Nautilus Panel Idea

[Squeaky]

So, do most people not use a different hose for the fresh water and the black tank flush, or am I reading this wrong?

[Richter]

So, do most people not use a different hose for the fresh water and the black tank flush, or am I reading this wrong?

I use a dedicated black-flush hose. Coiled it up and spray-painted black stripes on it. When uncoiled, it looks like a zebra, but I never get it mixed up with anything else.

I glove-up, hook up the drain and black-water flush hose and go to town. Never touch “clean” stuff with “dirty” stuff. I figure that it just takes once and you’ll learn a lesson that would take a long time to forget. Don’t want to take a chance of going there.

[WhittleBurner]

We too have a separate hose we use for the black tank flush. We have a manifold at the spigot that has 4 ports on it. One for the fresh water one for filling the dog dishes one for washing the truck and trailer and one for the black tank flush. They all have their own shutoff's. When it's time to do back tank flush I just pick up the end of the hose laying on the ground and hook it up. When done go back to the spigot turn the water off for that hose then unhook it at the trailer. About as easy as I could get it and making it safe. I run all the hoses under the trailer so it's not a unsightly mess. Except the one for washing I leave it coiled up at the spigot.

[boyscout]

Another take on this design maybe, putting a ball valve in place of the vacuum break and only open/close it when the supply line is pressurized to push things forward. That way nothing should ever be able to flow backwards?

Nope.

Again, the key point is that the black flush inlet *SHOULD* be allowed to flow backward when you stop flushing.

What comes out is that column of fresh water mentioned in the thread, the vacuum break. @Cate&Rob says that if that column of fresh water is held in the system (by your backflow preventer or your new idea of a ball valve or by the second hose that some people leave attached all the time) then any bacteria in it or that develops in it before you black-flush again can get into your fresh water system.

[cookinwitdiesel]

So what I am hearing, is something like this which would allow the black tank flush to drain would be best. I can just hook up the tank flush when needed, open that valve, let it flush. Then, close valve, then disconnect and let it drain back out. The disconnects I have are always open, they do not seal when disconnected.

I am just trying to reduce the amount of screwing and unscrewing hoses as much as possible.

[Chiefblueman]

So what I am hearing, is something like this which would allow the black tank flush to drain would be best. I can just hook up the tank flush when needed, open that valve, let it flush. Then, close valve, then disconnect and let it drain back out. The disconnects I have are always open, they do not seal when disconnected.

I am just trying to reduce the amount of screwing and unscrewing hoses as much as possible.

Bingo! I like to run 2 hoses from a Y at the bib so I can attach a nozzle to the flush hose for cleanup, spraying pesky kids near my site, etc.

[Pawsitive Camping Life]

spraying pesky kids near my site, etc.

I think you just made my day! Thanks! Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks like that!

[cookinwitdiesel]

Bingo! I like to run 2 hoses from a Y at the bib so I can attach a nozzle to the flush hose for cleanup, spraying pesky kids near my site, etc.

I am just moving the Y inside the trailer so I only have the one connection going out to the post - otherwise sounds like about the same!

I will keep a look out for those kids

[dcladdpe]

Like your idea. Where did you purchase leader hoses? Can only find 6' ones locally.

I purchased mine on amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Alexberg]

We did something along the same line, but only to the fresh water inlet. Hubby attached a brass "L" to the fresh water inlet then screwed a 6" hose extension to the "L". Those two components remain in place. When he hooks up, he connects the fresh water line to the 6" extension.