Deadly septic bleach?

[Robert Wesner]

I'm told you're not supposed to use bleach in your black water tank - but no one can tell me why.......

 

Does anyone know?

 

[redwing]

it will actually clean the sensors which depend on water for condutcion with the ground wire which is also in the tank, it will help digest it faster even for the occasional user and if done right not as much is needed and the weekned can add some more water and it will continue to get those remnants of feces in the balck tank, it also will eat grease in the grey tank as well, which out there is not much that will keep the grey tank clean, every one knows how grease builds up in lines and such but the tank is about the only place where it collects that you can get at it.

when leaving a campground leaving just anough water for toilet and the trip home in the water tank and 5-10 gallons and some ridex in the grey tank will get those food particles and grease and waiting a few more days will ensure it has done the job, and make it easier to clean the tank when drained. its the food particles that cause the rotten food smell after a few weeks at home and as the traps dry out, fills the rv with a pungent smell.

personaly i have found the grey tank smell worse than the black tank, especially for those who park here year round and go home for the winter...come summer it wafts through the park at times as it heats up.

[Bruce]

Red,

are you saying that my tank level sensors may actually work correctly?  Actually mine do but I am also aware that they give a lot of people bad info.

Bruce

[Bruce]

Katt,

Redwing gave good instruction on general usage and care.  Full time travel or full time parked will make a difference.  I am not convinced on the Rid-X for weekend users, but having it in the tank when parked does make sense.  So far Red and myself seem to have agreed that the blue juice isn't the best choice, and leaving the bleach out is recommended if using GEO.

The two methods, GEO and Rid-X seem to accomplish the same thing, get and keep the tanks clean.  The clean tank isn't likely to smell, at least not as much.  I did note that the person who seems to have started the GEO idea admits that he only uses it occasionally, the rest of the time he apparently uses water alone.  It is easier to keep something clean regularily than a major project later.

OK, as I type this I am thinking that a full-time (park or travel) would benefit from Rid-X over the alternatives.  (this is based on me taking Redwing on his word of experience.)  Constant use system will benefit from constant care.  Likely doesn't need Rid-X every tank either once it is clean.

I don't know the quantities of Rid-X to use, but keep an eye on sale fliers from farm and ranch supply stores, that is something that occasionally will go on sale.

 

Bruce

[kathleen v marrs]

Thanks. I also found the link he had on using it, it answered my questions. Now to get my holding tank panel to work all the time. There seems to be a short somewhere, it turns on and off randomly lol. *sigh* I hate wiring issues. 

Katt

[redwing]

the wiring for tanks is pretty simple, you usually have 4 to 5 wires going to the tank itself, one is ground, the others pickup residisual ground through the water when it reachs each seprate point in the tank  and the panel converts it to a signal and light the apporpiate light, so basically the wires are all carrying ground up to the panel, if the lights do not work at all at times it may be a bad hot or a bad ground, with the ground being the first guess as that is the majority of all rv's problems due to corrosion and loose connections and chaffing.

for new inducted panels on tanks it is simalar but different, using a piece of aluminum foil type peice on the tank itself, and the more ground it can pick up through the tank with induction the processor changes it to a signal for the panel and then turns on the appropiate light to match level of tank. the foil with age tends to peel from the tank and some spray adhesive usually solves the problem to make it stick back to the tank. and most are more reliable than any sensor in the tank and you don't have to worry about corrosion or crud.

 

mine has a seelevel system i put in my self as a modification, and works better than the cheap ones they probally installed in 95% of rv's.cost me about 200 bucks but i know how much water i have when boondocking to the gallon, and same for the gray and black, as you can see i have spent alot of time to make mine work easy instead of working hard. and with two rv's i needed it.

 

http://www.rvcruzer.com/seelevel.php

http://www.rvgauge.com/

 

 

[redwing]

on tanks at 100gallons 3 tablespoons of ridex will do the job at 50 or less just two tablespoons will do the job, imagine only about 7 bucks for a box of ridex will last all year! i keep mine in a peanut butter jar as it won't spill when jostled, and keeps it dry.

[Bruce]

Well, the next go around on tank additives I will give the Rid-X a go.  I like the idea of the constant maintenance for the tank and sensors.

Did go out this weekend.  Last time we went camping there was no chance to dump, not real cool but the trip was worth it.  So before we left to a Thousand Trails park about 30 miles from here we topped off the black water after we added the GEO minus bleach and water only in the rinse tank.  Before we picked a sight we dumped.  Our trailer is from 1985 and the black water tank had a yellow tint.  After the dump the color was now white.

I do know, after this weekend, that the Calgon and laundry detergent do a great job of cleaning the tank.  

Red, thanks for the information on how the tank sensor work.  Useful knowledge.

Bruce

[redwing]

your totally welcome.

[Mike and Heather Brancich]

I causes a deadly gas from the ammonia (urine) in the black water tank

[redwing]

yes it will if there is some in there, if empty it tears up the rubber as it breaks down to hydrochloric acid. it is definetly not goo dfor any tank system wether it be a septic tank or a rv.

[redwing]

and who ever angel is please message me, i deleted your post by accident.

[Matthew Tritt]

Since nobody has suggested it yet, a good alternative to calcium hyperchlorite (household bleach) is 2% hydrogen peroxide. All the info on how to manage your black water holding tank is excellent, but doesn't address your original question. I think. Peroxide doesn't react violently to what's in the tank, and is excellent for killing surface congregations of baaaad smelling bacteria. And it's cheap!

Matt