Geo method for cleaning tanks

[bogen2]

A couple of years ago I came across the “geo method” for keeping your tanks clean. It involved occasionally adding Calgon water softener, bleach and laundry detergent to your black tank. For the gray you use just the Calgon and bleach (plenty of soap already in the gray water). This always made sense to me and would appear not to be harmful as they are just laundry additives. It seemed to work well for me but now my supply of Calgon water softener is gone and I can’t find it or any other brand. I’ve searched grocery stores in both the US and Canada with no luck.

Anyone have any suggestions for an alternative?

Bob

[Craig Carter]

There is a brand new YouTube video by EnjoyTheJourney.Life where KleenTank (kleentank.com) just performed a full tank cleaning on their Momentum. They have cleaned thousands of tanks and their company now recommends Lysol and Calgone Bath Beads (provides the mixture on their site). You just use one cup per tank after emptying. Apparently, the bath beads perform the same function as your water softener.

Here is the link (if okay to post): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs7YE9hmD7k

Their recommendation is to NOT use chemicals to break down the waste and create the sludgy mess that is hard to get out of the tanks and clogs the sensors.

[Country Campers]

I have found that precharging the tanks with 10 gal of water before use prevents most if not all of the build up in tanks. Plus while traveling with water in the tanks the sloshing helps keep debris from settling. We also use the KleenTank stuff about 3 or 4 times a year and not after every use, it is used after the tanks are flushed on the last trip of the year before winter hibernation.

Brian

[Jlawles2]

Amazon sells liquid Calvin. https://www.amazon.com/Calgon-Liquid...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

[NoPeeking]

I never use bleach... too fearful of damage to seals and O-rings. Only Dawn and ~5 gal water in each tank on travel days. Common advice is to use plenty of water and only dump tanks when full(ish). Being transient campers, this is not always possible. We typically camp 3 to 7 days at time and use dump facilities when exiting parks.

Mike

[Yoda]

Just my 02 on this. I do the 10 gal pre-charge but use one cup Dawn dish soap and one Tied laundry pod (pod every other tank or so). Never had a problem yet. Save you money for fun things. Also test you TP..Put a few sheets in a glass jar with water and shake. It should break up quickly. A few Youtube vids on this. I have found basic Charmin - not the extra tough stuff works well and breaks down fast.

Keith

[Jeff Barta]

Calgon is for sale at walmart. it is in the beauty isle by the epson salts. sometimes you find it in the laundry isle.

[bogen2]

Great info. I made up some of the solution recommended in the Kleen Tank video and added it, so hopefully it does the job.

Bob

[ThePowells]

I mostly use the "dump and swirl" method. I make sure that my gray tank is "above" specs by the gray backing up into the shower.

Then I, dump the black, when empty I, close the end valve and,
open both gray and black valves and wait until I hear the flow stop and close the gray tank valve and open the line valve,
repeat about twice and then,open gray and black and after 15 seconds, close gray and black. first drain empties the water and most of the "soiled" .

By back flushing, it creates turbulence in the black tank and floats anything left, and then the dump shows how much solids were floated and dumped.

If i am not happy with what I see I can dump and entire water heater into the black tank and dump again until I am happy..

When traveling, I maintain 1/3 tank in the black with an enzyme cleaner and and water and an empty gray with a small amount of enzyme cleaner. when breaking camp. I raise the nose as far as possible since possible as my tanks drain from the rear.

[BobinICT]

I mostly use the "dump and swirl" method. I make sure that my gray tank is "above" specs by the gray backing up into the shower.

Then I, dump the black, when empty I, close the end valve and,
open both gray and black valves and wait until I hear the flow stop and close the gray tank valve and open the line valve,
repeat about twice and then,open gray and black and after 15 seconds, close gray and black. first drain empties the water and most of the "soiled" .

By back flushing, it creates turbulence in the black tank and floats anything left, and then the dump shows how much solids were floated and dumped.

If i am not happy with what I see I can dump and entire water heater into the black tank and dump again until I am happy..

When traveling, I maintain 1/3 tank in the black with an enzyme cleaner and and water and an empty gray with a small amount of enzyme cleaner. when breaking camp. I raise the nose as far as possible since possible as my tanks drain from the rear.

That back flush method sounds very interesting. I’m going to try it tomorrow morning when we leave the Big Bend campground after 10 nights off grid. We will be FULL!

Thank you for posting that.

[Lonestar]

I mostly use the "dump and swirl" method. I make sure that my gray tank is "above" specs by the gray backing up into the shower.

On every trailer I've ever worked on the drain pipe into the top of the gray tank is connected and held in place by a friction fit gasket. Kind of like a large rubber doughnut or soft rubber grommet. I am assuming GD does the same install procedure. I would be kinda concerned as the trailer ages that you might start getting some leaking into the underbelly at this gasket if you fill the level to above it (into the shower).

Granted, many times I've failed to dump my gray tank before it backed up into the shower and I've never had an issue. But with the tolerances being used in trailers today I do have more concern.

May not be an issue but just an FYI. If anyone has found the plumbing of their gray tank to be different I'd like to know.

[BillinTexas]

I use this method with great success. Always show a single level tank monitor afterward. Never any smells, etc. https://www.trbowlin.com/bio-geo-method/

[ThePowells]

Lonestar Mathematically, the black tank cannot reach 100% on my home. My black and gray are equal, and even though the majority of the time my dump decision is made by knowing the gray is 110% full by backing up into the shower, Even equalizing at 110% gray tank and not a full empty on the black makes for a 60% max fill on the black tank. Since I do at least one back flow, the max is around 30% max capacity in the black tank. A great starting point for the black tank and a new dump cycle,