Removing the Bung to Clean the Grey Water Tank on Burstner Ixeo 590T

[deleted79651]

Bit of a faux pas a couple of weeks ago when 'we' [not me!] mopped up a bowl of soup spillage on auto pilot and rinsed the soup laden cloth in the sink ... . We know now ... The waste water gauge has stopped registering so the soup that sticks to your ribs presumably sticks to the probes equally effectively! I crawled under the Van between showers and can see a large red 'bung', but I cannot turn it either way to free it up by hand. There is a raised lip to grip but I cannot shift it! Do I need to grip it with a pair of Mole Grips or is that likely to break the lip? [Van is almost 5 years old, 'Happy Birthday' next Monday!].

The alternative would be to pour a warm water mix of Fairy Liquid into the Tank [Van parked on a camber so should get a decent waterfall effect when I open the normal Grey Water drain valve], but without the benefit of a 'sloshing drive' to swill it all around prior to emptying. I could then follow up with a Diswasher Cleaner warm water mix to remove any residual soup grease, followed by a good fresh water flush.

Moral of the story: Eat the soup, don't decorate the kitchen area with it ...

I've searched the Grey Tank Cleaning Threads but can't see any reference on how to remove the Bung, so hoping that a Tank Swill will suffice! Any advice will be welcome!

Steve & Elaine

 

[Landy Andy]

Have you got one of those jar openers that has a rubber strap? If so try it.

 

[RubyOptics]

If you can access the top of the tank do you not have access to the probe from there? In our Burstner the probe is held in place the a small plastic nut which threads on inside the tank onto the probe body. It was a simple matter of unscrewing this, unplugging the probe and removing it for a good clean.

 

[namwaldog]

Make yourself a wooden "key" that will fit over the raised lip of the bung and then screw the "key" on to a 2ft length of timber to give some leverage.

 

[deleted79651]

If you can access the top of the tank do you not have access to the probe from there? In our Burstner the probe is held in place the a small plastic nut which threads on inside the tank onto the probe body. It was a simple matter of unscrewing this, unplugging the probe and removing it for a good clean.

Our tank sits underneath the Fresh Water Tank. To quote from the Burstner Manual:
QUOTE BEGINS 'The waste water tank is in the rear area of the vehicle. It is located underneath the floor of the vehicle.Waste water from the kitchen and washing unit flows through plastic pipes into the waste water tank.The drain cock and the cleaning opening are located on the underside of the waste water tank.The position of the drain cock is identified by a symbol (Fig. 213). The waste water tank holds 90 litres. QUOTE ENDS

The underside of the Tank has a large red bung but I cannot remove it in either direction

Steve

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[RubyOptics]

Hmm, I would imagine that a little extra force is required but I don't know the layout so I would wait until someone with more knowledge of your exact layout offers some advice.

 

[Landy Andy]

Our tank sits underneath the Fresh Water Tank. To quote from the Burstner Manual:
QUOTE BEGINS 'The waste water tank is in the rear area of the vehicle. It is located underneath the floor of the vehicle.Waste water from the kitchen and washing unit flows through plastic pipes into the waste water tank.The drain cock and the cleaning opening are located on the underside of the waste water tank.The position of the drain cock is identified by a symbol (Fig. 213). The waste water tank holds 90 litres. QUOTE ENDS

The underside of the Tank has a large red bung but I cannot remove it in either direction

Steve

Any chance of a pic of the bung/cap

 

[Margaritaman]

Any chance of a pic of the bung/cap

The one on our Pilote looks like this. About 4” in diameter.

Water Tank Cap

●<strong> <font color="RED"> PLEASE CALL 01522 697070 TO CHECK AVAILABILITY & PLACE AN ORDER </font></strong>●<br/><br/>

www.motorhomeandcaravanaccessories.co.uk

 

[deleted79651]

Any chance of a pic of the bung/cap

Andy,

We have only on street parking and I've just let in excess of 60 litres of Marchie's Patented Lemon Fairy Liquid blended with Asda Best Economy Dishwasher Cleaner down the pipes [and it's raining again!] so we'll need to wait for it to dry a wee bit before I can crawl underneath and photograph the Bung. I would say the Bung is 12 or 13 cm diameter by squinting with the naked eye.

The good news is that the Grey Water Gauge is registering again. Got it to show just over 1/2 full [90 litre tank] but the Van is on a steep camber, so if it's registering 1/2 full+ with 2/3 tank of water across a steep slope, it's probably not too bad! The drainage into the tank is still a little slow so I'll give the tank another rinsing, probably by driving to our next outing with a decent sloshable amount in the Wastet Tank to see if I can flush any more muck and decomposing soup out ...

Steve

 

[deleted79651]

The one on our Pilote looks like this. About 4” in diameter.

Water Tank Cap

●<strong> <font color="RED"> PLEASE CALL 01522 697070 TO CHECK AVAILABILITY & PLACE AN ORDER </font></strong>●<br/><br/>

www.motorhomeandcaravanaccessories.co.uk

Looks about the same, but ours is screwed into the bottom of the tank so it's got 5 years of muck and colour fade to give it that careworn look!

Steve

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[Just smiffy]

The gauge sensor is a common problem.. some put cheep cola in the tank and give it a good sloshing around on a drive out..

 

[deleted79651]

The gauge sensor is a common problem.. some put cheep cola in the tank and give it a good sloshing around on a drive out..

But our blockage was caused by the remnants of Elaine's home made soup, and she usually serves that by the slice ... A Kango Hammer would be useful to clean the residue off the sensors. The soup is excellent, but it takes no prisoners on its way to either the grey water or its darker coloured equivalent tank when it takes the direct southerly route to freedom ... Lots of reports from that event ..,

Steve

 

[Landy Andy]

Andy,

We have only on street parking and I've just let in excess of 60 litres of Marchie's Patented Lemon Fairy Liquid blended with Asda Best Economy Dishwasher Cleaner down the pipes [and it's raining again!] so we'll need to wait for it to dry a wee bit before I can crawl underneath and photograph the Bung. I would say the Bung is 12 or 13 cm diameter by squinting with the naked eye.

The good news is that the Grey Water Gauge is registering again. Got it to show just over 1/2 full [90 litre tank] but the Van is on a steep camber, so if it's registering 1/2 full+ with 2/3 tank of water across a steep slope, it's probably not too bad! The drainage into the tank is still a little slow so I'll give the tank another rinsing, probably by driving to our next outing with a decent sloshable amount in the Wastet Tank to see if I can flush any more muck and decomposing soup out ...

Steve

Sounds like us. On the street and on my back. I got mine off with a gentle tap with block of wood and a hammer just to get it going. Since then it’s been ok just by hand. I also found the pieces of plastic in there that was left over when they drilled the tank holes, which was nice to be able to remove, as well as cleaning the sensors by hand.

 

[Landy Andy]

The one on our Pilote looks like this. About 4” in diameter.

Water Tank Cap

●<strong> <font color="RED"> PLEASE CALL 01522 697070 TO CHECK AVAILABILITY & PLACE AN ORDER </font></strong>●<br/><br/>

www.motorhomeandcaravanaccessories.co.uk

If the cap is like that then a wooden lever can be made with a handle to ease removal.

 

[deleted79651]

Sounds like us. On the street and on my back. I got mine off with a gentle tap with block of wood and a hammer just to get it going. Since then it’s been ok just by hand. I also found the pieces of plastic in there that was left over when they drilled the tank holes, which was nice to be able to remove, as well as cleaning the sensors by hand.

Thanks, Andy, that's useful to know. I'm still in 'glass spanner' mode, afraid to put too much force on anything in case I break it after less than a month of ownership! 3,500kg and wrapped in cotton wool ...

Steve

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[Landy Andy]

Try two bits of wood like drinks coasters in between them put a stick of wood which is about the same thickness as the centre piece of the cap. Clamp or screw them together like a sandwich and then try that using the stick as a lever. Not sure if that makes sense.

 

[deleted79651]

Try two bits of wood like drinks coasters in between them put a stick of wood which is about the same thickness as the centre piece of the cap. Clamp or screw them together like a sandwich and then try that using the stick as a lever. Not sure if that makes sense.

Think I know what you're recommending, Andy. I've got a pair of short 'speed clamps' that should be able to grip the central lip and the wooden supports, so if I can put the clamps on with the clamp body pointing outwards, it will/should give me a pair of 'handles' to use for loosening the bung. Sounds fine from the keyboard, probably more difficult in practice, but, nothing ventured etc.

Steve

 

[Landy Andy]

You will be fine, until you get a brick of soup in the eye.

 

[grasscutter]

My Hobby has a similar cap with a Y shaped grip. This is what I made up to remove mine when it was stuck.

 

[deleted79651]

When it stops raining, and after I've harvested the rice crop from the Paddy Fields of Fife, I shall visit the local caravan agents and purchase a pair of Milenco Ramps. Then I shall be able to crawl under the van more easily to reach the bung, measure up to make a Bung Release Tool, and be able to clean the sensors more easily.

Steve

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[PP Bear]

I cleaned mine with 2kg of citric acid and warm water. Cleanse the fresh first, including the level sensor and then run the taps to clean the pipes etc.

Leave to do its magic and then run through the taps to the grey tank and leave again. Cleans the sensor quite nicely and no more nasty niffs either.

Saves taking the bung out and cleans the entire water system.

 

[deleted79651]

Managed to remove the Bung whilst on site [side to side slope gave me extra access room], and was able to 'clean by feel',stuffing a clean cloth inside the tank and cleaning everything I could reach! Cloth emerged filthy with residue of Elaine's [now decomposing soup that had been spilled and rinsed down the sink ...], and grey water sensors are working again. Only problem was the sharp edges at the tank entrance, causing lots of small cuts, and because I'm taking blood thinners, there were strips of micropore allover my fingers and palms, plus the aroma of Savlon to sweeten the air ...

Steve

 

[Potty]

Yours is a problem we won’t have. We don’t have gauge fir the waste water. It just beeps when full!

Ditch the cloths and use paper towels instead.

 

[deleted79651]

Yours is a problem we won’t have. We don’t have gauge fir the waste water. It just beeps when full!

Ditch the cloths and use paper towels instead.

Nowhere to ditch the paper towels on site and the microfibre cloth will wash for the next use. Also gives more protection against the sharp edges to the Tank

Steve

 

[Bustup15]

At least you have a ready made solution in case you ever suffer from a leaking pipe join.

Smear said soup around leak and leave to set - problem solved!

You may be able to sell it in containers to other Funsters (if you find a way to stop the lid seizing on)