Yes, I can only imagine all that has been written on this topic, but this morning I found a site that makes SENSE. You may have seen and read such, but just in case here it is.

Type these three words, the geo method Then Hit the top listing which should be THE GEO METHOD, and read this commom sense approach to cleaning your tanks. You only need to read the HOME page.

Happy 4th. to all FOR SURE

Dale

P.S. Hit the link that Rusty has posted in the next post below, it is faster. Thanks Rusty.

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

Great Idea -- hear is the web site ( I believe ) that you're referencing

http://home.mindspring.com/~cbruni/index.html

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Russell and Donna
1988 33' Barth Regal
Gibson Exhaust, Bilsteins, ipd sway bar

I'm agin it.

Chlorine bleach will deteriorate the rubber seals in the dump valve over time.

Chlorine bleach will kill beneficial bacteria in the septic system where you dump.

Some of you will remember when women's swim suits had rubber bands woven into the material, and would not last one summer at a chlorinated pool if not assiduously rinsed.

Chlorine bleach will also degrade plastic over time. Some of you will remember swim suits made of synthetic fabric that would not last one summer at a chlorinated pool if not assiduously rinsed.

Chemistry students are advised not to use chlorine bleach on rubber lab materials.

Dopers are advised not to use chlorine bleach on syringes that have rubber plunger seals.

Chlorine bleach users are warned not to use bleach on silk, acetate, wool, spandex, polypropylene foam, some flame retardant fabrics, or rubber, or with rubber or spandex elastic.

Chlorine bleach products in a toilet tank will deform and deteriorate the rubber ball or flapper.

The only bleach-resistant rubber I know of is EPDM, and is more a urethane than a rubber. It is used in washing machines.

Even if you could buy EPDM seals for your dump valves, there remains the issue of killing the beneficial bacteria in the septic system where you dump.

Good food for thought. I NOTICED you didn't comment on the other steps? He did say OCCASINALLY pour 1/2 gallon in, and if done carefully one would not wet the toilet ball seal, but then again FUMES, and SPLASHING would be present. The DUMP valves of course would be wet until the next dump.

I have written him and ask for his thoughts, JUST KEEPING YOU HONEST, my friend. hehehe.

What do you say about his other comments?

Thanks bill h.

Dale

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

Dale, so many good guys have so many opinions on this subject, I was reluctant to even get into it.

Everyone swears by their technique with almost missionary zeal. The people I work, hunt and fish with all have their own way, and all are trouble-free.

I suspect the subject is getting more attention than is warranted.

We have used and still use all kinds of chemicals and often use none. We dump with the stinky slinky if the line is short, or use the macerator at home. We have found the toilet paper with "Ultra" in its name to be trouble free. I have a home made wand with a brass tapered nozzle on the end for cleaning, but I am sporadic in its use. Never had any trouble.

And contrary to all advice, we use VERY little water to flush. Our toilet water is shut off and we use a kitchen sprayer with a reduced-diameter nozzle glued on it. It not only uses very little water, but it really cleans the bowl. Keep the hose short or the kids will find other uses for it.



I think there must be lots of ways to be trouble-free, since so many folks are very happy with their way.

My mention of toilet seals was in reference to the damage chlorine bleach can do to rubber, the particular example being a house toilet.

I stand by my comment on chlorine bleach being harmful to rubber.

Re: Toilet paper. Having been boaters for many years, and also having bad experiences with clogged RV holding tank valves, etc., we got in the habit of bagging our used t.p. & disposing of it with the daily trash.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.

I wrote the author of keeping dump tanks clean and asked "SOME SAY BLEACH ATTACTS SEALS IN TOILET VALVES AND DUMP VALVES, DO YOU SEE A PROBLEM?

His answer was, "YES, IT IS A PROBMEM. DOPES WHO SLEPT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY, AND LACK THE COMMON SENSE OF ORDINARY LAUNDRY EXPERIENCE, SPOUT OFF NONSENSE ABOUT CHLORINE BLEACH DAMANGING PLUMBING. BUT THEN, DOPES SPOUTING NONSENSE RELATING TO ALL SORTS OF THINGS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND NOT LIMITED TO ORDINARY HOUSEKEEPING. IT'S A GOOD THINK FOLKS LIKE US CAN FIGURE IT OUT ON OUR OWN. DON'T YOU AGREE?"

signed,
Trellix Mailer wrote:


Now don't anyone dare say that I am sticking up for the above opinion. I just asked the question. Personally I would not be afraid of using bleach, but not often. NOTE NOT OFTEN.....

Dale

My, he seems to be a little intemperate in his utterances today.

I believe the Bard had a comment apropos to his response, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

And, Dale, you are probably on the right track in not using bleach often. If something is harmful, less harm will be done if used less often.

Whatcha gonna stir up next, religion, politics, draft-dodgers?

Bill the dope.

You can always say towards him, WELL, I'VE BEEN INSULTED BY EXPERTS, he surely isn't one. No need to change your SIG, to, bill h. the dope, we know better.

"Do you think all women should be dressed in white, like all other domestic appliances"? QUOTE, from Formula one president.

How's that for a new thread?

Dale

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by Smith Brother (edited July 04, 2005).]

quote:

Originally posted by Smith Brother:


Do you think all women should be dressed in white, like all other domestic appliances?

How's that for a new thread?

Dale

Kinder, Kuche, Kirche.

Good information here. From the former owner of the unit we just purchased, he suggest always haveing water in the toliet to keep the rubber rings moist. From his boating experience, he urged us not to let these seals dry out.

Concerning "women in white" - just remember the President of the F1 was run out of Indy a couple of weeks ago.

Thom

I never use anthing that wasn't devised for purpose. We like the disolving things whoever makes them.

Last time I ever made a negative statement about a woman was sometime before my daughter was born 21 years ago this month. All wives and daughter in my life have outclassed me in every regard. God bless'em

"The racing guy who made that statement is as dumb as a rock"

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We could not believe he said such it either, but he did. He called her and said he hoped he hadn't offended her, but does feel a woman belongs in the home. That set it all off again. He is 74 and wears bangs. Sharon and the girls in the office plus people that know me know that I have total respect for women.

Dale

I think it is not so much whether or not the bleach is going to harm anything, but whether one needs to "disinfect" one's black tank at all. Is this guy using his Black tank to store fruit punch or something when he is not using it? Sounds like major overkill there. Dumping a ton of bleach into someone else's septic tank is not doing them any favors either. Using bleach in both tanks to "clean" them prior to working on them makes sense though.

Although I cannot speak for the water softener aspect, it seems harmless enough.

The rest of the advice is sound, and has been repeated often by others.

Needless to say we are NEVER going to disinfect our black tanks, and maybe it just makes me feel WARM and FUZZY knowing that I have SOME control on just how bad it gets in there. Personally I am going to do some of the things he suggest, and MAYBE the bleach treatment OCCASIONALLY.

Dale