Latest and Greatest Holding Tank Treatment?

A

AustinPaul

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Hi all,

I just finished a year's supply of Odorlos. It semmed to work well enough, but it wasn't perfect.

Is there anything new out there that trumps all the others? Or, is there a product that you have tried that you thought was better than Odorlos?

Thanks,
Paul
 
I have had good luck with Aurora Odor Free. I firmly believe most of my luck was attributed to a VERY well vented tank on the Regal. I think the vent hose was about an inch in diameter. Made it easy to flush as well.

If possible, I am increasing the vent size on Saint Max this winter if possible.
 
I tried a bunch of products this year, since I could not find my trusty Aurora Oder Free. Everything worked ok, but when I received my order of Oder Free in the mail in mid Sept, I was very pleased, and am more convinced than ever that the Aurora Oder Free product is one of, if not the best.

Shel
 
Thanks David and Shel. That's two votes for Aurora. Sounds good to me!

Paul
 
If you get plenty of air into your tank, try KO, if you get little air in, try Odorlos.

I have been using odorlos for years with great results.
 
I use EnviroChem Gold in both my boat and my RV. No odor problems, and it breaks down solids through enzyme action too.
 
Thanks again all.

Hogan, as I mentioned, I just finished using Odorlos. Decent performance, but wondered if there was anything heads and tails about the rest.

Liz, thanks for the recomendation. We do very little, to almost none, on the solids front. Everything just seems easier when we strategize to not have to #2 on the boat. Remember, we're on an inland lake, so we're never too far from a land based head. It helps a lot! :-)

I just ordered the Aurora. We'll see how it does.

On our last boat, we only used it for #1 and a little diluted bleach every once in a while handled odor issues. As we know, it kills the good bacteria for breaking down solids, but works pretty well for just #1. The qualifier being that we used to dilute the chlorox first.

Thanks again all.

Paul
 
quote:
Originally posted by AustinPaul

Thanks again all.

Hogan, as I mentioned, I just finished using Odorlos. Decent performance, but wondered if there was anything heads and tails about the rest.

Liz, thanks for the recomendation. We do very little, to almost none, on the solids front. Everything just seems easier when we strategize to not have to #2 on the boat. Remember, we're on an inland lake, so we're never too far from a land based head. It helps a lot! :-)

I just ordered the Aurora. We'll see how it does.

On our last boat, we only used it for #1 and a little diluted bleach every once in a while handled odor issues. As we know, it kills the good bacteria for breaking down solids, but works pretty well for just #1. The qualifier being that we used to dilute the chlorox first.

Thanks again all.

Paul

Click to expand...


Sorry mate. No solids is 1/2 your problem and depending on chili intake, maybe more. A tank needs both to function properly. If you are going to only pee in the tank, pee with the fish. I really mean this...No Sh!t = smell...No Sh!t.
 
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa

quote:
Originally posted by AustinPaul

Thanks again all.

Hogan, as I mentioned, I just finished using Odorlos. Decent performance, but wondered if there was anything heads and tails about the rest.

Liz, thanks for the recomendation. We do very little, to almost none, on the solids front. Everything just seems easier when we strategize to not have to #2 on the boat. Remember, we're on an inland lake, so we're never too far from a land based head. It helps a lot! :-)

I just ordered the Aurora. We'll see how it does.

On our last boat, we only used it for #1 and a little diluted bleach every once in a while handled odor issues. As we know, it kills the good bacteria for breaking down solids, but works pretty well for just #1. The qualifier being that we used to dilute the chlorox first.

Thanks again all.

Paul

Click to expand...

Sorry mate. No solids is 1/2 your problem and depending on chili intake, maybe more. A tank needs both to function properly. If you are going to only pee in the tank, pee with the fish. I really mean this...No Sh!t = smell...No Sh!t.

Click to expand...
Sorry mate--already been there and done that. Only odor issues (mild at that) were the result of 'fully' using the head. We have a well vented head and experienced no big issues. Like I said, the Odorlos product worked well, but was not flawless (with 1&2). Just wondered if there was another product that folks liked, or that was new to the market.

With #1 only, it's a cinch. No issues there whatsoever--using diluted bleach in place of treatment.

EDIT: I am not going to ask the Admiral, or any other elegant lady aboard, to pee with the fish when the water is chilly. We boat year-round here, but don't swim year-round.

Paul
 
Make sure you completely flush your tank out before trying something new, a lot of the treatments are not compatible with each other
 
But Kida is correct.. The #1 is the bigger problem of the 1 & 2 equation. Be careful of your clorine and amonia solution you are baking in there.
 
If you just want to neutralize #1, use white vinegar instead of chlorine. It neutralizes the ammonia which urine turns to as it breaks down. And it isn't corrosive. Chlorine bleach is corrosive.
 
Just yesterday, I again had one of those experiences where I said, "holy LACK OF CRAP, I'm glad we have a #1-only policy!"

I hooked up the pumpout hose and began to pull 20 gallons of yellow-ish liquid from the tank. I didn't pay much attention to the "splash, splash" sound I was hearing, until I noticed bubbles on the water 30' away. The pumpout system hose had a break in it, so I was pumping out of the boat, and directly into the marina! Of course, this kind of thing only happens with LOTS of witnesses, but there was no noticeable smell and no lingering evidence, so it wasn't a big deal.

Other times that I've been thankful for this policy is when the vacuum pump won't stop running and I have to fish out all kinds of foreign objects that should never go into an MSD. It's never a pleasant job, but liquids-only make it MUCH, MUCH less disgusting.

I also NEVER pour money down the drain by purchasing odor-controlling products. The filter lasted 11 years, until I found out the hard way that the "full" warning light is non-functional. As shocking as it sounds, with an aged filter, no chemicals and a liquid only policy, the system had NEVER produced an odor. NEVER! (and this is tested on a daily basis, because the system vent is directly next to the transom door.)

I have the luxury of a decent-sized tank and the availability of frequent pump-outs. I suppose storing a high-concentration of urine for long periods could cause problems, but I really want to set the record straight: a liquid-only policy doesn't mean you'll have an odor problem, and in the right conditions, can mean exactly the opposite.
 
I just don't understand having a marine sanitation system and having a rule of "urine only". Do you really want to spend the day trying to "hold it"? Is that what boating is about? You're going to cut your day short because someone has to "go"?

Many folks stay on their boats for days at a time. What are you going to do, crouch on the bow and take a dump into the water?

A properly designed and maintained marine sanitation system is fully capable of dealing with human waste of all kinds and compatible toilet tissue.
 
I agree we use ours doing #1 & #2. No smells but I replaced everything about a year ago. I also use a VacuFlush system. Even though we added more holding tank capacity we get 2 to 3 (4 day)weekends before we make a run to the 3 mile line in the Ocean. I am in a NDZ or I would have a Purasan Hold-N-Treat tank system.
 
lol Well Ron, I've been pretty good at controlling that part of "biology" since I was I dunno - 3 years old? I don't anchor overnight very often, so a simple walk down the dock has drastically reduced my least-favorite maintenance routine.

I'm not telling anyone they shouldn't use their MSD's any way they want. I don't have a stake in it at all. I understand that people use their boats differently. I have friends who stay out at remote anchorages until their water tank is empty and their holding tanks are full - more power to them. There just isn't that much "nature" to enjoy in Lakes Erie and St Clair (at least for extended periods), and even when we travel, we're more comfortable in marinas.

I'm not arguing that MSD's can't handle solids. The point I'm making is about living with a liquid-only policy, because it's widely misunderstood. That holding tanks NEED solids and store-bought products or custom-designed ventilation in order to be low-maintenance and odor free IS A MYTH. This policy has cost me a lot of trips down the dock, but has saved me countless nasty duckbill changes and filters and chemicals, and hassle, and smells, awkward moments at pump-out stations with cute attendents... Liquid only policies aren't for everyone, but I have news for those who think they cannot work.
 
Flutterby,

How much vinegar are you using per gallon of tank capacity?

Thanks,
Steven
 
quote:
Originally posted by SLW

lol Well Ron, I've been pretty good at controlling that part of "biology" since I was I dunno - 3 years old?
Click to expand...


Wait until you get to be my age! ;)

quote:
Liquid only policies aren't for everyone, but I have news for those who think they cannot work.
Click to expand...


I never said they wouldn't work, just that they are not necessary.
 
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