Black water tank maintence

[HTX]

For all intents and purposes I am a full timer but have a 10 day window that I will be gone coming up in a month. I'm looking for a recommendation for a product to put into the hold tank that will clean the tank beyond what a normal dump and tank rinse will do.

HTX

[xtasee]

Recently on our boat we have been using Oxyclean leaves things smelling very fresh for the next trip.

[travelin' texans]

Oxyclean is a good idea. I use good squirt Dawn dish soap & couple gallons of water, also keeps the valve lubed. When storing I add a small amount of water to the grey tanks with 1/4-1/2 cup of cheapo cooking oil to keep the valves lubed.

[xtasee]

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

Oxyclean is a good idea. I use good squirt Dawn dish soap & couple gallons of water, also keeps the valve lubed. When storing I add a small amount of water to the grey tanks with 1/4-1/2 cup of cheapo cooking oil to keep the valves lubed.

Danny,

Do you just put the cooking oil down a drain like the kitchen and bathroom sink? My cables are quite stiff and I would like to give that a try.

[atom ant]

Anybody still use Calgon?

[travelin' texans]

Originally Posted by xtasee

Danny,

Do you just put the cooking oil down a drain like the kitchen and bathroom sink? My cables are quite stiff and I would like to give that a try.

Yes! So far it's worked!
Brad, I don't do the Calgon, but do have a portable water softener hooked up all the time.

[RWJSIM2003]

We use the Calgon on both black and gray tanks. Have been using it for 15 years in many different RV's never had a stinky tank issue.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by RWJSIM2003

We use the Calgon on both black and gray tanks. Have been using it for 15 years in many different RV's never had a stinky tank issue.

Cool - I bought some on Amazon 4 years ago and put it somewhere I would remember about in the spring. Just found it

[homeguy]

Calgon, Take me awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

[PsychoBob65]

Dawn dish soap has worked for us so far.

[HTX]

I have been using the orange TST bags and odors have not been a problem. What I am looking for is a recommendation for a product that I could put into a full or almost full tank of fresh water that will break up any solids on the walls and floor while the RW will be idle for a week or two.

I'm leaning toward an enzyme type treatment that will eat the residual sludge, but open to other suggestions.

[brenkco]

Happy Camper makes an "extreme" product. You might want to check it out, Amazon or Camping World sells it.

Ken

[XCMARK]

Originally Posted by HTX

I have been using the orange TST bags and odors have not been a problem. What I am looking for is a recommendation for a product that I could put into a full or almost full tank of fresh water that will break up any solids on the walls and floor while the RW will be idle for a week or two.

I'm leaning toward an enzyme type treatment that will eat the residual sludge, but open to other suggestions.

If you tow it put 15 gallons of water some dish soap and just before you get on the road drop 10~15 LB of ice cubes down the toilet. the ice banging around help brake off the funky paste left behind. More ice the better. the next dump station let it go before it site for any time and wash the tank out good.

[proteus]

THE BAG OF ICE sloshing around AND ROAD TRIP WITH SOME DETERGENT OR FABULOSO makes it smell good too

i still have the flex hose swirling dealie for real complete rinsing worked well when i had to replace black valve cuz of seal and blade wear

lubed cable up seems it wanted to pull out of bulkhead because it was dry and crud in the blade groove also and blade end was chewed up a little too
would rebuild all gate valves down there when its apart too

[Char & Steve]

I use a little cooking oil also and so far so good.
Now..... If anyone wants to here about my OPPS!!!!! a few days ago.
Decided to give the black tank a good rinse before we left. So as it is rinsing I am pushing the valve in and out a few times to just free it up a bit. All is good and I go onto putting away a few chairs, awning and a bunch of other things before we leave. Char comes over and we are just standing at the rear of the RW taking and she goes what's that water coming off the roof. Before I could say it was just the AC it turned into a river.
Guess I left the black tank valve shut and it filled the tank and went right out the roof vent.

At least I found no leaks inside and no flooding. A very, very stinky lesson learned. Just glad my neighbors were not home.


Steve

[Ford truck guy]

So Steve, your saying that you had a self made geyser ?

[Char & Steve]

Originally Posted by Ford truck guy

So Steve, your saying that you had a self made geyser ?

YOU ARE CORRECT!!!!! I posted this in hopes of nobody doing the same. Not a pleasant smell for about 15 minutes. Just glad I emptied it first.

[mhs4771]

Don't feel bad Steve, I almost did the same when we got to the Rally. Didn't get a good rinse out before we left the Good Sam Rally, so hooked up the rinse hose and turned it on. Then got doing something else, but was lucky and caught it before we had a geyser, but it sure did get a good rinse out.

[5th_Time]

I used about a cup each of cooking oil on my empty grey tanks because my valves were getting diffcult to push/pull. Then it turned 90+ for days & days. I’m sure the oil evaporated and got sticky because the valves were even harder to move.
I put up with that for another year, but then one grey tank valve began to seep right onto the ground at a campsite (near the ocean). Had to quick block-off the drain pipe until dumped.
Last weekend, while I was preparing to start my search for the offending valve, one of the cables pushed out of the mounting housing.
In the end, I replaced all three valves and all three cables (ugh).
Turns out, the leaking valve had a piece of tank plastic drilling jammed in the valve slot (after 6 years!). Seems like I’ve read about this kind of bad “valve luck” on this forum before...

[proteus]

i like fabuloso cheap enough by the gallon from HD smells good too