Simple green to clean waste tanks

[Wrknrvr]

 I am curious if anyone has used a product called simple green to clean there waste tanks. Especially the gray tank.

 

 I have used it for years to clean the clear fitting that I use between the sewer hose and the so that I can see what is draining. In the summer I need to discharge through a 3/4" hose. So just gray water will drain but the black must be maceratored to get it to the sewer connecting.

 

 My kitchen drain is about 99 percent clogged at this moment. Tried a small plunger but I have a dishwasher so that did not do much last nite as it vented to the dishwasher . I may pinch that rubber line to the dishwasher this am. But there is a vent under the sink that may not hold pressure also. I call them a sniffer valve but that is not the correct word.

 

 Now I have used simple green to clean road oil from driving and it works good for that Also used it on heavy equipment and othe greasy things. Now it will cut the buildup of grease in that clear fitting in my sewer line.

 

 Just curious,.    Vern

[Kirk W]

I haven't tried Simple Green for that but I'd bet it would help. I have used TSP successfully but I do not have a dishwasher to deal with. Along with the TSP I also preceded that by pouring about a gallon of boiling water (heated on the stovetop) down the kitchen sink and about a half gallon in the bathroom sink. The hot water is to help remove grease buildup, or at least I believe it does. I actually got the boiling water hint from Stanley Miller who was a regular here. I doubt that the detergent does a lot for the drain lines as it don't stay in them long enough but may help if strong enough. I believe that it does help clean the tanks as I leave it in them while I travel to the next stop. Since TSP isn't as available as it once was, I have also used laundry detergent in the gray & black systems.

[Smitty77_7]

For slow drains, traps, and just general cleaning the pipes... 

Lots of baking powder down the drain, then a slow trickle of white vinegar. The reaction between these two, does a good job braking down built up 'gunk'.

Since you mentioned the kitchen, I doing accumulation of hair is a problem (Becoming less and less a problem for one of us in our relationship:)!). Once a year, I use one of those 2' nylon strap with barbs on the end, and fish out as much hair as I can. Remove the shower pans drain screen, and undoing the plunger in the lavatory sink. After I've pulled out all that I can, I then do the yearly baking power and white vinegar cleansing. 

For the grey/black tanks themselves. We do use Happy Camper after draining the black, each time. Do the HC down the grey about once every two months. And for in case we need it, we always have a bit of HC's Extreme available. 

About twice a year, we also will use the Calgon water softener down the black and grey, with fresh water filling both two about 2/3 full. We do this when leaving one campground, and on route to the next where we know we'll have full hook up's. The sloshing around breaks down the hard water. We do this to help keep hard water, and other, build up on the side of the tanks. Even with Sea Level II external gauges, the black will from time to time stop accurately reporting, until after a cleaning. 

Also once a year, we'll drain, flush, drain gray and black. Then pour a gallon of the cheapest vegetable oil we can into the tanks and let them sit for several hours. Then I'll open and close the black and gray valves two or three times rapidly, as the vegetable oil drains out. 

Most of these techniques, were picked up here on this board, as well as a few other forums. 

Best to you,

Smitty

 

 

 

 

[Barbaraok]

 Smithy, you get a better reaction with baking SODA, rather than baking powder.  Actually washing soda would give a little more umph with the vinegar.   

[jpcoll01]

can you use Glug in RV drains?  It sure works good at home, but not sure the RV system could handle it, would have to drain tanks pretty quickly because it gets hot.

[Wrknrvr]

   Just for information on using simple green.

Our kitchen sink is in a slide out, so there is a flexible pipe that joins the slide to the floor in the RV.

 The drain is open past the trap under the sink as the waster will flow back into the dishwasher.

 There is a clean out fitting before the drain goes down into the basement. So with access to the clean out fitting I discover there is only water on the very bottom of the drain clean out.

 So the blockage is in the flexible drain line. Note that the drain line has a drop of about a1/4" before or connects to the drain line

 

I think the water drained down as far as it would go in about 3 hours.So I put about a half a cup of simple green in the sink Friday night, then maybe a pint of water. Then about an hour later another pint of water.

 

 Saturday morning I access the clean out and run a 1/4" diameter snake up the pipe.

 

 So now some water and stuff flows out. I slowly keep pushing the fish farther up the line. And more water and stuff flow out. Finally I think it is open.

 Now what came out was fairly clean dissolved stuff.

 

 Now this suddenly said I was sorta a dummy. I have a remote camera and did not take a picture before and the after.

 

 So the sink was happy.  But my wife was really happy. As I had to go to work on Saturday morning.

 

 So now I need to do a test on how simple green will work on a sample of gray water. I will find two one gallon jugs and do a test on how simple green reactes to gray water.

 It maybe a week or two but I will get back on this subject.

 

 Now I do use a macerate for my black water through a 75' hose. It is buried under the grass for the summer.

 The gray water drains on its own through the hose. But I hope to use the simple green to keep that line open.

 

 Questionable,.   Vern