Cassette Toilets

Malta1

Hi All

The cassette toilets on camper vans......do you put the chemical directly into the cassette only or does it go into the cassette and down the loo every time it is used........as you can see I'm very new to this game

Also, what chemicals are used and where do you get them

While on campsites, I understand that there are facilities to empty the cassettes. What happens when you get home.....can they be emptied down a domestic sewer drain to a septic tank or is this a definite no no

Many thanks

peasant

You put a swig of the stuff down the toilet, after you put the emptied cassette in. Half of the recommended amount mentioned on the bottle will do.
Pouring it down the toilet is easiest, because you also need to add some water. There is no need to apply the chemicals with every flush.
There also are sachets or tablets that you can put straight into your cassette.

The product most commonly used is the "Aquakem" family of products from Thetford. These (and alternative makes) can be got at any camping supplier, most motorhome dealers and some campsites, even Halfords have sold it at some stages.

Now ...for the bone of contention ...the environemental side of it all:

Using the most commonly sold and used product from Thetford "Aquakem blue" is not really recommended. This contains formaldehyde and other nasties and should definetly not end up in a normal waste water treatment plant (at home or otherwise)

"Aquachem green" LINK is slightly better, but despite the "green" in the name and some "environementally friendly" labelling it's still very chemical.

Why put chemicals into your cassette at all?

Two reasons ...1) to supress the smell and 2) to aid breakdown and prevent stickieness

1) it is debatable whether the chemicals actually small better than the natural odours ...different maybe, but better? Personally I find the smell very strong, chemical and slightly repulsive.

2) if you're not to stingy with the water when flushing and if you're not parked up all the time but driving instead, the water and the motion from driving will prevent any clogging and break things up nicely anyway.

I'm in the lucky situation that I have a built in tank (no cassette) with my toilet which has good outside ventilation through a little vent on the roof, so I don't need any chemicals at all, but I have heard from other people with cassette toilets that they achieve very good results with a bit of washing up liquid or liquid soap poured down the toilet, rather than the full chemical sledgehammer. (It's a lot cheaper as well)

The best way of preventing strong smells is to empty as often as you can and not to let it fester in the cassette for days on end.


Another hint for using your toilet: After a long drive, a hot day, or a drive up a high mountain only flush with the lid down. Pressure can build up in the cassette, ventilation is not always up to the task and the pressure may "explode" out of the toilet when you flush for the first time ...not a pretty experience