Poopy Paper Problem

[Licreek]

Having an issue with toilet paper. There are three adults living in my 36' mh. I am finding that by the time my black water tank is about half full all the paper we have flushed piles up right under the toilet dump valve and it plugs the opening and the toilet won't flush any more. I have to put a stick down the toilet and swish it around to brake up the paper pile? I am not leaving the dump valve open and everyone swears they are dumping plenty of water with their flush. So what gives??? I'm getting sick and tired of stirring the pot to get it to flush!! Any ideas?? Thanks, Lee

[John_Joey]

Way too much to read, so just going to give you my 2c.

Betting you have a leaking black valve. Doesn't have to be much to cause a problem.

Go to Wal-mart and buy for 15-20 bucks a clear remote RV shut off valve. Put it on at the end of the line and make sure it's closed. If the next day you got brown water in it then you know the problem.

[Bill_Satellite]

You REALLY don't want to solidify solids. I sure hope you meant liquify!

[devildog1971]

I use the oxy packs you can find them in the R V section at walmart it helps solidify solids I use four of those in a forty gallon holding tank works for me

[jluke]

add a hand held bidet device, then the one wipe you need is only to dry off.

[koda55]

I just went through this with my 2 girls. They have a class C. As we know, girls use more TP than men do.
They called and said they dumped their tank and it had the TP mound. When they bought it I told them to use more water and add at least 5 gallons of water when they dump. Had to take my wand out and break it up. They use Charmin just as we do. Now they understand why I told them to use more water when they flush.
As many have mentioned, the key to no holding tank problems is more water.

[palmwhit]

The easiest solution: After washing your dishes/cup/silverware, don't rinse all the soap off! You'll get a mild case of the "Hershey squirts" and voila, no pile up! If it were me I wouldn't tell the others but I'd rinse the dinnerware I'm using real well.

[Bill_Satellite]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
We've used Charmin Ultra for years and never had a problem. I don't care if my TP takes 5 seconds or 500 seconds to break down, since it's a rare time that I'd be flushing and immediately running outside to dump. As said repeatedly, an adequate water supply is the key.

X2. Use the paper you like. I like Charmin! This is NOT a septic tank!

[Dutch_12078]

We've used Charmin Ultra for years and never had a problem. I don't care if my TP takes 5 seconds or 500 seconds to break down, since it's a rare time that I'd be flushing and immediately running outside to dump. As said repeatedly, an adequate water supply is the key.

[wildmanbaker]

ThePowells wrote:
My tank is shallow under the pooper, but my bathroom sink also flows into the black tank. Sometimes I run hot water while I contemplate life as it is. We also use a burperware plastic pan in the kitchen sink and dump it into the black tank thru the terlet. That usually takes care of anything that has taken up residence directly below.

As far as what brand to use. The Star Trek toilet paper is much better than the John Wayne brand.

Isn't the "John Wayne" TP bark and pinecones, and the Star Trek TP Tribbles? Would they both make pyramids in the tank?

[ThePowells]

My tank is shallow under the pooper, but my bathroom sink also flows into the black tank. Sometimes I run hot water while I contemplate life as it is. We also use a burperware plastic pan in the kitchen sink and dump it into the black tank thru the terlet. That usually takes care of anything that has taken up residence directly below.

As far as what brand to use. The Star Trek toilet paper is much better than the John Wayne brand.

[Ralph_Cramden]

Dennis12 wrote:
Then try pooping on an angle to circulate the paper.

That takes gymnastic skills doesn't it?

[wildmanbaker]

Maybe we are getting too much information!

But hey, it may all help.

[cross21114]

mmccray100 wrote:
then toss the wipe into a small covered trash can. Cuts way back on the TP in the black tank.

When we chartered cats in the BVIs, that what we were instructed to do except use ziplock bags and throw them in the trash. Of course, the boat had a macerator and we dumped the tanks over when far enough off shore. We have carried that requirement to our RV.

So the worst first wipes in the bowl and the rest in the bag.

[Wanderlost]

mmccray100 wrote:
I use TP from Costco (Kirkland brand) and in 3+ years of full-timing, I've never had an issue. I dump the tanks when they're full unless I'm hitting the road.
BTW, I do use chemicals, purchased at Walmart. I've never used that $1 a sheet thin stuff CW sells.

Costco's Kirkland Signature 2 ply bath tissue, supposedly safe for septic systems, isn't. We just had an expensive septic issue at the S&B, and this toilet paper was the cause. It utterly failed the TP breakdown test. So after years and years of happily using this TP, first in our suburban home and now out in the country (and in both RVs), we'll not be using it in the S&B or the RV anymore.

Pity. It's a right nice product, but it does contain the temporary wet strength resin, which does not break up well in septic systems. Most of the premium toilet papers have that resin, so they just don't break down the way they should.

I'll be consulting with my Mom on what she used all those years, and never once had a septic problem.

Meanwhile, I'm totally with the others who preach don't use so much toilet paper at one time, especially in the RV. We use Costco brand wipes to do the final cleanup, then toss the wipe into a small covered trash can. Cuts way back on the TP in the black tank.

Seems rather rude to me for an RVer to use any old TP and send it down the RV park's septic. That kind of maintenance gets real expensive, and the result is higher RV park fees.

But we can't trust the TP makers to tell the truth, either, can we? So we'll be testing various brands mentioned in this thread and go with the one that works best for our septic. Then we know it will work in our RV (and the RV parks' septics).

Sigh. Just one thang after another, ain't it?