Poop Pyramid

 

WHAT DOES A POOP PYRAMID MEAN TO ME, IN MY BLACK TANK?

In your black water holding tank, solid waste and toilet paper form a pyramid-shaped mound known as a poop pyramid. Poop pyramid are easy to form in an RV holding tank if proper maintenance procedures are not followed. That's something I'll go into more detail about later.

Do you think of it as a pyramid or as a clogged pipe?

Poop pyramid are often mistaken for clogged plumbing pipes (and vice versa). When comparing poop pyramid and blocked pipes, what is the difference? To find out what's wrong, we use the following method:

  1. Do you leave your valve open on your black tank? A poop pyramid is almost certainly the result, as liquid from your black tank seeps out, leaving behind solids like waste and toilet paper. 

  2. You should open your black tank valve if you're sure there's something in it, even if it's just a speck of sand. If nothing or very little comes out, you may have a poop pyramid, but the most likely culprit is a clogged pipe. Your black tank's valve should be closed. 

  3. Are you experiencing a toilet overflowing with sewage water? This is an obvious sign of a clogged drain. If your black tank's poop pyramid has grown large enough it may obstruct the toilet pipe and, you may not be able to add water to the tank at all. 

  4. What can you see in the tank? There may be a wad of toilet paper or even something floating in the liquid. Even if not, there's a good chance a poop pyramid can be found within walking distance.

How to Avoid a Poop Pyramid!

It's not impossible, but it's not easy! The best way to avoid this frustration is to avoid it altogether. 

  1. Tanks must be drained when 75% to 100% full. Fill the tanks with water before emptying them. 

  2. Run your black (and gray, if you have one) tank's flush or rinse system while emptying. The extra water and moderate turbulence will help reduce the formation of a poop pyramid. Make sure your valves stay open when using in tank sprayers. (Do Not use in tank sprayers if you have a clog or backup)

  3. Keep your tanks clean by using a 

    Valterra Flush King Reverse Flush Valve or 

    Camco 39085 Rhino Blaster Pro W/Gate Valve.

  4.  Connect a water meter to the valve so you may add 75-90 percent of each tank's capacity in fresh water to flush away any leftover debris. 

  5. After cleaning and emptying your tanks, re-fill them with 1–3 gallons of fresh water and our Unique RV Digest-it products. This balances the waste-to-water ratio and speeds up the tank emptying process. 

  6. Always flush with a lot of water. Begin with a half-bowl of water, relieve yourself as needed, flush, refill the toilet bowl halfway, flush again, and repeat. 


    To summarize 

The water sloshes around in the tank and prevents the waste from developing a poop pyramid within a black tank. A poop pyramid is inconvenient but it is avoidable. Even if you already have a poop pyramid, it can be resolved by using the list of step above.

Schedule Your Cleaning Today!

Cleaning your RV's waste holding tanks is just as important as teaching you about them.