Geo Method

[BandJCarm]

OK, so we read about the GEO method and bought it. We decided to try it from the git-go on new trailer. Calgon is cheap and Walmart carries it. Got LA Cleaner off of Amazon. That and bleach and pine sol.

I don't now if it works........I assume it does............too new to know.

BUT

STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN! Nothing in that mixture cuts the bad smell of the black tank. It permeates the entire basement and all around the camper and inside the bathroom. And we used a ton of that mixture every time we dumped.

SO........sorry, but although I buy the Calgon benefit, I'll be using that mixture but adding liquid chemicals that hopefully cut the smell!

Comments welcome.

[JustB_Rad]

I just switched after a year in a new unit. I'm not sure it works either, however, I haven't gotten the smell you describe. I'm using Calgon and a cheap bottle of Dawn.

[DreiHunde]

Hmmm ...I just use 1 cup each of Calgon and Laundry Detergent, no smell and so far (2 years) it seems to work ok.

And we use the toilet for everything toilets were intended for!

Strange

[BandJCarm]

Hmmmmmmmm.

Odd. But this was same for about 5 tank dumpings over a 10 day camping period.

Residual smell still lingers, in driveway.

[JustB_Rad]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

Hmmmmmmmm.

Odd. But this was same for about 5 tank dumpings over a 10 day camping period.

Residual smell still lingers, in driveway.

Is your vent pipe clear?

[DreiHunde]

Do you leave any water in the tank? After I dump I add the mixture with 2 or 3 gals of water to the tank.

[BamaBob]

Try this:

The first thing to remember is the holding tanks are just that, "Holding Tanks" and not a Septic System!

DO's

•Use plenty of water when you flush.
•Let the tanks fill to at least 3/4's full before dumping.
•Dump the Black Tank 1st & Gray Tank 2nd.

Don'ts


•Don't leave the black tank dump valves open or you just might end up with the dreaded pyramid ‘o poo J.

•Don't dump anything other than water down the kitchen sink. Why? The Gray Tank does not have a power rinser and the outlet pipe is only about 1-1/4" compared to the 3" black tank drain line. This allows food particles to remain in the tank.

•Restrict the use of chlorine bleach. It's bad for the seals and not really good for a septic system (the place you are dumping YOUR holding tanks.

•Don't mix rinse tank hoses with fresh water hoses. (Ewwwww!...but I have seen this done on multiple occasions at campgrounds!)

Dump/Rinse Procedure

1. Put on a set of gloves – I went to farm supply and got a really nice pair of chemical gloves for @ $5 and they work SO much better than those cheapo disposable sewer gloves.

2. Check your hose connections. Really. Make sure they are SECURE. Don't ask me how I know!

3. Pull the dump handle of the black tank. Let the tank empty completely before you turn the rinser on.

4. Hook the hose up to the black tank rinse and run the rinser until the line runs clear water.

5. Open the gray tank valve and let it drain.

6. Close the gray tank valve, replace the cap, rinse your hose and let it drain before placing it in storage.

7. Put a liberal amount of hand sanitizer on your gloves and then wipe off with a paper towel. Take off your gloves and wash your hands (or at least use hand sanitizer).


Bob’s Tank Chemical mix

Equal parts of:

• RV Digest-it (I have recently added this to the homebrew. It's a biologic and speeds the decomposition of toilet paper)
• SuperClean (You can get it on amazon.com)
• Liquid Calgon
• Pinesol
  
  I usually mix up a couple of gallons at a time and this is usually good for a whole camping season. After every dump, I put 6OZ in my black tank & 4OZ in each of my gray tanks. Then add a gallon (2 gallons in the black tank) of water to each tank to get things started J

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by DreiHunde

Do you leave any water in the tank? After I dump I add the mixture with 2 or 3 gals of water to the tank.

X2. All I've ever used is 1 cup of Calgon and 1 cup of powdered laundry soap and dump in 5 gallons of water prior to leaving on a trip and let it work its magic.

I have no black tank odours. Calgon softenes the water and prevents solids from sticking to the tank, which should result in a well drained tank.

[DDC]

Been using the calgon and laundry detergent for a few years now and didn't have any problems, using it in the new trailer now to. I don't think bleach is a good idea as it "gasses" and will carry any orders with it.

[jgourlie]

I have been using the Blue-Streak system this year. I was using just the drop in packs last year and I had a bad smell all the time.

This year it smells like the baby powder smell of the blue streak all the time...so far I am loving it. Haven't filled my tank yet once so I haven't dumped it yet, but the smell is good.

[Teamfour]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

That and bleach and pine sol.

I would be real careful mixing those two items. You will know why if you have ever poured pine-sol into a cup full of powdered chlorine. You will end up with extreme heat, possible flame, and potentially fatal fumes. Been there, done that (not in an RV).

[BandJCarm]

I took all those measures.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by DDC

Been using the calgon and laundry detergent for a few years now and didn't have any problems, using it in the new trailer now to. I don't think bleach is a good idea as it "gasses" and will carry any orders with it.

From the home page of Geo Method, at top, the Heading:

Using Water Softener, Laundry Detergent, and Chlorine Bleach

so, that's how we did it.

Apparently something is amiss. The vent is fine. I really don't know.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by DDC

Been using the calgon and laundry detergent for a few years now and didn't have any problems, using it in the new trailer now to. I don't think bleach is a good idea as it "gasses" and will carry any orders with it.

X2 - Donald is correct bleach is a BAD idea in your holding tanks.

[Restcure]

We've been using it for over 5 years - Calgon and powdered Sunlight for the black tank and Calgon alone for the grey. It caused no bad smells and, as a bonus, our tanks sensors have always worked. And yes, we use our toilet as a toilet!

We use a chlorine bleach solution as part of the spring dewinterization process to sanitize the fresh water tanks, but just once annually and never in the waste tanks.

I don't know how Pine Sol and LA's Totally Awesome got into the mix.

[BandJCarm]

Pine Sol for smell, and cleaner.........

Bleach is what he recommends:
https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/

No laundry detergent, so used LA Cleaner.

Couldn't do it exactly as he said because no hot water (at least not without heating some, which I admit we didn't do).

Really not sure what I did wrong since everyone else has no issues.

[whj77372]

Calgon water softner and power laundry detergent and lots of water that is all I use and I have never had any ordor.

[W5CI]

I use the Blue drop in tablets in black tank, never any odor