owners manual as night time reading so can discover what/where all the controls are - Namaste

I used to pop puriclean tabs in, but then there were times I could smell and taste the chlorine, so switched to food grade citric acid and never looked back since. Lots of threads under the search over refreshing and cleaning the tanks.

I also follow the logic that if grey waste can be pumped directly into canals from narrowboats and it doesn’t poison fish or kill the vegetation, then it’s pretty safe to put down drains. Great idea to decant and water plants or grass with it too, so I have one of these for the job.

Water tank cleaner

Occurred to me that I probably need to do something to prevent bacteria etc in the water tank. Quick look online brings up Puriclean - water system cleaner & water tank cleaner. Is this the right way to go - or are there more and better options?

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Extract…

Used to use the Puriclean, but it doesn’t descale. Great for black spot, but I found if you followed the guidelines, i could taste the chorine in it. Easy if you can use it and rinse like crazy, but that’s not what it’s designed for, so I reduced the quantity as most would.

So now it’s food grade citric acid that cleans, descales, freshens up the tank and boiler and then run into the grey tank to do the same there. It works well for me and a number of other Funsters that now use it.

Thinking about it, I haven’t put a Puriclean tablet in for over 2 years, but use the citric acid twice a year. Be surprised how much scale it removes. After 24 hours, I also run it into the kettle and coffee machine while it’s decanting into the grey tank, and they are sparkling as well.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Brocksford]

Some of our drains run to the sewer; dumping grey water fine.
Some drains run to the beck; dumping grey water not fine.
You just need to know where your drains run to.

 

[Richard J]

Agree with Brocksford; into a sewer is fine, but surface water drains can go into nearby rivers of the sea. I sometimes use a Wastemaster as easy to drain into, takes about 40l, and can be wheeled off to your nearby sewer manhole.

 

[triky]

Not advisable to dispose into a 'Septic Tank 'though ,as any chemicals could negate the effects of the bio' operative function !!

 

[BusyBuilder]

Ours goes on the garden/hedge.

 

[bschaldon]

I used to pop puriclean tabs in, but then there were times I could smell and taste the chlorine, so switched to food grade citric acid and never looked back since. Lots of threads under the search over refreshing and cleaning the tanks.

I also follow the logic that if grey waste can be pumped directly into canals from narrowboats and it doesn’t poison fish or kill the vegetation, then it’s pretty safe to put down drains. Great idea to decant and water plants or grass with it too, so I have one of these for the job.

View attachment 834025

Water tank cleaner

Occurred to me that I probably need to do something to prevent bacteria etc in the water tank. Quick look online brings up Puriclean - water system cleaner & water tank cleaner. Is this the right way to go - or are there more and better options?

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Extract…

Used to use the Puriclean, but it doesn’t descale. Great for black spot, but I found if you followed the guidelines, i could taste the chorine in it. Easy if you can use it and rinse like crazy, but that’s not what it’s designed for, so I reduced the quantity as most would.

So now it’s food grade citric acid that cleans, descales, freshens up the tank and boiler and then run into the grey tank to do the same there. It works well for me and a number of other Funsters that now use it.

Thinking about it, I haven’t put a Puriclean tablet in for over 2 years, but use the citric acid twice a year. Be surprised how much scale it removes. After 24 hours, I also run it into the kettle and coffee machine while it’s decanting into the grey tank, and they are sparkling as well.

View attachment 834023
View attachment 834024

What sort of dilution do you use?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PP Bear]

What sort of dilution do you use?

I put a 2kg bag diluted in warm water directly into the fresh tank, run through all the taps, boiler and shower and leave it to do its magic. Personally I leave it 24 hours but some say that’s too long.

Then decant through all taps into the grey tank, kettle, coffee machine and shower head and leave another 24 hours to sort out the grey, then drain. I’ve already run off the remaining water from the fresh tank and heater and run fresh water through the tank and boiler. I don’t do a full flush of the taps until the grey is done, then rinse them out.

Been happy with the results so far

 

[Madmag]

PP Bear We are looking for a shallow grey waste container looking at your photo. Have you details/link to that. Thanks

 

[PP Bear]

PP Bear We are looking for a shallow grey waste container looking at your photo. Have you details/link to that. Thanks

Hi, they used to be readily available some years back, I actually got mine with the van some 12 years ago, but you can’t seem to find them now. They do a much bigger one, but that doesn’t fit under my grey outlet, so no good for me. The thing I like about mine is the size. I can decant the grey waste either from the top, or if the ground is low, or I’ve sunk a bit in grass, from the side.

All I can suggest is to look on fleabay, as I’ve seen secondhand ones for sale on the site.

10L Black Grey Waste Container with Hose for Caravan Motorhome Campervan RV 5060706228998 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 10L Black Grey Waste Container with Hose for Caravan Motorhome Campervan RV at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

This is for sale on fleabay at the moment. Mines 20L, this one’s 10L if it’s helpful

 

[andykim]

Towsure also sell them, if you can find a shop as quite a few closed down.