Elsan Organic

[naittaw]

This season I've taken to using the relatively new Elsan Organic Toilet Fluid. Largely on the grounds that it is organic and can be used in top tank as well as holding tank and that means one less bottle to carry. However it began to look as if it was having a corrosive effect on the open/close slide and on the neck of the filler tube. Dont know what it was doing within the tank. Now home and have taken it apart for a good clean and what appeared to be corrosion is a grey gritty substance sticking to the surfaces, which is quite difficult to remove. I've given up on Elsan. Any similar experience ? Is it my diet ! Anyone want an unopened 1.5 litres of the stuff ?

[Brian Kirby]

I suspect that grey gritty stuff is limescale.  Using the Thetford descaler should remove it - or follow Clive's advice and, if you descale a kettle/coffee pot, tip the descaler into the (clean and empty! :-)) Thetford cassette and swirl it around for a bit.  Haven't tried this yet myself, but he claimed great results.  Of course, you may well live in a soft water area, and have no need for such luxuries!

[naittaw]

Yes we do live in a soft water area but, of course, use water wherever we are on tour. I would have expected limescale to form no matter what chemical we used. By the lack of response to my concern it would appear that the problem with Elsan is not a common one ! Thanks Brian

[Brambles]

Contrary to what you say about elsan problem not being a common one, it is a common problem with the organic fluids. Most modern 'green ' toilet fluids do not prevent the build up of lime scale. Thetford blue 8 year ago was fine but they have since changed the formulation and I believe is in effect same as the green and is useless now in my opinion. I have tried Elsan Blue, brilliant, Elson green, useless, cheap liesure products toilet fluid blue (with formaldehyde) best of the lot at keeping cassette scale free and breaking down the waste. I have never tried Bio washing (laundry) liquid.

 

Oh and by the way the limescale does not mainly come from the water supply but what we personally put into the cassette. All the calcium rich food we eat I suppose.

[naittaw]

I take that on board, but the odd thing is that I have never had this problem before using Elsan Organic, and that's over 15 years.

[Brambles]

I think all the big brand manufactures/suppliers have reformulated all their toilet fluids and other products over the last few years as more and more chemicals get bannd or seen as being harmful.

 

To remove the scale, lemon juice works very well. Or you can use vinegar, one or other surely hiding in the kitchen cupboard.

[Derek Uzzell]

As my motorhome has a SOG ventilator, I don't use toilet chemicals. However I do empty the cassette very regularly (2 -day interval maximum). I find that there is very little lime-scale build-up in the cassette, but what does form is easily removed using a citric acid solution, as recommended by Thetford.