Stinking grey waste tank… (1 Viewer)

[M-J]

My grey waste tank has suddenly developed a stink and needs a good clean, I’ve previously used elsan tank freshener but assume all that has done is masked the smell rather than cure the problem.

I was thinking of buying the fenwicks grey tank cleaner but having read about so many cheap alternatives I am here to ask which actually work.

cheap cola?

caustic soda?

bio washing liquid?

I would like a one time solution that I can do a couple of times a year rather than something I need to add regularly.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tombola]

I used to use cheap cola, but advice here stopped me doing this.
Soda crystals worked
Also bio washing capsules seemed to do the trick.
regular rinsing

 

[Jamesh]

Bleach?

Cheers James

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[aria]

Caustic, 500g in 10 litres of water. I do it once a year. Leave it in while you go for a drive to get a good slosh around.

I’ve tried cola & it did nothing.

 

[Dramfineday]

Aldis washine machine cleaning fluid

 

[M-J]

I have read caustic soda / soda crystals can damage plastics so worry I may do more harm than good.

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[Tombola]

Caustic doesnt attack plastic M-J at least not supposed too.
edit to explain : Our company supplies aprons/gloves etc for folk handling caustic.
rubber seals??? dunno but man made , no.

 

[aria]

I have read caustic soda / soda crystals can damage plastics so worry I may do more harm than good.

The caustic soda comes in a plastic container. No problems when it’s mixed with water either.

 

[Two on Tour]

3 x 2 Litre bottles of cheap Aldi cola and a 15 mile drive around the country lanes did a great job of cleaning the old cak out of the grey waste tank of a PVC we bought a few years back.

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[David and Sally]

The caustic soda comes in a plastic container. No problems when it’s mixed with water either.

What about any metals, like level meters?

 

[Puddleduck]

Washing machine or dishwasher cleaner

 

[aria]

What about any metals, like level meters?

I’ve had no issues.

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[TheBig1]

think, what is smelling? it's the microbes in the waste water breaking down the fats and starches. Best idea is something to oxygenate the waste tank and pipes. Bio laundry liquid in hot water will really help. All the "tank cleaners" are is similar bio enzymes in the laundry liquid, but without the scent part.

I clean my fresh tank at least once a year with puriclean crystals, then run the water into the waste tank. Drive around for a bit and leave to work for a day or so. You will be amazed the crap that comes out after cleaning, even a supposedly clean tank.

On some vans that we have had, we suffered from pongy waste pipes. The smell seems to come from the bathroom sink, but nearly every time it was the shower waste trap had dried out. Some hot water with bio laundry liquid always sorted it quickly

 

[M-J]

Would this do it? I have a Tesco order due in the morning.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/258133332?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+Repeat+&+DS*PX_Shopping+GSC_Lapsing_Generic_All+Products*Household_Shopping*PRODUCT_GROUP258133332*&ds_rl=1116322&gclid=CjwKCAjwmeiIBhA6EiwA-uaeFUC-_97ZgRUsfNZpAAG2IdcFswVUfjnb7UGOvuE9948aZqSEFPJlcRoC5-sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[tonyidle]

If you stick a bio clothes washing tablet/bubbly thingy in along with a couple of gallons of water when you leave your last location for home it's no effort to keep it clean. You can use the same tablets for the cassette . I normally leave the drain open when the tank is empty until next use.

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[aria]

Would this do it? I have a Tesco order due in the morning.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/258133332?sc_cmp=ppc*GHS+-+Grocery+-+Repeat+&+DS*PX_Shopping+GSC_Lapsing_Generic_All+Products*Household_Shopping*PRODUCT_GROUP258133332*&ds_rl=1116322&gclid=CjwKCAjwmeiIBhA6EiwA-uaeFUC-_97ZgRUsfNZpAAG2IdcFswVUfjnb7UGOvuE9948aZqSEFPJlcRoC5-sQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Won’t do any harm. Not as aggressive as caustic soda but all the better for that if it does the job for you.

 

[M-J]

Good point about the tank sensors, assuming they are stainless rather than aluminium would they be damaged?

 

[aria]

Good point about the tank sensors, assuming they are stainless rather than aluminium would they be damaged?

Mine are utterly inaccurate most of the time. They come back into service after the cleaning, for a while. I reckon the caustic cleans the gunk off rather than causing any damage.

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[M-J]

Mine are utterly inaccurate most of the time. They come back into service after the cleaning, for a while. I reckon the caustic cleans the gunk off rather than causing any damage.

Perfect, I normally remove the cap once a year and clean the prongs so hopefully saves me having to do that lovely job.

 

[M-J]

I’m thinking the process will be, dilute bag of crystals in 10l water, pour down the plug holes (mainly kitchen sink but also basin and shower). Go for a drive, top up with more water so the entire tank is full, leave for half an hour and then empty, refill with water to rinse and then empty again.

 

[aria]

I’m thinking the process will be, dilute bag of crystals in 10l water, pour down the plug holes (mainly kitchen sink but also basin and shower). Go for a drive, top up with more water so the entire tank is full, leave for half an hour and then empty, refill with water to rinse and then empty again.

Sounds a good plan.

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[Just smiffy]

I used to put one of the cheap Aldi/lidle dishwasher taps in the sink and shower trap, that seemed to work for me… just leave then in the plug hole to dissolve when in use…

 

[Pausim]

I found it got a good cleaning with hot water and washing up liquid. I simply emptied the hot water tank into the empty waste tank with a good dose of washing up liquid and then drove around for a bit with it sloshing around. It is mostly fat deposits that are the problem and generally hot water and detergent are good at dissolving fat.

 

[M-J]

I found it got a good cleaning with hot water and washing up liquid. I simply emptied the hot water tank into the empty waste tank with a good dose of washing up liquid and then drove around for a bit with it sloshing around. It is mostly fat deposits that are the problem and generally hot water and detergent are good at dissolving fat.

Tried that as it was all I had available, was better for about an hour and then the pong returned.

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[Pausim]

Check the sink, basin and shower traps have not dried out. I find the shower ones, which can be very shallow, often lose the water from the trap which allows smells to feed back into the living area.

 

[M-J]

Check the sink, basin and shower traps have not dried out. I find the shower ones, which can be very shallow, often lose the water from the trap which allows smells to feed back into the living area.

Was away at the weekend, smell was there before and after use of all traps.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

We are in Spain the waste stinks . Empty daily. When we leave will drain any left in at the dump. Put dishwasher tabs in the sinks flush with 10 ltrs of fresh water then drive to next stop and drain again smell gone.

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[Madcaravanner]

OK
Truly bio solution to stop this


take 100 English Ivy leaves (the ones with three definitive points) chop up roughly add to 2 Litres of boiling water and leave over night
then add the liquid to a half tank of fresh waste water leave for 2 days
then drain

 

[Caggsie1]

We’ve used cola, works a treat. When things get wiffy I use plugs to prevent during the duration of holibob and then put the cola in on our drive home, worked every time.

 

[Larrynwin]

When mine gets a bit smelly I use pink top tank additive and put some down each plug hole followed by a little water just before each journey.
When pitched I keep dump valve open to run directly to tote tank which means that just the bottom of the holding tank gets messy and smelly.

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