# Black Tank Maintenance & Ridex



## wendy & chuck (Sep 14, 2004)

I think the rig spent the winter with stuff in the black tank.







I know, not good; but it's not my fault. If so, and if it dried out in the bottom of the tank, would water and maybe a half cup of RidEx be a bad idea to soften things up enough to flush the tank out (no pun intended) or would it be better to use some type of soap, water and a couple bags of ice sloshing around? This topic may have gone around before but I didn't find any mention of RidEx in the search box.

Thanks for your time and suggestions.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Personally, I'd use one of the products for tanks designed to eat the stuff. Then after letting it sit for a few days with that and water in the tank, I'd go for the ice trick. I'm hoping there wasn't enough black water in there to freeze and crack the tank...


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

If it were me, I'd put about 10 gallons of water in the tank, along with some tank chemical (I use Thetford's Liquid - the Green Stuff - it digests and deodorizes) and let it sit for 3-4 days. Then add 20# of ice and go for a drive. (The ice will act as an abrasive to help scrub the inner surfaces of your tank.) When the ice has melted you can then flush the tanks and rinse several times. (I use a FlushKing - with the clear sewer pipe extension - so I can see what, if anything, is coming out. When I get just clear water, the tank is clean.)

I also have a tank wand (one with a little rotating head - kinda like a small lawn sprinkler) that I then use to blast away at the sides and clean everything up. The wands are pretty cheap - about $10. Mine does an excellent job of keeping the tanks clean.

After you get the tank clean, then add the Thetford's, a capful of liquid Calgon water softener (keeps the inside of the tank slick) and about 3-4 gallons of water. That will keep your tank very fresh and ready to go the next time you go camping. We add the Calgon and the Thetfords after every camping trip an tank flushing, and we've never had any problems with odors, the sensors, or "stuff" building up in the tank. (I can look down inside with a flashlight, and after three seasons, everything looks like new down there.)

Just my $.02.

Mike


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## MNoutbackers (Jan 30, 2009)

Scoutr2 said:


> If it were me, I'd put about 10 gallons of water in the tank, along with some tank chemical (I use Thetford's Liquid - the Green Stuff - it digests and deodorizes) and let it sit for 3-4 days. Then add 20# of ice and go for a drive. (The ice will act as an abrasive to help scrub the inner surfaces of your tank.) When the ice has melted you can then flush the tanks and rinse several times. (I use a FlushKing - with the clear sewer pipe extension - so I can see what, if anything, is coming out. When I get just clear water, the tank is clean.)
> 
> I also have a tank wand (one with a little rotating head - kinda like a small lawn sprinkler) that I then use to blast away at the sides and clean everything up. The wands are pretty cheap - about $10. Mine does an excellent job of keeping the tanks clean.
> 
> ...


Where do you get the liquid calgon water softener?


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

i agree with all the above .... however .. personally ... I would get one of those $8.00 wands (looks like a 30" PVC pipe with four holes cut in the bottom that hooks directly to a water hose) that puts out water pressure like a fire hose and drop that into the tank and spray the heck out of the tank for 10 minutes ... that will knock anything loose in there regardless of how long it has been sitting ...


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

> Where do you get the liquid calgon water softener?


Virtually any Food Store (ie HEB, Winn Dixie, Safeway, etc) ... normally in the Soap Detergent aisle ..... but you normally have to look for it ... just make sure you get the WATER SOFTNER and not the CALGON Bath Beads -- LOL


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## wendy & chuck (Sep 14, 2004)

I don't think we even had more than a night or 2 in the upper 20s this winter here in central Alabama so I don't think it had time to freeze. We do have the Quickie Flush (thanks, CampingNut!) so by time we try the Thetford, ice and slushing we should be in good shape to wash it out.

Thanks for the responses.


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## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Scoutr2 said:


> If it were me, I'd put about 10 gallons of water in the tank, along with some tank chemical (I use Thetford's Liquid - the Green Stuff - it digests and deodorizes) and let it sit for 3-4 days. Then add 20# of ice and go for a drive. (The ice will act as an abrasive to help scrub the inner surfaces of your tank.) When the ice has melted you can then flush the tanks and rinse several times. (I use a FlushKing - with the clear sewer pipe extension - so I can see what, if anything, is coming out. When I get just clear water, the tank is clean.)
> 
> I also have a tank wand (one with a little rotating head - kinda like a small lawn sprinkler) that I then use to blast away at the sides and clean everything up. The wands are pretty cheap - about $10. Mine does an excellent job of keeping the tanks clean.
> 
> ...


I follow that exact same regiment (heck I learned it here), and it works like a charmer.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

wendy & chuck said:


> I don't think we even had more than a night or 2 in the upper 20s this winter here in central Alabama so I don't think it had time to freeze. We do have the Quickie Flush (thanks, CampingNut!) so by time we try the Thetford, ice and slushing we should be in good shape to wash it out.
> 
> Thanks for the responses.


Opps, should have looked at location.









I guess us northerner's are just too used to things freezing!


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## campingnut18 (Mar 11, 2004)

wendy & chuck said:


> I don't think we even had more than a night or 2 in the upper 20s this winter here in central Alabama so I don't think it had time to freeze. We do have the Quickie Flush (thanks, CampingNut!) so by time we try the Thetford, ice and slushing we should be in good shape to wash it out.
> 
> Thanks for the responses.


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You're welcome!














Quickie flush is a good solution. If you can fill it up, let it sit (maybe fill and drain a couple of times) then that should help a bunch. Chemicals of your choice to clean it. We've tried them all from the blue stuff, baking soda, Calgon, etc. A good ride with some ice, cleaner, and sloshing around hopefully will do the trick. We usually dump a small trash can full of water after we dump at the sewer - then follow it with some cleaner to slosh until the next trip. <it's kinda funny because we had a few people ask us what we were doing with the water after we just drained it>

Calgon liquid isn't easy to find but it's out there. You just have to look at the grocery store in the laundry section.

Hijack: are ya'll doing any camping?

C-


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