seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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What a great improvement I made with this little devise. The lil stanker is a 12 volt fan that mounts on the roof over the existing vent pipe leading to the black water holding tank. When I am camping I turn the fan on low and it goes to work. I don't know if anybody else here has ever had a problem but if you use the exaust fan in the bathroom all it does is pull the odor straight up out of the black water tank when you flush. This prevents this from happening. It's also very quiet.
* This post was
edited 07/07/08 08:47am by seb503 *
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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We keep our black tank properly cleaned and deoderized. We never get a bad smell when flushing with the exhaust fan on.
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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I keep mine properly cleaned as well, but when the temps are 90+ degrees and you are on a week long camping trip with no sewer hook ups, you will get odors, I don't care how much you clean the tank. 40 Gallons of you know what is going to smell!!!
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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I keep 2 cups of laundry detergent and 2 cups of bleach in the tank with the "you know what"  That keeps the smell down.
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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I use calgon water softener which makes clean out a lot better. Things seem to just slide right on out. I had heard bleach works pretty good, but I also heard that could damage the sensors which did not make sense to me since the fresh water tank additive is basically chlorine. I'm sure the sensors are the same in all the tanks. And people use bleach washing dishes, which goes straight into the gray water tank.
Also my manual says not to use bleach or chlorine in the holding tanks. It says to use chemicals specifically designed to treat black water. I'm sure this a warrenty thing and since mine is no longer under warrenty, I might give that a try.
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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seb503: read up on the GEO Method
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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OK, Maybe i'm missing something. Everything I read about the GEO Method refers to calgon being used to help clean out the tanks. I'm using it already. What am I missing.
I never said I had a serious problem with odors. It's just a simple fact that doo doo and pee is going to stink in 90+degree tank after a week. It doesn't matter how clean the tank started off. I agree good maintance will certainly make things better. I have a dump station at my house that I use each and everytime I get back. The tanks get thoroughly flushed until clear water comes out of both. All I'm saying is this little $34.00 fan that installed in less than 30 minutes can save you from an unpleasant odor.
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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Calgon doesn't help clean the tank. Laundry detergent and lots of water clean out the tank. Calgon water softener helps keep things from sticking to the inner walls of the tank once clean. Bleach helps keep the oder down and works with the detergent to keep the tank clean. Here is the website for the Geo Method. It explains everything and it works great.
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seb503
Florida
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Joined: 12/16/2006
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Still, that is what I do now, except for the bleach. I don't know where your from or the kind of weather you camp in, but when a family of 4(wife, myself and 2 kids 4 and 6 y/o) go camping for 6 or 7 days straight in the Florida heat things can get smelly when your at a site that has no sewer hook ups. I don't care what kind of method you use to clean the tank. I don't notice any odors when I camp in the winter(temps 70 degrees or less). And now with this little roof vent fan I don't get odors at all, winter or summer.
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outdoorsman2007
In the Woods - Somewhere!
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Joined: 04/12/2007
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The bleach is a big part of it.
Look - If you don't like the idea then don't use it. If the fan thing works for you thats cool. I'm just sharing my experience as you were. I don't any oders from my tank.
I was just camping in mid 90's over the holiday weekend. Not a bad smell at all - even when I flushed the toilet with the bathroom exhaust fan running.
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