Question on auto antifreeze ?
Will regular auto antifreeze hurt the seal in a RV toilet? I am not interested in hearing about RV antifreeze Jack L
Forum Discussion
I would be more concerned with it ending up in your tank. Ethylene glycol is biodegradable and does breakdown into harmless components (CO2 and H20). The breakdown occurs after several days in substantial amounts of water and several weeks in soil. The problem is that this breakdown process demands large amounts of oxygen which can kill off microorganisms that septic and sewage treatment centers depend on to breakdown waste. Although you probably won't be dumping huge amounts that would royally screw up a sewage system, you're still dumping a toxin that's harmful to the system.
Another thing to remember is that until the antifreeze has broken down completely, it's still fairly toxic to humans and creatures. It can easily pollute ground, surface, and drinking water supplies. This can happen even when you're dumping into a septic or sewage system. I can tell you from experience that even in sound systems, sewage leaks are fairly common. There's a chance that the antifreeze can end up in an unintended location.
If you're looking for something cheap and readily available to protect the seal, but not freeze then cooking oil works well. It has the benefit of also lubricating the seals and valves.
Another thing to remember is that until the antifreeze has broken down completely, it's still fairly toxic to humans and creatures. It can easily pollute ground, surface, and drinking water supplies. This can happen even when you're dumping into a septic or sewage system. I can tell you from experience that even in sound systems, sewage leaks are fairly common. There's a chance that the antifreeze can end up in an unintended location.
If you're looking for something cheap and readily available to protect the seal, but not freeze then cooking oil works well. It has the benefit of also lubricating the seals and valves.
