Is it ok to put cleaner in gray water tank

[Chaz59]

Is it ok to put a cleaner or a breakdown solution in gray water tank?

[Sillybugs2]

We had our first tt 6 years. No smells in black or gray. Used nothing in gray and a packet about evry third time in black. Always though dumped full tanks only, used plenty of water in black each flush. Oh and after dumping added 3-5 gallons water back in black.

[Tiger8r]

dpgllg wrote:
If you can dump your tanks after you get home then you can do what I do.

Dump tanks at campground. Add about a 1/4 tank of water along with some laundry liquid soap and some Calgon water softener.

Drive RV home. Fill tanks with water and dump. This keeps my tanks from smelling and keeps the sensors fairly clean.

Dave

X-2. Way I take care of mine

[Chaz59]

will vinegar hurt my black tank ,I rinse add half gallon vinegar, let sit for 30 minutes drain, then add new breakup solution.

[2gypsies1]

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to see through our tanks to really see what's going on in there? .... on second thought...

[wa8yxm]

You put cleaner in the gray tank EVERY TIME you do dishes, Wash your hands or on most rigs take a shower... So why go out and spend $$$$$ on a chemical that's not going to do anything but flatten your wallet?

But is it ok.. Well, yes. In most cases (Some of those chemicals are banned in some places though)

[JimK-NY]

After weeks of use, my gray water tank stinks and starts to build up crud. I add a heavy amount of bleach...a cup for 15 gallons. I allow the bleach to work for a few hours before draining. That solves the problem for a few more weeks.

[2gypsies1]

Chaz59 wrote:
I was thinking that it would keep the tank fresher , also is it ok to put vinegar in a tank?
thanks

The odor you 'might' smell is from the contents, not the tank. You probably notice this when you're outside dumping it.

Think of it. You put a deoderizer in the tank, fill it up and dump it out. Then you'll start over.

Really.....all you need for grey or black tanks is water.

Water worked for us for 16 years of daily use during our full-timing. No thoughts need to go behind it. No expense. Just water.

If you have a problem with odor inside your RV then you have a completely different problem - piping or venting or driving with a window or vent fan open. That's what makes odors.

[DSDP_Don]

There is nothing wrong with using a chemical in your grey and your black tank. Great advice to wipe your plates and dishes before washing them, but there will always be some grease that gets through. Even when you shower, you have lotions and oils on your body that will settle in the tank.

About once a year on a travel day, I will let a substantial amount of hot water run into the sink and then add some dawn or a grey tank product. When we stop that evening, I drain the grey tank when I connect my shore utilities.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

After dumping the tanks, I always added about a gallon of water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid to the gray tank. Never had a problem with smells.

[SoundGuy]

Well as already mentioned everyone has their own approach. I never used to treat the grey water tank with anything extra but last year when I started using Walex Porta-Pak for the black tank I became aware of the same company's GW tank treatment called Elemonate. I've been using both for a year now with a dose of Geo in the BW tank in between uses when I service the tanks. Effluent seen through the clearview adapter I use on my FloJet Waste Macerator pump shows that once I'm done servicing the tanks there's not much left in each tank but clear water. :B

[sdianel_-acct_c]

We also use Borax (powder) and liquid Dawn Platinum detergent. We have a fairly large grey tank so we use 1 cup of Borax dissolved in 2 c. hot water and 1 c. Dawn Platinum dish liquid, then add about a half gallon of water. We never have grey water smells anymore. For black tank we prefer Thetford Aqua Kem especially in hot weather.

[Chaz59]

I was thinking that it would keep the tank fresher , also is it ok to put vinegar in a tank?
thanks

[JD_and_Beastlet]

We are also fans of the Geo Method. Regular use in our last TT meant that the sensors always worked and the tanks were more completely flushed.

Incidentally, grey water can stink as bad as (or worse than) black. There would be a strong smell in the bathroom after moving the trailer; we always suspected the toilet until we learned that trailer shower P-traps are often small and prone to quick evaporation. After that we always kept a plug in the shower drain and didn't remove it except while showering. That took care of the smell!

[Sandia_Man]

Yes if it's safe and bio-degradable for wherever you are dumping. As you can see everybody has a method or concoction they use and swear by. It's really not rocket science keep your RV tanks happy.

For black water tank the key is lots of water, for gray don't dump too much **** down the sink, and for freshwater tank a quick sanitization seasonally using approximately 1/4 cup of bleach for every 15 gallons capacity.

Whatever concoction, RV tank or sewer products you put in afterwards is your call, only you can judge their effectiveness. We have a straight drop from toilet to tank, a couple of minutes with a wand and sensors perform accordingly.