Black and Gray Water Holding Tank Maintenance

[herk7769]

Originally Posted by westyguy

Interesting exchange. Is Calgon different or would any water softener work. Also, why not use the liquid form and avoid the issue of dissolving?

Any water SOFTENER will work. I use the liquid Calgon myself since it is readily available here.

Remember that water softener SALT is NOT a water softener. It is the FLUSH for the ion exchange column. Adding water softener salt to your black tank is a VERY bad idea for many reasons (corrosion is one).

[westyguy]

Thanks herk7769.

[dnaraG_1M]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Any water SOFTENER will work. I use the liquid Calgon myself since it is readily available here.

Back when I was a kiddo in the late 40s and early 50s, my mom
used to add "Borax" to the wash, claiming that it would soften our
titanium hard water. (nobody we knew then had heard of regular
water softer systems.) Do you know if that is true about Borax
or just an Old Mom's Tale?

(Yes, I was REAL careful with the spelling!!!)


cheers,
johnd

[herk7769]

BORAX is not a water softener; it is a detergent (like soap).

Borax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calgon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calgon water softener contains the active ingredients zeolite and polycarboxylate, which are less problematic in wastewater treatment than phosphates.

[dnaraG_1M]

Originally Posted by herk7769

BORAX is not a water softener; it is a detergent (like soap).

Borax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calgon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Calgon water softener contains the active ingredients zeolite and polycarboxylate, which are less problematic in wastewater treatment than phosphates.

Hmmmm.
Lou, I read your borax link and saw the following paragraph:

[Borax as a source of borate has been used to take advantage of the co-complexing ability of borate with other agents in water to form complex ions with various substances. Borate and a suitable polymer bed are used to chromatograph non-glycosylated hemoglobin differentially from glycosylated hemoglobin (chiefly HbA1c), which is an indicator of long term hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus. Borate and a proprietary synthetic amino acid, Deselex (from Henkel) have been used to complex water "hardness" cations to make a non-precipitating water "softener". Borate alone does not have a high affinity for "hardness" cations, although it has been used for that purpose.]

The last sentence sheds a little dark on the subject, but it
seems to imply that borate (borax) has some
ability to water soften, but not much.....?....
(Moms aren't always right - even about the laundry, but
they're always moms and we love 'em for it........)

Guess that I'll be "Mr. Calgon" when I get the TT going!

Thanks for the help,
johnd

[herk7769]

Originally Posted by dnaraG_1M

The last sentence sheds a little dark on the subject, but it seems to imply that borate (borax) has some
ability to water soften, but not much.....?

John, you read that right. Calgon (both the dry and liquid varieties) is formulated to JUST soften water. It does not wash clothes at all and you would still need to add soap to wash your clothes.

As to black tank maintenance; I use both 1/2 cup of Calgon and 1/2 cup of laundry soap (plus 3-5 gallons of water) in my black and gray tanks on my way to the campground. Then dump as usual for my stay. Power flush with the turbo flush prior to the ride home. We do this EVERY time without fail.

[Rebel702]

Just received my order of Calgon (pwdr) from Amazon.
Amazon.com: Calgon Water Softener Powder, 40-Ounce (Pack of 2): Health & Personal Care

Could not find any local, even in Wally.