Cleansing Wipes
- Thread starter BigGuy82
- Start date
weekender01
Well-known member
I can tell you that any wipe like this can become stuck in the tank gate or pipe. While we would like to think they are smooth there can be small rough places that can catch items like this and can prevent you from closing the gate fully. My last camper we bought used had this very issue. As a result I had to take apart the gate valve and pull out the cleaning wipe. As a result I would recommend against anything like this that does not break down.
olcoon
Well-known member
I've seen flushable, septic tank safe wipes before, but have't tested them. One thing you can do is take one & put it in a glass of water & see if it dissolves like the TP does. We use a product called Unique (LINK) in our black tank. When I dump, all I see is brown water coming out, and we use septic safe household TP. I'd definitely test them in a glass/jar of water before putting them down the stool.
danemayer
Well-known member
Strongly recommend against flushing cleansing wipes. There have been news stories in major cities where the sanitation people are explaining how those wipes do not degrade and clog the sewer system. I'm sure they will cause problems in RVs. One of the worst: if the wipe gets stuck in the gate valve, you'll have a slow leak which can lead to larger problems with the black tank.
Domi
Well-known member
After 8K of new piping in my house from when my Son's Girlfriend told him to use them I would say never flush those things. Had a guy at work that had to clean out he pipes as well. I can only imagine how much of a pain it would be to get them out of a black tank. No snakes in the RV.
John
John
IronJ
Well-known member
We use the "flushable" type at home...so I dunno there??..10yrs never had a single septic issue..In the rig we use em too...but since I'm the maintenance man/janitor/plumber I'll be dang if they get flushed!!!...lol
sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish
sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish
I just finished working on the grey tank valve on my trailer. After three hours of laying in stinky, chunky, vomitus kitchen waste as it slowly dripped down my arms and splashed in my hair, I soon became VERY grateful I wasn't working on a black tank valve. I would choose to NEVER to put anything down the hatch other than some RV safe tissue. Serious- it was terrible and could have been worse. Those tanks are terrible to work on and you won't always have a shop close by to help.
Carleen
2011 Ford F-350 6.7
2011 Big Horn 3585RL
Carleen
2011 Ford F-350 6.7
2011 Big Horn 3585RL
farside291
Well-known member
Plus, I don't think septic safe and RV holding tank safe are the same thing. We use, but don't flush the wipes. Although, we have used and are using the Scotts brand septic safe 1 ply tissue with lots of water always. No problems yet.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I found Scott TP in the "consumer section" that matched exactly the "RV branded" Scott TP. .79 a roll for RV branded 4 pk, .50 a roll for consumer branded 12pk.
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Garypowell
Well-known member
I guess someone must stand up for flushable wipes. We have used and flushed them in the RV for about 3 years with no problems.
Some of our luck might be in the way I flush the black tank and use the wipes.
Besides using a lot of water I do multiple flushes of the black tank and I am sure most do. But when I close off the black tank to fill it back up again I DON'T use the on board valve. I use the valve at the discharge outlet that I have installed. This way, as there is always something left in the tank during the initial flushes, it does not get pressed into the seal of the on board valve. I have not had my end valve ever get clogged but if it did easy enough to remove and clean or replace.
I go through this several times until the water runs clear and then I shut the on board valve.
As far as the wipes they always get folded twice before they are flushed. I think this gives them a little more inertia as they travel out during the flush.
I decided not to post pictures.....
Some of our luck might be in the way I flush the black tank and use the wipes.
Besides using a lot of water I do multiple flushes of the black tank and I am sure most do. But when I close off the black tank to fill it back up again I DON'T use the on board valve. I use the valve at the discharge outlet that I have installed. This way, as there is always something left in the tank during the initial flushes, it does not get pressed into the seal of the on board valve. I have not had my end valve ever get clogged but if it did easy enough to remove and clean or replace.
I go through this several times until the water runs clear and then I shut the on board valve.
As far as the wipes they always get folded twice before they are flushed. I think this gives them a little more inertia as they travel out during the flush.
I decided not to post pictures.....
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
Pictures . . . or it didn't happen!
- - - Updated - - -
Gonna have to look at that.
Bogie
Well-known member
No matter what it says on the package, you are opening yourself to a potential clog by flushing those things. I have know of several instances where wipes have clogged a sewer pipe and I'm not even a plumber. All of these were in standard home sewer pipes were lots of water is used. Using them in an RV is just asking for trouble IMHO.
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