Toilet chemicals in France and Spain

[listerdiesel]

To prevent smells, we have found it is important to put enough of whatever you are using in.

Absolutely!

After emptying the cassette we pour a 1/2 cupful of neat Blue into the cassette and use it diluted in the flush tank.

Peter

 

[snowbirds]

No probs

I have had no problems getting toilet chemicals in France or Spain over the last three months try hardware stores.I did buy a bottle of Camping Gas Brand in Spain @ 20 Euros and it very thin but seemed ok.Before we came out i bought two tubs of Dometic Power tabs from Leisureshop Direct on a discount to try and wished i had got more as they are much better than messing with liquid.Also many campsites do Aqua Chem liquid and it's even cheaper than the UK + the exchange rate.

Regards Snowbirds.:idea:




QUOTE=Jo001;614586]Hi guys. Where can you buy toilet chemicals on the continent? Obviously at motorhome dealers, but if you don't chance upon one of these, are there any retailers like bricomarches that reliably have them? I know we bought some in France before, but I have also asked in loads of shops that don't have them. We use the laundry sachets as an emergency back up but for longer trips we'd rather not have to carry loads with us.

Thank you in anticipation of your advice,

Jo[/QUOTE]

 

[Teutone]

Steve:

You sound like a SOG salesman

We've never felt the need for yet another thing to go wrong, motorhomes are complicated enough already.

Peter

There are far more complicted things in a motorhome than a SOG in my opinion.

Yes it is not a cheap thing to buy if you are on a budget and I am sure I could have fabricated myself something similar for a lot less ££'s

I have worked in product design for a long time and when I looked at the SOG in detail I decided that the SOG designers have done a good job and deserve the money and I ordered the kit. Wasn't disappointed.

- Install was straight forward
- all components high spec
- every part you need to complete the job was included
- clear instructions with pictures

And from day one since the install the stuff just works as is should. You wouldn't even know it's there. (until you forget to switch the power on that is!)

Yes you will have to watch the charcoal filter and replace it once it's start to smell outside but to us the SOG is the one thing we would NEVER want to life without in a motorhome. You should not look at how much it safes in chemicals, just the fact that you don't have to use any is a big bonus. You can empty your loo anywhere without negative impact on the environment. Isn't that in tune with the wild camping ethos?

But as always when it comes to the crunch, most go with the easy option and pour down a cup of blue.

 

[listerdiesel]

But as always when it comes to the crunch, most go with the easy option and pour down a cup of blue.

Not quite right, it isn't a question of an 'easy option' at all.

Toilet chemicals have a place in the scheme of things, especially with bacterial control, which SOG's have no effect on, and have to be approved for sale and use. It's not as though you are chucking original Elsan fluid in the toilet.

As long as it is a fully approved product and there are no orders banning its use, we will continue to use it.

Peter

 

[Amethyst]

There are far more complicted things in a motorhome than a SOG in my opinion.

Yes it is not a cheap thing to buy if you are on a budget and I am sure I could have fabricated myself something similar for a lot less ££'s

I have worked in product design for a long time and when I looked at the SOG in detail I decided that the SOG designers have done a good job and deserve the money and I ordered the kit. Wasn't disappointed.

- Install was straight forward
- all components high spec
- every part you need to complete the job was included
- clear instructions with pictures

And from day one since the install the stuff just works as is should. You wouldn't even know it's there. (until you forget to switch the power on that is!)

Yes you will have to watch the charcoal filter and replace it once it's start to smell outside but to us the SOG is the one thing we would NEVER want to life without in a motorhome. You should not look at how much it safes in chemicals, just the fact that you don't have to use any is a big bonus. You can empty your loo anywhere without negative impact on the environment. Isn't that in tune with the wild camping ethos?

But as always when it comes to the crunch, most go with the easy option and pour down a cup of blue.

It might be alright when in motorhome but get downwind of someone emptying one and the smell is disgusting.

 

[Teutone]

Not quite right, it isn't a question of an 'easy option' at all.

Toilet chemicals have a place in the scheme of things, especially with bacterial control, which SOG's have no effect on, and have to be approved for sale and use. It's not as though you are chucking original Elsan fluid in the toilet.

As long as it is a fully approved product and there are no orders banning its use, we will continue to use it.

Peter

each to their own.
There are a lot of "approved" products out there but this doesn't mean they have no effect on the environment if used incorrectly.
Is you your "just use enough of it" in line with the manufacturers instructions?

I am by no means a treehugger but if I can do my part to reduce stress on the environment, I am happy to have contributed.

I don't want to argue with you what approach is the best. I am just getting wound up that every time a SOG is mentioned people can't accept that some of us think it's worth the outlay for whatever reasons and classify it as a expensive useless gadget. How can one say without having one tried?

 

[John H]

We've never felt the need for yet another thing to go wrong, motorhomes are complicated enough already.

Peter

I agree - last week a couple pulled up on the pitch next to us, intending to stay a night or two and ended up staying a week because they had to order a replacement for their Sog that had broken down! Keep it simple, is my view

A couple of Elsan Blue containers last us most of a year, so we just carry the stuff with us and do not need to buy outside the UK.

 

[Steve121]

each to their own.
There are a lot of "approved" products out there but this doesn't mean they have no effect on the environment if used incorrectly.
Is you your "just use enough of it" in line with the manufacturers instructions?

I am by no means a treehugger but if I can do my part to reduce stress on the environment, I am happy to have contributed.

I don't want to argue with you what approach is the best. I am just getting wound up that every time a SOG is mentioned people can't accept that some of us think it's worth the outlay for whatever reasons and classify it as a expensive useless gadget. How can one say without having one tried?

It would appear the vast majority of those voicing an opinion against the SOG have no experience or real understanding of it. Pointless trying to convert them, but may be worth educating those with a more open mind.

 

[Teutone]

I agree - last week a couple pulled up on the pitch next to us, intending to stay a night or two and ended up staying a week because they had to order a replacement for their Sog that had broken down! Keep it simple, is my view

A couple of Elsan Blue containers last us most of a year, so we just carry the stuff with us and do not need to buy outside the UK.

???
There is nothing in the SOG system which would stop you using your toilet without it. Nothing interfers with the toilet itself, only the fumes are getting sucked away. So what can ground you for a week?

Again a posting about SOG trying to fault it without any details of what happened.

 

[El Veterano]

???
There is nothing in the SOG system which would stop you using your toilet without it. Nothing interfers with the toilet itself, only the fumes are getting sucked away. So what can ground you for a week?

Again a posting about SOG trying to fault it without any details of what happened.

A mailing address presumably.

 

[Steve121]

I agree - last week a couple pulled up on the pitch next to us, intending to stay a night or two and ended up staying a week because they had to order a replacement for their Sog that had broken down! Keep it simple, is my view

A couple of Elsan Blue containers last us most of a year, so we just carry the stuff with us and do not need to buy outside the UK.

I simply don't believe this. Sounds like yet another case of SOG bashing.

There is no part of a SOG system which can possibly prevent a toilet working. It is, after all, just a small fan, a switch and a filter, connected by flexible hose. If anything was to go wrong simply remove hose from waste tank, insert the supplied plug and revert to 'normal' use of a toilet.

 

[Wooie1958]

Something smells iffy.

 

[John H]

I simply don't believe this. Sounds like yet another case of SOG bashing.

There is no part of a SOG system which can possibly prevent a toilet working. It is, after all, just a small fan, a switch and a filter, connected by flexible hose. If anything was to go wrong simply remove hose from waste tank, insert the supplied plug and revert to 'normal' use of a toilet.

I know nothing about the system - I was simply relating what our erstwhile neighbours told us. Incidentally, they were supporters of the Sog system, not bashing it

My view remains that I try to avoid making things complicated because so many parts of the motorhome are unnecessarily complicated and therefore prone to go wrong (especially the bloody fridges!)

 

[Sharon the Cat]

I simply don't believe this. Sounds like yet another case of SOG bashing.

There is no part of a SOG system which can possibly prevent a toilet working. It is, after all, just a small fan, a switch and a filter, connected by flexible hose. If anything was to go wrong simply remove hose from waste tank, insert the supplied plug and revert to 'normal' use of a toilet.

The way I read it they stayed to await delivery of the part, presumably because they wanted it working. You have to stay in one place to receive a delivery.

 

[Deleted member 3011]

Here we go again - SOG is supposedly some magical process that breaks down sewage to an odourless liquid in a cassette in a day or two. Doesn't happen because a SOG system is installed that's for sure. Nor does it reduce the smell when emptying the cassette. Nor could it reduce our use of chemicals because we don't use any.

 

[jann]

In France you can buy bleach tablets which work very well.From most supermarkets, next to liquid bleach

 

[Tbear]

It always amazes me how people get offended and excited about talking about a bucket of poo. Plenty of flush and empty it regularly and all methods work. Concentrate and store it up for a week or two and none are ideal. Personally, a splosh of what we wash our clothes in is the easiest, cheapest and simplest.

Richard

 

[Steve121]

Here we go again - SOG is supposedly some magical process that breaks down sewage to an odourless liquid in a cassette in a day or two. Doesn't happen because a SOG system is installed that's for sure. Nor does it reduce the smell when emptying the cassette. Nor could it reduce our use of chemicals because we don't use any.

Is this a post you're referring to, if so, which one?
I'm not aware of anyone who actually uses a SOG stating it "breaks down sewage to an odourless liquid" in any amount of time. What a SOG does do is allow complete, natural, decomposition into a sludge, not unlike a chocolate smoothie It also virtually eliminates smells inside the motorhome.

So basically a toilet fitted with a SOG acts like a miniature sewage treatment works:

In sewage treatment works, the main process is the breakdown of the waste by the action of decay micro-organisms to products harmless to the environment.
The micro-organisms need lots of oxygen to do their job properly and this is provided both by stirring the waste mechanically, or by injecting jets of compressed air. (or, in the case of a SOG, by drawing air into the holding tank)
The reason for providing lots of oxygen to the bacteria in sewage treatment works is that:

• anaerobic respiration by bacteria only partly breaks down the waste
• plentiful oxygen means that the bacteria use aerobic respiration
• aerobic respiration makes the breaking down process complete

Sewage contains a wide variety of waste materials. Different types of micro-organism feed on different waste materials. This means that a range of different micro-organisms must be present if all the waste is to be broken down.

 

[maxi77]

Here we go again - SOG is supposedly some magical process that breaks down sewage to an odourless liquid in a cassette in a day or two. Doesn't happen because a SOG system is installed that's for sure. Nor does it reduce the smell when emptying the cassette. Nor could it reduce our use of chemicals because we don't use any.

There is nothing magical about the sog, it is real science. Aerobic decompostion of the contents of your loo is dourless, whilst anaerobic decomposition is not. Now the sog may not may or may not give perfect aerobic decomposition but when i had a boat with a ventilated holding tank (mega toilet cassette )we had no odour problems.

 

[iampatman]

I don't have a SOG 'cos I can think of better things to spend £100/150 on. Also a bio tablet or some bio liquid does the job ok for us and it means, when we are travelling,we can dump the cassette down any toilet (under cover of darkness if necessary to avoid other folk's sensibilities). If the stories about the pong from a SOG if you're downwind are true then that's another reason to avoid fitting one. But I guess if one had been fitted to the van when we bought it I wouldn't be removing it.
I'm not saying Bio tablets/liquids are the definitive answer - some folk use nowt and if that suits them I guess it's ok too. The only thing we won't use are formaldehyde based chemicals.
Anyway, whatever method you prefer, happy dumping to you all.

Pat