Do ice cubes really work?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH6acEmqvcw&feature=youtu.beRichard

RLS7201 wrote:Do ice cubes really work?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH6acEmqvcw&feature=youtu.beRichardYou know how many hundreds of bags of ice you would have to put in a REAL SIZE black tank for it to even reach the first sensor near the bottom? He is using a tank that is about 2 x 4. Far cry from the size of an actual black tank.This is where size DOES matter when trying to simulate a test.This one of all the quick fixes I've heard really takes the cake.:R

I saw that video also. The test was to see if the ice cubes could break up a dried up pile of poop from the bottom of the black tank. And the results indicated that the ice cubes were no more effective than plain water. I will use left over ice cubes in the black tank on the ride home after a dump and I will notice more junk come out, but not from a dried pyramid.I wished the you tube guy would have used the ice in the black tank rinsing tests he had done earlier. I keep saying that the ice cubes work but apparently some people thought that I may have meant that they work at removing the dried pyramid.

You have to give the guy a lot of credit for actually trying to simulate what happens inside an RV tank with ice. Would be a good one for Mythbusters. I think where he went a bit wrong is that he should have used genuine real poop. :DWe tried the ice thing a little while after buying our first TT upon the recommendation of the dealer. It did diddly squat.From an engineer's perspective, I say ice is another urban myth. There's no credible evidence out there that I have ever seen that it really works and the above vid is the best thing I've seen to date. The best cleaning method is preventative measures in the form of thorough cleaning and flushing with lots of water each time you dump and the use of lots of water when using your black tank. For really stuck on buildup of solids, I think chemical treatment is the best.

myredracer wrote:There's no credible evidence out there that I have ever seen that it really works and the above vid is the best thing I've seen to date. It may work in rare cases, but regardless, we'll still see recommendations on here to use it.

I think the main problem is that people add the ice to too much water and all they do is bob around. they have to have very little water ad slam/bang around hitting the "stuff". My friend used marbles and found out why ice cubes were a better idea.bumpy

Do Ice Cubes in the RV Black Tank Really Work? | Good Sam Community

19 Replies

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Oct 25, 2014
RKW wrote:
Bumpyroad wrote:
Ron3rd wrote:
I think it might have some mechanical effect if you don't put too much water in the tank as the cubes float on the top.

exactly, if you add too much water, all they do is bob along.
bumpy

In the video in the OP, NO water was added. There were at least two cameras providing a view to the process. Within moments, the ice cubes were soft edged chunks colliding ineffectively against the poo pile and poo smears. In a RV black tank the same thing happens.

my friend removed a "pile" using marbles slamming around. no rough edges, no chemical reaction, just pounding. of course he had another issue for quite a while until they all made it to the drain.
the best way to get rid of this pyramid is to buy a tank sprayer, drill the mounting hole for it, poke a pressure washer nozzle in the hole and blast away. after pile is loose, mount sprayer. use the sprayer every time you dump tank.
bumpy
RKW
Explorer II
Oct 24, 2014
Bumpyroad wrote:
Ron3rd wrote:
I think it might have some mechanical effect if you don't put too much water in the tank as the cubes float on the top.

exactly, if you add too much water, all they do is bob along.
bumpy

In the video in the OP, NO water was added. There were at least two cameras providing a view to the process. Within moments, the ice cubes were soft edged chunks colliding ineffectively against the poo pile and poo smears. In a RV black tank the same thing happens.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
Try using NO chemicals when the rig is parked. Add 3 or four packages of live YEAST made for septic tanks. Tank has to be nearly full of water and weather has to be warm. It proved to be slow but thorough. And smelly.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
Ron3rd wrote:
I think it might have some mechanical effect if you don't put too much water in the tank as the cubes float on the top.

exactly, if you add too much water, all they do is bob along.
bumpy
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Oct 24, 2014
I think it might have some mechanical effect if you don't put too much water in the tank as the cubes float on the top.
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
RKW wrote:
No, of course it doesn't work. Within seconds ice loses what little abrasiveness (if any) it has. Besides, remember your high school chemistry class basics that states chemical reactions are more efficient at higher temperatures? True cleaning is a chemical reaction. If you want to clean your tanks, dump in laundry detergent and hot water and drive around on a hot day.

it is NOT abrasion, it is supposed to be a chunk of stuff sliding around and slamming into the other stuff adhering to the sides/bottom of the black tank. have somebody drop a 10 lb. block of ice on your hand and tell me it isn't felt.
and using soap on a dirty surface is not a chemical reaction.
bumpy
crcr
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
It worked for us. Our black tank indicator was stuck on full for some time, even though it was empty. So we tried a bag of ice before a 400 mile drive, and now the sensor reads correctly.
N-Trouble
Explorer
Oct 24, 2014
I've had good success with ice in the tank and so have many others. 3-4 bags is what I use. DO it about twice a year and make sure its before getting ready to run down a windy road. While it may not clear all the sensors it does help break down the turd teepee underneath the can. Dump the tank when I get home and it comes out looking like pooh soup.

Try it, you might be surprised...
RKW
Explorer II
Oct 23, 2014
No, of course it doesn't work. Within seconds ice loses what little abrasiveness (if any) it has. Besides, remember your high school chemistry class basics that states chemical reactions are more efficient at higher temperatures? True cleaning is a chemical reaction. If you want to clean your tanks, dump in laundry detergent and hot water and drive around on a hot day.
Parrothead_Mike
Explorer
Oct 20, 2014
Back in '03 when I purchased my used '01 Cardinal I soon found out that the previous owners, who never pulled it themselves and kept it set up at a campground all the time, kept the black & gray valves full open all the time. As you can imagine, there was a pyramid of poop in the black tank. Someone on this site recommended the ice method to break up the pyramid of poop. I tried it, but got minimal results.

Then someone, also on this site, recommended that I use liquid Calgon water softener. I poured about a cup or so of Calgon into the 2-3 gallons of water I put into the black tank when I put the deodorizer packet in prior to leaving on a camping trip. This, over time, did the trick of removing the great pyramid. I use one of those clear plastic connectors when dumping my tanks so that I can see when the black tank fluids run clear and think the Calgon helps to break down the solids and paper.

In regard to the sensors, I'd say that it helped to keep them clean, but over time (I've owned it for 11 years now) I admit that the sensors are not totally reliable.