Head treatment
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Holding Tank Treatments
More Holding Tanks Treatments
Bactank T3 is very good. Camco TST Citrus is good, as is KO. But not Thetford.
More Holding Tanks Treatments
Bactank T3 is very good. Camco TST Citrus is good, as is KO. But not Thetford.
I've tried some formeldahyde stuff that was so bad it stung my eyes when I opened the bottle, Odorlos and I've been using West Marine's ExterminOdor. The latter keeps the head smell at bay all through heated winter storage
This is probably the worst stuff you can put in a holding tank. It kills all the desirable bacteria, so waste doesn't decompose. @Peggie Hall HeadMistress will take you to task for using formaldehyde.
Oh heck! I am the chemical hygiene officer at work so I feel obligated to chime in here.
Do not intentionally expose yourself to formaldehyde.!
This is an excerpt from a chemical advisory published at UC Berkeley
When present in the air at a concentration above 0.1 part per million, formaldehyde can cause watery eyes, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, allergenic reactions, and burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat. Formaldehyde has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and may cause cancer in humans. It also may cause birth defects. It is highly toxic if swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed through skin or mucous membranes. Formaldehyde reacts vigorously with oxidizers and, at its highest concentrations, is a combustible liquid. In addition, formaldehyde reacts with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to produce bis (chloromethyl) ether vapor, a very potent carcinogen.
By the way hydrochloric acid is also known as muriatic acid, a very common acid found in Marine environments.
You can read the full brief here if you choose to
Always read the warnings on the label before buying. Never use anything that has the warning "Harmful or fatal if swallowed (you aren't likely to drink or taste it but a small child or your dog might), may cause blindness" or any similar warning on the label. Use only products that work WITH nature instead of poisoning it. The best ones cost more than the poisons, but that's because the ingredients in them cost more.
--Peggie
--Peggie
Basically correct. I'll add a little (I have designed and operated facilities that pre-treat head and portable toilet waste for discharge to the POTW).This is probably the worst stuff you can put in a holding tank. It kills all the desirable bacteria, so waste doesn't decompose. @Peggie Hall HeadMistress will take you to task for using formaldehyde.
It kills the aerobic bacteria (we have called beneficial because they produce little odor) in the water and on the surface, but not the anaerobic (stinky) bacteria deeper in where it does not penetrate. Thus is still stinks and stinks worse when stirred up. There are disinfection systems that work (Rairitan), but they must include an effective maceration process.
It is biodegradable when diluted, but until then inhibits the treatment process. Formaldahyde can be a problem at small POTWs that receive a lot of portable toilet waste, reducing treatment effectiveness. This is why some cities have pre-treatment plants.
Formaldehyde is a low-level carcinogen (Google CDC, NIH, ACS etc.). Why would you want that on a boat, when it doesn't even work? Why is it on the market? I'll tell you why. These product are the most effective on sealed portable toilets that cannot be vented (not properly vented holding tanks systems). The other reason, sadly, is tradition. Most port-a-john treatments are formaldehyde, Bronapol, or triclosan. They fear change. The customers want the chemical smell. Go figure.
Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid is not a tank treatment...it's commonly used to remove sea water mineral buildup in hoses and is quite safe to use when directions for handling and use are followed.
--Peggie
I just want to chime in here with a small thing to add. When discussing the "best" treatment, it is probably worthwhile to distinguish between holding tanks that hold solid waste and those with only liquid. That is, poop or no poop. Chemically, they are quite different, obviously. I can't really offer a suggestion for either, as we have never had a problem. That might change this season. We have a new boat and it came with some odor. We just cleaned the head and immediate area (not a deep clean). We'll find out in a few hours if we need to do more, when we go back out to the boat after having sat for a few weeks.
Foswick said:
I just want to chime in here with a small thing to add. When discussing the "best" treatment, it is probably worthwhile to distinguish between holding tanks that hold solid waste and those with only liquid. That is, poop or no poop. Chemically, they are quite different, obviously.
Actually they aren't..solid waste is 75% water--the same water that comes out of you separately as urine and dissolves very quickly in water. So when it comes to tank treatments, it doesn't matter whether the tank only holds flush water and urine or solid waste too. Nor does it matter whether the toilet uses sea water or fresh. So when it comes to tank treatments, it doesn't matter whether the tank only holds flush water and urine or solid waste too. Nor does it matter whether the toilet uses sea water or fresh.
Always add water to the bowl ahead of solids (if your toilet isn't designed to bring water in and hold it, use a beer cup from the sink)...you'll need a lot less flushing to have a clean bowl.
--Peggie
I just want to chime in here with a small thing to add. When discussing the "best" treatment, it is probably worthwhile to distinguish between holding tanks that hold solid waste and those with only liquid. That is, poop or no poop. Chemically, they are quite different, obviously.
Actually they aren't..solid waste is 75% water--the same water that comes out of you separately as urine and dissolves very quickly in water. So when it comes to tank treatments, it doesn't matter whether the tank only holds flush water and urine or solid waste too. Nor does it matter whether the toilet uses sea water or fresh. So when it comes to tank treatments, it doesn't matter whether the tank only holds flush water and urine or solid waste too. Nor does it matter whether the toilet uses sea water or fresh.
Always add water to the bowl ahead of solids (if your toilet isn't designed to bring water in and hold it, use a beer cup from the sink)...you'll need a lot less flushing to have a clean bowl.
--Peggie
That seems counterintuitive. Urine itself is nearly sterile and, in fact discourages a lot of bacteria. Feces, on the other hand, comes with its own supply of bacteria. I have to believe that the best treatment for one is not optimal for the other.
Feces-holding tanks contain a mix of organic matter, including feces, toilet paper, and other waste. The bacterial composition in these tanks is more complex, involving both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria that break down organic matter. Treatments often focus on controlling odors, reducing solids, and maintaining bacterial balance. Enzymatic treatments and bio-active products that promote beneficial bacteria are commonly used.
Tanks primarily containing urine have a different chemical and bacterial profile. Urine is high in urea, which can convert to ammonia and cause strong odors. The bacterial content in urine-only tanks is usually less diverse, and the primary goal of treatment is often to control odors and prevent the formation of uric acid crystals. Acidic treatments can help prevent scaling and mineral buildup.
I do believe that one can find a treatment that works adequately for either, but not optimally. It is probably true that it isn't worth sweating the differences, but the differences do exist.
True! It is also stomach acid…. But it is not safe to mix with formaldehyde
a. Take a cup of urine and leave it open to the air for 3-4 days. You will probably find that it stinks worse than poop. In fact, the main operating principle of dedicating/composting toilets and clumping litter is that separating poop from pee really reduces odor. But we're going down a rabbit hole.
b. In fact, one of the best treatment for urine containers in composting toilets is an organic acid. Vinegar is good and citric acid is better. This also helps with deposits, but that is not the main reason, it is odor. I've never made a study of urine-only holding tanks, but yes, the answer is probably different.
But is it really pee-only, and why restrict yourself? But if that really is your story, read up on composting toilets and use citric acid.
Please explain with links. This could be interesting. I can think of a few possibilites, but I'd like to hear where you are going with this, remembering that the concentrations are relatively low.