Getting Rid of our Black Tank Smell in our Airstream RV using the GEO Method

We walk you through how to empty your black tank, clean out your sewer hose and implement the GEO method to prevent smelly black tank issues. Great for full-timers and newbie RVers alike!
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[@geraldhenrickson7472]

In 50 years of RV'ing I have found this subject never gets old. No one method seem to work for everyone and that is good because everyone seems to have their own ritual. I am happy you found your own personal remedy to the holding tank odor issue.

[@AStreaminLife]

We agree. It seems like there are almost as many methods as there are RVers. What ever works! Thanks so much!

[@GEORGEEEJ]

Well planned, informative, and edited. Glad to hear on the comments about no bleach.

[@luisp4009]

Thank you for posting. You absolutely have a gift for teaching, not everyone have that precious gift. God bless you!

[@michaelf.3162]

Bleach will wreck the seals in the toilet and the tank valves. Most rv toilets say not to use any bleach containing cleaners in your toilet. I would love to be able to.

[@aszilagyi100]

I’m looking forward too starting this process in my camper, thanks Love the common sense discussion

[@davidothus8823]

We rv full time for 3 years and you are doing exactly what we did... only we never used the bleach because over time it will damage your rubber seals. That is why in a normal house toilet the bleach tablets inside the tank will cause problems over time... great videos... one other tip is when we dump right before driving somewhere we would fill the tank half full with soap and disk solution with lots of water then after driving for a while it acted like a washing machine to help clean then we would dump that... which would be almost clean...

[@AStreaminLife]

Great tips! Yes, we no longer recommend bleach for the exact reasons you listed. Thanks so much!

[@BillAndersonNS]

Several of the other KZbin RVers also mentioned that after the black tank is emptied and you put your water softener and water in it, add a few bags of ice cubes and go for a drive. The ice cubes sloshing around is supposed to do a pretty good job of scouring the sides of the black tank.

[@AStreaminLife]

We've heard of the ice cube trick but since we were stationary didn't try it. When moving it sounds like it works like a charm. Thanks for the tip!

[@chs417]

nah the ice cube thing doesn't work. there's a video out on youtube with a clear tank and a video camera that shows just how ineffective it is

[@nancyhoeppner1507]

@@chs417 I work for a couple with very expensive RVs and they swear by the bag of ice trick

[@BenjaminHansen]

I think Mythbusters debunked this method.

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

I’m no expert but shouldn’t you flush out the black tank after emptying it, then flush the tube with the grey water? Also borax will do better than water softener as it adds oxygen to the tank, helping to keep it aerobic.

[@jerrywhite3095]

You are correct. After I empty my black tank, I let the inlet hose clean the black tank for about 3 minutes, close the black tank and let fill for about 1/2 or 3/4 full and then open the black tank again to drain. Close the black tank and then open the grey tanks to rinse the drain line. When done add about 2 gallons of water in the tank. I then normally add a 1/2 cup of borax and 1/2 cup of dawn and flush down the toilet. Seems to work for me. But, when I first brought my used camper, I had a hard time cleaning the black tanks. I brought RV Digest on Amazon and used that to break down stubborn matter like toilet paper and do do that was setting for some time.

[@jlruiz7634]

I’m gonna use borax, do I have to dissolve in hot water first or can I just dump the powder into the toilet? Thx

[@JustPlainCommonSense]

I have a few of those "Remove Before Flight" flags myself! I thought it interesting that your Grey tank handle is Black and your Black tank handle is Grey. I've done some rather extreme things such as this to get odors down a couple times but after things got straightened out a good weekly tank flush keeps things about where they need to be. Great Video!

[@AStreaminLife]

Isn't it funny the colors of the handles? WHY?!?! Thanks so much!

[@CarolynsRVLife]

This is a great idea - and simple to do . Thank you for the video!

[@AStreaminLife]

You are welcome Carolyn. Hope it helps!

[@CarolynsRVLife]

I hope so too! Was the problem when you drove or just sitting? My biggest problem is when I drive and it all moves around..

[@AStreaminLife]

We were pretty much stationary at that point so we didn't have issues with movement. We think it was just build up from the previous owners + the incredibly hard water we have in AZ.

[@CarolynsRVLife]

k. thanks for the info! Happy traveling!

[@chs417]

you should check into adding a flush valve like the tornado flush valve to the black tank. A simple install and makes flushing it and adding water back to it a lot less troublesome than having to stand there flushing the toilet :) good video BTW, thanks for posting

[@AStreaminLife]

We have seen other rigs with a tornado flush valve and they seem like a much better way to flush out the black tank! Thanks so much for the advice!

[@chs417]

I've put it in my last two campers and I love it. if I ever trade this one off, and my next one doesn't have a factory flush valve, I'll do it again too!

[@e.fifield9034]

try using a black water wand (pvc pipe on end of garden hose basically) they sell them at camper dealers . it uses the pressure from your city water with a capped end on the pvc and holes drilled in side of end cap for a horizontal spray . this is used after tank has been drained with valve open to blast off any stuck on debris. helps prevent clogs in line and then just use a couple of drop in chemical tabs to about three gallons of water .

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks E. Fifield! Good to know. We're supposed to have a built in cleaner that does something similar but we don't think it actually functions anymore. Spraying down the sides of the tank would definitely help.

[@TheQUBANQT]

You guys explain everything so well!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks so much. We try to explain things so we would understand it :)

[@volfan1nga]

We got a "sewage" smell in our fifth wheel. It turns out where the unit was plumbed for a washing machine, which we didn't have, the drain P-trap had evaporated allowing smell from the grey tank to get into the camper. So now we keep an eye on that. Also an upgraded black tank vent will help if the smell is coming from the black tank. I just subscribed so keep up the good work. We are going full time next year!

[@AStreaminLife]

Good suggestions! We don't have to worry about the washing machine ;) but keeping an eye on any and all P-traps is a good idea. Thanks so much for subscribing and good luck with your transition to full time!

[@stizandelasage]

this is so sophisticated to me

[@golfbum18]

Most say never use bleach in any kind of proportion. There are other products....say no to bleach.

[@richardcheatham9490]

Yes, I did earn something-and thank you very much. Enjoy the travels. Excited here to be exercising 'due diligence' BEFORE answering the call of the open road.

[@AStreaminLife]

Glad you liked the video! Let us know if you have any other questions.

[@takayama1638]

Our trailer is 18 years old, and I've never used anything but that blue mess, whatever it's called. Y'all know. When I empty, I always empty black tank first, then grey water, fill grey water a couple more times, flush it out again, and after I drain black tank, I run water from dump station up inside the black tank from the drain hole. Then, I put the blue stuff in bowl, fill bowl with water and flush that down. While towing trailer, that gallon or so of blue/water mixture sloshes around a bit and keeps black tank clean. Never had any odors in all these years.

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Taka Yama. I also don't know the name of the blue stuff but I have seen it before. Good to know it works so well for you! Thanks for the advice :)

[@icepipaydimatera7744]

its porta clean i think whats ut called. its also used in airplane

[@Berrypancakes229]

Taka Yama What’s the blue stuff called

[@dzymslizzy3641]

Interesting. I don't have a rig yet, but we did have a boat for a while--basically the same kind of toilet as on RVs. Of course, not wanting to use our fresh water supply, the flush-out process was different--on a boat, the shower water drains into the bilge, where it's pumped overboard automatically, and the sink drains right out the side of the boad behind the sink. So, to flush out the black tank (the only holding tank), once it sounded like the pump-out hose was sucking air, we just put a fresh water hose from the dock through the bathroom window, and let water into the toilet that way, until the flush was running clear. Then, we just added some water and a special blue colored chemical made for those kinds of toilets, and there was never a problem. (And yes, we bought the boat used.)

[@stanleylett]

Thanks for video but like others have said never use bleach. Not just because of damage to rubber seals, but for your own health. Phosgene gas (also known as mustard gas used in WW1 as a chemical agent) is actually a byproduct of bleach when combined with ammonia (urine will have ammonia after 24 hours)

[@J.GriffingLures]

Great advice except for using bleach. From what I have been told, it is corrosive for the tank and its components. Another thing you can do that is inexpensive is take a 3ft piece of 1 inch pvc and use plumbers cement to attach a garden hose fitting with a shutoff on one end and a cap on the other end. drill 4 small holes on the sides of the cap evenly spaced. Then turn off the water supply to the rv so you can keep the toilet valve open without water running into it. Hook a hose to the pvc and put it in the tank thru the toilet and turn it on. If you spin it back and forth while lifting it up and down, the small jets of water will clean the walls of your tank. This works well for us. Total cost was less than 10 bucks. Love your videos!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks J. Griffing Lures! After hearing from a lot of smart folks, like yourself, we don't recommend the bleach anymore. I LOVE the idea of creating your own tank cleaning system. It seems easy and cheap and unlike the ones built into some RVs you KNOW it's working. Great idea!!!

[@ducky1dc]

No

[@lisakukla459]

One thousand likes!! Congratulations, folks! That's gotta be a good feeling.

[@markf5735]

One thing that I do is put about a half cup of Simple Green concentrate in the tank and dump a five gallon bucket of water in before I head to the camp ground. I'll also dump about five gallons of water in the tank after the initial tank dump and then re-dump. Obviously you can't do this when boondocking, but I've never had sensor problems or an odor problem. One more thing. Get your water hose and shore power cable out from under your sewer hose, you're risking cross contamination.

[@markf5735]

And thanks for the video!

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Mark. Thanks for the tip on the Simple Green concentrate. We've heard of that from a few people now. It's great that it has worked so well! And you are totally right about the hoses and cables. We're so careful to make sure we store them separately but we're not as careful to keep them apart once we're setup. Ooops! Lesson learned (going out to check on our current setup now). Thanks again!

[@AStreaminLife]

You're welcome :)

[@packingten]

Janitorial supply house all sell industrial deodorant super concentrated I paid about 10.00 a qt works on any unpleasant odors. Thanks for videos.

[@larryoverstreet3610]

Love the info, and also the "Remove Before Flight" keychain!

[@denisemackie1867]

I have used the GEO method for years ! This is not the right 'recipe' however. Done right - it's great

[@AStreaminLife]

I'm glad to hear you've had good results from the GEO method, Denise. We got our ingredients from the geo method website but are always looking for different ideas. I would love to hear what has worked for you!

[@smile4menow222]

so, what is the right "recipe"?

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Kathleen We would recommend exactly what's in the video maybe minus the bleach but that's just our opinion. Hope that helps!

[@dalewatkins9889]

I'm using the 'Scientific' Geo method, which explains 'why' it works as well. It can be found here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYa6eJ-jZ8yEnKc

[@packingten]

WATER SOFTENER?!... VINEGAR...It used to do that...doesn't harm anything will deodorize&remove hd water deposits. Just my opinion.

[@pameladudrow247]

Thx for such a helpful video...also have used RV that sat for a number of years!🙂

[@volfan1nga]

One more thing, try using some cheap liquid detergent for clothes instead of Dawn. Dawn is harsh and strips away oils. Laundry detergent leaves the inside slippery as can be. Wash a load of dishes with laundry soap and see what I mean. lol

[@AStreaminLife]

O that makes sense! I always remember Dawn strips away oils b/c they used it to clean up the birds after an oil spill. Since we don't want things to stick to the sides of the tank laundry detergent makes sense! Thanks so much!

[@dalewatkins9889]

You DO need to realize, there are a lot of 'oils' that go down to your grey tank, which is why Dawn works so well. Just think of all the butter, margarine & cooking oils used, which end up in the tank after doing dishes. Over time, it builds up in the tank and the sensors, so Dawn helps to break through these oils, and go down the hose when flushing! I use it in my black tank as well, and have never had 'smells' as some folks mention.

[@garymccarver5006]

With 20 years of RVing, I've never understood why some folks have black tank odor issues. I dump the black tank, then do a quick flush with the toilet, then dump the flush water before closing the black valve. Then add the toilet chemical of your choice. Then go back out and release the grey to flush the hose. Never put bleach in your tanks and leave for any length of time. It is very corrosive to your tank sensors and will eventually render them inop. This is for the same reason there is a warning on your pressure washer to never use bleach as a cleaning agent. Bleach is higher corrosive to all metals even when diluted. By simply rinsing my black tank after each release I've never had odor issues without using any other special procedures. If it's rinsed clean, there's nothing to smell.

[@michaelsmith9308]

I have a great answer for black tank smells especially in the heat! Always use a water treatment solution found at most walmarts, in addition to flushing your tank twice (if possible with hot water once) then use cultures natural LIVE bacteria to eat all the crap away:) CHANGE your exterior top vent (takes about ten or fifteen minutes) to a turbo self venting unit (sold on amazon- was cheap) That constant vent system MADE the biggest difference (i think its the turbo rv vent) EVEN in 120 degrees that shit will not stink with adequate water mixing treatment in the tank:)

[@TexasScout]

After living in an RV for the last year (Hurricane Harvey) and using your method, I can say positively that it does not keep it “clean”. Yes, it flushes most of what is stuck in low spots (my hose is 30’ long) out, however, there is still a film of brown goo that sticks to the inside of the hose. As for the GEO method, I can’t use it as I’m hooked up to a septic tank full time. You just don’t put any kind of chemicals in it.

[@AStreaminLife]

It's the best method we found with a typical RV toilet. We ended up switching out to a composting toilet and are much happier overall. Good luck!

[@maxmansmom]

great video thank you . we use a product called NUGEN, never have smell it's fantastic !!!!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for the tip!

[@leevaden8405]

Y’all are funny and informative Thanks for sharing

[@minnesconsinprepping7856]

If you do a lot of boon docking, you can just go outside....

[@livableincome]

Thank you. This is so helpful.

[@cpono]

Full disclosure: I haven't read all the comments. Here's my procedure. This is the order. Empty Black, flush black several times until nothing is coming down the sewer hose via clear section, then flush with grey. Remove sewer hose, LYSOL inside from both sides and each end before storing. That's the outside procedure. From the inside, push flush for about 10 seconds, add one scoop of HAPPY CAMPER, then flush another 10 seconds. Done. Great video, this is my constructive two cents.

[@AStreaminLife]

Sounds like a good process!

[@timcbi]

Anthony Edwards has a R.V. channel! Good info btw

[@andreaknox3801]

Tedious! Just toss the water softener and the dish soap down the toilet, then run the shower hose into the toilet. All the flushing, measuring, counting as if there's some "right" amount of water is just silly.

[@AStreaminLife]

True Andrea. As long as you get the water softener and soap into the tank with a good amount of water you're good. We like a routine. It makes it easier for us to remember and follow so this is what we decided on after reading the website :)

[@CanesFan65]

that was my thoughts as well. Why make it more complicated than it needs to be. Also I know that Bleach is BAD for Septic Systems (kills the enzymes) so use it to clean but try to limit how much you use it.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks CaneFan65. We learned the same about Bleach and no longer recommend it! :)

[@willaimr.kirkland8170]

Boy, you do a great job. Need you at my house. Thanks. Good show.

[@golfnut2599]

I wonder why you haven't spoken about adding a chemical to the black tank to breakdown solids and toilet paper. We've been camping for 40 years and have always used some type of chemical additive in the black tank . From what I've observed over the years the method you're describing is used to sanitize the grey tank. The grey tank gets stinky because of food particles, grease and other stuff that goes down the sink/shower, dead skin etc. Most people think the grey tank should not smell because it's mostly water, not true. You can use this method to freshen up the black tank (and the grey tank)when traveling from point a to point b when traveling. I always use an attachment on the end of the sewer hose to use fresh water to flush the sewer hose when I'm done draining the black and grey tanks because using grey water to flush the sewer hose is gross, too many organisms in there. Just my humble opinion, I appreciate the fact that you have put out this video, great job!

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks! We have heard lots of great reviews of different products to help break down solids in both the gray and black tanks. We don't have one we particularly recommend but there are a bunch of great options out there! Our tank was particularly dirty from the previous owners and those products weren't quite cutting it so that's why we went this route. Once we got the tanks cleaner the other products are good at maintaining. Thanks for the advice!

[@Ryu-di9rp]

2:26 moment of truth

[@donnadelahanty9903]

I really enjoy your videos!! I am in Scottsdale and am getting a t@b 320s soon. 😊👌🏽

[@pkatzmann1]

Thanks. I’ll give it a go.👍🏻

[@cliffwendy3765]

Need more clarity on what you do after this process and you're going on the road. Do you leave the soft and soapy flush in the black tank when driving or do you drive with empty tanks? If you're going boondocking obviously you'll fill up your fresh water tank, but how much water is in the black tank going boondocking ?

[@RxMixer]

Hi guys....next time you're going to be moving sites, dump about a bag or two of ice with some water (not a huge amount) in the black tank just before you leave. The movement of the ice on the inside of the tank should help knock off any clumps still attached to the inside. Also, please wear gloves while dumping tanks...NO EXCUSES. Washing hands afterwards just doesn't cut it. Gotta be careful. Don't wanna be making a trip to the ER for this. Later...Terry

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks again Terry! We've heard about the ice trick. We planned to try it on our next adventure (since we're mostly stationary) but since we should be installing our composting toilet before then (YAY!) it may not be necessary. We shall see. I'll relay your message about gloves to Steve. We've gotten that advice from a few people now. We definitely would rather be safe then sorry!

[@gliderider7077]

It works great

[@kathytucker6560]

the holding tank isn't a "septic" system exactly. Rather considered just a holding tank until it's emptied. Diluted bleach is what I will go with. it shouldn't come in contact with the rubber seal but just a few seconds. so no worries there either.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for the advice Kathy! You are right that they are holding tanks. You just have to be careful that when you empty them that the septic system there is sufficient. But we've never had any issues!

[@KoiPondPeppy]

Beneficial bacteria and enzymes keep the pond and the black tank smelling fresh as a natural spring. Seriously. The beneficial bacteria will continue to grow so long as there is "food" for them. We use RV Digest-it but I'm sure there are others. You don't have to waste all that water either. One gallon is all it takes. No smell. Just like using your toilet at home. I use it in the gray tank too. Also liquifies everything so there is nothing to "stick" to anything. I can't believe anybody out there is still dumping chemicals down their tank. Also, those sensors. I measured how much water we used to flush and confirmed the tank volume by filling it with a metered hose attachment so I know exactly how many flushes we can get. We mark off flushes on a blackboard next to the toilet. Easy peasy! Peace of mind too when the stupid sensor says 3/4 full but you know it's not because of the flushes on the blackboard.

[@Th3Prosp3ct]

Great information thanks for sharing.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for watching W4NT3D!

[@StreetMachine18]

Would it be easier to mix up a 5 gallon bucket of water with all the chemicals and then pour it down the hatch?

[@cecilbailey3418]

Some of the black tank cleaner nozzles are metal bleach is extremely corrosive and will destroy them, Bleach is also not good for the rubbers in the dump valves and the toilet flush valve., to just rinse and dump may be fine not sure about leaving the bleach in the tank. Some including myself have used bleach as well as pine sol and my rubber seals starting leaking and the dump valves starting working very hard a little baby oil solved that problem, it re-lubricated the dried out rubber.

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Cecil Since taping this video we learned that the bleach was not a very good idea in the black tank for the reasons you described. We're no longer recommending using it if you can help it. Thanks for the tip about the baby oil. If we end up having issues with our rubber drying out, now we know what to use!! We appreciate it!

[@ceciliapetrowsky2572]

I thought I read somewhere that bleach is not good for the campground septic systems.

[@projet2907]

You put the Baby oil in the Tank ? how much ? Thank you !

[@projet2907]

You put the Baby oil in the Tank ? how much ? Thank you !

[@123kisstube]

add your kool-aid of choice and dilute with sufficient water until you no longer can smell the stink. Furthermore, before going on a road trip a bag of ice to the black water tank. The ice will scrub the tank while the vehicle is in motion and remove the caked on matter that is causing the persistent odors. By the way do not use the toilet as a mixing bowl; chemical interactions will cause the flap seal to deteriorate.

[@jimschroeder1808]

learned something new TY

[@AStreaminLife]

We're glad!

[@omcbob37]

Guess I've never looked at the dump valves on an Airstream before, but that seems confusing to me. The gray tank drain handle is black and the black water drain handle is silver (or gray) and neither one is labeled as gray or black??

[@503Zephyr]

I copied a hint from RV Geeks who recommended that flushing just a few seconds worth of GRAY tank water will ensure your connections are properly completed. It is NOT a good idea to have BLACK tank water come spewing out of a connection. This tip has saved me from messy cleanups on several occasions. I also carry some spray antiseptic. I use this to spray off the fresh water handle before I connect when arriving and treat any drips or spills coming from the trailer-to-sewer hose. I think I also got that tip from the RV Geeks.

[@AStreaminLife]

O nice tips! Thanks!

[@user-sx7wb7bf5j]

Great job, but you are skipping one, very important step. After you empty the black tank, fill it up with water at least once, until it comes up into the toilet. this will keep your tanks much cleaner. It's not enough to just empty it, you must clean the sides of the tank better. And better than just a cleaning hose can do. I turn my hose on and shut the black tank and set my alarm for 6.5 minutes and then go and fill it the rest of the way with the step flush. Sometimes I leave it full of water for an hour or so, and then empty it. And why are you using bleach? That cancels out the benefits of the geo method. No need for bleach if you are doing it right.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for the suggestions! We stopped recommending bleach after hearing similar comments.

[@annewahl4422]

The AS owners manual states to never put bleach into the system as it ruins the plumbing gaskets.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks Anne. We didn't see that in our manual and it's good to know!!! Luckily we never used very much and we won't use any more in the future, if it can be an issue. We're switching over to a composting toilet in a couple of weeks anyway. We really only used the bleach in the beginning while the rest of the geo method worked. After a few applications of the water softener and soap we no longer had any smell and so didn't use it. Thanks again for the warning!

[@jlruiz7634]

@@AStreaminLife -glad I read this post. I was about to add bleach to my tank. Thanks for replying to Anne

[@priscillaharber6842]

Uh... From a full time RVer with years under my belt... You are killing your microbes, nevermind damaging your plastic pipes & tank!... Fabric/water softener!?!... Bleach!?!... Seriously! We dump & refill our black water tank multiple times (being full time dry camp/boondockers we aim for a free dump & water source for this very reason) every 3 months or so. & Whenever we are going to be leaving our RV sitting for at least 3 days (like my husband's niece's graduation this past spring, &/or our anniversary) we repeat the dump & refill until it runs clear and refill with a drop-in product, like commando, to sit until we get back, then we repeat the dump & refill until it runs clear (&, no it never runs clear the first time!)... Mind you, we are the proud owners of a true classic/antique '87 Toyota Nova Star, New Horizon! And my husband & I recognize that there are people who have no problem wasting their money on needless/preventable & costly repairs... Never mind such caustic materials are flammable & toxic to breathe (in such small spaces, you can't run from your mate's farts inside either!). Then again, Doritos are flammable too... Look it up, the creative R.V. lady has a great video on it... Other great KZbinrs on r.v.ing is fate unbound and I think Bob's is vanlife? They all seem to know what they are talking about/are entertaining/informative/& admit when they got it wrong! Full time r.v.ing isn't for everyone. Many think it'll be easier than a house or apartment, but to truly live this life full time there are a lot of things you have to do/deal with that you don't in a stix-&-brix. (After all you are living in a vehicle-ish or cargo-trailor-ish set up that receives a 2 to 3 point earthquake every time you move it! Which you have to regularly wash & wax to not have your she'll slough off like dead skin- so if you don't, or just hate, waxing you car...) Dealing with your "poo" is just one of myriads of them.-trust me!

[@davelafontaine]

As much water that you flushed into your tank would half fill the tank in our Roadtrek class B. You don't really need the bleach. When we dump our tanks at home after a trip I stick the garden hose into the toilet the completely fill the black tank before dumping and the put about a half tank of water into the toilet and dump again and water alway runs clear. We then put a cup of Dawn and a cap of Calgon with one bowl full of water and were set for the next trip.

[@AStreaminLife]

Nice method! We stopped using the bleach after getting some feedback on that. Our Airstream was used and we came to realize the previous owners did not upkeep their tanks well. So we had a lot of unpleasant residue stuck to the tanks that took quite a while to get gone. If you treat your tanks right it's so much easier!

[@hmmmm798]

AStreaminLife I’m in the situation with regards to previous owners lack of tank upkeep *sigh*

[@Zest4life890]

Is Boraxo good to use also in the black tank?

[@amuzer777]

One of the other comments said to use Borax and vinegar with dawn and not to use bleach.

[@Levi-ou2bk]

I don’t think you should ever use bleach in you black tank but I like the other ideas

[@julieweaver7208]

Why is the handle to the black tank grey and vice versa?

[@AStreaminLife]

Good question. I never thought of that.....

[@kuei1215]

After adding your dawn, dump 20-30 pounds of ice down the toilet and then drive around. Then dump your tanks again. This will act like a tank scrubber.

[@hoovey66]

I’ve tried this and it didn’t work. Hope it works for you y’all.

[@hermitld]

Great video, but didn't I see "Auxiliary (Wash) above dump valves? What is that used for? I know this is an old video but I just subed your channel today, thanks.

[@AStreaminLife]

Our auxiliary tank is our gray tank. So Black Tank release on the left, Gray/Auxiliary tank release on the right. We also have a hose hookup for an outdoor shower or something similar. Hope that helps! Thanks for subscribing and let us know if you have any questions or anything you would like to see:)

[@Lolaandcassidyadventures]

None of my tank sensors work so annoying!

[@paulpalmeri881]

Very new to RVing. After geo method do you also add the stuff that we normally add to reduce solids?

[@brooklynringer9623]

Hi how often do you have to do this and do you use regular toilet paper or rv paper?

[@Spaniardjimenez]

How much bleach is good?

[@william7447]

Most RVs have a pressure cleaner built in for the black tanks, is this not the case with Air Stream ?

[@AStreaminLife]

We are pretty sure we don't have one after having searched our Airstream and our manual but we know the newer Airstreams do. They would be a big help in getting stuff off the walls for sure!

[@karenvargas9769]

So you don’t empty the tank after you put the calgon/soap? We bought an rv didn’t bother to check and the tank was full of human waste! We drove 2 hr back home and the smell is nauseating can’t get rid of it. I did all this left it trough the nigh and emptied it the next day. First time living in an rv with my family, Any tips are greatly appreciated! 😊

[@marcuslane3]

No..you keep the softner & water or boraxo & dawn in the tank to deoderize & breakdown the solids...never let you black tank be dry..it will harden up whatever is inside

[@WonderWhatsNext]

Do you not put any other black tank chemicals like the blue theftford products or anything when you do this process?

[@AStreaminLife]

When we did this process we didn't use other products but you probably could. Other times we used other products. We found this worked really well for us.

[@dalewatkins9889]

I've used the Borax & Dawn now for a while, and get no smells, and it's keeping our tanks clean. No, no other product is needed....I just use the above mentioned Borax & Dawn, both which I can get at Home Depot. I do have another ZEP product, that is a 'degreaser' which I might add every second month, to both make it smell 'nice' as well as break up anything the Dawn might have missed. I've used this method - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYa6eJ-jZ8yEnKc

[@WesternStarTara]

How about using baking soda instead of bleach?

[@AStreaminLife]

We no longer recommend the use of bleach!

[@corgily]

Thank you for the video.

[@beverlyhartsfield5348]

what if you also used some good bacteria like we use in our septic tank and get from the septic tank cleaning company?

[@AStreaminLife]

We have since changed over to a composting toilet, so that totally took care of our septic tank for us. :)

[@tedmccauley9319]

Septic tanks dont require any kind of additive. It just a waste.

[@bodavis99]

Some folks swear by using Fabric Softener to deal with the smell.

[@AStreaminLife]

Interesting! We hadn't heard of that one before.

[@michaelsmith9308]

@@AStreaminLife WEll, it does smell really good the hotter it gets!

[@charlesmichael9188]

OK now it is 2 months later.....how did it work? Smell completely gone?

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Charles. I'd say the smell is gone. It took about a month of following this procedure for there to be no smell but I haven't smelled anything in ages! Thanks for the reminder :) For a little money and not much effort life is soooo much better!

[@projet2907]

How big is your tank ?Thank you fr this video, I have a 19' so my tanks are probably smaller so I have to put half of what you put ?

[@AStreaminLife]

We have close to a 40-gallon black water tank so yes I bet ours is quite a bit bigger. I would put less in and see how it works.

[@paulastephenson1862]

Instead of bleach use vinegar. It will work well with Dawn dish soap and is a natural sanitizer. It's inexpensive as well!

[@AStreaminLife]

We normally use a combination of vinegar, dawn & water to clean almost everything but thought with the viruses mice carry we should be extra cautious.

[@davidzone8380]

Ok now i am canceling my idea to live in tiny home.

[@martinvaughan6252]

Never ever allow bleach inside the RV… interesting that the black tank has a gray dump handle and the gray tank has a black handle (engineers, huh!)

[@marcuslane3]

Boraxo , dawn & water...NO ODOR..

[@stephenlozada7158]

I went on one trip for a weekend and two weeks later I went into my camper and it smelled so bad and it is a brand new trailer is that normal?

[@AStreaminLife]

I think it depends on how much is in your tanks. Having lots of sewage in the tanks and then having the trailer sit in the sun for a long period would make it smell I'm sure though it's not supposed to be vented into the camper itself.

[@Snookchaser007]

Your tanks especially the black tank should never hold a sewage load longer than one week and if in hot weather not longer than 3 days I run a campground and see the smell issue with newbies often always trying a new chemical often destroying campground septic systems bacteria balancing it’s really not that hard to dump your tanks then refill black tank with 3-4 gallons of fresh water and 3-4 oz of an rv specific tank treatment ( I prefer the citrus liquid as many use natural citric acid to help breakdown of waste) if you camp for the weekend and leave the campground without draining and flushing your tanks your camper is going to smell like a sewage plant just dump and flush it’s not that hard many new campers come with a black water flush port use it every other time you dump or any time your about to put the camper out of use for more than 2 weeks

[@TheErraticTheory]

black tank grey handle, grey water black handle?

[@AStreaminLife]

I know right? That confused us too. We've combined our tanks now that we use a composting toilet so it's all gray now.

[@tangobayus]

Do you top up your gray tank before you do the black tank?

[@AStreaminLife]

You could use a similar process with the gray tank to help eliminate stuff but we only really needed it for the black tank.

[@tangobayus]

Also it occurs to me that they gray tank will already have soap in it.

[@AStreaminLife]

Very true. It tends to be cleaner b/c of the amount of soapy water that goes down into it.

[@elcocoreyes]

ok...so i had this problem. my vents were clear, flowing fine but i still had problems. i used to pour bleach in the toilet and it worked fine but i had to be pouring bleach every time i drained the tank. i went to wal mart and bought those tablets for the toilet. i drop one in the toilet every time it starts to smell, about every month or so. I watched a video once that stated that bleach would kill "the good bacteria" the type of bacteria that lives in the tank and controls the smells. i was left wondering what the heck they were talking about. the tablets are chlorine tablets for a house toilet and it DOES KILL ALL THE BACTERIA. i love the fact that i have ZERO bacteria in my RV tank. why would i want any bacteria. how often are those people emptying their tanks? that "good bacteria" sounds ok for a home septic system. i have had ZERO smell in my RV since. its cheap, the tablet doesnt drain when i drain my toilet. i know that because i have a see through connection and if it does drain out, its usually small and was needing a new one anyway. so all these techniques are cool but the simple stuff works, is pretty cheap and easy. no chemicals to mix, no strong bleach smells. NOTE: use the smaller tablets. i use THE WORKS. its the name of the product that i got at wal mart. the tab is the same size as the toilet flap and may need a little help getting through but it fell right in when i pushed it through with the toilet brush. try it out and make a video.

[@lisastoner6635]

Keep in mind that bleach (hypochlorite) will rot any gaskets in your tank system over time. It would be better to not use bleach.

[@snapper4u]

Why not use a probiotic to break up the solids

[@AStreaminLife]

Good suggestion salvatore. We know probiotic have worked for others, it just wasn't quite cutting it for us.

[@tinlizzy39]

Hi! just wondering... newbie here! I just brought home our tt and plan on using this method but, have cpl Q's... 1) I still have rv antifreeze in lines so would I flush that out 1st 2) I've seen other videos where they use the powder version u know from the "Calgon take me away" commercial lol, is this different? Thanks,Lisa

[@AStreaminLife]

Hi Lisa We would definitely recommend flushing the anti freeze out of the lines. We've never winterized a trailer but that seems like the right thing to do. Secondly we're pretty sure you can use either the powder or liquid Calgon water softener and it will do the same thing. We have an easier time finding the liquid but know of others who use the powder. As long as it softens the water you should be good to go. Hope I answered your questions! Let us know if you have any more!

[@lisastoner6635]

Dissolve the powdered water softener in a small amount of warm water first, then apply like it was the liquid water softener.

[@James-cs4zk]

Why not just leave the black tank open?

[@AStreaminLife]

Leaving the black tank open when attached to a sewer connection can actually be very harmful to your tanks. It allows things to get stuck on the sides and not washed out. It is better to have it closed and let it fill up so that the sides of the tank have a chance to get some water to them then to leave it open all the time. At least that's what we've been told.

[@fr8trainUS]

jim never leaving the dump valves open can also allow sewer gas to back up into your tank. Then you get a nice smelly burp every you flush your toilet.

[@fr8trainUS]

Also, leaving the valve closed keeps the solids suspended in the liquid and makes it easier to get the majority of it out. Same reason why even the newer more efficient toilets have two flush modes. One for liquid and one for solids.

[@chs417]

we all know "IT" flows dowhill, but "IT" needs water to flow in. if you leave the black tank valve open all the time, the water runs out, but the poo doesn't go out with it. Even in your home plumbing, the amount of 'fall' slope on the drains has to be very slight, so that the water won't run out from the poo to leave it suspended in the pipe where it will stick. Same thing for your black tank, it needs that water. without water in there, you get the dreaded pyramid of poo

[@Jonathan-uc7do]

It creates a poop pyramid which leads to more problem because it doesn't have water or pee to help break down solids

[@mpdacor]

why are u NOT wearing gloves!!!

[@AStreaminLife]

Steve prefers washing his hands after handling the black tank instead of always wearing gloves.

[@lillianballard4422]

a bottle of beer.

[@AStreaminLife]

We'll take two :)

[@skapsha]

This dude has too much water available and nice video if water use is no problem. Water softener is a good idea, bleach and dish soap not so good. Bleach is a corrosive and dish soap creates too much foam. The other danger is Bleach could react with a bowl cleaner and produce a dangerous gas. Good RVing.; PS: make sure that the enzymes or probiotics you may use are compliant with water treatment standards.

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks for the advice Stek! This is indeed a video for when you are hooked up to city water and have plenty to use when trying to get your tanks clean. We've since heard of the dangers with bleach and no longer recommend it.

[@kyleturner6965]

You guys are new. You don't need that much water.... Dump it all in and flush once. Your making way too much work for your self.

[@pinay56]

Why not mix both Calgon, Dawn and the Bleach together and flush all of it into the toilet at the same time? Seems that you're spending too much time flushing and rinsing....

[@AStreaminLife]

Good thought. We were just following the directions but I would think that would work as well.

[@johnstevens8362]

Get ya some gloves rookie

[@AStreaminLife]

Haha John. I swear we have gloves! He just would rather not use them and then clean his hands with Clorox wipes afterwards instead.

[@johnstevens8362]

Just kidding. (I just won't empty tanks without them) I have a 95 excella 30....Happy Streaming !

[@AStreaminLife]

Happy Streaming to you as well John!

[@ELPATRON839]

It’s his own 💩

[@dnlmrgn]

Great info. Certainly going to help me. Don't want to sound rude, but you sure are a good looking guy. Very attractive. Haha

[@AStreaminLife]

Thanks! Glad it will help! :)

[@bug512]

1:50 Drip, drip...

[@AStreaminLife]

Hahaha!

[@mattharper588]

Wear gloves when doing this Nasty

[@craigbrown7277]

bleach will eat all your seals

[@AStreaminLife]

We no longer recommend using bleach.

[@rocketmanbill9293]

Too many words! You could have done this video in less than 5 minutes. Get to the Point!