Sewer Solution ICK Alert!

[Foiled Again]

I have used and liked the Sewer Solution for years: now I have a serious warning. My sister decided she liked the slinky better... small tanks, needed to empty every 3-4 days. She gave me hers, which was handy as mine had developed a crack near the water inlet for the pressure mascerator and it could have broken at any time.

I immediately noticed that the new one had a grayish plastic head - different so? Well, yesterday I found out HOW different.... the locking tines DON'T LOCK. I was dumping the black tank and noticed a loop in the hose that could be run over by a lawn mower, so I moved it out of the way and the hose came OFF of the clear extension that I use to monitor the flow. FIVE GALLONS of liquid on the ground before I could shut the valve!!!

I used 3 gallons of straight Clorox to at least partly decontaminate the scene, and have a pair of old tennis shoes in a trash bag. Going to try to disinfect my comfy favorite jeans, but they already got some bleach spatter so they will be strictly work jeans from now on.

Today the 6 inch extension and the head of the sewer solution are soaking in bleach water. When they dry, I will caulk them into one unit with silicone.

They say
..it happens

Literally.

Not a tragedy, but when the original developers of the SS sold, the new ones cheapened the product. Be warned and avoid a 4 hour cleanup. (I have never used copious quantities of de-stinkum chemicals... but if you know something that will make effluviant smell like rosebuds, please clue me in.)

Poo poor me! Paula

[rmkrum]

Hm. You are making me glad I own an older sewer solution. Mine is transparent, locks together with my six inch extension so well it’s a struggle to get it off. The drain hose is also on there really solid—it won’t twist at all. I can adjust the orientation of the far end. I now have an extension on that hose, semi-permanently installed with two stainless steel hose clamps just in case...I’ll probably add one to the other end as well.

I have to wedge it in the bumper compartment edge and twist real hard to separate the transparent extension from the head unit.

I’m also very careful to arrange it just right before I pull the dump handle. Frankly, I don’t carry that much chlorine for a big cleanup...sorry you had to deal with a real mess...try to maintain your sense of humor.

Only issue I’ve had was a bad o-ring on the water quick-connect. An o-ring assortment from the big box home improvement store found the right one. Sun and SoCal heat did in the original one. But, that’s just a clean water leak...

[ROBERT CROSS]

But... I don't use a SS but do have the clear angle adaptor.
The sewer inlet we have at home is BEHIND the dump valve.
Before getting the clear adapter I never had a problem.
I soon realized at the first dump with the angle adaptor that I did.
With the hose running back from the valve the angle on the adaptor gave enough purchase on the fitting to drop the whole thing ground with the slightest movement of the hose.
Luckily I had closed the dump valve before hitting the hose with my foot and releasing it's content.🤮
I now run the hose forward, put a heavy rock on the pavement, run the hose around the rock and back to the sewer inlet....OR, just don't use the clear angle gizmo.🥴

O-ring on the angle adaptor, just had to re-glue too.

Bob
🇺🇸

[rmkrum]

I think there is a 45 degree clear adapter available on Amazon.

I’m using a straight clear adapter, probably six to eight inches long. Picked it up at a KOA a few years ago, cheaper than online!

My dump connection on the airstream is far enough back under that I can’t easily connect the sewer solution head by itself and align it right with the outlet hose pointing straight down.

It still takes a fairly hard twist to lock and unlock it. Bumping the hose hasn’t been an issue, but I’m darn careful to lay everything out just right before dumping. At home, my sewer connection is six feet inside the garage, so I make darn sure nothing is going to move before I pull the handle.

That’s why extra hose clamps and a very heavy weight on the discharge end of the extension hose where it goes into the floor sewer plug in the garage. Can’t imagine the mess if it gets loose and starts whipping about while I’m using lots of water pressure to macerate and pump the black tank contents!

Not that the grey tank is much better smelling after a long trip...

[fthopkins]

FYI, the Arkansas State Parks (at least the 6 I visited) do NOT have traditional hose bib connections. This will cause a serious problem for those that use Sewer Solution. May want to have an old fashion 3" flex hose handy. {Even then, back flushing is a problem.}

[rmkrum]

Originally Posted by fthopkins

FYI, the Arkansas State Parks (at least the 6 I visited) do NOT have traditional hose bib connections. This will cause a serious problem for those that use Sewer Solution. May want to have an old fashion 3" flex hose handy. {Even then, back flushing is a problem.}

I carry a gadget called a “water bandit.” It fits over an unthreaded water spigot and let you connect a hose. It won’t hold a lot of pressure, but it’s handy to have along in case you don’t have a standard threaded hose connector in a campground.

Camco makes one. Available on Amazon.

[wulfraat]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again;

.... the locking tines DON'T LOCK.

....FIVE GALLONS of liquid on the ground before I could shut the valve!!!

I used 3 gallons of straight Clorox to at least partly decontaminate the scene....

...when the original developers of the SS sold, the new ones cheapened the product.

....Be warned and avoid a 4 hour cleanup.

Sounds like an awesome product sign me up

[panamerican]

I have considered getting something like this with the 2 clear 90's attached.


https://www.amazon.com/Flojet-185550...0758125&sr=8-2


Yes it needs power, but that's pretty easy to solve.

[WhereStream]

For those of us not in the know, what is?

[oldenavy]

We feel your pain! Last Summer, we were outside of Zion NP and our neighbor in an AS Interstate went to dump his black tank. Not sure what brand AS uses, but it's something with a macerator pump & small hose. 'Something' happened and his tank contents ended up all over our campsite. We had to throw out a number of items that simply couldn't be sanitized. We tried to get moved to another site but peak season, everything was full. The smell was so bad we simply couldn't stay there. The campground was really great about it, though. They had a room in their hotel & put us up for the night, no charge. Certainly not the highlight of the trip!



As you said, S..... Happens!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by panamerican

I have considered getting something like this with the 2 clear 90's attached.


https://www.amazon.com/Flojet-185550...0758125&sr=8-2


Yes it needs power, but that's pretty easy to solve.

I got one of these last year.

I wired a connection to my 7-pin to give it power.

What I like - uphill pumping. So sick of campsites where the top of the dump pipe is above the trailer dump valve. I’ve had those moments where you lift the stinkly slinky above your head and pray to the Porcelain Gods you don’t take a Robin Williams shower. When I use it, I make sure to add a couple cups of bleach to the grey tank so it gets a good hit of bleach before packing up. Also I like the smart configuration to wire it to the 7-pin - a trick I learned from Bob Cross in these here forums!

What I don’t like - it never seems to pull 100% out of the trailer’s dump valve. When it sounds like it’s whining hard they say not to let it run too long from that point. That still leaves about a gallon in the tube. I found that out the hard way the first time I used it (Paula - I hear you - there’s not enough bleach!). Even though you’re at gray water by then - let’s be honest, it’s a dark shade of grey....

I also had a bad experience where I thought the hose was on tight. (Paula - I hear you here too....). God help me.....thankfully you hold the on/off button in your hand - DON’T EVER LEAVE IT UNATTENDED FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY!!!

Bottom line - not perfect, but much better than trying to pump shtuff uphill. Just be sure the hose with washers is dead on and have a bucket handy to catch the last gallon in the dump valve when you take the thing off. That can pour down the drain and then clean and bleach that before putting it away.

Worst part of any camping trip [emoji3]

[SnowWanderer]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

I carry a gadget called a “water bandit.” It fits over an unthreaded water spigot and let you connect a hose. It won’t hold a lot of pressure, but it’s handy to have along in case you don’t have a standard threaded hose connector in a campground.

Camco makes one. Available on Amazon.

Screw on a hose clamp when your water bandit doesn't secure well to the spout!

[BayouBiker]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

I used 3 gallons of straight Clorox to at least partly decontaminate the scene, and have a pair of old tennis shoes in a trash bag. Going to try to disinfect my comfy favorite jeans, but they already got some bleach spatter so they will be strictly work jeans from now on.

You went a bit overboard with the bleach. If it was on some grass or dirt, unless you have some noxious virus, you didn't put anything there that isn't already. Just dilute it with a bit of water, let the paper dry and pick it up the next day. Don't use so much water that it gets down to the storm drain, instead let nature do its job the natural bacteria in the ground loves the stuff. It's only an issue if everybody spills stuff every day.

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

(I have never used copious quantities of de-stinkum chemicals... but if you know something that will make effluviant smell like rosebuds, please clue me in.)

Poo poor me! Paula

Far and away the best stuff is Happy Camper Original (or Also called Natural), it reacts with the stinky product of Anaerobic decay (H2S) so your poo water while it still has active bacteria in it so don' take a bath in it, it don't stink. It also decomposes paper, a two fer!

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by BayouBiker

You went a bit overboard with the bleach. If it was on some grass or dirt, unless you have some noxious virus, you didn't put anything there that isn't already. Just dilute it with a bit of water, let the paper dry and pick it up the next day. Don't use so much water that it gets down to the storm drain, instead let nature do its job the natural bacteria in the ground loves the stuff. It's only an issue if everybody spills stuff every day.



Far and away the best stuff is Happy Camper Original (or Also called Natural), it reacts with the stinky product of Anaerobic decay (H2S) so your poo water while it still has active bacteria in it so don' take a bath in it, it don't stink. It also decomposes paper, a two fer!

Gracias! Or grassy a$$ depending.

Went online and found "Sewie Pig" which will be anchoring my line to prevent detachment from now on. Got 2 to take care of both ends. No more effluviant from now on. Couldn't attach the picture, but it is unique, light weight when empty, etc.

[Foiled Again]

I did go overboard on the bleach, but Travelers Rest is FULL in the winter, neighbors are all wonderful AND close, so wanted to do my best to kill odors fast, and to be seen as proactive rather than blase'. Also, there is a small stream about 50 feet downhill from the trailer. Straight bleach (or bleach diluted 1 or 2 parts water to 1 part bleach will instantly react with everything that comes out of a black tank).

Also found - it kills crabgrass DEAD. My neighbor might not have to use an edger around his driveway for a year!

Prevention is my goal from now on.

[BayouBiker]

LMAO, I have not tried this but I bet it will work to disolve 5 scoops of Happy Camper in 5 gallons of water and spray it on the affected area to eliminate the odor that would otherwise hang around for maybe a few days. Here in Louisiana my back yard is a swamp this time of year. All I need to do is turn over some garden dirt (mud really) and I get the same lovely aroma, maybe I'll get my shovel and give this a try!

[Foiled Again]

Sewie pig. Sister Lhao.

[brick1]

I use a SewerFlo 12 volt macerate pump (Amazon.com) to drain my tanks at home. It is a 125 ft level run to the septic tank, works great. I have a 8 inch clear section between the camper and macerate pump to monitor the progress. I use my jump box to power the macerate. I also have a 50 amp power pole, so driveway camping is easy.