Holding Tank Product

Let's start by saying I have no relationship with this company. I discovered TankTechsRx after surfing the web for RV's as a potential next step in lifestyle. The product seemed interesting and I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try.

Well, I have been amazed by the results. After treating my holding tanks (we have 2) as directed for a couple of weeks all odor has gone bye bye. I've been using it for 3-months now and not a whiff of anything. A real advantage is once the bacterial culture is established I only add about a teaspoonful after each pumpout. Note that we liveaboard and are in the heat of Florida so the holding tanks are used constantly. We did leave the boat for a couple of weeks and when we returned there was still no odor.

Be aware that the product is a liquid and it's not "pretty." In fact it looks like diarrhea in a bottle. It has virtually no scent of it's own. You can check it out at www.tanktechsrx.com. Again, no relationships here, just a pleased customer.

The website seems to not have a lot of readily available information on what the product actually is. Maybe I’m just failing at the internet?

Oops dhays try that link.

The MSDS lists the pH as <3.60. I wonder what the acidic state will do with long exposure to the components of our waste systems? Peggy always has us flush white vinegar out after a while so the low pH present won’t harm the rubber products in our systems.

Gmarr said:

Oops dhays try that link.

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Thanks!

I think I'll pass for that reason, don't need to risk it IMHO. Thanks for the research.

Giggitoni said:

The MSDS lists the pH as <3.60. I wonder what the acidic state will do with long exposure to the components of our waste systems? Peggy always has us flush white vinegar out after a while so the low pH present won’t harm the rubber products in our systems.

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Peggie would know. It sounds like it is simply a bacterial culture in a nutrient bath. The bacteria likely thrive in a more acidic environment.

IIRC, urine is normally slightly acidic with stool being just on the acidic side of neutral. What I don’t know is what the typical pH is of a marine holding tank? My guess is that it is slightly acidic since the input is either neutral (water) or slightly acidic urine and stool. I don’t know that bacterial action affects the pH of the holding tank. Again, Peggie would know.

In any event, the amount of the holding tank additive is small and is being diluted in a much larger volume. So unless this bacterial culture changes the pH of the holding tank contents significantly I don’t think it would be an issue.

pH for both water and waste is between 7 and 9. pH level for distilled white vinegar is typically 2.5. which is why it should always been flushed out of the plumbing after about 45-60 minutes when used to descale hoses...that's acidic enough to do serious damage to any soft rubber left to soak in it--so don't even think of leaving it to sit the bowl...it'll destroy your joker valve.

The TankTech RX MSDS http://dev.tanktechsrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/TankTechsRx_SDS.pdf lists the pH level as < 3.60± 0.20 even lower than vinegar.

This statement on theTankTechRX website cracked me up:

Don’t spend your nautical adventures swabbing a poopy deck. TankTechsRx is here to keep your fresh and salt water vessels free of solid and water waste.


As if it can prevent a blocked tank vent from pressurizing the tank resulting in a spew when the pumpout cap is opened???

If "hmason" is happy with it, great. But I've never been impressed with it...it's very expensive but doesn't come close to eliminating holding tank odor --odor out the vent-- and dissolving sludge as No-Flex Digestor Noflex Digestor does for a lot less.

That's my $.02 worth anyway.

--Peggie

I tried this in the camper after seeing a reference to it. I've tried many such products before without much success. I was surprised that after adding it to a fairly ripe 1/2 full tank, within a day most of the odor was gone. It actually works.

Just to reiterate, after each pump out I add about a teaspoon of the product and flush it down the bowl with about a gallon of water. If that amount will significantly alter the ph of a 40 gallon holding tank I would be very surprised. And for me it works amazingly well. YMMV

HeadMistress said:

If "hmason" is happy with it, great. But I've never been impressed with it...it's very expensive but doesn't come close to eliminating holding tank odor --odor out the vent-- and dissolving sludge as No-Flex Digestor Noflex Digestor does for a lot less.

That's my $.02 worth anyway.

--Peggie

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Another vote for No-Flex. Great product.

Paul

We use them both alternately.

"- and dissolving sludge as No-Flex Digestor Noflex Digestor does for a lot less."

Sure would be nice of there was a product to dissolve sludge in diesel tanks , so it could be captured by the primary filter.