Thetford Aqua Kem Green

rockylizard · Guru

Thetford Aqua Kem Green

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Smiley Sad face.jpg

Just goes to show how unobservant I can be ! !

I just checked the label on my existing bottle of Thetford Aqua Kem Green - BIG logo with BIG tick stating "Septic Safe" on the front of label.

In the 'directions' panel it clearly states that it can be disposed into a septic system.

Who'da thunk ut hmm cry

Cheers - John

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Hey John. Like you, we (and many other people I suspect) don't read all of the label on products like this - just the part with the directions.

We use an American cassette product called "Porta Pak". It comes in various coloured sachets and scents and some will breakdown the No 1's and 2's and others just act as a scent to hide bad smells.

I always wondered if it was septic tank safe, but had occasion to talk to the Master Importer for Aust last year (they also supply larger sachets to the companies that locate portable toilets at public functions and building sites). He mentioned that their product was tank safe as are most of these products now days. Apparently the biggest issue in killing the bacteria in septic tanks was the formaldehyde, but its not often used now

Cupie · Guru

Bruce and Bev wrote:
Hey John. Like you, we (and many other people I suspect) don't read all of the label on products like this - just the part with the directions.

We use an American cassette product called "Porta Pak". It comes in various coloured sachets and scents and some will breakdown the No 1's and 2's and others just act as a scent to hide bad smells.

I always wondered if it was septic tank safe, but had occasion to talk to the Master Importer for Aust last year (they also supply larger sachets to the companies that locate portable toilets at public functions and building sites). He mentioned that their product was tank safe as are most of these products now days. Apparently the biggest issue in killing the bacteria in septic tanks was the formaldehyde, but its not often used now
..............................................
I used to love that formaldehyde stuff that came in a brown ribbed bottle. It really worked & there were absolutely no unpleasant smells.
Haven't seen it for many years.

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Rocky

From the label shown, it certainly shows that one supplier has altered their formula over the last decade
When we first started to use chemicals, it was not the case that stuff could be dumped into septic systems

And, as we have not been using any chemicals whatsoever for 10 of the 12 yrs we've been on the wallaby in the MH, I see little reason to start now

Thx for showing us the new label
Phil

Bruce and Bev · Guru

Hey Cupie. When you see a cop type TV programme in a morgue or similar, they often have apparent body parts stored in glass containers.

The liquid used to preserve body parts is formaldehyde, which is watered down from formalin.

Obviously it is in stronger doses than those used in domestic cleaning products (which includes some still on the market) and I can tell you it stinks, takes your breath away and as formalin is highly corrosive to any part of the body.

PeterD · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
I thought I would search the web for prices to buy some more of this product and EVERY site I went to gives the same words - "This is suitable for use in septic systems and pit toilets" - in the specifications for the product.

Cheers - John

Whether or not it's in the specifications remember these specifications are written by the sales people.

It does not matter what chemical is used in or not used in the portable dunnies their cassettes should be emptied in long drops or other composting dunnies. The composting process requires the contents to be kept fairly dry. When you dump the cassette contents into the hole you are adding far more liquid down there than if you use them directly. This extra liquid kills the composting action. If you go to a long drop that smells excessively you can guarantee that someone has been mistreating the installation by dumping water down it. DON'T DO IT. If I say what I think of the ignorant types that dump cassettes down long drops I will probably be censured.

Similarly many van parks have their septic systems tailored to the size of their park. The systems cope quite well for number of people staying in the park. In busy times the free campers who bring their extra few days or weeks worth of waste and dump it down the septic can sometimes put the system under too much stress. If a lot of them have used harsh chemical then it can kill the system. That is why park owners put signs up forbidding people to dump cassettes down their systems.

As for the green chemical, there are some who have shown that even though it does not have formaldehyde in it the chemicals contained within it change into dangerous chemicals with the chemical action within the pottie. To put it another way, there are substantiated claims that the green stuff is not really as good as the manufacturer claims. At any rate the green stuff works by antiseptic action and not by oxygenating the breakdown action.

Please be considerate and do not dump the contents of cassettes in long drops or septic systems where the owners request you do not.

mezza56 · Senior Member

This wording is in a THETFORD ad , how many people empty their cassettes out on the ground ?

Is that a practice that a lot of people on the road do ? sneak off into the bush and drop it somewhere ?

If its full and its a long way to a Dump point , what does everyone do ?

Biodegradable septic tank safe, able to be emptied on the ground & in caravan park septic tanks

banjo · Senior Member

Well I for one wouldn't be using any of the nasty green liquids, no matter what it says on the label, formaldehyde comes in many guises and is a very nasty chemical, when we first started caravanning about 18 years ago, we had a porta-potti which lived in a cupboard, but was brought into service at night, I developed a nasty cough which I couldn't shake while away in the van, anyway without going into all the details etc. it was found to be the formaldehyde fumes coming from the toilet chemicals.

We were green then and knew no better.

The only thing that we use now, and have done for years, is Napisan or it's copies, containing sodium percarbonate an oxygenator and nothing more.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

WHOA - let's all get our knickers a little untwisted for a moment hmm cry

The reason I posted the information I bumped into about the biologically formaldehyde-free environmentally conscious product was simply to highlight that the product seemed to have improved considerably since I began using the product over eight years ago.

I would assume that given the bold warning signs at so many places stating not to empty loo cassettes because of the damage the black water in a cassette causes, are still in place as Thetford (and others) have yet to widely inform users of the improvements that obviously have been made to their product/s. I only found this information by accident.

Given I have absolutely no idea of the properties used by every other travellers in their cassette toilet, I certainly hesitate to suggest that those warning signs be removed OR ignored by the travelling public. Indeed, I would only empty a cassette in an 'approved' dump-point ... and would NOT ignore any warning signs forbidding the emptying of the cassette.

For interest sake, those who wish to be fully informed, I would recommend the reading of the following sites which will show that there is no longer formaldehyde in the Thetford product (and others).

Ignore it if you wish - but the company's product has been tested to standards ISO 11734 and OECD 301 C - so it should/could be taken the product is as stated. Indeed, there are quite a few products that are now 'acceptable' and 'safe'.

Informative article on toilet chemicals commonly used - http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/safe-toilet-chemicals-2/

Snipped from that site -

Loo Chemicals.JPG

http://www.goseeaustralia.com.au/article/424/Stringent_award_recognises_Thetford_formaldehyde_free_environmentally_conscious_portable_toilet_additives/

Judging by some of the responses to this thread, it is obvious that the vast majority of travellers were unaware of the advancement in these products in recent years. Indeed, I too was unaware. hmm

Cheers - and may all your movements be enjoyable - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Monday 13th of June 2016 07:31:12 PM