Emptying waste water from motorhome is something that all motorhome travelers, both beginners and experts, have to do when travelling in a motorhome. For some, this step arouses a great deal of apprehension and is not known for being the most pleasant activity. However, if you know how to handle it, the experience is not so bad and is even rather simple… Believe us! Check out know our 5 tips for successfully draining your motorhome!
The difference between grey water and black water
Before talking about draining your motorhome, it’s worth remembering that there are two types of ‘water’ in a motorhome: grey water and black water.
Grey water is the water used for cooking and washing. This is the water that comes from the shower, sink and washbasin.
Black water is water from the toilet. There are several types of toilet for recreational vehicles: chemical toilets (portable or cassette) and dry toilets. Here we’ll talk about emptying chemical toilets.
Our 5 tips for draining your motorhome
1. Don’t wait too long before draining your waste water
There’s nothing worse for a motorhome driver than to find themselves without water or with a toilet cassette ready to overflow. So when you’re travelling in a motorhome, you need to think ahead before emptying it.
It’s advisable to empty your motorhome every two or three days.
For grey water emptying, a red light will come on your console or touch screen as soon as the tank is full. This means that you need to empty the tank.
2. Going to the right place to empty your waste water
The first step in emptying your motorhome is to find the right place. To do this, go to the CaraMaps map and activate the “Cassette toilet drain” and “Waste water drain” filters when you are looking for a location.
You’ll find that service areas or campsites offer these services. You should also be aware that there is sometimes a charge for emptying motorhomes at service areas. Make sure you have enough change for this.
3. Do not empty grey water and black water at the same time
While some people take this information for granted, it’s not necessarily the case for travellers new to the world of motorhoming.
For grey water :
Drainage is via a floor drain. You therefore need to position your motorhome so that the water tank and its hatch are above the grille. Don’t hesitate to go over it several times or ask other motorhome owners for help to position your vehicle correctly. Then all you have to do is pull the lever on the tank, which is located under the vehicle, and wait for the water to empty.
For black water :
Be careful! Black water is not emptied in the same place as grey water! It is not treated in the same way.
Black water is often emptied at the service bollard. To empty the black water, pick up your cassette, preferably wearing gloves, and empty the cassette into the receptacle provided. Rinse the cassette several times with water and, if necessary, an odor neutraliser. Then replace the cassette in its compartment. For greater hygiene, you can clean the outside of the cassette with a sponge.
When rinsing the cassette, make sure you use the tap marked “WC” and not the tap used to fill the motorhome with clean water, otherwise you risk getting into trouble with the other motorhome drivers.
4. Don’t forget to fill up the motorhome with water
This is a long and tedious stage, but it’s also the most important: filling up the motorhome with water! As mentioned above, the water tap used to fill the clean water tank is also located at the service station. You’ll need around ten minutes to fill your tank, which can hold between 100 and 130 litres depending on the model of your vehicle. There is usually a charge for this service.
Make sure you always have a filling hose and connection with you, as service areas offer little or no water-filling equipment!
Finally, don’t forget to reseal the tank so that no water leaks out when you get back on the road.
5. Don’t empty your motorhome’s waste water in the wild
Our last piece of advice, and by no means the least: don’t empty your motorhome’s waste water in the wild!
It is strictly forbidden to empty grey or black water on the public highway, in rainwater drains or in the open air. This ban also applies to people who use biodegradable products!
According to the country where you are traveling by motorhome, know that the fine can be high if you are caught draining your waste water in the wild (for example : up to 1,500 euros in France).
So don’t take any risk and follow the rules of good motorhome ownership using the service areas provided. ☺️ The planet will also be grateful to you if you drain your motorhome in the right place! 🌍 🌱
So, are you ready for your next travels the CaraMaps app? 🚐🌬️
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