Our holding tanks and wastewater system are very straight forward, the issue lies with misinformation on treatments, use, and maintenance. Most of the time we all know what we should be doing and just fall into bad habits, take shortcuts to shorten the process time, or use the latest internet hack that is posted on social media.
The Dos and Don’ts for RV Wastewater Systems:
Dos:
- Do use a Probiotic (live bacteria) treatment and follow the instructions as prescribed on the container.We use, recommend, and will treat your system with Just Science TankTechsRx Probiotic RV Tank Treatment. We are not affiliated with or receive any form of compensation from this product or the company that makes it. It is what we use in our RV and treat all our equipment with.
- You will treat each tank (black, gray, and gally) by mixing 1cap full of TankTechsRx to 5gal of water (in a bucket). 1 treatment for each holding tank, black tanks dump into the toilet, gray and gally tanks split the treatment across all drains (sinks & showers). This treats the entire end to end wastewater system.
- Do use enough water when flushing solids in the toilet.
- You should be filling the bowl before flushing (this is particularly important for Fifth-Wheels). The weight and force of the water (1gal = 8.3lbs) will aid in moving the solids down to the tank (Fifth-Wheels have several 90 degree turns the weight and force of the water is needed to prevent blockages, this is not an issue with straight drop systems).
- Water is our friend when it comes to maintaining and promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Keeping the proper balance in the holding tanks will aid in the breakdown of solids in the tank and turning them to liquid.
- Use less or a moderate amount of toilet paper (you will need to teach the young ones and those visiting that don’t understand RVing, what this is).
- Do empty your tanks when they are around 2/3 full.
- Dump the black tanks first, then the gray/gally tanks.
- Use your black tank flush to get as much content out of your holding tank as possible (you may need to flush your tanks several times, I typically do mine about 3 times with around 15-20gal water, this will be based on your holding tank capacity).
- Do use Dawn Dishwashing liquid.
- It helps breakdown the grease & oils in our gray and gally tanks.
- Do have your holding tanks professionally Hydro-Jet cleaned once a year for full-time RVers – every 6months for boon dockers/dry camping, and every 1-2years for recreational RVers
- This will ensure the proper operations of your holding tanks and wastewater system for years to come.
Don’ts:
- Don’t use any harsh chemicals in your RV’s wastewater system
- Harsh chemicals can cause other damage to your RVs seals, gaskets, and fittings. They also corrode the plastic sensors in the holding tanks that can render them inoperable.
- They can also crystalize solids in the tank making them much harder to extract from the tanks.Harsh chemicals are also very bad for our environment, contributing to ground water contamination, and the use of certain chemicals are band in some states like CA.The use of such chemical treatments can also accelerate the formation of struvite on the tank walls and sensors.The use of such chemicals also kills off the beneficial bacteria in our tanks and the wastewater systems we use from our municipalities (Parks, Resorts, Dump Stations, and the Cities/Towns that treat them)
- We do have one exception to this statement and that is when sanitizing your portable water system. We do use Bleach in this process, it is a very small amount (1cup to every 50gal of water in your holding tank) and is needed to properly clean this system.
- Don’t put other things down the drain (toilet, sink, & shower).
- Never put anything down your toilet other than human waste and a moderate amount of toilet paper, with the proper amount of water to flush. Never flush feminine products, any type of personal hygiene wipes, diapers, toy cars, socks, etc.
- Minimize what goes down your sink drains, use drain screens, wipe your plates into the trash before washing them.
- Don’t leave your tank dump gate valves open after emptying your tanks.
- Leaving your holding tank dump gates open will allow the solids to dry out and harden in your tank. This can lead to compacted tanks, pyramids, slow draining tanks, blockages, and misreading sensors.
- It also promotes the growth and development of odors in your tanks, the hardened solids hold and omit the odors.Keeping your dump valves open also allows an open path into your holding tanks (and ultimately into your living space) from whatever may be lurking in the septic system you are connected to. This can and probably includes drain/septic flies, house centipedes, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, and all types of creepy crawlers.
- The only exceptions to this are if you are washing laundry (several loads) you can leave the valve open when doing the wash. The other time is when we sanitize the portable water system, and we are flushing all the water lines of bleach. Close the dump valves once done.
- Don’t use Antibacterial hand soaps, or bar style soap
- Antibacterial hand soap will also kill off the beneficial bacteria in our holding tanks. Never use (put down the drain) any products that have antibacterial properties to them in your wastewater system.
- Put some hand sanitizer near the sink for use after washing your hands if you feel the need.
- Bar style soaps contain clay to hold it all together and give it form/shape. This clay dissolves when in use and can re-harden in the holding tanks. Adding to the issues with things collecting to the tank walls and sensors and forming/hardening in the tanks.
- Antibacterial hand soap will also kill off the beneficial bacteria in our holding tanks. Never use (put down the drain) any products that have antibacterial properties to them in your wastewater system.