Is Costco TP ok?

[Oregonconversion]

I have a straight down drain pipe on my toilet. it goes into my shared 170gal black/gray water tank. (one tank for both)

Is Costco TP ok to use?


Also.... what type of treatment should I use? From what I know there are different kinds of chemicals I can use? What are the differences?

[Dreamscape]

Take some TP and put it in a glass of water, if it starts to break down you're OK. I don't worry about since we are hooked up all the time, most all TP says septic tank safe anyway.

[Hi yo silver]

Yeah, do the test with NEW paper...
Dennis

[Songman]

Especially if you plan to use the glass again... 

[Sam 4106]

I don't think the brand of TP really matters. We use whatever is cheapest and when we are in our home area we dump into our septic tank as soon as we get home. Then everything is stirred up and the tank empties the cleanest. Since we have a 100 gallon black tank we usually put 5-10 gallons of water in before we use it. Then there is enough liquid so no solids can start building up. We normally don't use any chemicals in either tank, but, in hot weather, we did occasionally use a product called Happy Camper in our 4106 with combined black/gray tank. That product was very effective.
Good luck, Sam MC8

[JohnEd]

Good that you asked.  The TP doesn't matter squat.  Anything short of news print.

Put nothing in the tanks except turds and pee.  Because you have your two tanks merged your dish stuff and other soaps "might" stop the digestion process.  Use the stuff you use for the septic tank...yeast.  I also heard of adding a little peat moss.  Use septic products and don't use that anti bacterial soap.  All that stuff about tank cleaners and deodorants and wands to rinse the inside of the tank....all of that is just a bad joke.  Ever see a product on the market to "sanitize the septic tank"  or deodorize it or how about rinsing the inside of your septic tank?  Still, there are grownups right here in River City that use all that stuff.   Hmmmmm!

In many years I had one problem.  I opened the drain and nothing came out but a dribble.  Seems the TP had collected at the tank outlet and formed a plug....I guess.  I installed one of those drain caps that allow you to hook up a garden hose and I shot air into the tank and dislodged and mixed the plug.  I would have used water but I was full to the toilet drain.  Put the sewer hose back on and 50 gallons came out with its usual roar.  Once in 30 years.  Once!  Yeah, COSTCO is OK.  Get the drain cap with the hose fitting for your sewer drain caps.  $4.

HTH

John

[Oregonconversion]

Ok Thanks guys.

I don't use anti bacterial soap anyways. I use "method" soap from target.
So I really don't need to put anything in my tank before I use it? Ok..

[JohnEd]

True!

Later if you smell sewage while out around your bus then the tank has stopped digesting.  Put some of the septic starter in it.  You may need one purchase a lifetime.  I needed it once in thirty years.

Good luck,

John

[Oregonconversion]

Ok, thanks again John.

[belfert]

A bus/RV holding tank is just that, a holding tank.  It isn't a septic tank.  It isn't intended to digest the fecal matter like a septic tank.

Your home septic tank doesn't smell because everything plumbed to it has a trap including the toilets.  Your typical RV tank is exposed directly whenever the toilet is flushed.  I use RV toilet paper because I use two to three packages a year.  I can handle paying a little extra.  If I was full timing I would certainly look at alternatives.  I generally find that the toilet paper has pretty much turned to a slurry from motion on the road before I dump.  I usually travel a pretty fair distance before I can dump.

[FloridaCliff]

I generally find that the toilet paper has pretty much turned to a slurry from motion on the road before I dump.

Nothing is going to survive the motion in those tanks after a few starts and stops.

Unless you had a snack of Bondo on crackers   

Cliff

[Barn Owl]

Go to Walmart and get the blue stuff. I have yet to see an RV tank that didn't stink after a few days in warm weather. I have never had any problem with the type of paper used. BTW, the tank chemicals are only good for several days depending on conditions, so you might find that you will need to add more.

[kyle4501]

An informative read:
http://www.phrannie.org/macerator.html

My Airstream has a 30 gal black & a 30 gal grey. We never use any chemicals, we never rinse the tanks, & we never dump all of it - we leave a little as a starter for the next load.

You want the waste to start breaking down properly as soon as you put it in the tank - you dump the tank into a proper septic system for it to finish the process. Foul odors are caused by the 'wrong' kind of bacteria. That is when the yeast or starter is needed.

I don't notice any odor other than a musty earthy smell when I service ours. We use a small trash can with a step pedal operated lid with a walmart bag inside it to hold our paper 'toxic waste'. Never had any dumping problems.

An added benefit to not putting any paper in the toilet is I don't have to use as much water to flush (so I can go longer between emptying the tank.) And, I don't have to clean paper out of the seal at the bottom of the toilet or the dump valve.

We have friends who swear by all those additional chemicals, but their tanks still provide plenty of foul odors . . .
A healthy tank operating properly shouldn't need perfumes . . .


to each their own. . . .

[JohnEd]

Kyle,

That is a superb discussion/instruction on tanks.  Thank you very much.  It says it all and gives so much info on debunking all the myths and bogus practices I deplore.

HTR.....Please make this a sticky or watever it takes.  It will save a lot of forum space and breath..  As always, thank you for you most excellent work.

John

[Lin]

I have also had the the toilet paper plug problem and would not like to have it again.  We have found that paper like Scott or similar single ply breaks down completely and is a lot cheaper than some special rv brand.  We use the same for our septic tank too.