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RV Toilet Chemical and Preparing your Black Tank: What you Need to Know!






1. What are RV Toilet Chemicals?

RV toilet chemicals are enzyme compositions that are added to an RV black water tank to assist in breaking down waste and toilet paper.


2. Why do I need RV toilet chemicals? The chemical additives makes dumping your black tank easier and helps to prevent the clumping of materials in the tank, which can lead to blockage. In addition to smoother tank drainage, it will also help prevent false readings on your tank monitor panel- nothing is more frustrating when you just dumped your tanks- yet your monitor panel is still showing full! (If you know you know.) 3. In what form are RV toilet chemicals available? RV toilet chemicals are available in two basic forms: as a liquid, or in dissolving packets or tablets. Liquid toilet chemicals are added directly to the black water tank by flushing it down the toilet. There are different types of liquid chemicals, so consult the packaging for specific instructions. In general, you will only need a couple of ounces of liquid RV toilet chemical for each application. The dissolving tablets or packets generally contain a powder which then dissolves into the existing water in the black water tank. The result is the same as with the liquid chemicals, but many people find the packets to be more convenient, while also preventing the chance of spills.


Pro Tip: If you have a cassette toilet, or a macerator pump then you should use the liquid chemical, not the dissolving tablets!

Typical brands of RV toilet chemicals you can look for are Camco TST RV Toilet Treatment, Travel Jon, Porta-Pak and Aqua-Kem RV toilet chemicals. 4. How should I use RV toilet chemicals? Let's assume you are starting with a completely empty and clean RV black water tank. The first thing you want to do before you add any RV toilet chemicals to the black water tank is to add a few gallons of water to the tank so that there’s a good base of water in the tank.


This is very important: Never use your RV toilet without a good base of water in the black water tank. Doing so could result in the clumping of waste in your tank which can lead to false meter readings or, worse, clogs…


Whether you are hooked up to a city water connection or pulling water from your fresh water tank, simply hold down the flushing valve on your toilet and watch the water drop into the black tank.


Another alternative for getting water into your tank is to bring a couple gallon bucket with you, when you arrive at the site- you can fill up your bucket with water, then head inside and dump that water into the toilet while holding open your flush valve that way the water goes into the tank.


Once you have a base of a couple of gallons of water in your black tank, dump the liquid chemical down the toilet, or add the RV toilet tablets. You are now ready to use your RV toilet! See how quick and easy that was! Bonus Tip: Regardless of the form of toilet chemical you use, the best RV toilet chemicals will not stain your toilet, are biodegradable, and environmentally friendly!


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