I suspect that I might have a heavy mineral build up in my holding tank.
There is no inspection port to confirm this but after looking at the
build up in the hose leading to the tank I feel that it is very likely.
My question is; what, short of removing the tank and hammering the crap
(no pun intended) out of it, is the best method of removing the build up.
I think I heard a while back that acetic acid (vinegar) works. Any
comments or other ideas.
Thanks
--
remove "abcde" from e-mail address to reply

"I think it would be a good idea."
Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mahatma_Gandhi/ (1869 -
1948), when asked what he thought of Western civilization

cwest wrote:
I suspect that I might have a heavy mineral build up in my holding tank.

It's possible that you have a sludge buildup, but it's not a mineral
buildup--not in the tank. Any sludge will be solids and TP that the use
of chemical tank products only allowed to dissolve into little tiny
particles that settled to the bottom instead of working WITH nature to
prevent odor while keeping the bacteria alive to emulsify (liquify) 'em.

If it's still "mud" it can be flushed out by putting a few gallons of
water down the pumpout hose--'cuz that sends the water into the tank at
the bottom to stir it up--pump that
out...repeat...repeat...repeat...till only clean water is being pumped out.

But if it's turned to "concrete," nothing will disssolve it that won't
also damage the tank.

Which is why it's VERY important to nominally rinse out the tank after
EVERY pumpout (sea water via a washdown hose after dumping a tank at sea
works)...and THOROUGHLY flush it out a couple of times a season. 'Cuz
left alone long enough, sludge will clog up a discharge hose and a
macerator.

I think I heard a while back that acetic acid (vinegar) works.

Nope. A cupful of white vinegar helps to prevent sea water calcium
carbonate buildup in the head discharge hose, but it won't do a thing
to dissolve sludge in a tank.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1

Hi, Peggie, and group,

"Peggie Hall" wrote in message
...
cwest wrote:
I suspect that I might have a heavy mineral build up in my holding tank.

It's possible that you have a sludge buildup, but it's not a mineral
buildup--not in the tank. Any sludge will be solids and TP that the use
of chemical tank products only allowed to dissolve into little tiny
particles that settled to the bottom instead of working WITH nature to
prevent odor while keeping the bacteria alive to emulsify (liquefy) 'em.

If it's still "mud" it can be flushed out by putting a few gallons of
water down the pumpout hose--'cuz that sends the water into the tank at
the bottom to stir it up--pump that
out...repeat...repeat...repeat...till only clean water is being pumped
out.

But if it's turned to "concrete," nothing will dissolve it that won't
also damage the tank.

Which is why it's VERY important to nominally rinse out the tank after
EVERY pumpout (sea water via a washdown hose after dumping a tank at sea
works)...and THOROUGHLY flush it out a couple of times a season. 'Cuz
left alone long enough, sludge will clog up a discharge hose and a
macerator.

I think I heard a while back that acetic acid (vinegar) works.

Nope. A cupful of white vinegar helps to prevent sea water calcium
carbonate buildup in the head discharge hose, but it won't do a thing
to dissolve sludge in a tank.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1


Leaving this in, as it's a great book - we read it cover to cover on our
shakedown, which included the requisite failure of both heads :{/) -
fortunately, one at a time :{))

Just wondering...

What about these after-market products which claim to put beneficial
bacteria into a septic system, and promise (and I've heard reports
anecdotally from acquaintances that suggest they do so) that *all* solids
are dissolved, over time?

Is that strictly an anaerobic system, or generically beneficial bugs? Heck,
if there are oil eating bugs, surely there should be sludge eating bugs
available...

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, by proxy)


--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

Skip Gundlach wrote:
Just wondering...

What about these after-market products which claim to put beneficial
bacteria into a septic system, and promise (and I've heard reports
anecdotally from acquaintances that suggest they do so) that *all* solids
are dissolved, over time?

Is that strictly an anaerobic system, or generically beneficial bugs? Heck,
if there are oil eating bugs, surely there should be sludge eating bugs
available...

Everything that goes down a drain in a house ends up in a septic
tank--and a lot of it isn't organic--laundry products including bleach,
whatever is on the clothes and even hands that are washed including
motor oil, and anything else that gets washed in a sink...plus food
particles, kitchen grease etc that are organic but don't break down very
quickly...along with baby wipes, tampons, condoms, "premium" toilet
paper, and anything that's "flushable"...none of which is helped by all
the antibacterial cleaning products everyone is obsessed with these
days. So sludge inevitable in a septic tank, whether any "bugs" are
added or not.

But human body waste and quick--dissolve TP is the only thing that goes
into a holding tank, and it's already full of bacteria. Use a
non-chemical holding tank product--Odorlos or Raritan K.O.--or
aeration...all of which work with the naturally occuring bacteria to
prevent odor instead of killing 'em off with toxic chemicals and there
won't be any sludge. If you do use toxic chemical tank products, the
chemicals in 'em that kill the bacteria in sewage would also kill off
any added sludge dissolving "bugs," making their use a waste of
effort...and your money.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1

Thanks for the info Peggie. Unfortunately thats not the answer I wanted
to hear.
Life goes on..


Peggie Hall wrote:

Skip Gundlach wrote:

Just wondering...

What about these after-market products which claim to put beneficial
bacteria into a septic system, and promise (and I've heard reports
anecdotally from acquaintances that suggest they do so) that *all*
solids
are dissolved, over time?

Is that strictly an anaerobic system, or generically beneficial
bugs? Heck,
if there are oil eating bugs, surely there should be sludge eating bugs
available...


Everything that goes down a drain in a house ends up in a septic
tank--and a lot of it isn't organic--laundry products including
bleach, whatever is on the clothes and even hands that are washed
including motor oil, and anything else that gets washed in a
sink...plus food particles, kitchen grease etc that are organic but
don't break down very quickly...along with baby wipes, tampons,
condoms, "premium" toilet paper, and anything that's
"flushable"...none of which is helped by all the antibacterial
cleaning products everyone is obsessed with these days. So sludge
inevitable in a septic tank, whether any "bugs" are added or not.

But human body waste and quick--dissolve TP is the only thing that
goes into a holding tank, and it's already full of bacteria. Use a
non-chemical holding tank product--Odorlos or Raritan K.O.--or
aeration...all of which work with the naturally occuring bacteria to
prevent odor instead of killing 'em off with toxic chemicals and there
won't be any sludge. If you do use toxic chemical tank products, the
chemicals in 'em that kill the bacteria in sewage would also kill off
any added sludge dissolving "bugs," making their use a waste of
effort...and your money.


--
remove "abcde" from e-mail address to reply

"I think it would be a good idea."
Mahatma Gandhi
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mahatma_Gandhi/ (1869 -
1948), when asked what he thought of Western civilization

cwest wrote in message ...
Thanks for the info Peggie. Unfortunately thats not the answer I wanted
to hear.
Life goes on..

My sailboat does not have a head, but our motorhome has a holding tank
that can get bad - at least it was when we got it; we try to take
better care of it than the previous owner.

Perhaps Peggy will have some idea of how/if the following might help
with a marine head holding tank.

At the beginning of a trip (where we knew we could dump at the
destination) we put a bag of crushed ice (plus all the cubes we had in
the freezer) plus a bunch of water down the toilet. The ice sloshed
about nicely as it slowly melted and scrubbed the tank. We dumped,
rinsed, and all was well with the tank (as far as I can tell!).

Prior to our doing that the tank was slow to drain and rinsing was a
waste of time. We used fresh bacterial starter after the "deep
cleaning" (don't know if Peggy approves of that or not). Now-a-days
everything seems to dump as nice as can be (given the subject matter
:-).

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Ed Humphries
Atlanta, Georgia

Ed Humphries wrote:
My sailboat does not have a head, but our motorhome has a holding tank
that can get bad - at least it was when we got it; we try to take
better care of it than the previous owner.

Perhaps Peggy will have some idea of how/if the following might help
with a marine head holding tank.

At the beginning of a trip (where we knew we could dump at the
destination) we put a bag of crushed ice (plus all the cubes we had in
the freezer) plus a bunch of water down the toilet. The ice sloshed
about nicely as it slowly melted and scrubbed the tank. We dumped,
rinsed, and all was well with the tank (as far as I can tell!).

Prior to our doing that the tank was slow to drain and rinsing was a
waste of time. We used fresh bacterial starter after the "deep
cleaning" (don't know if Peggy approves of that or not). Now-a-days
everything seems to dump as nice as can be (given the subject matter
:-).

Sounds like a plan to me. And I very definitely approve of your use
of a "bacterial starter" instead of toxic chemicals. In fact, the
bacteria prob'ly did as much to open your drains--by digesting and
liquifying the waste--as the ice did. However, I doubt that the crushed
ice remained ice long enough to do much scrubbing...though it chilled
the tank enough to make the ice cubes last longer...it was the ice cubes
banging against the walls that accomplished that.

--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/detai...=400&group=327