# Black Water Tank



## luckylynn (Jan 9, 2007)

Hello everyone,
I just have a quick question.....I heard some talk awhile back from someone that said a long time ago(20 years or more)they used yeast in their black water tank,because they did not like the way tank cleaners smelled. She did not remember how much her husband used way back then....but said it worked real good in breaking down "stuff" in the tank and made it easy to clean.

So has anyone ever heard of this and if so what kind of mix would you use? The best she could think of was they mixed it up before they left on a trip in a pint jar to get it desolved real good then poured it down the toilet with a bucket of water....then did the same thing after they dumped the tank & headed home. She said it kept the tank clean and it always smelled good in their camper.

Anyway just something I heard about and thought I would ask what others would say or think.

Happy Camping,Lynn


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## Tangooutback (Apr 16, 2010)

I would think yeast digests bio material but would release some sort of gas/odor in the process.


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Probably would work over time, but for a normal weekend of camping, I don't see how it would act that fast.

Steve


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## Chuggs (Jun 8, 2010)

The idea probably comes from Rid-X. IT's basically yeast you pour down your toilet to help with septic tanks. It creates a healthy environment for the septic tank to digest the materials it receives.

I don't recommend turning your camper's black tank into a septic tank. It would be better to use it as a holding tank...and dump it regularly.

I think there are two different types of potty chems out there....one is enzyme based, the other? They come in all types of scents. You should find one that works. I'd look at the possibility of a blocked vent...or not keeping the p-traps under the sink filled (they evaportate) and that would allow gases into the camper. Otherwise, it shouldn't be a problem.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Your BLACK HOLDING tank was never designed to be a "septic tank". Trying to be "green" and adding yeast and Rid-X and cute little flowers and stuff has zero chance of working and will, in the long run, cause you substantially more issues, problems and smell.

Once every three trips out i dump a couple of capfuls of CALGON water softener in the tank (makes the plastic a slick as teflon) and on every trip out i use that Septic tank deoderizer that has enough chemicals in it to kill anything that close to the tank -- including smells ... (I think its actually outlawed in California)

Where people start having Black Tank issues is when they decide that they are no longer going to treat the tank as a Holding Tank and dump it after each use and add the recommended chemicals to make it bearable but decide to try to use it as a Green Earth Collection Pond or something like that ...

Use the Black Tank -- and then dump it after every trip out ... if you can rince it out often ... I'm not really worried that some things may be left over in there and I am not trying to have "nature" take care of itself ... thats what they make dump stations for ....


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## luckylynn (Jan 9, 2007)

Ghosty said:


> Your BLACK HOLDING tank was never designed to be a "septic tank". Trying to be "green" and adding yeast and Rid-X and cute little flowers and stuff has zero chance of working and will, in the long run, cause you substantially more issues, problems and smell.
> 
> Once every three trips out i dump a couple of capfuls of CALGON water softener in the tank (makes the plastic a slick as teflon) and on every trip out i use that Septic tank deoderizer that has enough chemicals in it to kill anything that close to the tank -- including smells ... (I think its actually outlawed in California)
> 
> ...


Ok just so everyone understands........We were not thinking about using yeast.....and we still do not plan to. it was something I *heard* about and just wanted to know if anyone had heard or used it in the (long ago) past. Yes I remember using it in the septic tanks at home when we had them cleaned.....but had never heard of it in a camper tank. Sounded kind of odd to me.

Thanks everyone now I know I was not the only one that thought it was a bad idea....but until you hear from the experts you cann't argue with the storier teller

Happy Camping to all......looks like we have at least 2 more trips this year. Maybe more if the weather holds,Lynn


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## stang5302 (Aug 31, 2010)

I was having a problem with the black tank not emptying completely and suspected it was solids left over in there that dried up and was blocking the drain. I used a pouch of that septic stuff, don't remeber the name of it but I believe it did help alot. I added it after we dumped, put in 10 or 15 gallons of water, drove it home then left it in the tank for a couple weeks in between camping trips. When i went to dump it out I filled the black with water before dumping. The worst part about it was the odour inside the trailer was really bad so you would not want to leave it in there while you were camping. I now do it once or twice a year just to clean the tank right out. JMO


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