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Old 10-08-2019, 07:58 PM   #1
boisesmith
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Black tank treatment

Remind me again what the dosage amounts are using the Calgo and Dawn treatment and how far do I need to drive to make it work?
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Old 10-08-2019, 10:39 PM   #2
Rondo
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I don't have the exact measurements of your ingredients but I'm thinking it was close to a cup of Calgon and a cup of Blue Dawn. Fill the tank approximately half full with water and travel a hundred miles or so. This may clean the black tank out but I'm totally sure. I personally use Happy Camper in all three of my tanks (black and two grays) and feel I'm getting the best job I can in cleaning them. You will never get the black tank totally clean because there will always will be some gunk in the bottom of the tank unless you use some sort of pressure wash on it and flush it 15-20 times and then still no guarantee on it them. If you are worried about your tank probes and their readings, you might as well forget that unless you go with an external reading system where nothing can get on the sensors.
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Old 10-09-2019, 03:12 AM   #3
jfaberna
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I agree with Rondo. You will never completely clean your black tank. You want to keep it functional. There are a number of organic, enzyme based treatments. Some are powder and some are liquid. I find most of them work as advertised in black and grey tanks to control odor and breakdown waste.

None will fix your sensors. Mine quit working in all 3 waste tanks after the first camping trip 6 years ago.

I find that if you are on your last leg of your trip home, I setup all 3 tanks with 3 gallons of water and treatment. It will slosh around and treat the tank best it can. Then I drain at home. In my case I use a macerater and pump it to a sewer clean out.
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Old 10-09-2019, 05:06 AM   #4
Butch & Kathy
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I use one or two capfuls of liquid Rid-X, the regular version. They sell an RV version but it is just watered down. When I flush the black tank there are no solids visible (except what recently went in), just a grey liquid. This has worked very well for me and I have tried many of the other products...
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Old 10-09-2019, 05:56 AM   #5
WeBeFulltime
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Have been full-timing 9 years and never use anything but plenty of water and NEVER had a problem other than the failing sensors like everyone else. It's not like we will be drinking from the black or gray tanks.
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Old 10-09-2019, 07:40 AM   #6
fatcatzzz
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Originally Posted by WeBeFulltime View Post
Have been full-timing 9 years and never use anything but plenty of water and NEVER had a problem other than the failing sensors like everyone else. It's not like we will be drinking from the black or gray tanks.
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Old 10-09-2019, 08:12 AM   #7
DQDick
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I'm with Rondo. Happy Camper for 8 full time years.
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Old 12-19-2019, 04:51 PM   #8
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Old 12-20-2019, 05:19 AM   #9
Dave W
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X2 Ridx

Yes, it worked very well for me. Whatever was left in the tank broke down to a - ahem - thin brownish liquid plus actually had little outhouse type odor in the many 5 gallon buckets I had to drag in to flush down the S&B toilet. This may have become a regular camping season end winterizing project
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Old 10-09-2019, 10:34 AM   #10
BuilderBob
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I'm with Rondo on that I don't how that GEO method is spose to clean the tanks and sensors and not smell. We have friends that use it and there sensors don't work and I can smell a funny smell when in there Rig. We use Happy Camper and I never smell any thing as far as sensors go some times they work some times they don't you jest get use to it. Or install sealevel tank sensors.
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Old 10-09-2019, 11:01 AM   #11
richfaa
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We use very little but dump often and use a lot of water when flushing sometime the dawn treatment if we can remember. When in prolonged hot weather Oder control is needed any brand will do. We have never in 14 years and two Montana's have we had a holding tank clog issue.
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Old 10-09-2019, 11:41 AM   #12
JABURKHOLDER
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After I flush the black tank the night before departure, this is my routine:
1 capful of Calgon water softener. Fill the toilet bowl then flush the toilet. 1 more capful of water softener, fill bowl, flush toilet. Approx 1/2 cup of cheapo laundry detergent from Walmart, fill bowl, flush toilet. 1 packet of toilet chemical, what ever CW has on sale, fill bowl, flush toilet. There is now about 4 gallons of water in the tank along with water softener, soap and black tank chemical. The morning of departure I dump all my leftover ice from the ice maker down the toilet. That mixture now sloshes around for 2 to 6 hours of towing.
Sounds like a lot of work but takes less than 10 minutes.
What I have noticed is it only takes maybe 2 tank flushes, depending on usage, for everything to come out and show clear water.
Just what I do. Nothing scientific to back it up. Works for me.
Oh, ya, lots of water when using the toilet.
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Old 10-16-2019, 02:11 PM   #13
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I use those drop in packets with blue stuff in them. I can’t remember the brand. Always start with about 5 gallons of water in the tank.

On our last trip we had a woman with us unfamiliar with RV toilet etiquette. Between her and my DW a whole roll of TP ended up getting flushed in a 2 day trip! I was concerned about a mountain in there somewhere. We use regular Members Mark (Sams) TP.

To my pleasant surprise, it all broke down and came out clean. Subsequent rinses on the trip home yielded no additional solid matter or traces of paper.

FYI... I installed those Horst Miracle probes 2 years ago and have had excellent results with them. Not 1 false reading any more.
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Old 10-16-2019, 03:28 PM   #14
mazboy
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1. if you are trying to get your sensors to show the correct amount---forget it.
2. the same as 1.


Happy Camper and a half tank or so and I have no problems.
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Old 10-16-2019, 04:31 PM   #15
martyperu
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Happy Camper for last 7 years. This Montana is 3 years old and sensors still working. Who knows for how long. Not a big deal. Have a routine.
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Old 10-17-2019, 06:07 AM   #16
Zinnman
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Water. lots of water is the key to keeping the tank working well. Lots of water, did I mention that? Lot's of water.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:23 AM   #17
Dave W
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FWIW, I drained, did a fairly good outlet end back flush and a built in flush. I then added about 5 gallons of water and about a cup of Rid-X then drove it home, sloshing around, 109 miles. Currently the RV is sitting in the driveway with a 'percolating' tank for no better term. When it stops raining, I'll do a final drain and flush. The Rid-x appears to be a bit stronger then Happy Camper and available virtually anywhere for about 12 buck a box which will do a 1500 gallon septic tank


(I can hardly wait to fill a bunch of 5 gallon buckets to drain in the S&B toilet)
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Old 10-18-2019, 08:10 AM   #18
RRman
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By Black and Gray tank probes work most of the time. After last draining and in storage they usually go to Empty.
Gray flushes itself
Black usually gets 3-4 Fill and Flushes for weekly dumps.
i use Happy Camper in the Black Tank.
Galley tank reads 3/4 or Full all the time. Never have been able to get those probes to work despite Pressure washing and various treatments...
Doesn't matter as it doesn't fill in a week.
I dump once a week when "fulltiming"
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Old 12-20-2019, 05:59 AM   #19
mazboy
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if your intent is to keep your gauges working.....well, forget it. they will quit working at some point.


we just use happy camper and know when the tank is nearly full, that's when we dump.
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Old 12-20-2019, 07:51 AM   #20
Dave W
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if your intent is to keep your gauges working.....well, forget it. they will quit working at some point.


we just use happy camper and know when the tank is nearly full, that's when we dump.



Unless your RV is equipped with a non contact system like aa Garnet SeeLevel system, it's a waste of space and money. Ours made it through the first trip, got replaced by Horsst (now Valterra) Miracle gauged that almost made it through a cross country trip.



I cleaned/sanitized the black tank to replace the valve so I wouldn't end up with a sleeve full of 'smelly brown stuff'which was a given on how our 5er sits in yhe driveway.


Happy Camper, a fine product, has virtually the same main ingredient plus a couple more as Rid-x and is a lot cheaper and more readily .available
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