Head chemicals

[timb7734]

Have been using NoFlex Digestor per their instructions and overall happy with it except it does not seem effective with the smell. Never see the effluent as clear water either as advertised. Tried using more product as well.

Many RVers post that they like “Happy Camper”, which we are trying and this stuff seems to eliminate the smell entirely. Happy Camper does not disclose active ingredient on the package. Wonder if anyone knows what the difference is?

 

[HeadMistress]

Have been using NoFlex Digestor per their instructions and overall happy with it except it does not seem effective with the smell.

Odor out the tank vent? Or odor inside the boat?


--Peggie

 

[C lectric]

What tank venting do you have? Is it the typical single 5/8id hose?
If so can you add another line and to the other side of the hull so there is crossflow in the tank.
I used two vents of 5/8 which I learned later was inadequate, should have used at least 1" hose. I did at least use two hoses , one to each side of the hull and attached to the tank catty corner across the tank top.
I may go for the twin 1" id hose yet.

I went to the NoFlex several years ago. Sure because of the advertising but also from talking to other dockmates. My wife commented a while back that even when she stood next to the boat she did not detect any odour when the toilet was pumped.

I think all offerings have the best performance so beware. I used to have a trailer and no matter what I used the holding tank stank.

Pay attention to Peggy as she is the forum Guru about this subject.

 

[timb7734]

I do not notice a tank vent odor, just notice it at pump out.

 

[Comodave]

Does it smell from the vent when you flush the head? If so you need more oxygen in the tank. I added 2 1.5” vents to the holding tank in our current boat. I have added Groco Sweetank in several previous boats and it took care of the smell completely without any head chemicals at all, just air pumping into the holding tank.

 

[lwarden]

I just installed a DIY version of the Sweetank and can confirm Dave's claim how well it works. We have a Vaccuflush system and during the summer the stench during a flush was horrendous. Now there is no smell at all, no chemicals either. I tried Nofex but it didn't seem to do much. O2 is the fix...

 

[timb7734]

Again, no vent odor when flushing, but odor when pumping off. Had sweet tanks etc., these are not the question, the question is what is the active chemical in Hapoy Camper that seems to out perform NoFlex Digester

 

[Bacchus]

I installed an inexpensive DIY bubbling system that has turned a nasty smelly tank to a non-smell tank.
See
https://dkloeber.wixsite.com/bacchus/projects-pg-2
Only change I made was replacing the original metal tube to pvc.

 

[Moonfish]

If you’re smelling an odor outside the boat during pump out, it’s likely coming from the vent line. We get that occasionally, too. If it’s inside the boat, hmmm…

 

[catalinajack]

Again, no vent odor when flushing, but odor when pumping off. Had sweet tanks etc., these are not the question, the question is what is the active chemical in Hapoy Camper that seems to out perform NoFlex Digester

Check the MSDS. This product is harmful to marine life which is not a problem for RVs.

 

[catalinajack]

Have been using NoFlex Digestor per their instructions and overall happy with it except it does not seem effective with the smell. Never see the effluent as clear water either as advertised. Tried using more product as well.

Many RVers post that they like “Happy Camper”, which we are trying and this stuff seems to eliminate the smell entirely. Happy Camper does not disclose active ingredient on the package. Wonder if anyone knows what the difference is?

The primary (70%) active ingredient in NoFlex is sodium percarbonate which is easily purchased in bulk from Amazon. I have used both and found no difference in performance. Much cheaper than NoFlex.

 

[SteveK]

The primary (70%) active ingredient in NoFlex is sodium percarbonate which is easily purchased in bulk from Amazon. I have used both and found no difference in performance. Much cheaper than NoFlex.

Can you suggest the amount to use in a 48 gallon tank based on your own experience as to what works? Save me trial and error.

 

[Bacchus]

Can you suggest the amount to use in a 48 gallon tank based on your own experience as to what works? Save me trial and error.

We use about a tbsp / day. 2 persons aboard and a 40 gal tank.
NoFlex recommends a double dose to start if I recall correctly.
If you use generic sodium percarbonate it's cheap enough to not worry / skimp on the dose.

 

[FlyWright]

The primary (70%) active ingredient in NoFlex is sodium percarbonate which is easily purchased in bulk from Amazon. I have used both and found no difference in performance. Much cheaper than NoFlex.

We use about a tbsp / day. 2 persons aboard and a 40 gal tank.
NoFlex recommends a double dose to start if I recall correctly.
If you use generic sodium percarbonate it's cheap enough to not worry / skimp on the dose.

 

[SteveK]

We use about a tbsp / day. 2 persons aboard and a 40 gal tank.
NoFlex recommends a double dose to start if I recall correctly.
If you use generic sodium percarbonate it's cheap enough to not worry / skimp on the dose.

OK, must get an auto feeder setup. forgot that is why we stopped using noflex, remembering to add daily.

 

[Bacchus]

OK, must get an auto feeder setup. forgot that is why we stopped using noflex, remembering to add daily.

Every second or third day is not necessarily a failure.
If you want hands off install a bubbler like I did and let it run 24/7.
Getting sufficient O2 in there is the biggest improvement. Add some NoFlex / SPC when you think about it. Leave a small container out in the head as a reminder.

 

[Comodave]

We put a Groco Sweetank in a previous boat and then never added any chemicals for almost 8 years until we sold the boat. A bubbler system to get enough oxygen into the tank and the aerobic bacteria takes care of the smell for you.

 

[Greg Sutton]

I've had odor free heads on my last 2 boats using ONLY https://marinesan.com/tank-teria-10pk/. It's a tablet containing the ideal bacterial mix for holding tanks. Add anything else and you'll have odor and possibly other problems. It may take awhile to work.

 

[timb7734]

So y’all hijacked the thread to sweet tanks and such without answering the question about the chemical makeup of “Happy Camper”, which has no MSDS or description on the website, but works where NoFlex does not.

 

[HTurner]

So y’all hijacked the thread to sweet tanks and such without answering the question about the chemical makeup of “Happy Camper”, which has no MSDS or description on the website, but works where NoFlex does not.

Here is the MSDS:


https://www.happycampersworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MSDS.pdf




You will find it lacking as 99% is Monohydrate with an instruction to call them.

 

[Frank60]

I've noticed that NoFlex keeps down the odor if you use it according to instructions. However, if I'm away from the boat for a couple of weeks, it does smell when I flush. Then I usually put in some of the blue stuff to knock down the smell quickly and switch back to NoFlex after the next pump out. I'm going to try a larger dose of NoFlex just before leaving the boat for an extended time and see if that helps.

The biggest benefit of NoFlex seems to be more effectively breaking down the tank contents. I was starting to have trouble with a very slow pump out. After checking all of the other usual causes of that, I started using NoFlex. After a couple of months, pump outs are very fast.

 

[Bacchus]

So y’all hijacked the thread to sweet tanks and such without answering the question about the chemical makeup of “Happy Camper”, which has no MSDS or description on the website, but works where NoFlex does not.

IMO nobody knows for sure what the active ingredient is. I've looked up the SDS and all it says is monohydrate.
If you search you find...
monohydrate*(plural*monohydrates)
(chemistry)*A*hydrate*whose*solid*contains a single molecule of*water of crystallization*per molecule, or per unit cell

So there you have it a compound of an unnamed ingredient combined with a single molecule of water. I have seen this sort of thing where companies provide as little or as confusing a description that will be accepted. Bottom line the mfg doesn't want to disclose what's in it for obvious reasons.

 

[Tango46]

Checkout Odor Free. By Aurora Marine. We use on multiple boats, and when used per instructions - it works fantastic. Aurora marine.com

 

[HeadMistress]

I have seen reports on several websites claiming Happy Camper is harmful to marine life. Obviously this would not be a concern to RV users.


--Peggie

 

[CharlieO.]

https://www.happycampersworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/MSDS.pdf

 

[Bacchus]

I have seen reports on several websites claiming Happy Camper is harmful to marine life. Obviously this would not be a concern to RV users.


--Peggie

Peggie
I would think that "depends"...
Not knowing what the chemistry is how is it possible to say it's OK to dump into a sewer system? How is it assured that any sewer or septic system removes or otherwise converts it to an inert or harness substance?
Even sewer systems discharge effluent into our waterways that end up the same place as off shore boaters.
And for us boaters that do not have access to "open water" outside NDZs its the same case for RVers or boaters.
I did see HC is no longer approved or available in California. It may / may not be that it is hazardous... could be CA requires to know what is really in it and HC not willing to divulge that info?

 

[HeadMistress]

See "Environmental Precautions" in section 6 on page 3 of the MSDS. Is that absolute confirmation that HC is harmful to marine life? No. But a tankful of waste and chemicals has at least a temporary negative impact on all marine life in the immediate vicinity.



--Peggie

 

[DCDC]

A few clues from the MSDS:

Sulfuric acid salt monohydrate
Decomposition products are sulfur and metal oxides
EDTA mentioned as antidote
Molecular weight is 179.47
Boiling point is 740 degrees C, decomposes
Soluble in water
NFPA diamond 2-0-0
Can be used to treat sewage odors

Zinc sulfate monohydrate fits the above points.

 

[HTurner]

A few clues from the MSDS:

Sulfuric acid salt monohydrate
Decomposition products are sulfur and metal oxides
EDTA mentioned as antidote
Molecular weight is 179.47
Boiling point is 740 degrees C, decomposes
Soluble in water
NFPA diamond 2-0-0
Can be used to treat sewage odors

Zinc sulfate monohydrate fits the above points.

https://www.amazon.com/Zinc-Sulfate-Monohydrate-35-5-Pound/dp/B00T6I1SKS

 

[Bacchus]

See "Environmental Precautions" in section 6 on page 3 of the MSDS. Is that absolute confirmation that HC is harmful to marine life? No. But a tankful of waste and chemicals has at least a temporary negative impact on all marine life in the immediate vicinity.



--Peggie

Peggie
I agree completely that HC has a negative affect on marine life.
I only questioned whether dumping on shore into a sewer system that discharges into streams, rivers, etc can be considered safe?
There are many things we dump into our sewers that carry over in the discharge lije drugs, micro particles of plastics, etc. "Being treated" doesn't mean everything harmful is removed.