Black Water Treatment Options

[bcescape]

I just purchased a '04 17b. There is a heavily scented perfume smell that I notice whenever the vents/windows aren't open. I think it must come from the black water tank (no grey water tank on this model). I found a toxic chemical bottle of toilet treatment beside the toilet. I have drained the blackwater and added some fresh, but have not gotten rid of the smell. I flushed the winterizing rv antifreeze as well from the system.

I was wondering what users might be using to treat their blackwater, and what options exist that may be less perfumed.

Thanks for any help / suggestions.

[gbaglo]

I think you need to identify the source. If you open the trap on the toilet does it get stronger? Maybe they dumped a whole bottle in the tank, or maybe the source is something else. You only need a few ounces of the chemical to deodorize.

baglo

[Eddys]

I started thinking about this the other day in that my tank monitors said that they were about 1/3 full and I was pretty sure they were empty. I opened them up and emptied what little came out into a pan, there were tiny bits of white in the last of the black tank fluid, which I take are the remnants of the tp. I presume that tp bits and soap residue are affecting the sensors in the tanks.
Alf and Mary Ann stopped by for a night on their way to the Eastern provinces and he told me about a mixture he used- I think it was part detergent (Borax?) and part water softener (Calgon powder?) mixed in a 4 liter bucket and poured down the loo and the sink so as to work as a deodorizer and cleaning agent. I have heard of similar mixtures from others over the years but never focused on them as we never used our facilities before. Do others have a favorite "recipe" that they use that is less chemically oriented than the "glug"? I would like to try and keep the monitors as accurate as possible, tanks nice and clean, and black tank "smell neutral". Thanks for any input.


Ian

[Hokie Escape]

You can use most any detergent and calgon. The calgon acts to make the inner surfaces "slick" so as to allow them to resist residue build up. I carry a bottle of liquid laundry detergent and put some down the toilet (usually a cap full with some calgon), and add about a gallon of water, after dumping and before leaving for the trip home. Gives it a good agitation on the way home. Once home, I use a 2 1/2 gallon bucket to drain the tank, and pour it into the toilet. Then add a little deodorant to the toilet, and flush. Keeps it nice inside the camper while parked.

[PGDriver]

Boy Dan after all that it would be a shame to use the bathroom......

[Hokie Escape]

Hey Doug, that's so you don't mind using the bathroom! We always use our bathroom and shower. I don't know what crawling around on those campground shower floors, but I do know, they aren't crawling around in our shower, just waiting to crawl between my toes!!!!!!! Just me, but campground bathrooms give me the creeps : - )

[Jim Bennett]

I guess coming from a backcountry traveling type background to trailer camping, the campground washrooms look luxurious to me.
Most of the ones I have seen recently have been very well kept. One private campground we stayed in was very old, but still quite clean.
I also like to shower when I get up in the morning, and heading to the campground facilities at 5:00 - 6:00 allows the wife to get her sleep. We must keep her happy in the morning.

Dan, I do like what you use for rinsing out the tank though. I will have to give that a try once in a while.

[Eddys]

Originally Posted by HokieEscape

You can use most any detergent and calgon. The calgon acts to make the inner surfaces "slick" so as to allow them to resist residue build up. I carry a bottle of liquid laundry detergent and put some down the toilet (usually a cap full with some calgon), and add about a gallon of water, after dumping and before leaving for the trip home. Gives it a good agitation on the way home. Once home, I use a 2 1/2 gallon bucket to drain the tank, and pour it into the toilet. Then add a little deodorant to the toilet, and flush. Keeps it nice inside the camper while parked.

Well, this is cool and we will definitely take you advice. Alf (Escape Artist) does the same thing, and told us about it when he was here on his way up to New Brunswick, but we didn't write down the amounts. Thanks so much. Jenny

[escape artist]

Hi: Jenny& Ian...and thanks for the nod... We had a fantastic time with you both and your sister. It was a very memorable part of our trip!!!
I use aprox. 1/2 cup of powdered detergent(or liquid equivilent) & 1/2 cup of Calgon in a gallon of water and from time to time some chlorine bleach. The original recipe can be found if you do a Google search for "The Geo Method".
Cosy Camping was great at Emily Prov. Pk. with a record 136 fiberglass trailers in attendance. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Hokie Escape]

Here's an article on the detergent/calgon subject, FYI. It works!
http://www.newrver.com/publish/holdingtank.shtml

[escape artist]

Hi: All...and thanks Dan for this article. Our household water is all softened due to very hard well water so I use less of the mixture when making up the "recipe". YMMV tho!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Other than the "Geo Method", what have people tried to use in their holding tanks, and how well did you find it worked?

[gbaglo]

I ran two gals of Calgon through my black tank three times on recent trips. All it did was use up two gallons of space in my tank. I got a tank wand from Escape ( $10 ) and plan to clean the sensors with that instead. The Calgon cost $12 and the wand $10. The Calgon gets used up and the wand doesn't. I tossed half a box of Calgon in the garbage yesterday because I didn't want to cart it around. The water in this area is already soft, so I had no use for it.
For deodorizing and breaking down waste, I use the stuff sold by the manufacturer of the toilet. It is environmentally safe and proven to work, unlike so many home remedies.

baglo

[gbaglo]

Speaking of home remedies, we had a columnist at the paper who published hints from readers. To clean glass she recommended Tartar Sauce ( it was supposed to be Cream of Tartar - a powder ). Windex is probably cheaper than either of those.
And then there was the mixture she recommended for cleaning your bathtub or shower. I don't recall the recipe exactly, but let's just say that the combination forms a deadly gas. I'm not sure how many readers we lost before they published the correction.
The internet is full of such.

baglo

[Donna D.]

Be careful when using homegrown recipes. The gaskets and such used in RVs can dry out quickly when using some of this stuff. For instance, Pine-Sol is one no-no. Most made-for-RV use concoctions are environmentally safe too. The blackwater digester I've been using states it "lubes" the gaskets, etc.

To clean the black water tank, dump the largest chunks of ice you can get down through the flapper PRIOR to leaving on a camping trip. During travel, the ice will slosh around and clean the tank walls and floor. Drain when you get to your destination.

YMMV

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

YMMV

?

Interesting responses. I am not really looking for homegrown solutions so I will rephrase the question. What commercial products have you tried and did you find them successful or not?

YMMV - I believe it means "Your method may vary"

[Jim Bennett]

Ah....gotcha....

MandM ?

[ronstew]

Two household chemicals that you should never mix are bleach and ammonia. Poison gas. I ruined a hardwood floor with the micture once, too. Nasty, nasty nasty.

Anyway, I will be sure to use Tater Tots to clean my glass the next time. hehe

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Ah....gotcha....

MandM ?

MandM = Mike and Maureen