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Old 03-28-2014, 10:09 AM   #15
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Quote:
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The Geo Method is a folk fallacy. It costs more, takes more mixing and pouring, and doesn't work any better than Happy Camper Holding Tank Treatment. The bleach component of the Geo Method is actually counterproductive to maintaining a healthy black tank. Why "clean and sanitize" something that you immediately foul with the next use?
You're incorrect for a number of reasons. First, it's not a fallacy, chemically it's good science. Calgon WS is 'an ancient Chinese secret' ('70s TV ad) that dissolves calcium and other hard water deposits that prevent detergent or soap from breaking down dirt so it can be flushed away. (The same claim made by Happy Camper HTT) Adding Calgon WS definitely works. The bleach treatment you disparage is not to be done every time, Mr. Bruni only suggests, "Occasionally, I pour a half gallon of liquid bleach" I don't find tedious mixing and pouring, If treating, I add the CWS in the morning before driving. The sloshing helps coat the whole tank. I also use a clear section of drain and when adding the Calgon I definitely get a dirtier flush than normal. My tank sensors report accurately and I offer the GEO Method to those that have issues.
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Old 03-28-2014, 10:25 AM   #16
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When you use the black tank flush system, never close the tank drain valve. In your usage both the sewer solution and tank flusher hoses need to be hooked-up and on.

I am guessing the sewer solution back flushing won't work well due to the location of your black tank?

My tank flusher is clogged, so I turn the sewer solution handle and back flush into the tank, alternating the water direction until things are clean.

Normal time to empty the black tank , using sewer solution, is around 10 min, its a 40 gal tank.

Fred
Same here...no big deal.
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Old 03-28-2014, 11:27 AM   #17
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I have often wondered what the "Sewer Solution" was a "solution" to?

My think is that pumping through a 1" hose is NOT a solution to gravity dumping through a 3" hose!

And, dumping uphill is a problem I haven't encountered in my 40 years of RVing.
Guess you're lucky that you've never had to dump uphill. We have to dump slightly uphill every time we stay in daughter's driveway, and I used to do it occasionally at our old stick house when there was too long a line to wait at the dump station at the end of the weekend.

I have also run into situations at several campgrounds where I wanted the RV all the way at the front of the site so the rooftop satellite dish could clear the trees, and the sewer hookup was all the way at the back of the site. The Sewer Solution also works over long distances.
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Old 03-28-2014, 12:54 PM   #18
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About a year ago I was parked for a few days at the Newmar factory in Nappanee. Beside me was a guy with a new Dutch Star back for some warranty work who spent about an hour fiddling with some gizmo he had hooked to his black dump, using a water jet to break up the solids and force the contents of a 3 inch line into a 1 inch line. I thought it was new device Newmar attached to their fine and new coaches. Interesting engineering exercise, but perplexing. I learned later that this was some aftermarket thing he had bought. Sewer Solution. He was having a lot of trouble, the solids just weren't cooperating! We were chatting and sipping coffee as he worked. I had never seen anything like this before, and it was fascinating, but I just couldn't work out the logic. This looked like a solution in search of a problem. Who the heck reduces the volume of a drain line by 2/3 in order to make it run better? I still scratch my head over that.

Tank additives: about twice a year I'll toss some softener and detergent into the black tank because I read this Geo Method, but frankly I don't know if I'm convinced or not. I use nothing but water on a day-to-day basis, and we have no chronic problem with odors or clogging. Of course, we fulltime, so the tanks and hoses never have any downtime to dry out. Its important to remember that these are holding tanks, not a septic system. It is assumed that they will be emptied regularly. There is no need to initiate or enhance sewage breakdown. That is the function of the sewage system into which you dump your contents.

Uphill draining: I don't park long term in a spot with an uphill sewer connection. Years ago when building houses I learned from my plumbing contractor the three things you must know to be a successful plumber- 1) hot on the left; 2) cold on the right; 3) s*#t won't flow uphill.
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Old 03-28-2014, 01:51 PM   #19
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You're incorrect for a number of reasons.
I didn't say it didn't work, I said it didn't work any better than Happy Camper. The facts remain, it costs more, takes more time to perform, and doesn't work any better than Happy Camper. If you like it, that's fine, just don't expect someone not to challenge it as the end all cure all. Now, have you ever used a Sewer Solution?
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Old 03-28-2014, 01:56 PM   #20
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Its important to remember that these are holding tanks, not a septic system. It is assumed that they will be emptied regularly. There is no need to initiate or enhance sewage breakdown. That is the function of the sewage system into which you dump your contents.
Another misconception. Your holding tank will begin to proliferate anaerobic bacteria within hours of a "deposit" and result in odor. Ease of emptying and odor control, are two reasons for initiating and enhancing sewage breakdown by promoting aerobic bacteria.
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Old 03-28-2014, 02:00 PM   #21
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Now, have you ever used a Sewer Solution?
See post #6.
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Old 03-28-2014, 03:45 PM   #22
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Howdy!

I've been using the Sewer Solution for years and it works well. It is a bit slower that a 3" stinky slinky, but I like it much better. The one thing I do is I use a "Y" water connector which splits the water connection, one goes to the black tank flush and the other go to the Sewer Solution. This has worked for me. The "Y" water connection also has shutoff's which lets me control the water if I want to going to either the black tank or the Sewer Solution. I use short 6' water hoses from the "Y" water connection which is just enough the reach to the black tank and Sewer Solution.

"Happy Trails"
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Old 03-28-2014, 10:35 PM   #23
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Thank you all for this fantastic information. This is all very helpful. I am going to make some changes now with the way I drain and with what I am using. I see the Sewer Solution now as an alternative system only to use if necessary to push uphill. otherwise, I am going to try using one of the 3 inch hose system along with a good dose of water softener and detergent.

Again, than you all for this valuable information.
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Old 03-29-2014, 06:05 AM   #24
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...I see the Sewer Solution now as an alternative system only to use if necessary to push uphill...
Not true. I use the Sewer Solution any time we have full hookups, and it works great. The Sewer Solution only takes a few minutes longer to drain the black tank than a 3" stinky slinky, and I don't have anywhere near the potential for a mess.

As far as taking longer to rinse the tank after using the Sewer Solution, have you ever dumped and rinsed the black tank using a 3" stinky slinky with a clear section of drain pipe or clear elbow in line with the 3" hose? I think the reason you are seeing more debris after dumping with the Sewer Solution is primarily because it is clear. There might be a little more debris left when using the Sewer Solution because it drains a little slower, but I doubt it's enough to require you to rinse 20 or 30 times. One or 2 extra rinses should be plenty.
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Old 03-29-2014, 06:10 PM   #25
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...along with a good dose of water softener and detergent.
Why?
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Old 03-29-2014, 06:24 PM   #26
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I'm generally a sucker for any gizmo that even marginally improves something. But...

I guess either I have a time bomb I don't know about or I am doing it right.

I don't use any chemicals, I do make sure I use a fair amount of water all the time and when the tank is about 2/3 full I dump it. When it stops I close the black valve, run my tank flush for a few minutes and dump again. If it looks like I still have "chunks" going through my see-through connector, I do it again.

After that I run the tank flush for about 30 seconds with the valve closed to make sure I start with a reasonable amount of water in the tank and call it a day.

Seems to work just fine for me.

BTW...I haven't run into a situation where the dump station is higher than the bottom of my water bay. Maybe I will run into that some time in the future and wish I had a fancy system to defeat gravity.
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Old 03-29-2014, 08:13 PM   #27
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Been doing the same for 20 years.
But did unplug other units and left instructions how I do it.
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Old 03-29-2014, 08:57 PM   #28
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Somewhere I read a post where this guy explained, with pictures, how he modified a household garbage disposal unit to make a sewage macerater for his MH, using 3" sewer hose. As to the Sewer Solution, wastes a lot of potable water IMO.
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