Toilet Cassette (1 Viewer)

[Nigel L]

Ok, sorry to lower the tone, but have a few very basic questions.
We pick our first MH up in a couple of weeks, which has a Therford cassette/ toilet in it. We have never camped before or ever used this type of facility. So, here goes with a few questions which we would be very grateful for some guidance:-
1. Is it a case of keep taking it out to see if it's full? Or generally are there a rough number of flushes that can be made before it's nearing capacity.
2.what do you put in the cassette in terms of chemical/tablets etc, and what do people recommend?
3. As we intend to do some wild camping, is it advisable to carry a spare cassette, that we can swap over if the first one gets full, and then carry the full one in the garage until we reach the next disposal point?
4. Is it correct that you don't empty down an ordinary toilet? But what about emptying down our own toilet once we get home?
5 any other advise/tips gratefully accepted.
Many thanks.

 

[GJH]

Our cassette had developed a small leak from the seal when carrying it upright to the CDP so I watched a couple of YouTube video's on servicing the seal and took ours apart to do this. I noticed that the seal had developed a covering of flaky black material so I washed it using Fairy Liquid and it came clean as a whistle. I checked the inside of the cassette and that too was covered in the same black flaky stuff so I made up a solution of Fairy Liquid and warm water and filled the cassette up and left it overnight. I poured it out the next day and all the black had gone!
We have a dedicated tank for flushing and I now use Fairy Liquid at a solution about double the strength we use for washing dishes in this tank. When emptying the cassette I rinse out but put it into the van empty and flush for about two seconds. Ready to go! No trace of any solids when emptying!

Reminds me of the episode at the NEC in February that I posted about at the time.

On the Thursday when we were wandering round we were collared by a Dometic rep in a smart suit pushing their new Power Tabs for toilet cassettes. He was getting nicely into his spiel until he asked what we used at the moment - and was totally thrown (as was his colleague) when I said we used bio washing liquid. They'd never heard of that so he also asked what we used to clean the cassette and was knocked further back when I told him it not only breaks down the contents but keeps the cassette clean as well. The only bit of his script he could still use was to say that the tablets are lighter than carrying liquid

 

[Nigel L]

Is this the stuff people are referring to? Would this be ok to us?

 

[ABZSteve]

Make sure you put the cap somewhere safe after you have unscrewed it

Yip, I remove it and place it well away from the CDP; DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE EDGE!!!!

 

[denisejoe]

Our cassette had developed a small leak from the seal when carrying it upright to the CDP so I watched a couple of YouTube video's on servicing the seal and took ours apart to do this. I noticed that the seal had developed a covering of flaky black material so I washed it using Fairy Liquid and it came clean as a whistle. I checked the inside of the cassette and that too was covered in the same black flaky stuff so I made up a solution of Fairy Liquid and warm water and filled the cassette up and left it overnight. I poured it out the next day and all the black had gone!
We have a dedicated tank for flushing and I now use Fairy Liquid at a solution about double the strength we use for washing dishes in this tank. When emptying the cassette I rinse out but put it into the van empty and flush for about two seconds. Ready to go! No trace of any solids when emptying!

we use biological washing liquid (any cheap one) in the tank and after emptying it's always spotless (wouldn't eat my dinner off it though, LOL!).

Joe

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[GJH]

View attachment 106339 Is this the stuff people are referring to? Would this be ok to us?

Yes. I've used Morrisons and Asda equivalents but tend to buy a big bottle of Lidl's own and decant it into a 1 litre container.

 

[denisejoe]

Yes. I've used Morrisons and Asda equivalents but tend to buy a big bottle of Lidl's own and decant it into a 1 litre container.

We do the same. Usually buy in France as it's usually a bit cheaper.

Denise

 

[Geo]

Putting Poo and Pee down a Toilet
What ever next they'l be dumping grey waste all over our roads

 

[Figaro]

@namwaldog Did your efforts cure the leak ?
I have the same problem and am considering a new Cassette.

 

[denisejoe]

@namwaldog Did your efforts cure the leak ?
I have the same problem and am considering a new Cassette.

A new seal only takes a few minutes to fit a lot cheaper than a new cassette

Joe

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[GJH]

A new seal only takes a few minutes to fit a lot cheaper than a new cassette

Joe

Yes, and soaking the old one in warm water and then rubbing it over with olive oil often softens it and brings it back to life. I replaced the seal in the cassette of our old van several years ago and treated the old one - still got it as a spare

 

[scotjimland]

soaking the old man in warm water and then rubbing it over with olive oil often softens it and brings it back to life.

sound s good.. must ask Jan if she can try that

 

[namwaldog]

@Figaro , Yes it cured the leak. Have a look on YouTube . Fairly straightforward and If not about £12 for a new seal on EBay.

 

[monzer]

Wow, just spent the best part of an hour engrossed in a thread about chemical toilets. I think i'm going to like it here.

 

[Debs]

Wow, just spent the best part of an hour engrossed in a thread about chemical toilets. I think i'm going to like it here.

Have a search for one called something like 'Gentlemans vegetables' - but you have been warned

P.s. Welcome to the forum....did you know you can only have 5 free posts before paying the subs for the year - that will then give you full access to the rest of this lovely forum & site

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[monzer]

Have a search for one called something like 'Gentlemans vegetables' - but you have been warned

P.s. Welcome to the forum....did you know you can only have 5 free posts before paying the subs for the year - that will then give you full access to the rest of this lovely forum & site

Hi Debs, no I didn't know that but I would consider paying subs as it does seem like a helpful forum and full of friendly people like yourself.

Bye for now I'm off to google 'Gentleman vegetables'

 

[Debs]

Hi Debs, no I didn't know that but I would consider paying subs as it does seem like a helpful forum and full of friendly people like yourself.

Bye for now I'm off to google 'Gentleman vegetables'

It is a lovely, lively forum & lots of help available - worth every penny plus you will get funster discounts.

not sure if the google search will throw up the thread (it was on here )

 

[Speve]

Get a SOG fitted don't need chemicles and all the pong is taken out by the extractor also everything breaks down better.

 

[Emmit]

Thanks to @Ambilkate, we've gone "Hardcore" from using Bio Washing liquid to Lidl own brand Fabric Conditioner.
It's €1.99 for 2Lts and £1.99 in the UK.
There's a very good reason not to bother using the Prop. brands of 'Blue'. In the three days or so that we use the cassette to the point of being full, the Blue doesn't have the hope of breaking down anything, therefore, it's a waste of money.
Mr Coleman of mustard fame claimed that he'd become very rich as a result of the wasted mustard left on the plate at the end of a meal.
Might I suggest that adding Blue to the cassette has the same wasteful effect. You put blue in your cassette. It does nothing in the cassette that is of beneficial effect for you, (unless you leave the contents for a long time) but works, AFTER you've disposed of it.
By adding the Fabric Conditioner, I've masked the smell of the contents for the period prior to disposal.

 

[GJH]

Thanks to @Ambilkate, we've gone "Hardcore" from using Bio Washing liquid to Lidl own brand Fabric Conditioner.

How does fabric conditioner work, as opposed to Lidl own brand bio washing liquid? Isn't it the bio ingredients in the latter which do the job?

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[Emmit]

What do you want to work? I repeat, if the contents of your cassette are there for three days then Blue isn't going to work at breaking down the solids. It will however mask the smell. The same goes for Bio liquid. It will stop the smell and, in time will break down the solids, but not in the three days that it usually takes us to fill the cassette.
Fabric conditioner does not break down the solids but masks the smell.
Why should I pay an inordinate amount of money to break down the solids when I do not have them. The solids were emptied out of the cassette within three days of being put in there.
Put another way. You don't put blue down your toilet at home. Why would you? You've got rid of it.

 

[GJH]

What do you want to work? I repeat, if the contents of your cassette are there for three days then Blue isn't going to work at breaking down the solids. It will however mask the smell. The same goes for Bio liquid. It will stop the smell and, in time will break down the solids, but not in the three days that it usually takes us to fill the cassette.
Fabric conditioner does not break down the solids but masks the smell.
Why should I pay an inordinate amount of money to break down the solids when I do not have them. The solids were emptied out of the cassette within three days of being put in there.
Put another way. You don't put blue down your toilet at home. Why would you? You've got rid of it.

Right, I understand now. In our experience the bio liquid does break down the solids better than the proprietary chemicals, even with emptying the cassette every day

 

[Daveg]

If you are taking the spare cassette option make sure the spare is **exactly** the same as the original. Thetford have tiny variations in the design of the C200 cassettes. If you get one with the wrong indicator float thingy it won't fit into the housing.

I discovered this the hard way

Dave

 

[sedge]

The Bio washing liquid also has a 'right go' at the disposed-of bog roll too Graham.

And of course it's totally brill at washing clothes and other laundry cos it becomes effortless - usually leave the dirty washing soaking for 20 mins or so and then you don't have to hardly 'rub' it - and any Oh dear - I just dropped my spaghetti Bolognese straight down my front on my new (usually pale pink etc) T shirt - and other biological type stains eg on underwear, no need to say any more about that - completely disappear. I can also recommend it having discovered this accidentally that it brings greying bra Lycra and straps up shining white again in those few minutes.

If it can digest those stains in that short time - a day or two in a closed cassette is going to disintegrate any solids !

The last thing is it also stops that black crud on the seal and the inside of the cassette building up, also cleans it off in the first place if yours has already got that in it. Know this because we used to use Thetford Blue at first in the Bessie, and it had gone like that, then when everyone on here started saying about the Bio, we bought some to try. The first time we used it the cassette had some in when we got home so Pete brought it to the house loo to empty after we got home - as he emptied in into the pan, lumps of black were apparent. Golly gosh, what the blazes is THAT? he was heard to say. (That's a lie. It's not exactly what he said ...) So he rinsed and flushed and rinsed and flushed, and then took the seal off to investigate. Oooer, black patches interspersed with bald bits of pristine original plastic. So he lobbed some more bio in and some more water and turned the cassette over and upside down every couple of hours, shaking it each time and eventually emptied it. Gleaming! No more crud built up all the while we owned it after that, though a bit of white limescale still appears on and around the seal and so you do have to oil them every so often to maintain them, but not that often. Just like occasionally running a polish rag over the woodwork - bit of TLC occasionally as you do with anything you want to last!

The nice smell is also stronger and longer lasting than the Fabric softener route - we've tried that too, and it's very good for clothes softening is what I've concluded, frankly!

Having said that it's rare we empty daily even on a site where it's easily available cos we don't need to.

And oh yes SOGs are blooming marvellous - but you sure know if you're pitched downwind of one, esp when it's baking hot ....... esp on an aire when Jonny Foreigner always parks 3 ft away from you even when there's only you two there - so we're certainly not getting one!

 

[GJH]

If you are taking the spare cassette option make sure the spare is **exactly** the same as the original. Thetford have tiny variations in the design of the C200 cassettes. If you get one with the wrong indicator float thingy it won't fit into the housing.

I discovered this the hard way

Dave

I found that when I bought a cassette at a bot sale. Easy enough to buy and change the vent part though.

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[Nigel L]

Ok, went to Aldi this morning and got some bio liquid, I take it this is the right stuff??
The other question is:-
When putting the bio liquid in an empty cassette, how much do you put in, and do you also add some water at this stage?
Sorry if these seem basic questions!!

 

[denisejoe]

Not a lot of fluid and no water I find that some fluid gets in there eventually

Usually a capful

Joe

 

[Meki]

We have a strict 'no solids' rule

 

[denisejoe]

We have a strict 'no solids' rule

Assume you don't rally or wild camp then! Can't see much point in such a 'rule' - you don't use a separate toilet for solids at home!

Denise

 

[travelling wilbury]

We have a strict 'no solids' rule

how do you 'strictly' enforce such a 'rule'?.....does anyone check? would diarrhoea ok?...

....seriously, i do wonder why folk have a toilet that you can use properly and showers that are used to carry aquarolls that arent needed.....??

when on aires, THS sites or other non facs sites, how could anyone manage without a toilet and/or shower?

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[Meki]

Assume you don't rally or wild camp then! Can't see much point in such a 'rule' - you don't use a separate toilet for solids at home!

Denise

Yes, we have a 'special toilet' in the garden room for such unpleasentness