Gulf Stream 8404 WFD, Owner'S Manual

Page: 26 / 37

22
Holding Tanks
Your unit has a GRAY WATER HOLDING TANK and
a BLACK WATER HOLDING TANK. The tanks should
be emptied frequently, or as indicated on the monitor
panel. The tanks should always be emptied at a
special DUMPING STATION. Most campgrounds and
highway rest stops and many gasoline stations are
equipped with proper DUMPING STATIONS.
NOTE: MOST STATES HAVE LAWS PROHIBITING
EMPTYING SEWAGE ANYWHERE BUT AN
APPROVED DUMPING STATION.
While camping it is normal practice to leave your
GRAY WATER HOLDING TANK valve open if your
campsite is equipped with sewer hook-up. NEVER
leave the BLACK WATER TANK valve open while
using the coach. Since the system utilizes gravity to
empty, the BLACK WATER TANK will not drain
properly unless is has sufficient liquid to help drain out
the solids.
Emptying Holding Tanks
To empty the holding tanks, be certain that your RV
is level since this process depends upon gravity.
Remove the sewage drain hose from its storage
location. Remove the cap from the termination outlet
and connect the drain hose (FIG. 15).
NOTE: DRAIN THE TOILET (BLACK) HOLDING
TANK FIRST.
To drain either holding tank, pull out the
TERMINATION VALVE (FIG. 15) by pulling out the
dump valve slide handle. Close the valve after the
tank has drained. Flush or pour about two gallons of
water through the toilet when emptying the black tank
and drain again. This flushes the tank and helps clean
the drain hose. Repeat as necessary.
Follow the same procedure for the GRAY WATER
HOLDING TANK. A repeat flush is not necessary.
When the tank is empty, push the dump valve handle
in until it seats. Remove the hose, wash and replace it
in its storage location. Replace termination outlet cap.
(FIG. 15) TERMINATION VALVES
Holding Tank Maintenance
Keep your tanks well flushed out when the vehicle is
not in use. Allowing the tank to sit with any contents
for more than a couple of days will ensure some sort of
build-up on the monitor probes in the side of the tank
and future monitor reading problems, even if this is the
first time you have used your RV. One way to help
flush them out is to drain them at the campground,
then fill each tank half full of water for the trip home.
The constant agitation while driving home usually does
a good job of cleaning the tanks. Then, before you
arrive at home, stop at a local approved dumping
station and drain the tanks completely.
When camping there are a few things you can do to
help facilitate the cleaning process later. First, you
should always use some type of chemical additive in
your holding tanks specifically designed for RV use.
These types of chemicals will break down the contents
of the tanks and help ensure good drainage. In
addition, try using tissue designed for recreational
vehicles. It will break down more than residential style
tissues, and usually never clogs your drain valves.
Do’s and Don’t of Holding Tank Use
DO
Clean the holding tank with an approved
cleaner.
DO Add a special chemical additive to sanitize and
improve tank action.
DO Guard the tank against Freeze-up.
DO Keep the dump valves closed to allow the
tanks to get as full as possible to facilitate
drainage.
DO Keep the dump valve closed and the drain cap
in place to allow the use of the system when
not parked at a campsite.
DON’T Put Facial tissues, paper, automotive type anti-
freeze, sanitary napkins, diapers or household
toilet cleaners in your holding tank.
DON’T Put foreign objects in the system that could
clog or damage it in any way.
DON’T Use the toilet while driving down the road. All
occupants must remain seated with a secure
seatbelt while the vehicle is moving. Further,
the vacuum caused by the high-speed
movement of the vehicle will cause the toilet to
act as a vent when flushed, causing severe
odors in the vehicle.
Holding Tank Flush system (optional)
The optional holding tank flush kit is installed on the
gray and black water holding tank system. To use this
system, connect a water hose to the flush kit hose
located inside the holding tank dump valve