Black tank chemicals

[ROBERT CROSS]

I geo'd four Seasons ago to see if it would clean the sensors, it did and now it's a 1/4 cup of dawn after a good flush using city pressure.....I think being able to dump at home whenever needed helps a lot though.
SFSG.

Bob

[Gene]

We've tried a couple of different "green" deodorizers and none of them work very well.

Gene

[CampUnger]

Oh how I wish I would have seen this post before our last vacay.

Black water tank was awful, airing out the AS for a few days now, and using lots of Febreeze on upholstery to try to help. We were in south central KY and temps ranged from 98-111 degrees.
We didn't have anywhere to dump black, only grey and were there for 6 days. Needless to say we had a VERY full tank when we came home.

Off to the store soon for some Calgon (take me away) and laundry detergent (we need some of that anyway). REALLY hope this works!!!

[Phoenix]

Just got back from a week-long camping trip to Flagstaff where temperatures were approximately 90/55 (day/night). Geo method worked OK up there, and black tank smelled like fresh laundry. However, after our return and several days of 110+ degrees in Phoenix, the stench from our 1/4 full black tank is unbelievable and has never been worse. Today, I added a double dose of the blue stuff, which contains formaldehyde, to keep our neighbors from calling the sewer police.

Looks like the "geo method" may be seasonal for us, with the blue stuff being used over the summer. Too bad, seemed very promising; and we would like to go green. However, the geo method just doesn't work for us in the extreme desert heat.

[sandlapper]

water standing in the traps for an extended time, in hot summer temps, can smell pretty bad. Lots of fairly nasty stuff builds up in there. Doesn't have that same black tank smell, but smells bad non the less. During the summer, in between trips, I pour a dollop of my favorite stuff in each trap. Sure does help with the smells.

John

[Gene]

I gave the Geo article to my wife (she's the scientist here) and she made her own adaptation. I don't understand what she's doing since she's the expert, but I know she has tried the regular deodorizer after we dump and flush the black tank, and then add a Geo-like solution just before we leave on another trip. I think she uses water softener and a detergent. This allows it to slosh around and clean the tank. She avoids putting Clorox in right away because she says Chlorine makes plastic brittle.

We've only done this once so far, but when I flushed the black tank it took fewer flushes and I really love that.

I'm sorry this isn't very specific, but I advise marrying someone with degrees in microbiology and laboratory technology and ask them what to do.

Gene

[Janie Q]

Gene,
For a simple minded person like myself, would you ask her to write down her method and you could PM to me?
I bought all the items from the Geo recipe and have been waiting to hear from your expert
Thanks
Jane

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

I gave the Geo article to my wife (she's the scientist here) and she made her own adaptation. I don't understand what she's doing since she's the expert, but I know she has tried the regular deodorizer after we dump and flush the black tank, and then add a Geo-like solution just before we leave on another trip. I think she uses water softener and a detergent. This allows it to slosh around and clean the tank. She avoids putting Clorox in right away because she says Chlorine makes plastic brittle.

We've only done this once so far, but when I flushed the black tank it took fewer flushes and I really love that.

I'm sorry this isn't very specific, but I advise marrying someone with degrees in microbiology and laboratory technology and ask them what to do.

Gene

We also have changed the receipt a little, Dawn instead of laundry soap, and just add the Dawn and softener once or twice a Season.
"Green?" A/chem after every dump.

Gene,
Don't forget the patent application before publishing Barb's invention.

Are things getting back to normal? The wildfires have taken over the news lately.

Stay safe my friend..

Bob

[Gene]

Jane, I think she uses the water softener and detergent as suggested in the Geo recipe, except we couldn't find powdered detergent. I think she used half the recommended amount of liquid detergent since it is more concentrated. This is on top of the standard, not green, deodorizers available anywhere, with 4 gal. of water. So what she is doing is the same as the Geo formula without the Clorox until a day or so before we flush the black tank. If it were up to me (and it isn't) I'd use less of the Clorox than recommended.

Once we feel the black tank has been thoroughly cleaned, we may not use the Geo formula all the time. We have a Flush King, so I can see what is coming out and is became reasonably clear in 5 backflushes instead of the usual 7 or 8. If there is stuff stuck in there after 4 1/2 years, it will take some flushing to get it all out.

My experience is that after a season of towing, I'll backflush the tank 10 times and it seems to be clean, but in the spring when I drain the antifreeze out into a 5 gal. bucket (this is not an enjoyable experience), more stuff comes out. So next spring I'll have a better idea how this works when I see what I get.

Gene

[Gene]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Are things getting back to normal? The wildfires have taken over the news lately.

After 34 years in Colorado, I have discovered there is no "normal" weather. We are now in a "short term extreme drought" according to the weather people. But moisture from the south is coming and we may get some rain this week. Got a little in the last 30 minutes. I think we went 3+ months with 20 minutes of light rain. The really big fires have been in the Front Range foothills, 240 and more miles away from here. In August, moisture comes from the southwest (monsoon season) and that's when it rains most, and it may be coming early. We hope so. There are some indications we may switch to El Niño by fall and get more precip. Still hot—we've had temps 3-7˚ above normal since March.

Turning from Colorado weather, back to black tanks….

Gene

[CampUnger]

Has anyone tried adding baking soda to the mixture or at all? Seems as thugh it would be harmless to the tanks/fittings, would help scrub the tanks as you go down the road, and would help absorb odors.

Any thoughts?