Chems or no Chems in the black tank? (1 Viewer)

[Gareth62]

I a thread I started about a blocked loo I was given lots of good advice over on RVOC forum from people that know far, far more than me about black tanks and the subject came up about blue chems, I understand what was said about eco friendly systems and not putting chemicals in, as I was looking in to getting a system for my old caravan these turn the caravan cassette system in to a breathing eco friendly system. But looking though the RV's owners manual last night trying to find the holding tank capacities I came across the part that made me start putting blue chemicals in the tank in the first place....... now I'm left wondering what to do, take the good advice on RVOC or take the advice from the RV's manufacturer themselves....... what's right and whats wrong?

Surly Coachmen would tell you the correct thing for their tanks, but I do like the sound of going eco....
whats the general thoughts on the subject?

Is Coachmen just trying to get after sales profits from selling other stuff?

Chems or no chess?

https://preview.ibb.co/jfbPCS/IMG_3202.jpg

 

[Gareth62]

Excuse spell checker above Chems or no chess? should read Chems or no chems?

 

[2657]

Use bio friendly green chemicals instead of blue, that's what I do.

https://www.thetford-europe.com/product/aqua-kem-green/

Other (cheaper) brands are available

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[Riverbankannie]

I use bio washing tabs in our cassette which has a sog. The washing tabs just give an initial nice smell but emptying is rather more smelly, in a different way, than with the blue. However I’m prepared to put up with that. Keeps cassette clean so I imagine would work well for a black tank and your nose is a bit further away when emptying!

 

[gerry mcg]

We tend to use bio washing tablets in case we need to empty into a septic tank loo.
My understanding is The standard blue contains formaldehyde that can knock out a septic tank.

 

[funflair]

We don't have a black tank but don't bother with anything in the cassette. I have tried various potions including the bio washing and honestly can't see/smell a difference.

Yes we have a SOG.

Martin

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[scotjimland]

popcorn time

 

[Mack100]

According to this site:
https://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/c...-everything-you-need-to-know-but-dont-want-to

These products do not contain formaldehyde:

• Dometic GreenCare tabs
• Link Removed
• Olpro Bottom & Top
• OLChem
• OLRinse
• Broken Link Removed
• Towsure Toilet Green
• Broken Link Removed
• Kampa Green

Of course others may be available.

 

[Gareth62]

Sorry!!!!
Should have told you we have an American RV not a motorhome so it has large 48lt under floor tanks not a cassette fitted.

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[scotjimland]

Should have told you we have an American RV

owned a 36f footer about 6 years,

you don't need nor should you use any chemicals.. !

they will destroy the natural bacteria that break down the waste..

the tank will have a pipe vented to the roof to allow a natural flow of fresh air to remove the waste methane gas and stench, and also aids aerobic bacteria action

 

[cranky]

owned a 36f footer about 6 years,

you don't need nor should you use any chemicals.. !

they will destroy the natural bacteria that break down the waste..

the tank will have a pipe vented to the roof to allow a natural flow of fresh air to remove the waste methane gas and stench, and also aids aerobic bacteria action

party pooper, I was just getting settled with the popcorn

 

[2657]

owned a 36f footer about 6 years,

you don't need nor should you use any chemicals.. !

they will destroy the natural bacteria that break down the waste..

the tank will have a pipe vented to the roof to allow a natural flow of fresh air to remove the waste methane gas and stench, and also aids aerobic bacteria action

We have had our 5'er with a 100 litre waste tank for ten years now, always used chemicals without any deleterious effects.

Not arguing against there non use just pointing out that they do no harm to the system as far as I am concerned.

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[Ex-caravantugger]

Sho

We don't have a black tank but don't bother with anything in the cassette. I have tried various potions including the bio washing and honestly can't see/smell a difference.

Yes we have a SOG.

Martin

Shoulda gone to Smellsavers!!!

 

[stewartwebr]

We have a 250L black tank which holds the macerated waste once the toilet has macerated on flush. Morelo advise no need for chemicals and as others have said the tank is vented to aid the breakdown. We add a cup full of bio washing liquid into the tank, via the toilet after each empty. Nothing to do with the waste per se, it just smells a lot better as we empty. Too many times on opening the valve we have seen a few down wind campers giving us the evil eye. Especailly if just starting lunch

 

[scotjimland]

well, there you go... another pop corn show with experts disagreeing..

when all else fails.. read the owners manual which of course you are perfectly free to ignore

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[pappajohn]

I'm with Scotjimland.
We never put anything in the black tank except what came out of us.
If you buy a long enough 'slinky' hose you are far enough away from the discharge end not to smell anything....unlike having to hold a cassette over an elsan point.

 

[2657]

I know it is not a manual but

"
3. RV Black Tank Chemicals

Now that you have a base of water in your RV black water tank, it’s important to add a holding tank chemical to it, by dumping some down the toilet.

You can purchase holding tank chemicals in liquid form, like the . You can also purchase in packet form, like the , available in a variety of styles and scents.

A holding tank chemical is an environmentally-safe liquid, that is added to the RV black water tank, to help break down waste and tissue, as well as to help control odors that build up in the tank. The chemical that you choose will have instructions on how much you should add, but if you are a weekend warrior in your RV, generally a couple of ounces is sufficient to get you through the weekend.

https://rvshare.com/blog/rv-black-water-tank/

You pays your money and makes your choice.....but no need to be patronising

when all else fails.. read the owners manual which of course you are perfectly free to ignore

 

[scotjimland]

MACERATORS AND OTHER SEWAGE STUFF
phred Tinseth © 1999-2002 Reproduction permitted
Web site: http://www.phrannie.org

First, General RV sewage stuff (important info many people don't know).

With an emphasis on proper venting, chemicals and more.

We go to great lengths to avoid tank odors--and with good reason. All too often, though, we associate getting rid of odor with popping in chemicals. It's the American way. If something's offensive, painful, uncomfortable, just pop in a chemical or take a pill or pour in an additive. Feel depressed? Pop a pill. Engine pinging? Pour in a can of something. Toilet stink? Dump in some perfumed formaldehyde.

Why not find the cause and try to fix it first? Once that's done, set up a good, renewable biological action in the tanks and avoid most of the problem in the first place. In the case of sewage tanks (black's usually the prime offender, but gray can be just as bad), poor venting is most often the cause.


RV SEWAGE -- It's More Than Just the Smell

Are you a "tidy Tilly" who's an obsessive cleaner-upper? Do you commonly use extremely caustic cleaners in toilet and sinks? Dump nasty stuff like paint thinner in there? Use formaldehyde toilet chemicals -- or other perfuming stuff? In short, do you treat your RV tanks like you did your house on a municipal system where any possible thing was just
flushed down the drain? Well, you can't do that in an RV!

RV waste systems depend on bacteria to decompose waste, including toilet paper and anything else that's biodegradable.

But there's bacteria -- and then there's bacteria.

"Aerobic" bacteria need oxygen (air) to live. These "good" bacteria decompose waste efficiently. Ideally, a tank with waste, water, and simple biodegradables will decompose into a thin slurry and will not smell. Ample air enters each time the toilet is used. If the vent pipe is properly placed through the top of the tank and isn't submerged so far down that it's blocked most of the time, and if the pipe isn't blocked elsewhere or at the roof, the system should work fine.

"Anaerobic" bacteria live without oxygen. They will also decompose waste, but in doing so produce various gases. Those gases also produce "STINK."

Obviously, the two types of bacteria can't coexist.

One will always displace the other. Proper venting helps keep the aerobic bacteria active, but there's more to it. Putting the wrong additives or chemicals in a tank may result in killing BOTH types of bacteria, then you really have problems.

Your mission, Mr. RVer, should you choose to accept it, is to encourage aerobic bacteria and discourage anaerobic bacteria without turning the tank into a receptacle for destructive chemicals.

There are generally three ways to treat waste tanks: Chemicals, Enzymes and Bacteria.

CHEMICALS are absolutely the worst way to do it; yet that's what most RVers use. Store shelves are jammed with chemical treatments. The first thing they do is kill bacteria -- which is exactly what you DON'T want to do. Then, they use a chemical to "break up" the solids into progressively smaller pieces that accumulate on the bottom of the tank in a big pile of crud instead of decomposing. The tank will stink, so then they have chemicals that overpower the natural (bad) odor with yet another odor.

There's not enough room here for the entire list of typically used chemicals, but here's a sampling: Formaldehyde (aka Formalin) is a preservative. I see no reason to "preserve poop for posterity." As people have become aware of the dangers of Formaldehyde (also a carcinogen), you now see many chemicals boldly labeled "Formaldehyde Free." That's good, except some treatments now use "Glutaraldehyde" instead (it's used in embalming fluid). Nuff said?

Some other things you definitely don't want to put in your tank individually or as part of chemical treatments: Bleach, methanol or alcohol, nitrites or nitrates, phosphorous or phosphates, bronopol (a pesticide) or any petroleum-based product, acid or cleaning fluid.

More no-no's listed separately because so many RVers use them in home-made concoctions: Pine oil (which deteriorates gaskets if used in large amounts), automatic dishwasher detergent (extremely caustic), mineral, coconut or cooking oils (which won't really "lubricate" valves and seals but will just float on the surface and keep air from getting to the good bacteria), yeast (which will promote bacteria, but so much so you'll have a tank full of goo).

ENZYMES won't do any harm, but won't do all that needs to be done either. They will do pretty well with an odor, but just for a short time. Enzymes can help sometimes and are often included in good bacterial treatments.

Active BACTERIA will do the job. A properly set up and maintained system won't need much either. As opposed to chemicals (where more and more must be used with less and less effect), when adding bacteria "less is better." It's important that you follow the instructions. You must start with a clean tank (or residual chemicals will defeat the action). You need to start the tank with a few gallons of water. You shouldn't add the bacteria until there's a deposit of human waste in there. If you do it right, it will take about three, in normal use, dumps before you have a good, renewable system. You can then keep it going with only small additions of bacteria every other dump or even fewer.

I lived on a boat once. Prominently displayed over the john was a poster saying, "Don't put it in here if it ain't been et yet." Well, it's not that critical, but a good colony of bacteria will eat lots of stuff and not smell bad if you don't kill the bacteria.



More reading.. http://www.manmrk.net/tutorials/RV/phred/macerator.html

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[JJ]

How environmentally "friendly" your black tank chemicals are surely depends on what you use.

I use the best of all in my tank...

Nothing.

Of course my black tank contents don't smell at all.


JJ

 

[obanvanman]

popcorn time

Oh no! We are in north eastern Greece with no popcorn to be found.
Found an out of date tin of tesco sweetcorn with red peppers. Will that do?

 

[Wildbill]

Excuse spell checker above Chems or no chess? should read Chems or no chems?

You should read rule 1

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[Snowbird]

The simple answer is, its s**t and whatever you use you will never make it smell like roses, so only put into your black tank what you have eaten first.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

You should read rule 1

What is the problem? Already explained .........