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08-20-2019, 06:38 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Name: Cyndi
Trailer: 2010 Scamp 5th Wheel/2019 Toyota Tundra
Iowa
Posts: 1,105
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Borax
Dear Guys:
Haven't been here awhile. Busy working with the USDA and my husband in the oil field of Eastern Montana. Camping here is sometimes hard to come by as everything is reserved or many miles away. Greg is planning on going done to Medora, Teddy Roosevelt South Unit to secure a campsite for the weekend so he can take pictures of horses.
My question is about borax and how much to put into the black tank. Anyone who knows please let me know.
Thanks!
__________________
Living and working in the Oil Patch but home is still Iowa.
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08-20-2019, 06:56 PM
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#2
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,221
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Kinda curious, why put borax in a holding tank? Never heard of that in 30 years with 4 different trailers.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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08-20-2019, 07:07 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Some think Borax isn't a chemical and therefore superior to "chemical" black tank products.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-20-2019, 08:37 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: Paul
Trailer: '04 Scamp 19D, TV:Tacoma 3.5L 4door, SB
Colorado
Posts: 1,845
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Borax, aka Sodium tetraborate decahydrate, or Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O
Just looked it up.
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08-20-2019, 10:59 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Some suggest mixing other common household cleaners to clean a black tank - ammonia and bleach for instance ( toss in some Borax for good measure ).
The bleach decomposes to formhydrochloric acid, which reacts with ammonia to form toxic chloramine fumes. If ammonia is present in excess (which it may or may not be, depending on your mixture), toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine may be formed.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-21-2019, 07:59 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Name: JD
Trailer: Scamp 16 Modified (BIGLY)
Florida
Posts: 2,445
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What is the effect of Borax on a septic system?
You should make sure whatever "chemicals" you use are septic system safe to not kill off the necessary "bugs" that break down the waste.
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08-22-2019, 07:38 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: Paul
Trailer: '04 Scamp 19D, TV:Tacoma 3.5L 4door, SB
Colorado
Posts: 1,845
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo
Some suggest mixing other common household cleaners to clean a black tank - ammonia and bleach for instance ( toss in some Borax for good measure ).
The bleach decomposes to formhydrochloric acid, which reacts with ammonia to form toxic chloramine fumes. If ammonia is present in excess (which it may or may not be, depending on your mixture), toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine may be formed.
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Hydrazine is rocket fuel, right?
That should be the last thing to mess with inside a camper, I would think.
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08-22-2019, 08:27 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
Posts: 2,556
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If you don't mind (no offense if you do), what town are you near? I haven't checked out eastern Montana since the oil boom really hit (or crashed), but I'm familiar with some of the towns out there. My coworker here has a really nice house which is almost completely paid off, at 32 years old, because her husband went out there to work for a couple years in his mid twenties.
Anyway. Maybe stay away from the borax
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08-22-2019, 11:06 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Carter
Trailer: Eco
Kansas
Posts: 143
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Sorry but Borax is great stuff. It's relatively mild, cleans and whitens wonderfully and is useful for about a zillion things. Unfortunately, I just don't know whether or not safely cleaning an RV water tank is one of them.
Still, it's a great household product to have on hand.
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08-22-2019, 11:44 AM
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#10
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,221
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I have heard of borax, but have never seen it in a home, at least one I have lived in.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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08-22-2019, 12:04 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
I have heard of borax, but have never seen it in a home, at least one I have lived in.
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How often do you do the laundry?
Available online.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-22-2019, 12:15 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Name: Dick
Trailer: '15 17' LD Casita and '17 Tahoe LT
Texas
Posts: 321
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Maybe you can use the "20 Mule Team" for pulling your trailer if you can't use the Borax...
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08-22-2019, 12:26 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
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Dating myself in 3...2....1
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmad1
Maybe you can use the "20 Mule Team" for pulling your trailer if you can't use the Borax...
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Like on Death Valley Days!
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08-22-2019, 01:13 PM
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#14
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Moderator
Trailer: 2009 19 ft Escape / 2009 Honda Pilot
Posts: 6,221
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo
How often do you do the laundry? [emoji38]tu
Available online.
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Almost never, and the dear wife uses a good liquid laundry soap.
I did search borax and found some online.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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08-22-2019, 05:56 PM
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#15
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Junior Member
Name: Craig
Trailer: Escape 19
Tennessee
Posts: 14
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Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax
In black tank use as water softener to keep stuff from sticking to sides. Mix as directions on box then pour into toilet and let swish around while driving to get the sides. It is safe for septic tanks.
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08-25-2019, 11:09 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Name: Kelly
Trailer: Trails West
Oregon
Posts: 3,046
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Borax is a great product and it does clean and reduce odor because it is a natural antibacterial. They put it in insulation to prevent mold, they use it as a wood preservative to prevent mold.
However it is not appropriate for your black water tank specifically because it is an anti-bacterial. You need bacterial and enzymes to break down the waste in the tank so that it can be emptied. If those solids don't get broken down then you will end up with a clogged tank. So adding Borax will kill that the good bacteria. Just like in your gut where you need to have all those "healthy" digestive bacteria and enzymes in your bowels to help you break down and digest your food. Remember if you take anti-biotics how you need to eat yogurt to add back in the good stuff? So what you need to do is go to the store that sells the stuff to put in tanks and get the biologically friendly bacteria and enzyme formulas that are made as tank additives. They will also have an odor controller in the formula and stuff to keep the walls of the tank cleaner. Then all will be well in the bowels of your RV.
Nowadays the recommendation is not to completely empty a septic system because the residual colony of bacteria is important to retain. Of course you do need to clean your black tank to get rid of the residual solids and at that time you can use a cleaner such as Borax if you wanted to. But a good washing and rinsing with lots of water is sufficient, it does not need to be sterilized.
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08-28-2019, 06:06 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Name: Tony
Trailer: Scamp
Ohio
Posts: 179
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K
What do you mean by “clean your black tank”? Is that just throw some dish soap ( or borax) in there with some ice cubes as you pull the trailer around? Is there something else that I need to be doing? I do put a quick pour of the pink stuff in both the black and gray water tanks with some water whenever I empty them.
It’s funny how simple yet complicated a camper can be.
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08-28-2019, 06:15 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Trailer: Escape 17 ft
Posts: 8,317
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony D
K
What do you mean by “clean your black tank”?
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Use a product that's been developed for your black tank. Odorlos contains enzymes that break down the contents and also controls odours.
There is a video on the web demonstrating that putting ice cubes in your black tank accomplishing nothing. The guy built a clear tank, placed it in the back of his pick up truck, drove around and filmed it. Nothing happens. Just Google it.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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08-28-2019, 07:22 PM
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#19
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Member
Name: Alex
Trailer: Bigfoot
Washington
Posts: 94
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Complicated... but not really. The black tank is just a holding tank. It’s not a septic tank like the one in your yard where bacterial decomposition is designed to happen. It’s just a place for to hang out until you can put it in a better place. So it just needs something to keep the stink down until you empty it. The key criteria is that whatever you add shouldn’t kill the bacteria at the sewer plant, or otherwise be a pollutant. The standard blue juice like in the porta potty is just fine.
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08-28-2019, 08:30 PM
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#20
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Member
Trailer: Bonair Oxygen 2002
Posts: 49
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I agree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnowballCamper
Complicated... but not really. The black tank is just a holding tank. It’s not a septic tank like the one in your yard where bacterial decomposition is designed to happen. It’s just a place for �� to hang out until you can put it in a better place. So it just needs something to keep the stink down until you empty it. The key criteria is that whatever you add shouldn’t kill the bacteria at the sewer plant, or otherwise be a pollutant. The standard blue juice like in the porta potty is just fine.
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I have tried multiple natural products to break down waste and smells in both my trailer and a sailboat. Nothing works but emptying often and good old fashioned AquaKem. The retention time is not long enough, and the tank is generally too small.
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