I have wanted to try the Geo method for the Black Tank. The instructions I have found on line say to dissolve water softener and detergent in hot water and put in black tank. I heated on the stove top water with water softener pellets and laundry detergent until it was dissolved, then let the mix cool down. As the mix cooled, the sides of the pan developed a pretty thick 'build-up' of film that I think would obstruct the holding tank sensors, thereby defeating the purpose. Thinking the soap was the problem, I tried dissolving just the water softener pellets and waiting for it to cool down. gain, the heavy build-up on the sides of the coolpot. Neither solution felt 'slipery' like very soft water, as I would have expected based on the description of this method. I have NOT dumped any mix into the holding tank. For those of you with experience in Geo method, is this your experience? Are the water softener pellets (dissolved) the right water softener? Thoughts? Thanks!

I usually hear about people using 'Dawn' brand dish soap not powdered soap.

Water softener salt is out of the ordinary and not likely to do the job. The accompaniment for the soap is usually Calgon or Twenty Mule Team Borax (washing soda). This stuff makes the walls and base of the tank very slippery and therefore less likely that "something" will stick. You will truly understand slippery when you do the mixing. Use the cheapest liquid detergent you can find. Additionally a full black tank will flush better than a partially full tank and encourage the use of lots of water.

your putting a concentration designed to clean the 30gal ? tank into a panof course that small amount of water cannot hold that much chemical when it coolsBTW i tried the GEO method did not work for usit did some cleaning, but the Smell whew !does seem to work for some folks

I've seen a number of different chemical combinations labeled "Geo Method." The one we use - and that works for us - is: 1 cup dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of borax crystals (I just pour them down the toilet without mixing with anything. (With some formulas, 1 cup of bleach is included.) I then flush a couple of gallons of water down the toilet and another 1/4 - 1/3 of a tank of fresh water via the black tank flushing system. I do all this just before hitting the road on a travel day and let the washing machine do the work. Once every three or four months (we're full-timers) works for us. ours is a 45 gallon black tank.Rob

" water softener pellets"This is your problem.You want regular water softener that is used for laundryI use the cheapest I can find and if it is a powder, I dissolve it before dumping down the toilet. Usually a cup of softener and whatever water it takes to dissolve it and then add a cup of cheap liquid dish soap. That's it, no bleach or anything else. Now add 5-10 gallons of water and go for a drive. I treat after I dump and then drive to the next spot. Longer drive the better. Now dump again and flush the tank. If you are really full of it, you might have to repeat a couple of times.

Geo Method question | Good Sam Community

Michael_Fisher
Explorer
Oct 25, 2016
I wonder if maybe a lot of people are just over-thinking this; what we have been doing for more than 2 years is simply dropping Tide laundry pods into the black and gray holding tank; It has been been working just fine as far as cleaning and draining; for any odors we'd had in the past, we just drop in a Snuggles brand freshener pod into each tank- we have no odors and our gauges are reading a lot more accurate...
lanerd
Explorer II
Oct 25, 2016
nickthehunter wrote:
Just go to Walmart and buy black tank chemical in a bottle and be done with it. No mixing, no mess, no fuss.

If you do a little research here on this forum, you'll find that:

Black tank chemical in a bottle does nothing but mask the odor if (or when) you have a malfunctioning system and the odor of the black tank seeps into the rv. It does not clean the tank of residue left over after draining, it does not promote any type of resistance to future residue and will not do anything more than what plain old water will do.

The laundry detergent used with several gallons of water during traveling will indeed wash out the inside of the tank and insure all solids will be flushed out during draining. The water softener has two fold results. First it will soften the solids making it easer to drain and secondly, it will coat the inside of the tank making it slippery so that solids and tp won't stick to it.

Black tank chemicals are just waste (no pun intended) of $$.

Ron
lane_hog
Explorer II
Oct 25, 2016
Black tank chemical is snake oil....

We use liquid fabric softener instead of powdered softener. Same effects, makes the tank walls nice and slickery.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Oct 25, 2016
Just go to Walmart and buy black tank chemical in a bottle and be done with it. No mixing, no mess, no fuss.
AllegroD
Nomad
Oct 25, 2016
Use the liquids and do away with the heating process.
lanerd
Explorer II
Oct 23, 2016
Gonzo42 wrote:
I use the liquid Calgon which I get cheaply from Wally World. I order on line and pick up at the store. Very inexpensive. Plus I use powdered laundry detergent with very good results. YMMV.

If you use liquid Calgon, why don't you use liquid laundry detergent also? I personally use liquid Oxy-Clean along with the liquid Calgon.

Note to others who use different brands of water softener..... please note that not all water softeners are the same and will not have the same results. No need to go cheap, the price difference isn't that much and you can be assured that using the correct water softener will provide you with the results you're looking for.

Ron
Bend
Explorer
Oct 23, 2016
OP-

If you are headed to colder climates, add 1/2 gal. of cheap RV antifreeze or a cup of your rock salt to the mix.
Harvard
Explorer
Oct 23, 2016
There are 2 types of tank sensors;

1. The type that are not reliable are spot sensors that are screws that protrude through the side of the tank that rely on conductive current between sensors. These sensors tend to snag stuff and such!

2. The type that are more reliable are "capacitive" sensors that are two conductive aluminum strips that are located on the OUTSIDE of the tank wall. These capacitive sensors are less prone to problems when compared to type 1 sensors. IMO.
brirene
Explorer
Oct 23, 2016
'en Plain Air' wrote:
...hoping our tank sensors will...read more accurately.

Don't hold your breath on that. Sensors are notoriously inaccurate no matter the efforts you use to clean them. You'll get a sense of how long you can go before filling the tanks, and recognize the signs that they are getting full. Good luck!
Gonzo42
Explorer
Oct 23, 2016
I use the liquid Calgon which I get cheaply from Wally World. I order on line and pick up at the store. Very inexpensive. Plus I use powdered laundry detergent with very good results. YMMV.

Forum Discussion

Geo Method question

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Geo Method

Geo Den Flip

Best method for jacking up 5er

Bonding method

Fresh Water Tank Fill Method