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Grapesky · 03-26-2016, 12:53 PM

What Chemicals do you all recommend for your fresh water and grey water tanks? How often do you use etc. thanks!!

overlander63 · 03-26-2016, 01:08 PM

For fresh tank, a cup of plain bleach into the tank, then fill with water. Let stand overnight for best results, then drain.
For grey tank, use some of the blue stuff down one of the drains, and rinse thoroughly. You can also use bleach there, but sometimes it will react badly with other stuff that may have been put there in the normal course of events. Can you say "mushroom cloud"?

Protagonist · 03-26-2016, 05:30 PM

I treat my fresh tank with unscented Clorox in accordance with the instructions in the Airstream owner's manual when I unwinterize, and again at the start of hurricane season when I fill the tank and keep it that way for six months straight in case I have to bug out for a storm. I use enzyme packets in the black tank, adding one packet (two in hot weather) the first time I flush the toilet after emptying the black tank. I use no treatment at all for the gray tank.

Jammer · 03-26-2016, 07:40 PM

Opinions vary widely.

I don't treat the freshwater tank if I fill it from a city water system that is already chlorinated. If I fill it with well water, I add a small amount of bleach, about 1 ml per gallon.

I do not ordinarily treat the greywater tank.

BDowse · 03-27-2016, 10:57 AM

I agree with the clorox in fresh water at the beginning of the season after dewinterizing, but I prefer the scented variety as you'll know better when it is flushed out and at a safe level to comsume. If you ever have the fresh water go south, the clorox is a must treatment in higher levels and allowed to set for a while before flushing out. Some campgrounds don't like you to dump too much chlorox or chlorine in their waste system as it tends to mess up their natural fermintation process if it's a ponding system.

On the grey tank, until I got a macerator and used a see-through elbow to empty the tanks (better than watching some current TV shows and most of the electioneering going on right now) I had never used much of anything in there but then from this forum, I learned that the gunk, junk and garbage that accumulates in grey water comes out in big chunks just like the black tank when flushed out with fresh water. Some detergents will cake up too. Since then, I use Rid-X to keep this stuff broken down and easily drained. I had a campground neighbor with the grey water tank blocked up and it took him a half day to get it to flow and drain.

fredbrandebe · 03-27-2016, 01:07 PM

Clorox as mentioned in earlier messages.
Black & Gray we use 1/4 bottle Dawn in each tank and add 2-3 gals of water before we leave the campground. Dump at next park.
Use baking soda solution in lack or gray if it smells.
Happy camping,
RV101byFred.com

**moosetags** · 03-27-2016, 01:38 PM

We don't, nor have we ever, added any treatment to our fresh water tank. We have always filled our fresh water tank from a city water system. We do double filter our drinking water. We use an external in-line filter when we fill the tank. We also filter the cold water to the kitchen faucet.

As far as the gray tank goes, we have never added any treatment to it. We figure that it gets enough soap in it to keep it clean enough.

Brian

mandolindave · 03-27-2016, 01:51 PM

Ridex or enzyme in black and grey tanks, every time they are emptied.

Grey tanks get just about as nasty as black tanks.

Rhetorical question : Does soap and shampoo keep your shower floor clean in your house ?

A W Warn · 03-27-2016, 03:42 PM

I use bleach to sanitize the fresh water tank and the entire fresh water system each spring and/or after the trailer sets for any length of time between uses. (following the Airstream Owner's manual instructions for mixing) Then I flush the tank and entire fresh water system until the chlorine/bleach smell is gone, before using.

I use the Geo Method (water softener, detergent, bleach, and warm water) to keep the gray and black tanks clean, no other chemicals at all. When I am camping I skip the bleach so that it does not mess up the campground's septic system.

I used to use Ridex in the black tank, but stopped when I found the granules do not entirely dissolve in the tank, creating a residue of gritty solids.

When I purchased my Excella it had a hard mound of buildup in the black tank just below the toilet. After using the Geo Method the last few years I can see there is zero buildup in my tank after I dump and flush. I can see the clean plastic that the tank is made of when looking down into the tank through toilet.

Minno · 03-27-2016, 04:31 PM

I disagree on using scented bleach in the fresh water tank. It took me a whole summer after accidently doing that once in a previous trailer to get rid of the taste! Yuck!!! We always add baking soda after draining the bleach solution out of the fresh tank in the spring, fill up, and let it sit for several days. That gets rid of the bleach taste.
We don't normally add anything to the grey water tank, but flush it well after a trip.
Black water gets normal treatment - with store bought treatment. I've tried the enzyme type stuff in past in a SOB trailer with no luck. Haven't tried the geo method yet...

Kay

Mrjkq · 03-27-2016, 04:43 PM

I Sanitize my fresh water tank once a year by adding 8 oz of bleach to a full tank of water & letting it sit for a few hours or over night, drain & refill with fresh water. The bleach smell dissipates after the 2nd refill. The gray tank only if an odor becomes noticeable which is rare.

Rich W · 03-27-2016, 05:31 PM

Our gray tank was REALLY stinky on our recent excursion. I had to use the portable tank once and the smell was almost too much to take. When we moved to a new spot I put 2-3 gallons of water in it and let it slosh around while we drive about 60 miles. When we got to the new location (sewer hookup) I immediately emptied the tank. Using the clear elbow I could see all manner of "stuff" coming out. Over the next few months, with a lot of use, the constant emptying and filling seems to have taken care of the problem, at least for the last month of the trip. Using the portable was much better

On the black tank we too use the deodorant tablets available at Wal-Mart, makes a big difference. We don't boondock so we don't use the fresh water tank. At the beginning of the season I use the recommended method of sanitizing it, then just leave it empty. We use bottled water for coffee and ice. We cook with the city water wherever we are.

DoublTrouble · 03-27-2016, 06:38 PM

In our 17 years of experience, we have always used the same product in both the grey and black tanks. Always store with a fresh dose of product in each and 5 gallons of water or so. We have never had a problem with smelly tanks. Oh, I take that back, once when I forgot the above steps. I Never store with empty tanks..

Protagonist · 03-27-2016, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minno

I disagree on using scented bleach in the fresh water tank.

I specifically said UNscented Clorox in my previous post. I don't think anyone else said they use scented Clorox, either.

idroba · 03-27-2016, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I specifically said UNscented Clorox in my previous post. I don't think anyone else said they use scented Clorox, either.

Unfortunately they did, post #5, first line. I agree with you, unscented Clorox.

Protagonist · 03-27-2016, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idroba

Unfortunately they did, post #5, first line. I agree with you, unscented Clorox.

I completely overlooked that post.

crispyboy · 03-28-2016, 12:07 AM

Last summer our black and grey holding tanks became unbearable. All of the store bought rv solutions would not touch the problem. Perusing the net I stumbled upon a mixture the was the answer to our problems. It is a mixture of Calgon and original Pine sol. The tanks are like brand new now.

http://http://www.ncfcrv.org/calgon.pdf

Fresh water just needs unscented bleach to sanitize at the beginning of the season and a capful when refilling an empty tank. I drink, cook and bathe from the fresh water tank.

SandyMS · 03-28-2016, 07:26 AM

Could you explain the "geo method". What exactly you use and how much? Thanks

Steamy1 · 03-28-2016, 08:35 AM

Here is what I had found on it a few years ago

n2916s · 03-28-2016, 09:18 AM

Your grey and black tanks are little cesspools that you drag around with you. There are two approaches to maintenance:

1. You use bleach, pine-sol and or commercial tank treatments that kill everything in the tank and dissolve accumulated gunk. Nothing terrible about that unless you dump said mixture into someone's septic system. So many people dumped chemical laden waste into the free dump stations Florida used to have at its rest areas, that they finally just closed them. But it is effective.

2. You use a bacteria/enzyme tank treatment. This introduces non-pathogenic bacteria into your tanks and they chew away, hopefully liquefying all the solids and yuck. It is not as effective as method #1 but a lot friendlier on septic systems you may dump into.

Water is your friend in both instances -- dilution is the solution to pollution. If you have full hookups, I find it helpful to be generous with water and just dump a little more often.

Mike