Waste Tank
- Thread starter Deedee
- Start date
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
The toilet paper and waste should break up on its own, provided you put enough water in the tank and it has time to break up. Conventional wisdom is any septic-safe tissue is OK to use, you don't have to buy the overpriced "RV" toilet paper. Angel Soft is pretty popular. But, "late deposits" will be a little reluctant sometimes, especially if you're heavy on the paperwork.
As for chemicals, all I put in the tank is a cup of powdered Calgon water softener, mixed in a bucket of water, after I've dumped and flushed the tank. There is the "Geo Method", which uses dish soap, in addition to the Calgon, but the Calgon alone works for me. If you can't find the powdered Calgon, the liquid type is OK, too.
As for chemicals, all I put in the tank is a cup of powdered Calgon water softener, mixed in a bucket of water, after I've dumped and flushed the tank. There is the "Geo Method", which uses dish soap, in addition to the Calgon, but the Calgon alone works for me. If you can't find the powdered Calgon, the liquid type is OK, too.
SmokeyBare
Well-known member
Deedee,
It might be a good idea to look at the type of toilet paper your using. I did a google search and found this link that might be some help in your case.
http://www.rverscorner.com/tpaper.html
Following the directions in this link you can test the brand of toilet paper your using to see how well it will fall apart inside the black tank.
As far as the sensors that tell you when the tanks are full and need to be emptied... they are very unreliable at best. Many swear by the "GEO" method to treat their holding tanks. This method helps the tank to empty and also helps to keep the sensors clean as possible considering what goes in them...
http://thegeomethod.blogspot.com/
Good Luck !!
It might be a good idea to look at the type of toilet paper your using. I did a google search and found this link that might be some help in your case.
http://www.rverscorner.com/tpaper.html
Following the directions in this link you can test the brand of toilet paper your using to see how well it will fall apart inside the black tank.
As far as the sensors that tell you when the tanks are full and need to be emptied... they are very unreliable at best. Many swear by the "GEO" method to treat their holding tanks. This method helps the tank to empty and also helps to keep the sensors clean as possible considering what goes in them...
http://thegeomethod.blogspot.com/
Good Luck !!
SmokeyBare
Well-known member
Better use for that Coke might be a tall glass, some Ice Cubes and a splash of your favorite adult beverage. <Grin>
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Another suggestion is to put less paper in the tank to begin with. Someone who has 3 young girls in their camping family told me that they only put toilet paper in the toilet after #2. TP after #1 went into a trash can.
Rickhansen
Well-known member
GOTTOYS
Well-known member
NO WAY! It's a toilet and it's meant to be used as a toilet. Use plenty of water when you flush, dump the tank when it's almost full and use the tank flusher to clean it out. I've never had a problem and I ain't saving any used toilet paper in the waste basket yuck!... thank you very much...Don
We use 4 Polident(generic) and Dawn/Ivory detergent(regular, no sanitizing) and when dumping use the back flush until it runs clear. Have had no problems with the probes or anything. I have no idea if it is the Polident or the detergent but this seems to work fine. The detergent makes the tanks slick(we put the detergent in all three) and I think keeps things cleaner. Not sure what benefit the Polident is but it works so I will keep on using it......................
TXBobcat
Fulltime
traveler44
Well-known member
I have used Tide laundry detergent for a long time and it did very well but we have been in the same camp site now for 3 weeks now. Without the sloshing of going down the road we started to get some buildup in the tank. I tried the tank flush but it didn't clean it out so I let the liquids drain out and filled the toilet with water and poured extra buckets full down when I flushed. This loosened the stubborn solids and the tank sensors finally read empty. I hope this helps somebody sometime if the black tank wash doesn't do it all. Tom M.
HappyKayakers
Well-known member
A friend of mine just had her septic tank pumped out. She used RidX every month or 2 but the tank hadn't been pumped out in almost 20 yrs.The guy who did it said the cleanest pumpout he ever did was a lady who routinely put yeast down the toilet. Think I'll try a packet next time I dump.
branson4020
Icantre Member
Your RV holding tank is not a septic system. Stuff that promotes anerobic bacterial action, and the stinky gas it produces, is the last thing you want to put down there.
HappyKayakers
Well-known member
As opposed to the normal perfume scented fragrance that normally wafts through the tank?
I understand that my holding tank is not a septic system but I'm on the never-ending quest to get my sensors to work right, at least occassionally. As a single fulltimer, I have the luxury of being able to let stuff sit in that tank for awhile.
TXBobcat
Fulltime
Give up on getting the sensors to work. My method is absolutely fool proof.
When you flush and your hinney gets wet it is time to empty the black tank.
When your dish water just sits in the sink it's time to empty the #2 gray tank.
When you get standing water in the shower you holler to the DW to go pull the #1 gray tank valve.
Actually I normally don't get into the above problem unless we are staying in one location for over a week, but if we are staying over a week I always dump on Sunday afternoon when we return from church.
We don't use anything in the black tank. We use Angle Soft TP and when we flush we use plenty of water. Everything works naturally.
Works well for us.
BC
When you flush and your hinney gets wet it is time to empty the black tank.
When your dish water just sits in the sink it's time to empty the #2 gray tank.
When you get standing water in the shower you holler to the DW to go pull the #1 gray tank valve.
Actually I normally don't get into the above problem unless we are staying in one location for over a week, but if we are staying over a week I always dump on Sunday afternoon when we return from church.
We don't use anything in the black tank. We use Angle Soft TP and when we flush we use plenty of water. Everything works naturally.
Works well for us.
BC
