I changed to these early this year and thought they was the cat's *** but it turns out they are trouble! I have discovered that the "plastic bag" that is suppose to dissolve in water is not doing so and they are just dumping out with the solids. I had one snag on the inside of the dump hose and that is how I found out they don't work, it still had the blue powder inside it as a clump of blue paste. So today at work I took one and tossed it into a 5 gallon bucket half full of water and at the end of the day it was still floating on top, not dissolving at all! Watch out for these...........

I use TST toss ins. I never found them totally intact but but noticed the outer pouch gets slimy and sticky if it gets wet. I have also noticed partial pieces of the outer bag stuck in the sewer hose when disconnecting. I like the convenience so I keep a pair of shears in the bathroom. I cut the bag and dump contents into the toilet. I put the bag in the trash. I suspected it was a problem but this is the first post I have seen about it. Good info.

I had wondered about that. Thanks for the heads up. I tried the dry packets you pour in to the tanks too. The dust /fumes from the powder got in my nose. I probably didn't do it correctly but they are off my list, too. I'll just stick to the liquid.

Lots of posts on this subject. You really need to educate yourself on how dangerous these things are. Not only to your plumbing system, but to the enviroment.

I start them in a bucket with half a gallon of really warm water. It takes about one minute for it to dissolve before adding to the tank. Then I use that bucket to add about five gallons of cold water (and rinse the bucket).

I use a brand called Porta Pak. Just tested it in a mason jar. Less than 5 mins it was dissolved, and no trace of the plastic bag.Mike

Heads up if you use Aqua-Kem "toss-ins" | Good Sam Community

2012Coleman
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
Our Place wrote:
Wow this thread has gotten way out of hand, now I'm sorry I posted it. We don't get to use our camper very often and when it's not in use it is in an inside storage building. I use the chemicals in our tank to help prevent ANY CHANCH of nasty smells occurring and getting me kicked outside.

lanerd wrote:
In this case, the poster obviously uses Aqua-Kem every day; which is totally not required.

Well, you know, it's been said that without threads like this, this site would cease to exist!

Not to mention the ones who can tell what you obviously are doing by reading a few sentences on an internet forum - simply amazing! I'll bet you didn't even know you were doing that so stop it! :P

Any stock market tips?
willald
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
Hehe, threads like this, where folks suggest that no chemicals should ever be used 'cause black or grey tank should never have an odor, really make me laugh.

To those that say the tanks should never have an odor, so no need for chemicals: Enjoy living in your dream world, where everything always works perfect and ideal. However, do know that one day something WILL go wrong for you, too - a seal will wear out, a check valve will get clogged (that you can't easily fix on the fly), a sewer hose will spring a leak....And your dream world will come crashing (stinking!) down around you. :)

Its another example of idealism vs reality here. Yes, in an ideal, perfect world where nothing wears out or breaks and everything always works perfectly, yes, RV holding tanks should not ever have an odor.

HOWEVER, reality is that none of us really live in that world. In the REAL world, where things wear out and/or break, people make mistakes, and the perfect, permanent solution to a problem often cannot be implemented right away.....Yes, odors can and DO on occasion escape from the tanks, and it can stinketh badly. When (not if) that happens to you, you will wish very much that you were using chemicals, if you were not. So will those camping around you (or those in line behind you at a dump station, haha!)

THAT is why chemicals of some form are a good idea. That way, if odors do escape from the tank on occasion, it will not be as bad to deal with. Sometimes, things just happen - a seal wears out and you aren't in a good position, place to repair it immediately, a black tank vent line gets clogged, or a sewer hose leaks just a few drops of nasty stuff when dumping (and it only takes a very few drops to have quite the nasty smell if no chemicals are being used, haha).

I agree, though, that it is very questionable how much chemicals help with breakdown of solid 'waste'. And, one does have to be careful which chemicals they use, so as not to damage a campground's septic system or cause other environmental issues. However, there are several good products out there that provide good odor control, without harming septic systems or the environment.

That is why I use a chemical called Odorlos - To prevent/minimize the odor, so that if odors do escape from the tank on occasion, it will not be as bad. And, I can tell you from personal experience of having a mishap when dumping the tanks once (don't ask for any more details, haha), that this Odorlos stuff DOES drastically reduce the odor. In some cases, it eliminates the odor entirely. I won't camp without it, no matter what the 'GEO method' folks say. :)

Poop stinks, bottom line. If it didn't, there'd be something very seriously wrong with the person that 'produced' it, haha. :) When you store stuff that stinks that badly just under your floor in a plastic holding tank for long periods, then manually dump it via a vinyl sewer hose...There are going to be lots of opportunities for that odor to escape. THAT is why chemicals are a good idea, as 'insurance' for when (not if) things don't work perfectly.
kmbelt
Explorer
Aug 17, 2015
I USE chemicals, but i use this product.

http://www.opproducts.com/PurePowerBlue.html

It is safe for sewer AND septic systems as it is bacterial. I used to use the normal blue aquakem and other junk. I will never use them again. This stuff is fantastic. I actually put it in my tanks and filled them with water, let them sit for 2 weeks then fully flushed. All odors and buildup is gone now.

I add every trip and have not had anymore issues since.

You like using, then use it. Don't like using, then don't. To each their own.
mowin
Explorer
Aug 17, 2015
EsoxLucius wrote:
mowin wrote:
I've tried everything out there even the geo method. Nothing stops poop from stinking.
Even Happy Camper? It actually tackles odor and costs as little as 53 cents per 40 gallons of black tank capacity. http://www.5starhappycamper.com/index.html

Yep, tried it. Friend of mine works for a sewer treatment plant. He gave me this concentrate that smells like cherries. He said it "may" mask some oder, but dont count on it. It didn't work either.
willald
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
mowin wrote:
....Nothing stops poop from stinking...

Bingo. That pretty much sums it up, haha. :)

Will
lanerd
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
I don't think anyone has said that poop doesn't stink...nor has anyone said the "inside" of a black tank doesn't stink. However, that stink is contained, with the exception of the roof top vent and when a toilet is flushed. Even when dumping the tank, the connections and hose are sealed with no openings to the outside. If you are experiencing an odor inside the rv, something is wrong. Period!

You most definitely will experience an odor when you flush the toilet, but if you do it quickly and don't have the overhead fan on, that odor should be minimal and dissipate quickly.

Look, if you want or feel the need to use chemicals to mask any odor...it is your money. All I'm trying to do is to provide info that chemicals are not needed and in fact can be detrimental to septic/sewer systems. Lots of water and a well maintained black tank system will keep the odor to a minimum, just as much as adding any chemical.

Ron
willald
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
lanerd wrote:
However, that stink is contained, with the exception of the roof top vent and when a toilet is flushed.

..Or when the seals around the toilet wears out or fail, and you can't fix it immediately (like when camping). Or when the black tank vent line gets clogged. Or when the wind blows just the wrong way, and odors from that roof top vent make their way to the noses of your neighbors.

Even when dumping the tank, the connections and hose are sealed with no openings to the outside.

Sooo, how exactly does one 'seal' where the hose goes in/on the sewer drain/outlet at the campground? I hope you aren't going to try and suggest that using a rubber donut or a weight holding the hose down gives you a perfect seal, as it does not. When you dump your tanks, some air/'gas' from in the tank is frequently going to get out, even if no liquid or solid does. Anyone that thinks otherwise...Hasn't been around RVs very much. :)

(..And that's not even getting into how imperfect some sewer hose connections, fittings can be as they wear out, or the fact that sewer hoses can develop pinholes in them from time to time, neither of which will be noticed until it leaks out during use).

Sooo, NO, the connections/hose are NOT necessarily 'sealed with no openings to the outside'.

If you are experiencing an odor inside the rv, something is wrong. Period!

No argument there, but my point was, the solution to whatever is wrong, in the REAL world in many cases is not something you can fix instantly, on the fly. Sometimes, you have to live with a bad smell from the black tank temporarily. And, you don't ever know when that could happen. That is why the chemicals are a good idea, so that when things don't work perfectly, you don't have a horrible smell to deal with (or at least not AS horrible).

Its a little bit like car insurance. If you ever actually need your car insurance...Something went wrong. Period. As long as nothing ever goes wrong on the road and you are an absolute PERFECT driver and live in your perfect little world where every other driver on the road is perfect...Insurance, like chemicals, would be a waste of money.

However, for those of us that live in the real world where things can and do go wrong, not a fantasy world where nothing ever goes wrong....Black tank chemicals, like insurance, is a really good idea. :)

Will
hotbyte
Explorer
Aug 17, 2015
lanerd wrote:
...However, that stink is contained, with the exception of the roof top vent...
Ron

We now need a venting thread about all these non-chemically treated "scents" escaping these roof vents and making their way to other campsite disrespecting the rights of those campers!
lanerd
Explorer II
Aug 17, 2015
willald wrote:
lanerd wrote:
However, that stink is contained, with the exception of the roof top vent and when a toilet is flushed.

..Or when the seals around the toilet wears out or fail, and you can't fix it immediately (like when camping). Or when the black tank vent line gets clogged. Or when the wind blows just the wrong way, and odors from that roof top vent make their way to the noses of your neighbors. Exactly! Those are some of the problems that will allow the stink to get inside the rv...and need to be repaired. My point exactly and what I have previously mentioned several times.

Even when dumping the tank, the connections and hose are sealed with no openings to the outside.

Sooo, how exactly does one 'seal' where the hose goes in/on the sewer drain/outlet at the campground? THIS is an example of the type of fitting/connection that should be used.

I hope you aren't going to try and suggest that using a rubber donut or a weight holding the hose down gives you a perfect seal, as it does not. When you dump your tanks, some air/'gas' from in the tank is frequently going to get out, even if no liquid or solid does. No....not when the proper equipment is used, no odor odor or seepage will occur. Anyone that thinks otherwise...Hasn't been around RVs very much. :) Well, I guess you must be a newbie then.

(..And that's not even getting into how imperfect some sewer hose connections, fittings can be as they wear out, or the fact that sewer hoses can develop pinholes in them from time to time, neither of which will be noticed until it leaks out during use).Again... as I previously mention...if you have an odor, you have a problem that needs to be repaired or replaced. How many times do I have to repeat myself?

Sooo, NO, the connections/hose are NOT necessarily 'sealed with no openings to the outside'. Yes, they can and should be.

Ron

If you are experiencing an odor inside the rv, something is wrong. Period!

No argument there, but my point was, the solution to whatever is wrong, in the REAL world in many cases is not something you can fix instantly, on the fly. Sometimes, you have to live with a bad smell from the black tank temporarily.

Will, I have mentioned this previously also. Unfortunately, stuff does happen. But how often? Often enough to keep chemicals in your tank constantly. If yes, then the rv really needs some attention for maintenance. Things do wear out and need to be replaced or repaired and keeping the rv maintained should be a part of an rv'ers daily life.

And, you don't ever know when that could happen.

No, but good maintenance practice can keep most of those things from happening. I agree, some things will indeed break unexpectedly, and can create a problem for you. You just try to be prepared the best you can.

That is why the chemicals are a good idea, so that when things don't work perfectly, you don't have a horrible smell to deal with (or at least not AS horrible).

I just don't think that a well maintained rv will experience these kind of problems often enough to warrant constant dumping of chemicals in the black tank. Obviously you do and that's ok as it's your money, your rv.

Its a little bit like car insurance. If you ever actually need your car insurance...Something went wrong. Period. As long as nothing ever goes wrong on the road and you are an absolute PERFECT driver and live in your perfect little world where every other driver on the road is perfect...Insurance, like chemicals, would be a waste of money.

However, for those of us that live in the real world where things can and do go wrong, not a fantasy world where nothing ever goes wrong....Black tank chemicals, like insurance, is a really good idea. :)

Ok, now you're getting a little personal and is uncalled for. We are having a rational discussion and we obviously have different point of views. But you have no reason to try an belittle my opinions by saying I live in a little world full of fantasies. So, Will... have a great day.

Ron

Will
willald
Explorer II
Aug 18, 2015
lanerd wrote:
willald wrote:
lanerd wrote:
However, that stink is contained, with the exception of the roof top vent and when a toilet is flushed.

..Or when the seals around the toilet wears out or fail, and you can't fix it immediately (like when camping). Or when the black tank vent line gets clogged. Or when the wind blows just the wrong way, and odors from that roof top vent make their way to the noses of your neighbors. Exactly! Those are some of the problems that will allow the stink to get inside the rv...and need to be repaired. My point exactly and what I have previously mentioned several times.

Right, and my point is, like I mentioned previously, sometimes those things are going to happen at a time, place such that you cannot fix it 100% instantly. That is when and why you will be very glad you are using chemicals.

Even when dumping the tank, the connections and hose are sealed with no openings to the outside.

Sooo, how exactly does one 'seal' where the hose goes in/on the sewer drain/outlet at the campground? THIS is an example of the type of fitting/connection that should be used.

LOL, thank you, you just proved my point with your link there. :)

Look closely at the end of that Rhino fitting you linked to, where it goes down onto the sewer outlet. There is NOT going to be a completely air/gas tight seal there, no matter what you do.

Only way to come close to that would be if you had a fitting that had threads (which that Rhino piece you linked to does not BTW), and you were lucky enough to have a sewer outlet that had the same diameter threads and the fitting could be snugly screwed onto it. That will not happen very often, though.

.............

I just don't think that a well maintained rv will experience these kind of problems often enough to warrant constant dumping of chemicals in the black tank. Obviously you do and that's ok as it's your money, your rv.

I think, if you had one or two unfortunate 'incidents' where some stuff spills out that you think never, ever can....You might see this differently. :)

...And, I think that is basically the crux of where you and I disagree. You just don't think there is enough risk of this happening to warrant using chemicals. I OTOH, believe that it does warrant such, provided that you use the right chemicals and use them properly. Like I said, its a lot like insurance. You have to decide which is worse: Paying the premiums, or risking having something bad happen without the insurance in place.

Guess we'll just have to leave it at that, agree to disagree, and let everyone decide for themselves. :)

Its a little bit like car insurance. If you ever actually need your car insurance...Something went wrong. Period. As long as nothing ever goes wrong on the road and you are an absolute PERFECT driver and live in your perfect little world where every other driver on the road is perfect...Insurance, like chemicals, would be a waste of money.

However, for those of us that live in the real world where things can and do go wrong, not a fantasy world where nothing ever goes wrong....Black tank chemicals, like insurance, is a really good idea. :)

Ok, now you're getting a little personal and is uncalled for. We are having a rational discussion and we obviously have different point of views. But you have no reason to try an belittle my opinions by saying I live in a little world full of fantasies...

...But, it was OK for you to belittle my opinion earlier in this post, when you said that I must be the newbie? How does that saying go about the pot and the kettle? :)

Indeed, Ron, have a great day.