Black Tank Treatments - Yay or Nay?
This is two-part thread.... I have been RV camping for most of my life. I can always remember my dad using the old blue liquid in the toilet after dumping the tanks. This what I did once I started ...
Forum Discussion
I use chemicals (actually just one specific toilet chemical for a couple reasons), not to help break waste down, but strictly to help contain, control odors.
Yes, it is true that in a perfect world, where nothing goes wrong, you do everything right and never make mistakes, and all systems, components on your RV work as they should all the time....In that world, yes, you should never have odors, even if no chemicals.
However, I don't live in that perfect world. None of us do, if we are honest.
In my world, the real world.....Sometimes things go wrong. Things like:
Sewer hoses sometimes spring small leaks.
Seals sometimes wear out and let sewer odors leak out before the seal can be fixed.
Vent lines can get clogged and allow odors to come out places they aren't supposed to.
Hose clamps can loosen or break and allow a small leak (or a big one).
Sewer hookup or dump stations aren't always such that one can connect to it with a completely airtight seal.
The list goes on and on of what can and does go wrong in the real, imperfect world we all live in.
Because of all those things that can and do go wrong...I use a black tank chemical. It is there to mitigate odors when unfortunate circumstances require that it be mitigated briefly.
Its really a personal choice, and everyone will tell you something different, as this thread has shown. For me personally, I try to do what I can to mitigate odors, just in case they do find a way to escape.
Yes, it is true that in a perfect world, where nothing goes wrong, you do everything right and never make mistakes, and all systems, components on your RV work as they should all the time....In that world, yes, you should never have odors, even if no chemicals.
However, I don't live in that perfect world. None of us do, if we are honest.
In my world, the real world.....Sometimes things go wrong. Things like:
Sewer hoses sometimes spring small leaks.
Seals sometimes wear out and let sewer odors leak out before the seal can be fixed.
Vent lines can get clogged and allow odors to come out places they aren't supposed to.
Hose clamps can loosen or break and allow a small leak (or a big one).
Sewer hookup or dump stations aren't always such that one can connect to it with a completely airtight seal.
The list goes on and on of what can and does go wrong in the real, imperfect world we all live in.
Because of all those things that can and do go wrong...I use a black tank chemical. It is there to mitigate odors when unfortunate circumstances require that it be mitigated briefly.
Its really a personal choice, and everyone will tell you something different, as this thread has shown. For me personally, I try to do what I can to mitigate odors, just in case they do find a way to escape.
