Are SOG Toilets Legal ?

Kingham

Kingham

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You know how sometimes you like a bit of light reading in the wee hours, so out comes the Road Vehicle Construction & Use legislation ?....... No ? ?

I was actually flicking through the legislation online for something specific for a safety course that I’m delivering and slammed the brakes on as Section 62 (2) flashed past and caught my eye.

60EA9A6C-946E-483D-8E48-FFCB514D3238.jpeg

The legislation looks current and I can’t see any sign of it having been repealed.

I must be missing something obvious at this early hour, but the way I read that, every tank has to contain chemicals, which even catches me out, when I occasionally forget to add mine. It doesn’t take long for me to get a reminder though ?
 
I think it means that IF you use chemicals then they must be non flammable and non irritant.If you don't use chemicals it doesn't apply.
 
I think you have to ask what is the intention of the legislation? Is it to prevent inflammable or irritant chemicals being discharged into sewers? It also prevents them being spilt in case of an accident. Either way it doesn't make SOGs illegal only using them without chemicals. :)
 
DBK said:
I think you have to ask what is the intention of the legislation? Is it to prevent inflammable or irritant chemicals being discharged into sewers? It also prevents them being spilt in case of an accident. Either way it doesn't make SOGs illegal only using them without chemicals. :)
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That makes sense, but I thought the whole idea of SOGs was to do away with chemicals ? I’ve never had one, so perhaps I’ve got that wrong.

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Kingham said:
That makes sense, but I thought the whole idea of SOGs was to do away with chemicals ? I’ve never had one, so perhaps I’ve got that wrong.
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Like lots of soggies we add bio laundry liquid because it makes emptying it much less smelly. It doesn't remove all the smell but most of it I think. If we have to drive anywhere with it nearly full, which happens after a night somewhere without services, then it is best to disconnect the "fume extraction" pipe and put the bung in. If we have to then use it like this there is a bit of a whiff but it isn't bad.

Probably too much detail there for some...

:)
 
Kingham said:
I’m not seeing ‘IF’ in the legislation, only ‘SHALL’ which in legal speak usually means ‘MUST’
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I agree

Leads to the question ...... is Lidl's bio washing liquid an efficient germicide?

If not many of us are in the proverbial ......... how many years do we get for this crime??????
 
Silver-Fox said:
Looking at the date, probably be sent to Australia ?
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Some years ago the son of one of my parents friends went to Australia for a backpacking holiday.
When he arrived at Brisbane airport he was taken aside by immigration for checks a to make sure he had sufficient funds to support trip.
One of the question they asked was "do you have a criminal record" jokingly he replied "no, I did not think you needed one to get into Australia any more".
Bad move, it would seem that the Australians do not have a sense of humour as he was released 4 hours later after full baggage search, strip search and a along interview.
 
Kingham said:
You know how sometimes you like a bit of light reading in the wee hours, so out comes the Road Vehicle Construction & Use legislation ?....... No ? ?

I was actually flicking through the legislation online for something specific for a safety course that I’m delivering and slammed the brakes on as Section 62 (2) flashed past and caught my eye.

View attachment 315620
The legislation looks current and I can’t see any sign of it having been repealed.

I must be missing something obvious at this early hour, but the way I read that, every tank has to contain chemicals, which even catches me out, when I occasionally forget to add mine. It doesn’t take long for me to get a reminder though ?
Click to expand...
Is it me?
It says "which does NOT empty into a tank". A tank is a container for liquid or gas. Therefore the cassette does not require chemicals?
 
Is a toilet cassette a tank? I think you could argue that a removable cassette is a removable tank and that chemicals are therefore not required.

The Cambridge dictionary definition of a tank is “a container that holds liquid or gas” and a cassette as “a flat rectangular device containing a very long strip of magnetic material that is used to record sound and/or pictures”. I am pretty sure that my motorhome toilet has a tank.
 
DBK said:
If we have to drive anywhere with it nearly full, which happens after a night somewhere without services, then it is best to disconnect the "fume extraction" pipe and put the bung in. If we have to then use it like this there is a bit of a whiff but it isn't bad.

Probably too much detail there for some...

:)
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Soggies, love it....
Why do you remove the pipe?
More info needed. ;)

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Pausim said:
Is a toilet cassette a tank? I think you could argue that a removable cassette is a removable tank and that chemicals are therefore not required.

The Cambridge dictionary definition of a tank is “a container that holds liquid or gas” and a cassette as “a flat rectangular device containing a very long strip of magnetic material that is used to record sound and/or pictures”. I am pretty sure that my motorhome toilet has a tank.
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I agree, a cassette in this case is another way of describing a tank, but as far as I can see, the C&U regs still require chemicals to be added.
 
Bustup15 said:
Is it me?
It says "which does NOT empty into a tank". A tank is a container for liquid or gas. Therefore the cassette does not require chemicals?
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A toilet cassette is just another way of describing a holding tank, in this case a removable one.

Thetford describe it as a tank....

FAB95C40-7DE9-4D11-AAB4-B863ACA01997.jpeg
 
You have to read the entire sentence " every tank ..... and every closet or urinal which does not enter into a tank, ..." My emphasis on the "and". So it's irrelevant if you have a holding tank, cassette, or even if you just use a bucket with lid

And then it says "chemicals which are .... and provide an efficient germicide".

So the principle of the SOG venting to the outside of the van isn't against the rules. The problem is that you need an additive in the tank / cassette, that fulfils the germicide bit and unless someone somewhere has proven that the natural aerobic bacterial process is sufficient to be that "efficient germicide" your going to have issues.

On this score for those who don't use blue / green toilet stuff in their standard loos, and rely only on washing detergents or stuff also in non compliance as I doubt the detergent manufacturers have tested their stuff for this use?

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My new motorhome should arrive with a SOG and a Certificate of Conformity, I am therefore going to leave it to Carthago to worry about the legality.
 
Toilets on coaches can/will discharge directly on to the road if the drain tap is left open. I guess it is the same for RV's? Just wondering, does the legislation go on to say how or where the tank has to be emptied?
 
I can’t honestly see the poo police stopping every MH and sticking their fingers/nose or whatever down our loos to see what we’ve got in there!!!o_O:oops:
 
Kannon Fodda That’s my interpretation too and I wonder if customers are advised that they need to use chemicals to satisfy C&U legislation, IF the legislation is current of course.
Looking on the internet, it would suggest not, as the first selling point describes being able to dispense with buying, storing and using chemicals.
 
I think you need to get out and get some fresh air instead of worrying about the crystals in the bottom of the urinal???

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DBK said:
If you don't when you drive round a bend the contents can slop up into the pipe. Subsequent disconnection of said pipe is then best done very cautiously. :)
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I was wondering about your first post too. I don’t disconnect my sog pipe.
Surely the cassette itself is sealed when the toilet blade is closed ?
I have to say, I don’t know quite where the inner end of my sog is. I can only see that the extraction pipe runs under the compartment base and then has a connection to the filter in the door of the compartment. This I undo only to allow removal of the cassette. I have no bung.
 
Riverbankannie said:
I was wondering about your first post too. I don’t disconnect my sog pipe.
Surely the cassette itself is sealed when the toilet blade is closed ?
I have to say, I don’t know quite where the inner end of my sog is. I can only see that the extraction pipe runs under the compartment base and then has a connection to the filter in the door of the compartment. This I undo only to allow removal of the cassette. I have no bung.
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I suspect your SOG system is making use of the ventilation tube fitted internally to all C250 and C260 cassettes. This vents through the bottom of the cassette and opens automatically when you slide the cassette in and closes automatically when it is slid out. It is used for the optional extra Thetford ventilation system and I suspect that SOG (which is a trade name) have utilised it for their system too.
 
Thanks for replies. Mine is not like the one in the photo and certainly has something which rattles inside. There is a sticker on the outside bottom of the cassette that says SOG but I don’t see how anything can vent through the bottom.
It certainly works well but I’ve always been mystified how!?
 

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