Toilet chemicals.

[nuevoboy]

Thanks for that reassurance Mel.

[enodreven]

Hi, Just one point you may want to take into account is the weather, if its getting down to freezing then emptying all of your water supplies is certainly worth doing which includes the cassette.

 

We always empty it completely before returning home as we never know when we are going to use it again and the weather can catch up with you before you know it.

 

nuevoboy - 2010-10-24 5:39 PM

 

Can I please ask what one should do before driving back home.

When we left the last site last week I emptied the cassette and put more Blue stuff in and approx. 2 -3 litres of water as if the loo would be used again. However, we returned home and the solution is still in there.

Is it OK for the short / medium term, or should I have just given the tank a good flush out and left it in a dry state?

[Rosbotham]

Tomo3090 - 2010-10-24 3:52 PM

 

It is far cheaper. A SOG costs about £85.00 to buy and is free to fit if you have a basic DIY ability. If not it should only cost an hours fitting time at a dealer. Then that's it. No chemicals at a tenner a bottle to buy for as long as you've got the van. No running out of chemicals abroad or in the countryside miles from a caravan shop, no taking up of payload carrying enough to last for a tour abroad, no wondering if the blue ones are "green, or the ingredients are safe for disposal on the site you're on. No ruining your clothes or shoes with a spillage.

 

Those maths don't work for me. I use Riversway chemicals, which come at £10 for a 2x2litre bowl cleaner and toilet chemical. So £5 for 2 litres of fluid. I need 60mls in my cassette, that'll last 2 nights (given average bladder contents!). So 30ml/night, or 7.5p/night. I average 75 nights away a year, so just over £5/yr. So payback period for fitting a SOG (at £85) would be approx 15 years. I don't keep my van for that long...

[ips]

Surely these sog systems will have an odour outside the van were it vents ? And surely they use 12v power all the time so not the best idea if you are not on hook up and trying to preserve battery power. Call me synical but I think I will stick to a squirt of smelly stuff...

[Guest JudgeMental]

Like I said earlier ignorance is bliss..The 12v fan only operates when trap opens. without a SOG where do you think the odours vent to? Yep back into the van via the open vent...very hygienic I think not! and what about the environmental cost of all those disgusting chemicals?

 

The naysayers are always those that dont have one, but I have yet to see anyone that does that does not see it as a good investement...

[Derek Uzzell]

ips - 2010-10-25 9:36 AM

 

A: Surely these sog systems will have an odour outside the van were it vents ?

 

B: And surely they use 12v power all the time so not the best idea if you are not on hook up and trying to preserve battery power...

 

A: Yes - and if it's claimed that it can't be detected, then the claimant clearly has a poor sense of smell.

 

B: No - the SOG ventilator-fan only runs while the 'blade valve' at the base of the toilet-bowl is open and the fan-motor only draws a tiny amount of 12V power in any case.

 

And, as far as emptying a toilette cassette containing human excrement that has not been chemically treated in some way is concerned, well of course it stinks!

[ips]

Oh .... so fan doesnt run all the time, that makes sence now that I give it some thought.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

For the record I put a small amount of green smelly stuff in with a cup full or so of water in the waste tank (we dont have seperate flush tank so no rinse aid) and empty every other day. We dont seem to have any nasty odours at all so dont understand what some of you lot do in there :-D

[mikemoss]

Biological clothes washing liquid works better than any of the 'proper' chemicals and costs far, far less - particularly if you use the concentrated stuff. Keeps the cassette beautifully clean too, and if you add from inside the bowl it stops limescale forming on the blade.

 

Please don't thank me, I got the tip from either this or another MH forum and it have found it absolutely spot on.

[tricky dicky]

We've had a SOG from new (just over a year). Not had any problems or detected any smell outside ~ though once wished we had for someone who parked too close!

 

Seen in current MMM that SOG have a new system with vents to the roof or floor rather than the door of the cassette.

[Derek Uzzell]

tricky dicky - 2010-10-25 8:32 PM

 

We've had a SOG from new (just over a year). Not had any problems or detected any smell outside ~ though once wished we had for someone who parked too close!

 

Seen in current MMM that SOG have a new system with vents to the roof or floor rather than the door of the cassette.

 

The roof/floor-venting SOG product ain't that new. See

 

HTTP://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17020&posts=11

[John J Thompson]

Tried cheap Bio Tablets from Tesco (Daisy brand) and found they left a scale deposit in the casette. Cleared this out with Thetford Casette cleaner.

 

SOG

 

We have not noticed any smell from the unit outside. There should be a carbon filter in the door unit. If a smell is detected, check that this filter is still in there.

 

John

[pepe63xnotuse]

mikemoss - 2010-10-25 2:32 PM

 

Biological clothes washing liquid works better than any of the 'proper' chemicals and costs far, far less - particularly if you use the concentrated stuff. Keeps the cassette beautifully clean too, and if you add from inside the bowl it stops limescale forming on the blade.

 

Please don't thank me, I got the tip from either this or another MH forum and it have found it absolutely spot on.

 

Yeah,I've seen this mentioned many times..but can I just clarify something?..

..does this "bio" clothes washing liquid do any long term damage to the valve seals etc?..and is it an issue on sites with septic tanks?

(..sorry if I'm being thick! :$ )

[Tomo3090]

Rosbotham - 2010-10-24 9:05 PM

 

Tomo3090 - 2010-10-24 3:52 PM

 

It is far cheaper. A SOG costs about £85.00 to buy and is free to fit if you have a basic DIY ability. If not it should only cost an hours fitting time at a dealer. Then that's it. No chemicals at a tenner a bottle to buy for as long as you've got the van. No running out of chemicals abroad or in the countryside miles from a caravan shop, no taking up of payload carrying enough to last for a tour abroad, no wondering if the blue ones are "green, or the ingredients are safe for disposal on the site you're on. No ruining your clothes or shoes with a spillage.

 

Those maths don't work for me. I use Riversway chemicals, which come at £10 for a 2x2litre bowl cleaner and toilet chemical. So £5 for 2 litres of fluid. I need 60mls in my cassette, that'll last 2 nights (given average bladder contents!). So 30ml/night, or 7.5p/night. I average 75 nights away a year, so just over £5/yr. So payback period for fitting a SOG (at £85) would be approx 15 years. I don't keep my van for that long...

 

I suppose the figures do depend on what type of fluid you buy, how many times you empty the cassette and how long you are away from during the year.

 

We use the van quite a bit, we were away for about 7-8 months all told last year, four months and counting this one. Both here and abroad and the fluids I've seen abroad are usually a lot dearer than a tenner a bottle. I also empty it every day, except when we are freecamping and then we do it every other day, so not only will that increase my cost/ussage figures it reduces the smell when I empty it!

 

As for the amounts we pay for stuff over the life of our vans, I wonder whether any of us gets the full value of things if we include all the extras we buy, i.e. solar panels, bike racks, bikes, SOGs, Gaslow/gas tanks, inverters, EFOYS, etc. Of course I've not included the initial cost of buying the van anyway! :-D

[John J Thompson]

pepe63 - 2010-10-26 1:04 PM

 

mikemoss - 2010-10-25 2:32 PM

 

Biological clothes washing liquid works better than any of the 'proper' chemicals and costs far, far less - particularly if you use the concentrated stuff. Keeps the cassette beautifully clean too, and if you add from inside the bowl it stops limescale forming on the blade.

 

Please don't thank me, I got the tip from either this or another MH forum and it have found it absolutely spot on.

 

Yeah,I've seen this mentioned many times..but can I just clarify something?..

..does this "bio" clothes washing liquid do any long term damage to the valve seals etc?..and is it an issue on sites with septic tanks?

(..sorry if I'm being thick! :$ )

 

I have been using Bio for quite a while daily since about May. Our cassette toilet is in daily use. I have found no problems with the seals. I do however spray the seals regularly, about once a month, with Thetford lubrication.

 

Try this site for information.

 

http://co88-px.rtrk.co.uk/downloads/TDS0001-03.pdf

 

From the Website of a fully certified installer for Klargester Septic Tanks throughout the UK.

 

Sewage treatment plants use colonies of live natural micro-organisms to break down pollutants in domestic sewage. Many chemicals found in the household can inhibit or kill these micro-organisms, particularly if used in excessive amounts.

 

If the micro-organisms are damaged, they will usually recover in time. But in the meanwhile one of the more obvious symptoms is an unpleasant smell, so it is in residents interest to avoid this.

Generally speaking all common household cleaning fluids are acceptable, provided they are used in accordance with the makers instructions and stipulated concentrations.

 

Washing machine and dishwasher detergents, washing up liquids:

Perfectly all right in normal concentrations and usage. Problems can occur if, for instance, you are washing the jerseys of the local rugby club's five teams! Excess amounts of biological detergent can affect the biomass development.

 

Floor cleaners, disinfectants and bleaches:

These are safe to use in accordance with the makers recommendations and in the minimum necessary concentration. Do not pour neat disinfectant or bleach down the sink or outside gullies.

 

THE FOLLOWING MUST NOT BE DISCHARGED INTO THE DRAINS

Motor oil, grease, anti-freeze, brake fluid etc.

Cooking oil and fat.

Weed-killers, insecticides, fungicides and other gardening chemicals.

Paint, thinners, white spirit, turpentine, creosote etc.

Medicines

Take unused medicines to a pharmacist for safe disposal.

Photographic developing fluids.

Nappies, sanitary towels, rags, soft toys, tennis balls etc.

It may seem a bit obvious to say this, but it is amazing what gets flushed down the loo from time to time. Although such items are not directly damaging to the micro-organisms they can cause problems, not the least of which is simple blockage of the drains.

[pepe63xnotuse]

Thanks for that John..

 

We'll be in need of some loo chemicals soon,so I'll be giving the washing liquids a try then... ;-)

Chris

[Tomo3090]

You forgot to add milk to the stuff that shouldn't go down the drains. When I was in the fire service we had a lecture off a guy from the environment agency and he said if more than a gallon goes down the drain they have to shut down the local waste plants until it has discharged into a natural water course. It's something to do with the bacteria in it, from what I can remember.

 

So be careful if you spill it into your waste tank or into the MSP.

[campingmaggie]

Tried a SOG but for the last two years of full timing have not used anthing. Empty the thing every morning, not so heavy, some smell, no big deal, no cost, no damage to environment or seals. Chill out.

[campingmaggie]

Tried a SOG but for the last two years of full timing have not used anthing. Empty the thing every morning, not so heavy, some smell, no big deal, no cost, no damage to environment or seals. Chill out.

[Mike88]

Tesco Biological value liquid works better than the blue and green purpose made fluid. One cassette capful per fill is sufficient to keep the odours at bay. The last time I bought some it was 99p per litre.

 

Washing machines have rubber hoses so I don't see that there is much of a likliehood that seals in a cassette toilet will be adversely affected.

[colin]

After reading this thread I have used bio liquid on our previously smelly bath drain in the old house. We had got into a cycle of having to dose the drain with bleach and 'drain unblocker' (stronger dose of bleach). First I put in a daily small dose of bio for couple of weeks, now putting in half a capfull twice a week, no more smells or blocked drain.