Simple head question

Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I have a portable toilet system with pump out plumbing. The boat came with some RV toilet treatment solution. It's a thick blue liquid. It stung my eyes like crazy the first time I opened it. Should this be poured in the water or holding tank?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I have a portable toilet system with pump out plumbing. The boat came with some RV toilet treatment solution. It's a thick blue liquid. It stung my eyes like crazy the first time I opened it. Should this be poured in the water or holding tank?
Neither. It should be taken to a toxic waste disposal site.

Try this product from Camco (amazon link). The current thinking is to use oxygenators in holding tanks. This provides more oxygen for the aerobic bacteria. It is the anaerobic bacteria that causes the sulfur odor.
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
I have a portable toilet system with pump out plumbing. The boat came with some RV toilet treatment solution. It's a thick blue liquid. It stung my eyes like crazy the first time I opened it. Should this be poured in the water or holding tank?
What Dave said: don't do either one with it. Most RV toilet/tank products are highly toxic chemicals that are anything BUT enviro-friendly and only add a chemical odor to the sewage odor. Most claim to be bio degradable but "biodegradable" is a meaningless feel-good term used to mislead people into confusing it with "environmentally friendly"...formaldehyde is actually biodegradable...it just takes a long time TO bio-degrade, doing harm to the surrounding environment meanwhile.

The first aid instructions on tank products provide the best clue whether to use it or not. If they say something like "harmful or fatal if swallowed, may cause blindness, call poison control immediately..." avoid it!! But if they say something like "keep away from children or pets, wash hands after contact, flush eyes with water for 15 minutes after contact, contact physician if symptoms develop..." that's a good choice.

I've always been a fan of Odolos...its active ingredient is nitrates, which promote oxygen release from organic matter and often prevents odor in systems with vents that can only allow marginal air exchange. It can be hard to find in marine retail stores or catalogs, but is a LOT cheaper in RV supply stores even if you can find it from a marine source.

Btw, Dave...you DO realize that CAMCO is made in China?

--Peggie
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Wow we have some pretty interesting facts and insight from Dave and Peggie! I figured this stuff had a high acid content along with some other nasty chemicals. This is it:
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Btw, Dave...you DO realize that CAMCO is made in China?
No I didn't and if there is comparable US made product I would glaldly buy it once my current supply is gone. @thinwater has been conducting experiments with off the shelf products that contain similar chemicals as Odorlos, Zaal's, and the Camco products. Perhaps he'll weigh in with his findings.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
I've had it with this awful Camco stuff! The head smells awful and I've put an order in for Odorlos. Any suggestions on how to get this smell out of the head? Perhaps pump it out while feeding a steady supply of water into the tank for a few minutes to give it a good rinse?
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Toilet. It's a portable that has pump out and a vent. We dumped a ton of the Campa Chem stuff in the holding tank. It seems to have helped but not totally eliminate the odor. Odorlos should be here in a day or two. I assume I should pump out before adding it so there's no potential for a chemical reaction?
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Odorlos should be here in a day or two. I assume I should pump out before adding it so there's no potential for a chemical reaction?
Yes...not only pump out, but thoroughly rinse out the tank too...not to prevent any chemical reaction, but because Campa Chem is another one of Thetford's highly toxic chemicals ("poison" is clearly included in the label) that kill bacteria needed to break down solids and TP, preventing Odorlos from promoting oxygen release from the tank contents. You want to use tank products that work WITH nature.

--Peggie
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
We finally used up the Camco stuff and got our hands on Odorlos. The admiral said the head smelled unbelievably awful! I downplayed it in my head until I opened the flush valve. This was by far one of the foulest smells I've ever come across. My eyes stung and I was coughing! The entire cabin was engulfed in this stench seconds!
Anyways, I proceeded to pump out the head while feeding a steady stream of water into the bowl/tank. I didn't quite get the water flow right the first time and discovered that when the tank is overfilled the bowl/tank seal leaks! in a panic I grabbed the hose through the front hatch and water sprayed everywhere. I had foul water on the floor and clean water on every surface in the head. Once I pumped out enough water to contain the leak I adjusted the water flow and proceeded to clean up. Over the next couple of hours I proceeded to fill and empty the head followed by about 20 minutes of pumping out without filling to get some air flow through the system. At the end of the night I put enough Odorlos to treat a 40 gallon tank (mine is 5 gal). The smell was significantly better.
A day or two later I came back and discovered the smell improved. I used the head once before flushing about 5 gallons through it. At the end of the day I put the same amount of Odorlos with about a half gallon of water into the tank so it covers the entire bottom of it. I suspect that there is sludge in the bottom of it. Overall I'm impressed with the performance of Oderlos. Is there anything else that is recommended to help flush everything out of the holding tank?

We store the boat in a yard that is on the Chicago River. We pass through 29 bridges that lift for boats passing through. Overall the process takes about four hours. Unfortunately there is no pump out on the river. What's the best way to prep the head for heated indoor storage?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
We store the boat in a yard that is on the Chicago River. We pass through 29 bridges that lift for boats passing through. Overall the process takes about four hours. Unfortunately there is no pump out on the river. What's the best way to prep the head for heated indoor storage?
Make sure the head is empty and dry.

The worst holding smell I have ever had was after the boat was hauled with a partially holding tank and left on the hard for 18 days in 90° heat. Once it was pumped out and the Camco product added the smell was vanquished.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,726
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
i pulled my tank out, took it home, and thoroughly cleaned it and rebed the fittings.

yes, a bit messy, but after 30 years, it seemed like it was worth it ;-)

then I replaced the old hoses too.


Greg
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The head only has two seasons of use since new. Most of the hoses have been replaced. The last couple of feet is on the never ending to do list
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
What's the best way to prep the head for heated indoor storage?
Portapotty (portable and MSD version): Pump out or dump and then THOROUGHLY rinse the tank with plenty of clean fresh water. You might even want to clean the tank using just detergent and water. Don't leave any water or tank product in the tank .

Marine toilet (manual and electric) and holding tank: you'll find instructions for winterizing 'em in the first post (it's a "sticky" so it's always the first post) in the Winterizing Plumbing thread in this forum ( Plumbing and Sanitation).

--Peggie
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Laundry or diswashing detergent...Dawn is a good choice. Let it soak awhile, then use a scrub brush.

If you'd been rinsing out the tank each time you'd dumped or pumped it as you should have, there wouldn't be any sludge, only a slight buildup of animal fats on the walls that you can easily remove with detergent and water, followed by a thorough rinse.

Regular rinsing:
Portable tank: Dump...put a bucketful of clean fresh water into it, dump again.
MSD version: use a hose or a bucket to add water and rinse while pumping out
Don't be skimpy with the water!

And btw...regular holding tanks should be rinsed out at least 2-3x/season and especially in prep for extended winter or other extended layup. It's easy to do: after pumpou, put 4-6" of water into the tank VIA THE DECK PUMPOUT FITTING 'cuz that sends the water into the tank at the bottom to stir up any sludge so it can be pumped out. Pump that out. Repeat...repeat...till you're pumping out clean water. If you have a macerator pump, one more time...but turn on the macerator pump this time to rinse it and its plumbing out. It should only be clean water, but because perception is often reality to some people whether it is or not, be discreet when rinsing the macerator pump.

--Peggie