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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / RVs / May 2006at home dump station
We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care and feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. Anyone have any experience setting up something with a septic tank to dump the black and grey water tanks? Thanks in advance. - scott >We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care and >feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. >Anyone have any experience setting up something with a septic tank to dump >the black and grey water tanks? Yep. Done it a couple of times. No big deal. Just have a plumber (if you're not one) install a "cleanout tee" in a convenient location. You also need a faucet or yard hydrant close by for cleanup. Of course it helps if the desired location is in a place where the septic line can be reached and a water line can be run.... GB in NC > Yep. Done it a couple of times. No big deal. Just have a plumber (if > you're not one) install a "cleanout tee" in a convenient location. You > also need a faucet or yard hydrant close by for cleanup. > > Of course it helps if the desired location is in a place where the > septic line can be reached and a water line can be run.... It also helps if your septic/sewer is downhill from where you park your trailer. For me it would be uphill slightly. I would need a pump. > We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care and > feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Thanks in advance. > - scott I dumped in my septic tank clean out fitting for quite a while. If you are not close enough you can go the with a Macerator pump, mine was a Flojet portable. Here is a sample of a permanent type. http://www.go-rv.com/coast/do/catalog/page?dealerId=7&pageNum=432 Many people install these in MH as a permanent item. In a trailer the dump valves are mostly outside of a compartment like mine so I use this type. http://www.folandsales.com/catalog.asp?prodid=489000&showprevnext=1 They indicate that 50 feet of 3/4" garden hose is the maximum length. But I have pumped a lot longer distance but the pump will get hot and you will have to stop several times on a full tank. I also dump the galley water in a ditch not in the septic tank.  SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG Just a thought: Does anyone know if the tank chemicals will kill the natural biodegradation of the septic tank? RonB > Just a thought: > > Does anyone know if the tank chemicals will kill the natural > biodegradation of the septic tank? > > RonB That depends upon the formulation: the Formaldehyde formulas will but the Formaldehyde-free won't. That's why a lot of campgrounds "discourage" the use of Formaldehyde-based chemicals. > Just a thought: > > Does anyone know if the tank chemicals will kill the natural biodegradation > of the septic tank? > > RonB I do not normally use a smell controlling chemical, but when I do I will not dump in my septic. When I have to use the sensor probe cleaner, I also will not dump it in my system. The COE camp ground close by does not restrict the use of these chemicals, so I use them as the last resort dump. Otherwise I'll dump in my pasture. The COE system is a full blown waste treatment facility not a septic system. SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG > Just a thought: > > Does anyone know if the tank chemicals will kill the natural biodegradation > of the septic tank? It's not just formaldehyde but there are other chemicals in holding tank preparations that I wouldn't want in my septic. I have some conscience about putting that stuff into other septics, too, like campgrounds. We use a bacteria and enzyme product in our black water tank and it workd quite well for breaking down TP and "stuff" It also is quite compatible with our septic. Rid-X makes a liquid which is a bit easier to measure than the dry. Dr. Drain, available at WalMart is another good product. You don't have to use the RV specific products which cost more. Any bacteria and enzyme product for your septic will work in your black tank. Signature----------- Janet Wilder The Road Princess http://janetwilder.blogspot.com I have it on good authority that if you happen to live on a farm and dump in a corner of the cow or horse pasture, a holding tank dump has about the same affect as a couple of good cow pies. The pasture in question has some thick green grass growing in said location, but surprisingly, little sign of undegraded toilet paper, etc. Politically incorrect, but seems to work with no unpleasant side affects. > We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care and > feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Thanks in advance. > - scott >I have it on good authority that if you happen to live on a farm and dump >in [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Politically incorrect, but seems to work with no unpleasant side affects. Depends if you are up wind or down wind! <g> Ron >> We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care > and [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> Thanks in advance. >> - scott > We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care > and feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Thanks in advance. > - scott Not sure what you are asking. I use a sewer solution to get it from my MH to the sewer. If you are going to put it in a septic system, use non-formaldehyde based chemicals. Steve Just find a way into it, usually a cleanout in the line. > We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care > and feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Thanks in advance. > - scott >We've just purchased our first motorhome so we're new to all of the care and >feeding items. Our house has a septic tank instead of city utilities. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Thanks in advance. > - scott Hi, Normally it's no big deal if done every once in awhile. But if you have an aerated septic tank and you are dumping directly into the tank make sure what compartment you are dumping into. Making a habit of it is not good either because you can overwhelm your home septic system if you dump more into it then it can handle. Not likely but something to keep in mind. Home septic systems are designed to handle X amount of waste per day/week/month however it is calculated don't remember right off the top of my head. The formaldehyde based holding tank chemicals are not suppose to be good for a septic system. However if you do a little research you will find they are not as bad as they are made out to be. For a home septic system I wouldn't want to dump a 40 gallon tank with formaldehyde based chemicals into it every week, but once every month or two should not hurt. The formaldehyde does break down. There are lots of non-formaldehyde based holding tank chemicals to choose from too. You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff in your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably isn't going to do much good. Unless you let it sit in there for weeks at a time. The holding tank chemicals seem to me to work much faster then adding household stuff like RidX. But to each their own. In the grand scheme of things it probably doesn't matter what you use as long as you dump enough to not let the liquids evaporate. If not then you will become one of the few to experience the famous black pyramid.... :) Take care and Happy Campin... SignatureRichA "We Get Too Soon Olde and Too Late Smart" > You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff > in > your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably > isn't going to do much good. You say "probably" isn't going to do much good - as compared to what? What good are the chemicals with the RV labels on them going to do that liquid Rid-X, at 1/2 the cost, will not do? From years of experience, I'd as soon go with the cheaper way, because all I want to do is keep the odor down. Calcium Chloride does it even cheaper and some chemical companies package it as an RV holding tank treatment, but with 10 times mark-up. Tom J >> You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff >> in [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Tom J Hi Tom J, I say probably because what I understand is that it takes time for the bugs to start working. I don't know about you but normally our holding tank in the MH is emptied at least once a week. Do the bugs have time to do a good job in that amount of time? Some holding tank chemicals do contain a fragrance to mask any immediate odor and will start breaking down the paper and solids immediately without having to wait for the colony of bacteria to grow and I would guess don't produce as much odor while doing so. Many places that tell of how to take care of septic systems say that while putting in additives won't hurt the system they won't help either and are just a waste of money and time for regular maintained septic systems. You put all the bugs in that are needed whenever you use the system. Also there are two types of bacteria in a septic system. aerobic bacteria work at eating the solids floating in or on the water inside a septic tank. And anaerobic bacteria eat the solids in the bottom of a septic tank, the sludge. If you stir the mixture up the anaerobic bacteria don't like it because they live in the absence of oxygen, which stirring up the tank introduces, thus they die and sludge builds up faster. That's why an aerated septic tank has separate chambers. One for the anaerobic bacteria and one for the aerobic bacteria. The aerobic bacteria tank has a pump or some system of adding oxygen to the water. The anaerobic tank is separate and handles all the solids and sludge no oxygen makes the little buggers happy :) If you want to keep the odor down then adding bacteria or bugs isn't the way to go anyway. The bacteria breaking down the organic material is what produces the gas which doesn't smell good. A good working vent will take care of most of the odors as will not holding the flush pedal down for long periods of time :) I've spent a few dollars making my anaerobic and aerobic bacteria happy in my home aerated tank septic system. The ones in my MH holding tank aren't there long enough to even bother trying to make them happy. :) Like I said to each their own. Take care and Happy Campin... SignatureRichA "We Get Too Soon Olde and Too Late Smart" >>>You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff >>>in [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > > Take care and Happy Campin... If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush the toilet. :-( SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG >If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports >closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush >the toilet. :-( When I run the Fantastic fan in the bathroom, unless there are open windows in the nearby bedroom I get strong odors from the toilet even when it's not in the flush process. Canoli >>If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports >>closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Canoli Could be you are drawing smell through the shower drain. That Fantastic fan has a lot more power than one might think. I would make sure you have a window open if you are intending to run it. I keep the windows in the rear of my 5er cracked open just a little all the time any way. I also keep the vent in the bath room slightly open, about 3 or 4 inches, this gives adequate ventilation for humidity also. This amount of ventilation allows for the Fantastic Fan to be ran on low when needed. SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG >>If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports >>closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >Canoli Hi, You shouldn't get any odors from the toilet unless there is no water in the bowl or in the overflow/flush tube. Take care and Happy Campin... SignatureRichA "We Get Too Soon Olde and Too Late Smart" >>>If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports >>>closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Take care and Happy Campin... I agree RichA, you've got your sh.t straight. ;-) SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG >>If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports >>closed you will draw in the black tank smell when you flush [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > windows in the nearby bedroom I get strong odors from the toilet even > when it's not in the flush process. If that's happening even when the tank has been freshly dumped, then you might have some stuff sitll in it that didn't drain out. That little bit of leftover can take on a bad stink that'll permeate what gets added to the tank later on. The only two solutions that I know of that works is to either make sure the holding tank empties completely, or give it a good long flush out when dumping. I've had that happen to me until I realized that the two place I commonly dump out the tanks have the pavement off level so that the RV tips away from the drain. The result is that some stuff never drains out of the holding tank. SignatureJon JPinOH >>>> You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff in >>>> your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > If you have your bathroom exhaust fan on and other ports closed you will > draw in the black tank smell when you flush the toilet. :-( I think that if you are going to use bacteria and enzyme materials that are not specifically designed for RV tanks, then you should use those designed for compost pile inoculation rather than that used for septic tanks. Septic tanks are sealed fromthe air and can use anarobic bacteria efficiently, but these create H2S and other stinky gasses. On the other hand, the compost mixes tend to have aerobic bacteria that do not smell as bad. Just my thought as reading these notes. I have not done this myself, but I think I will. I have used the stuff used to clean pipes in my black tank. It seems to work at reducing the crud on the level contacts. I just filled the black tank when the RV was not in use, then added some of the product. Later, when I dumped, the stuff comming out of the tank looked like a normal black water dump. (I have a clear elbow before the hose so I can see how it is dumping.) The stuff I used on the tank to clean it is "Roebic K-67 Preventive Care Bacterial Drain & Trap Cleaner." 2.5 lbs cost $9.00 at Ace Hardware. (www.roebic.com) The instructions say to dissolve a couple of tablespoons of the powder in warm water, pour it down the drain, then leave the stuff in the pipes for 6 to 8 hours which is pretty short, especially compared to RidEx. This stuff will not harm septic tanks. It might stink; I haven't tried the smell test. I am going to treat my tank again, so I will give a good sniff before I dump. It has been a couple of months since I cleaned it last time and we have not used it since. (Its been in the shop for generator repair. The Onan is fixed... arm and a leg...) John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee SignatureJohn Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee >>>>> You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff in >>>>> your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably [quoted text clipped - 83 lines] > > John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee The black tank is nothing but a holding tank. Has nothing to do with the principal of septic tanks. Put what you need to in it and dump it, no additions are required for the septic activation process. If it stinks to much put some masking chemicals in it or clean it out with a spray system with the sensor cleaner. Septic tanks take months or even years to build up their process, the black tank is just a water tank. SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG >>>>> You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff in >>>>> your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >>> colony of bacteria to grow and I would guess don't produce as much odor >>> while doing so. <snipped> >>> If you want to keep the odor down then adding bacteria or bugs isn't >>> the way to go anyway. The bacteria breaking down the organic material [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] >compost mixes tend to have aerobic bacteria that do not smell as >bad. Hi, I think you're right about which kind of bugs to use if you are going to use them. I doubt if many anaerobic bacteria are in the tanks of an RV especially when the RV is driven. Aerobic bacteria are suppose to act faster then their non oxygen breathing brothers, if that's true or not I don't know. The anaerobic bacteria certainly generate a lot of gas and heat for living without oxygen :) The part of my septic tank that contains them seldom has snow on the ground above it in the winter unless it's a big storm :) From what I know for a septic system the time for water to stay in the tank and be acted on by the aerobic bacteria is 3 to 7 days. Longer helps, shorter hurts because the bugs can't do a good job in less then that. That's one reason they size the tanks according to the number of persons in the household. I've heard of the Roebic K-67. In a small area like a pipe it probably can do some good in less then a day since the bugs are inserted in large amounts in a small area. Might work on an RV tank too if it sets for several days. I was going to use it in my aerobic tank at home but after putting in the air pump I don't need it. Those little buggers do like oxygen :) Just as easy for me to dump in some RV tank stuff in the RV tanks. I started using Envrio Chem several years ago. It has a pretty nice fragrance and seems to work well. I buy a bunch every year when it goes on sale. I don't try and maintain my RV holding tanks like they were septic systems. Put stuff in empty it out and the heck with how many bugs may or may not be there :) Take care and Happy Campin... SignatureRichA "We Get Too Soon Olde and Too Late Smart" >>>>>>You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using stuff in >>>>>>your holding tank that is designed for a home septic system probably [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] > > Take care and Happy Campin... I didn't mention, but I used, and will use again, the Roebic K-67 to help clean the sludge and fixed crud on the walls of my black tank. I do not use it for routine operations because, like William Boyd says, it is just a holding tank. But, in an older RV like mine ('96 Itasca Sundancer), there is time for a lot of crud to stick to the walls and short out the sensors for the level gauge. I am trying to clean this system using the Roebic K-67. If that doesn't work, I may try the compost bugs. By the way, the Roebic K-67 works great on my compost pile. SignatureJohn Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee >>>>>>> You have a holding tank in your MH not a septic tank. Using >>>>>>> stuff in [quoted text clipped - 91 lines] > system using the Roebic K-67. If that doesn't work, I may try the > compost bugs. By the way, the Roebic K-67 works great on my compost pile. There is a product called Camco TST Probe Cleaner, it contains anionic and nonionic detergents. When cleaning the tank, just rinse it out good using the sprayer system or the spray probe, then empty it. Put the amount of cleaner that is called for, 16oz per 40 gal tank. I use the shower hose so I can put hot water in the tank, at least as much as a six gallon water heater will provide. If you fill your fresh water tank a few days in advance, it will not be as cold as the city supply. Small percentages of detergents can be helpful and do not harm the environment as much as you might think. Farmers use liquid soap detergent to spray on vegetable gardens to combat insects, Tomatoes and Greens. It will dissipate in a short time. That is why I dump the cleaner out on the ground where the liquid can be absorbed in to the soil. SignatureBILL P. Just Me & DOG > I've heard of the Roebic K-67. In a small area like a pipe it > probably can do some good in less then a day since the bugs are inserted > in large amounts in a small area. Might work on an RV tank too if it > sets for several days. A friend had a plugged gray water drain after a drive from Ohio to Arizona. The tank had been sitting all summer half full, and was full when I put k-67 in his tank. He drove 200 miles, and the tank drained like normal. The stuff does have uses in RVs! My Experience, Barrie B >> I've heard of the Roebic K-67. In a small area like a pipe it >> probably can do some good in less then a day since the bugs are inserted [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >My Experience, >Barrie B Hi, Good to know for sure ! Take care and Happy Campin... SignatureRichA "We Get Too Soon Olde and Too Late Smart" |
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