RV Grey Water Tank Overflow [Fix in 8 Simple Steps]

All the water drains from sinks and showers, and any water from washers or dishwashers is collected in an RV grey water tank. Gray water gathers from all sources to save the toilet. 

Grey water tanks are a common component of most motorhomes and trailers, even though vintage campers might not have them.

An RV’s water tank comes in handy quite a bit. While traveling, you can cook your meals, wash your face, and take a shower. But if the RV grey water tank overflows, everything might go wrong.

When The Grey Water Tank Is Full, What Happens?

The grey water backs up into the shower in most RV designs. Because the RV shower is reputedly the lowest spot inside the car or trailer, it does that. It would help if you emptied the grey water tank as quickly as possible as it began to back up. 

You won’t have the terrible mess the black water tank creates when the grey water tank overflows, but you will still have a mess. The floors, carpet, bottoms of cabinets, and possibly water seeping into the RV’s main compartment will all become wet.

The smell will be your main problem if you stop the overflow immediately. Apart from that, the water did not have enough time to cause harm. However, if there is a long period between the overflowing water and detection, far more damage may result. 

How Should You Proceed If An Rv’s Grey Water Tank Overflows?

Sometimes, the water tank in an RV can overflow. And knowing what to do in these circumstances is important. Because you never know when you could find yourself having to deal with an entire tank of water.

To deal with such situations, here are some procedures you will have to follow:-

1. Let The Tank’s Dark Water Drain

You must first remove the black water. Describe dark water. The water used to flush the toilet is what it is. Yes, the filthy and unpleasant water.

If the greywater follows the path left by the blackwater and cleans the water hose a little bit, the blackwater will flow out the hose first. 

If you use the same hose for grey and blackwater, that is. We’ll utilize two different hoses in our procedure to keep everything clean. 

Wear a glove beforehand before commencing the procedure. The goal is to attach a hose’s one end to the city water hookup. The other end then enters the disposal facility.

Turn the black water valve after that. All of the tank’s black water will be released as a result. You can then go on to the greywater once it is finished.

2. Fasten The Sewer Hose

It would help if you removed a cap after dumping the black water. The tank outlets are held in place by this cap. The sewer hose must then be attached to the tank outlet. 

The dump hole receives the other end. A minimum of 34 inches must be inserted into the hole. Water will splash out otherwise. You can even cover the sewer hose for added security. 

Place a block on the hose to fix this. It will maintain its position.

3. Examine The Sewer Connection

The sewer connection needs to be tested to determine whether it is functioning correctly. By doing this, you can be sure that water won’t splash on your clothing when you fully turn the valve. 

You only need to turn the grey valve, then gently. Once the valve is opened, some water can flow through the hose. Additionally, you must check for leaks as the water flows.

Take the hose and secure it once again if you notice a leak. Make sure it’s tight this time.

4. Drain And Flush The Tank

It would help if you fully opened the valve after ensuring there was no leak. It would be best if you opened the grey one, it is true. 

The tank’s water will be completely drained as a result. You may clean the tank as well while you’re at it. To achieve this, repeatedly flush the tank. The tank’s waste is entirely removed by flushing. Every time you use the sink, you’ll also get clean water.

5. Close The Valves

The valve needs to be shut off next. Don’t forget to finish this step before removing the hose. Otherwise, water will splash on your face. 

You can disconnect the hose after finally closing the valve. But take care when removing the hose. The hose may suffer long-term harm from excessive pressure.

6. Remove The Sewer Hose From The Dump Hole

The other end of the sewer hose is still in the dump hole even though it has been removed from the tank. Don’t overlook that, then. 

Make sure to remove it from the disposal hole. But take great care when doing so. That’s because it might still contain some of the filthy water. So, remove it gradually while being careful to wriggle it a little. 

You’ll be all set after the water is gently shaken off.

7. Clean The Hose

It would be best if you cleaned the hose for this step. Even while greywater may appear clean, it can contain some dirt. 

In addition, you don’t want your hose to remain soiled. So connect it to a clean water source. Then open the faucet and let the freshwater run to clean the dirt entirely.

Thanks to this, the hose won’t need to be cleaned as often.

8. Close The Hole

The water tank’s hole needs to be sealed, last but not least. It is crucial right now. Do not disregard it. Remember the water tank hole, we say again. 

If you don’t plug the hole, water will continue to leak from your tank. Or even wander off to other areas of the RV and cause chaos. So, double-check the tank hole. 

And as soon as you do so, the overflow problem will get solved.

Final Verdict

When you see that the RV grey water tank overflows, all you have to do is that. Remember that while draining the water can empty the tank, dealing with a flood of water is preferable. 

And make sure that your water tank is always at least 3/4 filled.