Black tank not fully draining

JR7290

New Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2024
Messages
9
The black tank on our new 2024 Imagine 2800BH won’t fully drain. I don’t know if this is common or not. I noticed it today after rinsing the tank before winterizing. I waited to ensure that water had stopped flowing from the sewer hose, turned off the water and looked down the toilet and noticed some water in the tank. Approximately an inch or so.

I tried tilting the trailer up and down, a little more came out but there is still water in the tank.

I live in Michigan and so my concern is freezing water in the tank, I realize it wouldn’t be much but still concerned.

Has anyone come across this or is it just a thing?
 
These tanks all sag once they are filled. When emptied the bottom will mostly return to original shape but not completely. And over time it will continue to sag a bit more even when emptied. Since it is not very much water and it's not in the pipes or valves, it will not cause a problem.

Most people don't realize that depending on the layout of the fresh water tank, the dump valve is not in the middle of the tank (it's close to one side or the other where you can reach the handle), therefore nearly all travel trailer fresh water tanks have water sitting in the tank after being dumped. Freezing doesn't affect anything because there isn't enough water remaining to put force on the tank or valves.

So, you can just not worry about it. Or, add some RV antifreeze to your tank to minimize the amount of freezing. Or, open your valve, crawl under and push up on the tank to try to force the water toward the exit pipe. My guess is 99% of people do not worry about it and don't have a problem unless they forgot to dump the tanks.
 
A bit of water in the bottom of the tank will do no harm if it freezes. Water expands when it freezes but do no harm in an open tank. It is when it is confined, like in a pipe, that expansion causes harm. Pour in a bit of antifreeze if you wish.
 
Thank you! So do you recommend leaving the black tank valve open after winterizing?
 
No. Close it. No sense inviting rodents in to make a nest. The little bit of water in the bottom of the tank is not going to cause issues.
 

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