Grey Tank Equalization concern

**Boots1950** · 08-21-2022, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by Dale B

@FT4NOW

It sounds like this model with the drop frame that the bathroom grey tank is lower than the kitchen grey. Explaining why they do not equalize.

My last single brain cell thinks if the drain gate valves are left open the grey water will migrate from the bathroom tank to the kitchen tank. The level would slowly increase while showing full in the bathroom tank.

I'm waiting for someone to say, yeah I do that all the time Ha!

Yeah I do all the time that we are in Arizona for 3 months. Instead of emptying shower tank everything 2 days, I can get 4 days before standing in shower water.

**FT4NOW** · 08-21-2022, 07:25 AM

Originally Posted by Timorthy

Having a 2" gate valve that closes flow in only one way makes sense. However, it is subject to a "ball valve" effect. If two different liquids go through the same valve, the liquid coming in will solids in the tank and the liquid going out will be liquid. This solids will tend to collect in the bottom of the tank, so one tank will tend to overflow.
To prevent this, one has to install a check valve, which lets liquids flow through the valve in either direction. Flow in one direction will not let anything enter the tank, and flow in the other direction will not let the tank overflow.

I think you are confusing some nomenclature here.

A gate valve will allow flow or stop flow going in either direction.

A check valve allows flow in one direction only.

**Tepetaters** · 08-21-2022, 09:15 AM

Thanks JKellerJr, I also have a 375 RE and have wondered about this often. I have in the past filled up the bath tank and opened to the kitchen tank to drain down the shower but never left it open.

**Dale B** · 08-23-2022, 05:33 AM

Originally Posted by pengle

Here is a picture of how the tanks are configured down below. When I had the coroplast off for a repair I know I wanted to figure out if I could open both gray tanks and utilize 100 gallons of gray capacity for showers. I was on uneven ground at the time so I couldn't just measure to the bottom or top of each tank. I labeled the picture because I figured someone would eventually want to do what I wanted to do. The height of the tanks at the outlet end is about 8 3/4". Seeing all of this I never have filled the bath gray tank to see if ANY of the water would flow into the kitchen gray tank with both valves open and the Valtera Valve closed.

Attachment 42544

Both valves are open & the kitchen gray is starting to fill indicating 1/3. This is using shower, bath sink & kitchen normally.

No backup of any drains.

My concern will be when the level in the kitchen gray exceeds the top of the bath gray tank.

I'm curious if you might have made a note regarding the sensor level indicators?

**Dale B** · 09-10-2022, 06:15 AM

Just as an update I did allow both tanks to fill with both valves open. The bath drains worked fine filling the kitchen gray tank.

It's good to know it works, I don't think I will do this a normal operating procedure. One day if I am able to take some measurements of where the level in the kitchen gray tank is the same as the bath gray intakes & vents I would be comfortable leaving the valves open to that point.

Tx's for the comments & feedback from everyone!

**Castlerock** · 09-20-2022, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Soundsailor

What about the other way (bath full, kitchen 1/3)? We tend to fill up the bath side showering way before the kitchen side. Your 260RD is a year older than ours so they may have made some changes, but we don't get much/any equalization when the bath tank has more than the kitchen tank.

On the 2021 260RD you can equalize Bath to Kitchen and Kitchen to Bath. You can also flow from either of the grey tanks to the black tank (after draining the black) tank first for a preliminary flush.

**ajg617** · 09-20-2022, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by Dale B

Just as an update I did allow both tanks to fill with both valves open. The bath drains worked fine filling the kitchen gray tank.

It's good to know it works, I don't think I will do this a normal operating procedure. One day if I am able to take some measurements of where the level in the kitchen gray tank is the same as the bath gray intakes & vents I would be comfortable leaving the valves open to that point.

Tx's for the comments & feedback from everyone!

Wow, tried that last night - kitchen tank was 1/3 and bathroom 2/3 full. Opened both and had to dump today anyway - kitchen was bone dry and bathroom still 2/3.