Raritan KO Different Products

CurrentSea

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Vic,
Last Year I used KO concentrate in my head and was very happy with the results though a whole container didn't get me thru the season.

I just went looking for the product and I see it is gallon containers. But I am confused. Is the gallon a concentrate? The 22oz says it is but the gallon doesn't say that.

What is the better value?

1PKO22
1PKOGAL
 
The gallon is just a bulk purchase of the same thing. KO is an enzyme solution, so there's no "concentrate" version of it. I usually buy gallons and refill a couple smaller bottles to keep on the boat.

You're not talking about RC, are you? That's Raritan Concentrate, and it's a totally different product.
 
Currentsea, no criticism intended, but I think you need to spend a little more time reading the labels on the specific products to cut down on any confusion you may have...

1PKO22 and 1PKOGAL (KO - Kills Odor) are exactly the same thing, only in different-sized containers. KO is not a Concentrate - it is used full-strength.

It would (as Kurt mentioned) appear that you are confusing KO with Raritan "Concentrate," ("CON22," also called "RC") which is also sold in a 22 oz. bottle which has a very similar label on it. However, Concentrate is a completely different product, for a completely different application, and the two are NOT compatible with each other - you can't use both of them together.

The reason KO is offered in the gallon size, is that is is quite popular on the large houseboats on the lakes and reservoirs in the central part of the country, and they have very large holding tanks - a 22 oz. bottle of the stuff simply won't cut it in a 200 gallon holding tank.

Factory retail price (BoatFix prices are lower) for the 22 oz bottle is $13.50 ($0.61/oz.) and for the gallon jug it is $45.00 ($0.35/oz.), so the gallon quantity is definitely a better buy. BUT - its shelf life is only 1 year, so don't think you can store it for extended periods of time and it will still work - it won't! More about this below.

KO is strictly a holding tank additive. Nothing more. It is a live bacteria in liquid form, that speeds up the natural biological action inside the holding tank, to reduce, liquify and kill the odor of the contents of the holding tank. It gets into the holding tank by being flushed in through the toilet at the rate of 4 oz. per 25 gallons of tank capacity. The tank must first be pumped out and flushed out with clean water, then the KO is added. If the tank is well-ventilated, it will last until your next pumpout. Then everything must be repeated.

A little more on KO's shelf life -- KO is a live bacteria, and like anything else that is alive, it must be fed in order to survive. In the case of KO, it is fed by what you're pumping into your holding tank. But if you store it sealed-up in its container for extended periods of time without feeding it, it starves to death right there in its container, and it will not work when you put it into the tank. That's the same reason that KO won't work in holding tanks that the boat owners don't send any solids to, they only send urine. Urine, unless you're very ill, is sterile! So it offers no nourishment to KO's bacteria, causing the bacteria to starve to death and die off - and then the holding tank stinks of urine!

Raritan "Concentrate" (RC or CON22) is a toilet deodorant and lubricant only. It comes in concentrated form, and is intended to go into the toilet via the Crown Head, Atlantes or Toilet Water Kit injection systems. It is not for general use with just "any" toilet; it is only for the Raritan toilets that have the deodorant injection systems built into them, or have the injection kits added to them. RC and KO are NOT compatible with one another - each neutralizes the other, so if you use the two products together, your net result will be NOTHING; neither one of them will work.

There are other Raritan products that are also offered in the 22 oz. size: "CP - Cleans Potties," a toilet bowl cleaner. "BC - Bilge Cleaner" for cleaning bilges, and "CU - Cleans Up," a general purpose detergent and cleaner. All of these have similar-looking labels on the container, but they're all different, and are used for totally different applications.

So before purchasing them or using them, be sure to read the labels, so you know exactly what you have there in your hand.
 
CP is good stuff. I use KO and CP exclusively. They both work like a charm.
 
Thanks Vic, no criticsim taken. Yes, I was confusing the concentrate with the KO 22 oz. It seems though some websites have the descriptions wrong and that is what led to my confusion. When you search for KO, the concentrate comes up, and that confused me.

I liked the KO and thought it worked great, but wanted to buy a larger container.

Ok, thanks, I will pick up a gallon container for use!
 
quote:

If the tank is well-ventilated, it will last until your next pumpout. Then everything must be repeated.





KO won't work very well in your boat Dave since you have a holding tank vent filter which is mounted under the galley cabinet next to the refrig. You need to pull the refrig to rebuild or change the vent filter.
 
What is the root cause that drives the need for KO? Raw water heads? But Vic says fresh water lake guys need it. I have always thought, there really should be no need for any odor neutralizers on a boat. Address the root cause, don't gloss it over. What am I missing? We have a 210 gallon holding tank w/ fresh water heads. No KO here.
 
George,

Root cause: Lack of O2. Holding tanks need airflow.

"good" bacteria doesn't smell; "bad" bacteria does.

If a holding tank doesn't have good ventilation, stink will happen. You, sir, have a well built boat with very good holding tank ventilation.
 
I just had a new holding tank installed. It's 150 gallons and they're fitting a 1" vent line to it. Is this overkill? The run will have 2 90 degree bends and 1 45 degree and will be about 10 feet long.
 
I'm actually going with the larger vent tube so that I can use the KO again. I was able to on my last boat and it works great. This boat I needed to use Odorloss because my vents were small and likely clogged a bit over time. Odorloss is just expensive when I have to add it every week (not to mention a pain to remember. Luckily enough the tank would remind me to add it with smells).

New tank, new waste lines and vent filter should eliminate all these issues. Now I just have to find KO (and CP), which has been completely unavailable in Ontario in the last 2 years.
 
quote:

Originally posted by praetorian

I just had a new holding tank installed. It's 150 gallons and they're fitting a 1" vent line to it. Is this overkill? The run will have 2 90 degree bends and 1 45 degree and will be about 10 feet long.






not over kill at all, and if it hasn't been done yet, I would go with 1.5" and less 90's the better
 
Mixman (Kurt) and Barren River (Danny) are absolutely spot on!

KO simply speeds up the natural biologic action inside the holding tank. If the tank is properly vented, no additives are necessary. It's sorta like a home septic system out in the country. When it's working right, you don't smell a thing. But when it isn't, your neighbors aren't your friends any longer!

However, many boat builders use the smallest diameter vent line they can get away with, and that's where the problems begin. The key is to get plenty of air INTO the tank, not to just vent the foul fumes out.

An inline vent line filter is a last chance "fix" that is added when the tank isn't properly vented and you simply can't get rid of the smell, even with additives.
 
What is recommended for holding tanks that don't have any solids in it. We have always told everyone to use the heads only for #1, not #2. Is this a falsely that we shouldn't be following? We have been using KO also, sounds like we have been wasting $$'s. Both holding tanks are vented with a filter.
 
Boat heads are made for #1 and #2. IMHO, restricting the use to #1 only restricts the enjoyment of the boat. If used for daytrips only, I suppose #1 only is possible, but #2 is usually an issue overnight on the hook. :-)
 
This was not suppose to be such a sh*tty discussion!

My opinion on KO is it helps. When I pump out it seems to be less solid and not as smelly. That is why I use it. I used to also get slight bilge smell from somewhere near holding tank. Not sure if I have a bad fitting or what but when I use KO, that smell is gone, so it makes a difference.
 
quote:

Originally posted by bradt

What is recommended for holding tanks that don't have any solids in it. We have always told everyone to use the heads only for #1, not #2.





You don't have a lot of repeat guests on your boat, do you?

Our head is use when needed and for what is needed. And none of this "put the paper in a bag" BS. Single ply and flush it down. Be reasonable, don't use a wad of it.

No problems.
 
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