gray water tank sanitation

melpeter

Is it ok to pour 1/4 c of Clorox mixed into a quart of water down the sink into a half-filled gray tank? I know we can't use Clorox in the toilet but what about down the sink?

ScottG

Why can't you use Clorox in the toilet/black tank, other than possibly smelling it when you open the gate to flush?

The bigger question might be why one would need to sanitize either the black or grey tank. The fresh water tank and supply lines certainly, but (I hope) you won't be re-consuming any of your waste water!  :-)

Verna

Many campgrounds who use septic systems do not want you to use any Chlorox or Spic N Soan products in your tanks because they kill the good bacteria in the drain field.

I’ve used Happy Camper for over two years with great results. I put the Happy Camper in the gray tank 3 or 4 times a year to make sure it’s getting cleaned out of food particles down the drain, etc. 

melpeter

ScottG said:

Why can't you use Clorox in the toilet/black tank, other than possibly smelling it when you open the gate to flush?

The bigger question might be why one would need to sanitize either the black or grey tank. The fresh water tank and supply lines certainly, but (I hope) you won't be re-consuming any of your waste water!  :-)

The gray water tank gets stinky if you wash dishes or empty the last bit of a carton of milk or rinse a tomato sauce jar etc. Thetford toilet instructions say never use Clorox in the toilet.  

dsfdogs

@melpeter use the Happy Camper product for smells and help with break down. I don't rinse any food particles into the sink. Everything is wiped off first with a paper towel.

melpeter

I don’t like the price of Happy Camper compared to Clorox, though. And it doesn’t take much- a few tablespoons. Most people use way too much Clorox. 

Verna

Please do not use chlorox. It really is not suitable for our waste tanks and the drainage fields.

I’m sure our resident biologist @Ratkity can give you more information. Hey, @Ratkity....what say you?

Ratkity

Clorox will eventually harden and degrade seals. It is not recommended in septic systems either. Please use an environmentally safe alternative. There are many things available. If you are so concerned about price, then wipe your dishes like you did when tent camping. Wash and rinse them in a small tub. Take the gray water and dump at the camp station sink. Use your gray tank for hand washing only. That way, you'll only have soap and water in your gray tank. Remember, your shower water goes into your gray tank. No peeing in the shower!!

jkjenn

Vinegar and Dawn seem to be on the list for every DIY solution. 

melpeter

jkjenn said:

Vinegar and Dawn seem to be on the list for every DIY solution. 

I called Thetford to ask about vinegar-water and dawn. They say it’s A-OK to use it to clean the toilet. 

Sharon_is_SAM

@melpeter, there is another option that is cheaper - the GEO method.  

In a gallon of water, mix 1 cup powdered Borax or Calgon + 1 cup liquid blue Dawn detergent for the black tank.  Use only the Borax/ Calgon in a gallon of water for the grey tank.  Google it for more info.

melpeter

Sounds good. Thank you. Earlier I had googled and found GEO but they listed bleach. How often would you add a gallon of Borax/ Calgon mix to gray tank? I did buy Camco TST pods for the black tank. I was just trying to figure out how to keep the gray tank clean. I hate the idea of not being able to wash dishes in my sink, of having to carry them outside and dump the wash water in some camp station sink. That’s not at all what I had in mind! 

Sharon_is_SAM

Since some dish soap will probably go down the drain, you don’t need to do the GEO method with every tank.  If you are watching what you put down the sink and filling the gray tank pretty quickly/dumping regularly, no need to use the GEO mix more frequently than every other dump or so😀. Keep your shower p trap filled with water.  Some folks actually cover the shower drain with one of those plastic discs used to stop a drain and fill a sink.