shower sump goop cleaner

mystery said:

The way I see people handle sludge at the bottom of the holding tank is to shoot water from a hose into their holding tank. Loosen it up, pump out, and do it again. If you do it regularly, it should be easier moving forward.

Click to expand...

OldDan1943 said:

It is impossible to clean the toilet bowl without pumping it into the holding tank.

I was hoping for a product that would attack the sludge in the sanitary tank.
Oh well, cleaning the shower/sink box is good enough.

Click to expand...

Moonfish said:

We use "Forget About It" in our holding tank. It's a 100% natural proprietary concoction that uses as its primary ingredient probiotic lactic acid bacteria to eat organic material. It eliminates sludge and odor from the system. And though we've used it in the bilge after the sump pump failed (and we ended up with a bunch of stinky shower stuff in there), it wasn't until reading this thread that I realized it might work in the sump itself to keep things clean.

I'll let y'all know what we find out...

Click to expand...

BruceK said:

My grey water sump bilge pump could suck start a Harley Davidson, the issue is a sticking Rule flipper switch. I hate those switches.
Hoping a magic potion will stop it sticking,disinclined to bless the grey tank with a Johnson Ultra.

Click to expand...

Capitaine R said:

I have no experience with holding tanks on a boat or the anaerobic digestion process, so please have mercy on this post.

would a residential septic tank product like Rid x help in a holding tank to alleviate some of the build up of solids? I would think a lot of the problem with smells and build up would come from having the tank pumped out often, as it would remove any beneficial anaerobic organisms that are digesting the solid materials in the tank. A product like Rid x, or bugs in a box as we like to call them, are supposed to replace these bugs. Even in a residential septic system it is often recommended to add such a product after the septic tank is pumped out and cleaned.

Click to expand...

Capitaine R said:

I have no experience with holding tanks on a boat or the anaerobic digestion process, so please have mercy on this post.

would a residential septic tank product like Rid x help in a holding tank to alleviate some of the build up of solids? I would think a lot of the problem with smells and build up would come from having the tank pumped out often, as it would remove any beneficial anaerobic organisms that are digesting the solid materials in the tank. A product like Rid x, or bugs in a box as we like to call them, are supposed to replace these bugs. Even in a residential septic system it is often recommended to add such a product after the septic tank is pumped out and cleaned.

Click to expand...

HeadMistress said:

I have no experience with holding tanks on a boat or the anaerobic digestion process, so please have mercy on this post.

You're starting from a false premise: that the holding tank on a boat is a septic (anaerobic) system. Treat it as one and it's guaranteed to stink because anaerobic systems can only be odorless if they're kept absolutely still...which is impossible on a boat. Keeping a marine holding tank or composter odor free requires that be maintained AEROBICALLY.

...would a residential septic tank product like Rid x help in a holding tank to alleviate some of the build up of solids?

Another boat owner on a quest to find products that can just be poured in a tank or the bilge or....instead of doing any hands-on maintenance <sigh> Why not just prevent the buildup instead? Flushing out the tank 2-3/x year, and especially in preparation for winter or other extended layup, is the best way to PREVENT sludge buildup and very easy to do.

I would think a lot of the problem with smells and build up would come from having the tank pumped out often, as it would remove any beneficial anaerobic organisms that are digesting the solid materials in the tank.

Nope...there are no "beneficial anaerobic organisms" in a holding tank. It's the anaerobic organisms that create the odor.

Bio-physics 101: When organic matter breaks down anaerobically it generates anaerobic gasses--sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, which not only stink but are toxic, and methane which is odorless but flammable. But when organic matter breaks down AEROBICALLY, it converts to CO2 which is odorless. Which explains why running streams don't stink, but stagnant ponds do...why it's necessary to toss/aerate compost piles, and why holding tank odor can be eliminated by increasing the amount oxygen/air exchange in the tank. That can usually be done passively by shortening, straightening and increasing vent line diameter but sometimes aeration is the only thing that works.

I've posted volumes about this here and on other sites in the and have written two books (see link in my signature) that explain how to set up a system that functions aerobically in detail. And I'm always glad to answer questions that aren't answered either place.

(This thread seems to have drifted away from sumps etc into holding tank maintenance...perhaps one of our mods might move it to a new more apppropriate home)

--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

Click to expand...

HeadMistress said:

If it did that much in just 3 hours, imagine what it might have accomplished if you'd followed the directions to use it when it can stand at least overnight (see post #7)!
--Peggie

Click to expand...

HeadMistress said:

I have no experience with holding tanks on a boat or the anaerobic digestion process, so please have mercy on this post.

You're starting from a false premise: that the holding tank on a boat is a septic (anaerobic) system. Treat it as one and it's guaranteed to stink because anaerobic systems can only be odorless if they're kept absolutely still...which is impossible on a boat. Keeping a marine holding tank or composter odor free requires that be maintained AEROBICALLY.

...would a residential septic tank product like Rid x help in a holding tank to alleviate some of the build up of solids?

Another boat owner on a quest to find products that can just be poured in a tank or the bilge or....instead of doing any hands-on maintenance <sigh> Why not just prevent the buildup instead? Flushing out the tank 2-3/x year, and especially in preparation for winter or other extended layup, is the best way to PREVENT sludge buildup and very easy to do.

I would think a lot of the problem with smells and build up would come from having the tank pumped out often, as it would remove any beneficial anaerobic organisms that are digesting the solid materials in the tank.

Nope...there are no "beneficial anaerobic organisms" in a holding tank. It's the anaerobic organisms that create the odor.

Bio-physics 101: When organic matter breaks down anaerobically it generates anaerobic gasses--sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, which not only stink but are toxic, and methane which is odorless but flammable. But when organic matter breaks down AEROBICALLY, it converts to CO2 which is odorless. Which explains why running streams don't stink, but stagnant ponds do...why it's necessary to toss/aerate compost piles, and why holding tank odor can be eliminated by increasing the amount oxygen/air exchange in the tank. That can usually be done passively by shortening, straightening and increasing vent line diameter but sometimes aeration is the only thing that works.

I've posted volumes about this here and on other sites in the and have written two books (see link in my signature) that explain how to set up a system that functions aerobically in detail. And I'm always glad to answer questions that aren't answered either place.

(This thread seems to have drifted away from sumps etc into holding tank maintenance...perhaps one of our mods might move it to a new more apppropriate home)

--Peggie


Now that's a CLEAR answer, thank you Peggy.

Click to expand...