Advice please - emptying the toilet holding tank
OK, so I'll apologise straight away if this post offends anyone. We're all human so I'm hoping that more experienced caravanners (and motorhomers)may be able to help.
Just got back from my first trip of 2016 and because I had my dog with me I decided to use all the onboard 'facilities' rather than the shower block & toilets -- my dog is a rescue and has separation anxiety.
On packing up obviously the watermaster needs emptying as does the Thetford holding tank for the chem toilet ....
Hence the main question :
Is there a 'trick' or can anyone share their experience on the best way to empty a tank which contains ..... erm ..... solids ? ! ?
Presumably others use their toilet for both 'options' (ie, not just a pee) so no doubt you have experience in getting the solid waste out of the tank !
Admittedly its not one of the more glamourous questions about caravanning, but hey, I struggled so I thought I'd ask
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moonchip, no apologies needed, we all have to do it wether it's full of liquid or solids as well. I have found that "Bio pods" as in washing machine gel pods, (but they have to be "Bio" and pods, not tablets, or powder) work very well in breaking down the lumps. If you lok up the thread "Tips for making caravanning cheaper," page three, Bio Pods Do they really work? you will find more information. 'Fraid can't do the link, so you will have to get there the slow way. Perhaps some kind member will do it for us please......
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Hi moonchip, good of you to ask. I wouldn’t be surprised if others are glad to see such a subject come up, so don’t apologise.
I assume that you know how to remove the cassette and where to take it to empty (if not, ask). A tip I often offer people is, when you have removed the cap, to put it on the ground carefully in a way that it won’t roll away, away from where you will pour,
and where you are unlikely to kick it. Don’t be tempted to put it on a convenient shelf or wall, where it could fall down into the pit. I know someone who ‘lost’ their cap down a drain. When they had the courage to go and find it, they found more than one
(so if it can happen, one day it might)!I also assume that you know to press a button to let air in as the contents come out. If you empty soon after the toilet has been used, there are likely to be solids present and some will remain inside. Fill the cassette with some water and give it a gentle
swirl to persuade the remainder to fall out. Take care not to shake vigorously; there are parts inside which could be knocked loose by ‘serious’ solids and they could disappear down the drain as you empty. Even if they don’t, it’s not a place you’ll want to
visit and repair in a hurry. You may still not expel everything but add some more water before replacing the cap. Put some more ‘blue’ in (back at the van, to save carrying the container with you) and that should take care of anything that’s still trapped.
You may be able to take the cassette and your dog to the emptying point in your car.If that hasn’t dealt with what you need to know, just ask again.
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I always charge the cassette with Elsan toilet fluid, Blue, before using the loo, with that and the flush water mixed, after 3 days it's ready to be emptied. A good washout afterwards then recharge it with fluid again. Never had a problem,always use the
vans toilet for all eventualities!0 -
Thanks Steve.....
PS how do you do it ?.....
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looks like most has been covered but to emphasise to important points....
one, ....keep the cap away from where ot can be 'lost'
two...press the orange button to allow air back into the cassette to allow emptying
good luck...its really not that bad, we rearely use site toilets so empty many, many, many times each year.
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I always charge the cassette with Elsan toilet fluid, Blue, before using the loo, with that and the flush water mixed, after 3 days it's ready to be emptied. A good washout afterwards then recharge it with fluid again. Never had a problem,always use the
vans toilet for all eventualities!Write your comments here...3 days with number 2's our cassette is full half way through the night on day 2 and we only do number 1's do you have a short sized toilet in you van?
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No way of putting this delicately.
But solids given time will break down into a slurry, I don't think this has anything to do with blue. Just them rehydrating. However sometimes you may empty the toilet with fresh solids in it. Then the only solution is to rinse and rinse again until you
have flushed the blighter out.0 -
Are you putting enough blue diluted with water, in the bottom tank before you start to use it, and a using a good amount of flush after use from the top tank? I ask because friends who were inexperienced caravanners had no idea how to use the cassette toilet fluids properly, and so their cassette rapidly filled with difficult to tip out 'material'! I don't think they'd added blue, or water to the bottom tank, nor did they flush enough after each use!
If you don't use 'blue' and some water, your solids are likely to remain just that 'solid' particularly if you're someone who doesn't drink a lot of fluid, thereby providing liquid to help the solids disperse!
You also need to make sure you're using 'appropriate' toilet paper. Some papers for household use are difficult to break down in a cassette. There are specialist papers for cassettes, but these are expensive. We always use a French toilet paper, designed for septic tank systems, which is cheap - but I'm sure others who buy in England will recommend the best type. And most importantly, especially on sites with septic tanks, DON'T USE toilet wet wipes - even if they say they are biodegradable!
Sorry but there's no way to say these things without being a bit blunt!! And if we don't say them, others may not use their cassette correctly either!
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We always used the Elsan Organic fluid and use our facilities for everything, ease of emptying. However after reading the bio tab thread we gave them a try for last season, not found any noticable difference, we did sometimes use the fluid, mainly so it
would get used up. I have to say I'd forgotten about pressing the button - so it's always good to share
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I always charge the cassette with Elsan toilet fluid, Blue, before using the loo, with that and the flush water mixed, after 3 days it's ready to be emptied. A good washout afterwards then recharge it with fluid again. Never had a problem,always use the
vans toilet for all eventualities!Write your comments here...3 days with number 2's our cassette is full half way through the night on day 2 and we only do number 1's do you have a short sized toilet in you van?
surely the other way round, Micheal....
if you fill your loo in less than two days and you only pee in it then you are either drinking too much tea or (i suspect this one) over flusing the toilet.....so its 99% filled with fresh water.
like Ray, we can use our loo for 3 days before emptying....
theres little point in emptying every day, just makes you traipse to the toilet block/CCEP which is exactly what i am trying to aviod....
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moonchip, no apologies needed, we all have to do it wether it's full of liquid or solids as well. I have found that "Bio pods" as in washing machine gel pods, (but they have to be "Bio" and pods, not tablets, or powder) work very well in breaking down the lumps. If you lok up the thread "Tips for making caravanning cheaper," page three, Bio Pods Do they really work? you will find more information. 'Fraid can't do the link, so you will have to get there the slow way. Perhaps some kind member will do it for us please......
But as I said in an earlier post, if you're using your caravan on a site with only septic tank sewage facilities (such as many in rural France) then you shouldn't use bio pods or a formaldehyde 'blue' toilet fluid, as they can cause problems with the biological breakdown within the septic tank system.
There are various types of 'safe' and 'green' toilet chemicals which I would encourage all caravanners to use. (green meaning Eco, not green in colour!)
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Wow two posts jumped in as I was typing. Yes I agree with ValDa don't use 'good' toilet paper. We used to use the Elsan expensive stuff but find that any of the supermarket's value ones are good. I'd go as far as to say the same as the Elsan ones, but
apart from touching and using I have no proof. I do pop the odd moist toilet tissue in (Sainsburys) and not had a problem.0 -
At the disposal point:
stand the waste tank on its end and swivel the spout vertically
Remove cap and leave on the ground away from the 'hole'
I also remove the slide cover so it cannot get lost!
Lift and point into 'hole and press the button - if you press the button before you attain the 'spout nose down attitude' liquid will leak out of the vent
refill, shake gently and empty. I also open the slide and stick the hosepipe in and flush out until clear
Add a litre or two of water
Back at the caravan add "the blue" I have recently started using the chemical toilet sachets ( bought off ebay ) more expensive but so so easy and no risk of spillage
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Thanks Steve.....
PS how do you do it ?.....
......First I apologies for going off thread.
I don't know if it is the best way as it seems involved but it works.
copy the link from the web page, on this one it just seems to say caravan club .uk but when you touch on it to copy there is more behind.
paste link into reply box
select the link you have pasted and press the link symbol, third from left beside italic
a dialog box opens, paste the link again into the box which says link URL and click on insert. This makes the link live.
I have no idea how you do those links that just say here or if there is an easier way, perhaps someone will tell us.
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To change the long link in the above post into 'Toilet Tips' first type in 'Toilet Tips' (or whatever you want yourl link to say) in your text, then copy the link (URL) from the webpage you want to refer to. Highlight the text whichyou want to contain the link (mouse over it until it goes blue). Then in the blue/grey bar above where you're typing, click the thing that looks like a chain symbol (next to the Italic symbol) and paste in the link you just copied.
Then click the box which says Target, and select the option Open Link in a New Window, then click Insert. Your text will then become a 'Hyperlink'.
Hey presto, clicky link.
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Thanks for all the replies thus far. I knew about pressing the air relief button and as for fluid I use the correct amount of 'blue' mixed with water (about 2 litres). So far we have only caravanned in the UK, but I'll bear in mind ValDa's suggestion for
when we visit the Continent.The idea about bio-tabs sounds good and I can see the reasoning in this from a chemical / biological stand-point.
I guess its a 'learning point' and I'm sure it will get easier as time goes by.
Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to reply - it is very appreciated
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I find my cassette will last three days for "full use". Some of the more modern vans have the dark grey/orange cassettes which are smaller than the original pale grey/yellow which have a greater capacity.
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Thank you for showing your appreciation moonchip. It makes a refreshing change to hear that our replies are helpful. Some posters are never heard from again, after their original posts.
Thanks also to Steve and ValDa for their explanation, I'll be working on it .....
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Not the most pleasant bit of caravanning. Not anything new to add but would stress that the cap should not be put anywhere that might let it fall into the trap. I rinse it out with water after emptying and use the proper fluid rsther than bio tabs as although
they seem to work for some people I am not convinced they are the best.Aldi sell the toilet fluids cheaply regularly in their offers so I look out for them and buy the fluid then.
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Who would’ve thought there’d be so much to say on this subject? And I’ve just thought of something else to add.
It will depend on your toilet using habits but, if you tend to fill quickly, I’d suggest making it a habit to empty, or at least check, each evening. You don’t want to find your cassette full in the middle of the night or even first thing in the morning. Emptying whilst in your pyjamas is not the best idea because Sod will have ensured that it’s raining.
If you should overfill your cassette, such that contents are above the flap and still in the bowl, don’t just pull the cassette out. It may be possible to swing the emptying tube out of the access door. Get a bucket and gently remove the cap, letting excess liquid come out. It’s a good idea to get the culprit to do this, as it could be messy, but it’s better than having it all slop into the bowels of your cassette area.
And finally: have some method to indicate that the toilet is out of action (maybe a towel over the seat) while you’re doing the task, to avoid an unpleasant “surprise” on return.
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One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.
Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants
when next opening the blade. 0 -
One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing
the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants
when next opening the blade. Well thanks for the tip. Never caravanned, so far, in really cold contidions but WELL WORTH knowing
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Just opening the blade slowly helps as well
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If you visit rural areas abroad - Greece, Turkey and most of Russia outside of the main cities - toilet paper is placed in a bin because the sewage system cannot cope. You soon get used to it and you can do the same in a caravan or Motorhome.
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Surely no need hitchglitch, as toilet paper breaks down in the tank ?......
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One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing
the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants
when next opening the blade. Well thanks for the tip. Never caravanned, so far, in really cold contidions but WELL WORTH knowing
I thought that only applied to older cassettes and they now have a valve to release pressure. If you have SOG, it will be vented. In an unvented tank, pressure can be created in hot weather and from gases being produced from within.
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