If you’ve been RVing for any amount of time, doubtless you’ve had, heard, or wondered about holding tank additives. Most of the time, the question comes up when people are complaining about their holding tank smelling bad, sensors not working, or just wondering what they can do to make things work better.

What is an additive and what’s it doing in my tanks?
Almost every commercial tank additive promotes, as its first advantage, the ability to break down waste in an RV’s holding tank. In fact, that’s where the problem starts.

Your RV’s holding tanks are big, somewhat squarish plastic boxes. The exact size, configuration, and capacity vary from RV to RV, but for the most part, they are rectangular, with sharp corners, a frontward-sloping bottom (so waste can “fall” to the front of the tank), and an exit hole cut or drilled into the front bulkhead.

Adding a tank additive with its main intent to break down the holding tank’s contents gives you one thing: A big, plastic box full of a thick, sticky mess.

Think about it: What would drain better/faster/more thoroughly? A tank full of mostly water, with solids (human waste, TP) floating in it or a tank full of broken-down sludge, almost like a sticky pancake batter? The tank of water with suspended solids.

And it’s those same corners and front bulkhead where dissolved waste can collect and be nearly impossible to dislodge. Same with the tank sensors — that broken-down, sticky mess in your tanks is coating the sensors and making other things (more mess, TP, etc.) stick to them.

Your tank solution is the problem. It’s doing exactly what it is intended to do. And the unnecessary byproducts are that you are having problems with your tanks and sensors.

Do we know what we’re talking about?
We’ve cleaned over 1,000 tanks in our six years as authorized All Pro Water Flow dealers. That’s a lot of tanks. Small-, medium, and large travel trailers. Fifth wheels of every size and configuration. Motorhomes from $25,000 bargain lot bank possessions to million dollar beauties fresh from the factory.

We can always tell when an RV owner uses a tank additive that breaks down waste. When we clean their tanks (because they have a problem, such as misreading sensors, offensive smells, slow-draining tanks, etc.), what comes out of the tank is a slow, thick, slurry-like mixture. Every time.

So what should you do?
There are a few things you can do right away:

1. Stop using tank additives who’s main purpose is to break down waste.
2. Use more water in your tanks, by adding 3-5 gallons right after you empty them and flushing down an extra toilet bowlful of water after each use.
3. Top off your tanks with clean water before empty them, trying to get to 90%-100% capacity.

Our solution
Now, everyone likes to put ***something*** into their holding tanks. It’s what we’ve been taught by RV dealerships. It’s what the online forums, discussion groups, and Facebook Pages are all saying. We hear “good advice” from other RVers (who, very likely, still have problems). And we see vendors and other manufacturer’s reps at rallies hawking their latest potion.

What we recommend — for those seeking something to put down their tanks — is a variation of the GEO method. This homemade solution — which can be mixed for just $5 for 50 tank treatments — is a combination of Pine-Sol and Calgon water softener.

The Calgon breaks the surface tension of the water, preventing the holding tank’s contents from sticking to the plastic walls and surfaces of the tank. The Pine-Sol is an ammonia-based disinfectant, killing harmful bacteria, viruses, etc., and also imparting a strong, antiseptic smell (a lemon- or other pleasant-scented mixture will help with this). For the exact mixture, download our “recipe” for free by clicking here.

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First, those tank additives — biologicals, enzymes, or chemicals — are doing exactly what they claim to: They break down solids and other waste in your holding tanks, especially the black tank. Given the right conditions and time, anything in your tank turns into a thick sludge — that’s also very sticky, like pancake batter.

So, think about it. Your holding tank is a big, plastic box. There’s a fair amount (we hope) of water or, at least, liquid in there. You introduce waste and solids, such as toilet paper. In what situation would that holding tank empty faster, more completely, and better? Full of water with solids suspended in it or full of that soft, sticky, broken-down mess? Yep, the water with solids suspended in it.

But we’re told we need to add something to our tanks, right? Yes, we are told that. By RV dealers who don’t know any better. By tank additive manufacturers who want you to buy their product. By RV rally vendors who want to make a sale.

The truth is, the only thing you need to add to your tanks is water. And lots of it. And then dump with some frequency, probably more than you do now. Your RV’s holding tanks are just that — holding tanks — not a septic system. It is not intended for you to have stuff in there for long, encouraging it all to break down with chemicals, enzymes, and other additives.

How do we know tank additives are bad? Because we’ve cleaned nearly a thousand holding tanks and EVERY time a customer uses additives to break down waste, what comes out during our cleaning is a literal slow-moving river of sticky, messy and smelly slurry. A healthy tank is one that empties quickly (because solids are suspended in water), completely (because nothing is sticking to surfaces, especially those darned sensors), and without problems (clog and mounds are eliminated because tanks are completely emptied more often).

If you must use an additive, we recommend a simple mixture of Calgon bath beads (a water softener) and Pine-Sol. The water softener breaks the surface tension of water in the tank, preventing anything from sticking to tank surfaces and sensors. The Pine-Sol is a disinfectant with strong odor masking properties, it will keep your tanks smelling better.

How do you make this solution? Easy! Take an empty gallon (128 ounce) bottle or jug. Add in 40 ounces (5 cups) of Pine-Sol (or something similar, like Pine Power). Pour in 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of Calgon (we like the bath pearls, but liquid or powder is fine too). Carefully fill the gallon bottle or jug with water (it will foam a lot, so go slowly and allow the foam to settle). Shake thoroughly. Pour in 1/2 to one cup of this mixture into your black tank each time, after you empty it. You can also use 1/2 cup in your gray tank to keep it functioning well too.

Use whatever tank additive you wish. Or not. But if it’s a biological, enzyme, or chemical, be sure to schedule more frequent tank cleanings — you’ll need them to get your tanks clean and your sensors working properly again.

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