- Excerpts taken from Bill's Hints -

Waste Treatment products can be classified into two general categories: chemical and natural. Chemical treatments are inexpensive and provide a perfume-mask of odors but do little to breakdown waste and clean your tank. Natural enzyme based products are effective for both odor control and keeping the tank clean by quickly digesting waste and paper products in the tank. Keeping the tank clean is the secret to never having odor or service problems.

Formaldehyde, the most common ingredient in chemical treatments is a poison and EPA-recognized as a cancer causing agent. It’s lethal to the naturally occurring enzymes and bacteria needed to breakdown wastes in septic systems. For this reason, many RV parks with septic systems are no longer accepting formaldehyde treated waste.

In general, odor should not be a problem if you have a relatively clean waste tank, the tank roof vent is clear, and the seal to your toilet is sealing off the tank gases from the inside of your unit. Your gray water tank (sink & shower water) will occasionally need treatment for odors (sometimes they’re worse than the waste tank). Use of an enzyme tank treatment product will have the added benefit of keeping the p-traps clear under the sink and shower.

Bill’s Hints about Waste Treatment and Odors

• Do not mix different types of tank deodorants and cleaners. You may create a dangerous or deadly combination.
• When buying holding tank treatments always check how many treatments are in the bottle. Treatment doses range from 2oz. to 8oz.. Don’t be fooled by big jugs that may have less treatments than you think.
• When using holding tank treatments remember you can vary the dose to some degree based on the sensitivity of your own nose.
• Some treatments require a dose every few days and some require only one dose per tank. Read the directions and remember in either case if you smell a hint of odor you should add more treatment product. This is especially true in extreme heat.
• Some treatments become less effective over time. If you have an old bottle, consider doubling up the dosage or buying a fresh one.
• Odors can be caused by a tank vent pipe that is not clear which will force gases up through the toilet. This can happen with bird nests in the vent pipe at the roof or paper stuck to the top of the tank covering the vent pipe opening (you let the tank get too full).
• Odors can also creep into the RV interior if the toilet paddle that opens when you flush is not sealing correctly. Check for buildup on the paddle seals if you suspect a problem.
• Some waste treatment products become less effective in hard water. If this is the case you will need to increase the dose based on what your nose is telling you.