snobbyafghan Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Those essential, tastefully coloured chemicals that we obediently put in the Thetford (other camping toilets are available); what do they do? Kill germs/bacteria? Make it smell nice? Hasten biodegrading? Just wondered. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hope this helps you Toilet Fluid Effective toilet additive Eliminates unpleasant smells Reduces gas build up Stimulates the break down of waste matter and toilet paper Keeps your tank clean Aqua Kem Green Toilet Fluid stimulates biological activity in your waste tank. Micro organisms biologically break down the toilet waste in the tank, with average use aqua Kem green acts for a maximum of three to four days. The aqua Kem green eliminates unpleasant smells, reduces gas build up and keeps your tank very clean. Remaining fluid up to a temperature of – 20 degrees and is still effective after thawing, this aqua Kem green is particularly suitable when emptying the waste tank into septic tanks on campsite. Eliminates Unpleasant Smells Reduces Gas Build up Keeps your tank clean Fluid Measurment Gauge on Bottle http://www.campingworld.co.uk/Models.aspx?ModelID=415 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 The key thing they do is mask smells. Try a cassette load without them just once and you'll find that emptying the cassette broadcasts a very strong smell of ammonia which, depending on wind direction, may make you extremely unpopular. Ignore suggestions that anything speeds up breakdown - the contents are not normally in the cassette long enough for any real difference. The German SOG system promises similar benefits but all it really does is suck air into the cassette when the blade is open to keep the contents' smells out of your bathroon. The contents still require chemicals unless you want to stink the campsite out. Mel E ==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 That's interesting Mel. Are you saying that a SOG loo still needs chemical when my understanding is that the benefit of a SOG system is the removal of the need to use any chemicals. I would value the input of any 'SOGers' amongst us please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 We have had the SOG system in both our Motorhomes and although it is my husband's "job" to empty the cassette - my arthritis is mainly in my hands - that's my excuse anyway ;-) Having asked him about the smell etc. as we use no chemicals, he says there are no "nasty niffs" compared to before the SOG was fitted on our last Motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MandyAndy Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 We have a SOG system and love it, I do the emptying and to be honest don't notice the smell, but I know others have said it can be stronger than if we put chemicals in. However the whole point of the system is to not use them and be able to empty them in any waste system without doing it damage with chemicals. ( I will point out that I have worked with alot of poo in my years of employment and you do become immune to it somewhat) :-D :-D :-D The only time we had a problem was when it was left in storage for a week and we have forgotten to clean it out thoroughly and it was a bit pongy for a while but soon cleared. Mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roamer Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hi all I'm with Mel on this one. We have a SOG system and perhaps if you empty it as soon as it is used it may be smell free but if you forget to empty it for a week after getting home, as I have, get the gas mask out. Even after a couple of days you don't want to be in a closed room when emptying. I now use Elsan Organic toilet fluid to remove the odours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Regarding the SOG system, I would have thought that nobody would have any illusions that whatever is eventually tipped out of the toilet cassette will be any less odorous than when it entered the cassette, and (unless you are one of those rare and lucky people whose **** doesn't stink) that means an odour that surely won't be a Breath of Spring. We are talking about human defecation and raw sewage here, not making good garden compost . My wife and I both feel the SOG system is worth its weight in gold for ensuring that our motorhome's living area isn't contaminated by 'toilet' smells. I don't use any chemicals, so I'm not financially discouraged from emptying the toilet cassette at any available opportunity. As we don't use campsite 'facilities' much, the maximum cassette between-emptying intervals will be less than 3 days. Whether this is greatly significant smell-wise at the emptying stage I don't know, but I've never felt the need for a gas-mask and I've never noticed fellow campers keeling over downwind of the chemical toilet emptying point when I'm tipping out the cassette's contents. Roamer: What's this "closed room" toilet-emptying about? Might be worth getting in touch with Max Mosley about this activity, as it's possibly the sort of thing he'd be interested in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 :-D On a lighter note, may I just add a really SMUG note to Derek ..... apparently us vegans don't have any bad smell at all to our s***t.... :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowley Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I fully agree with Derek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootbags Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 ROON - 2008-08-09 10:49 AM :-D On a lighter note, may I just add a really SMUG note to Derek ..... apparently us vegans don't have any bad smell at all to our s***t.... :$ Good morning Joy. I would concur with that. I not vegan but eat very little meat. But, my daughter and son in law went on a high protein, almost meat only, diet - and boy -- say no more! NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY COULD HARDLY STAND IT THEMSELVES AND SOON GAVE UP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethleff Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as good as any exorbitant priced chemical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootbags Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 dethleff - 2008-08-09 12:40 PM The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as good as any exorbitant priced chemical. Can you be sure it won't foam up and wash you at the same time :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethleff Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 bootbags - 2008-08-09 12:51 PM dethleff - 2008-08-09 12:40 PM The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as goodas any exorbitant priced chemical. Can you be sure it won't foam up and wash you at the same time :-D Well it might, so if you like a dirty a**e, best not to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 ROON - 2008-08-09 11:49 AM :-D On a lighter note, may I just add a really SMUG note to Derek ..... apparently us vegans don't have any bad smell at all to our s***t.... :$ The only thing that I can say is that cows only eat grass but they stink to high heaven when doing the unmentionable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianR Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I have used the SOG system for many years, without chemicals, and the only times that I have noticed a pronounced smell on emptying are when the outside temperature is high. What I have noticed is that there is quite a smell at the fan outlet, outside the 'van. This seems to be the same whether or not a filer is used. Has anyone noticed whether the filter makes a real diffrence to the smell at the outlet? Also, if you use a chemical, does this make any difference to the smell at the outlet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 dethleff - 2008-08-09 12:40 PM The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as good as any exorbitant priced chemical. But what is it doing to the rather expensive rubber seals in your cassette? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dethleff Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Tracker - 2008-08-09 5:28 PM dethleff - 2008-08-09 12:40 PM The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as good as any exorbitant priced chemical. But what is it doing to the rather expensive rubber seals in your cassette? Seal are the original seals that were in the cassette when I bought the van from Germany 13 years ago. After 4 years of using bio powder, still ok. I use the van about 5 to 6 months a year, so gets a fair use. Is there not a rubber seal around you washing machine door? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 BrianR: I don't really know how effective the SOG filter is at reducing the smell from the fan-outlet, but the filter certainly doesn't eliminate it as (unsurprisingly) there's a very noticeable whiff with our 'van if you are close to the outlet when the toilet is in use. I guess if you used a smell-suppressing chemical that was itself odourless you'd be OK, otherwise you'd just get the smell of the chemical emerging from the outlet and some toilet chemicals aren't in the Chanel No. 5 bracket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 dethleff - 2008-08-09 6:01 PM Tracker - 2008-08-09 5:28 PM dethleff - 2008-08-09 12:40 PM The pound shop sells a box of bio washing powder, stick half a cup in the Thetford, works as good as any exorbitant priced chemical. But what is it doing to the rather expensive rubber seals in your cassette? Seal are the original seals that were in the cassette when I bought the van from Germany 13 years ago. After 4 years of using bio powder, still ok. I use the van about 5 to 6 months a year, so gets a fair use. Is there not a rubber seal around you washing machine door? It does depend on the type of rubber and/or silicone used in the seals. Washing machines may well be designed to tolerate bleach? I don't know. Some chemicals and cleaners, bleach in particular, always used to distort and swell the Thetford seals so that they no longer sealed. I have not used such chemicals for a lot of years so it may no longer apply, however the cost of being wrong would be about as inconvenient as it gets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Hi, I'm with Mel E on this, you really do need something that will mask the smell when using the toilet and perhaps more importantly when emptying it, Most people can and do get used to or are able to accept there own smell, but please think about OTHER people when you are emptying please add something to mask the smell, We have used the Bio washing additive, cheap disinfectant, all of which provided a masking of the inevitable smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Am I missing something? what is SOG? We always use a chemical. We have a friend who does not use one , and avoid empty our cassette at the same time as him!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Hi, Just to throw another question in. Has anyone used yeast tables or brewers yeast in the cassette. I have met three couple no who swear buy it. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 now not no Sorry Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enodreven Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Its a bit cloudy and the taste is not up to much, but some pubs i use are not a lot better LoL w1ntersun - 2008-08-10 3:57 PM Hi, Just to throw another question in. Has anyone used yeast tables or brewers yeast in the cassette. I have met three couple no who swear buy it. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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