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This demonstration is the most realistic i have seen yet, great job

I’ve also been using Kleen Tanks recipe for a while. It was probably close to 3 years. After watching a few of your other black tank videos in the past I decided to refill and rinse after I dumped the black tank while on a full hook up just to see if more would come out. I’ll just say that I had to refill and rinse 4 times to get everything out. I do think the Kleen Tank recipe smells good, but this video is spot on about rinsing, especially after I realized the surfactant doesn’t work. I’ve since gone to using Matt’s product also, and along with rinsing, my tanks are clean and empty after dumping. The sad thing is that nowhere does Kleen Tank recommend to rinse the tanks. It’s a shame, a big company like that telling people this will make everything slide right out when it really doesn’t. No wonder they are so busy cleaning tanks.

This is a great demonstration of what goes on in the black tank. Treatments aren't as relevant as rinsing the tank several times to get it clean. CLEAN = NO SMELL. As the video infers, just adding a little water to the tank (5 gallons or so) several times and rinsing is the trick; 5 to 10 times. Always store the tank wet; a few gallons)

After 6 years of about 150 days a year on the road I’ve learned for me it’s just better to dump my tank and flush it out very well with fresh water several times and I do this about every other day and it takes maybe 10 minutes. I stopped wasting my money on tank treatments especially since I always have full hookups. I’ve also heard Matt’s stuff is the exact same thing as unique tank treatment and he’s just repackaged it under his name. Just take a few minutes everyday or every other day. When I travel I put a full cup of dawn dishwashing liquid in the tanks with a couple gallons of water also.

Ross, I also use the Rhino Blaster Pro when I dump my Black Tank. I also use the Black Tank rinse valve on the opposite side of the trailer. When I dump I rinse the tank using the Rhino Blaster Pro to about 2/3 rds of capacity and the tank flush (for about 5 min) alternately, and do it about three times each. After the third rinse, the water coming out of the tank is perfectly clear. when I'm complete, I put about 5-7 gallons of clean water in the tank before traveling or storing and add liquified. Thank you for demonstrating this process of what happens in the tank when dumping. It really gave me a good piece of mind for the method I use.

Excellent video. Years ago my wife and I decided to not even deal with this situation and we only urinate in the black tank. I don't need to throw in any toilet paper and she just puts in a little. Whenever we've gone camping there is always a toilet somewhere else to use. A bit inconvenient but for me but totally worth it by not dealing with the poop dump. What also I discovered just recently by buying one of those devices that measures how much water comes out of your garden hose is that when filling up my black tank through the toilet it tops of full at around 20 gallons. However the manufacturers brochure says the black and gray tanks are both 38 gallons. Weird.

I love videos like this. The Fit RV guy did this with his clear tank. He actually got a waist recipe from NASA that he used. You and he went to a lot of trouble to prove a point and I appreciate it. I use both methods in my tanks. The surfactant when on the move and an enzyme treatment when at camp sitting still. Our tanks are three years old and I have never had any smell and my sensors always work. I have a built in tank flush, that I use and I'll fill and dump the tank until it runs clear and I see no debris in the clear tube and the sensors read empty. This takes about three tank fills and dumps. I see the surfactant left less stuff on the tank walls than the Liqufied treatment. That's the water softener in the treatment. From watching these videos and my own experience, what cleans the tanks is water, water, water. Use a lot when dumping and rinsing. Keep water in the tanks when storing and use a lot when flushing. I have the advantage to dump my tanks at home so I can do a through cleaning without holding up the line at the dump station. Thanks for video.

Great test. You’ll never please everyone but this is as close as you’ll get. Great job making this.

With a new RV (and black tank) I have been debating and researching which method to use. Best video, experiment, and demonstration by far!! Thanks for the visual and helping my decision making! Keep the videos coming!

One of the best tests online for RVS. Thanks

This has to be the most complete and comprehensive test of this nature I’ve seen. We are full-time RV’rs, and I have used several products, including both methods you tested. I had high hopes for the Kleen Tank solution, as they provided a believable theory against breaking down the tank contents. After my real world experience, I’ve gone back to the Liquify product and have seen immediate improvement. What was very interesting was your demonstration of rinsing by only filling the tank 20-25%. I’ve been doing 85-90%, and this can take a considerable amount of time and definitely uses more water. I will be trying several smaller flushes for a while to see if my results are typical.

What a great visual on how solids and liquified solids empty when dumping our tanks. I'm super excited to see the flush port video - I think folks are seriously going to be surprised at how LITTLE they do and that the reverse flush adapter from camco and valterra are really the way to go for tank maintenance.

One thing I notice is that the Liquify side had a lot more "scum" stuck to the sides of the tank. This is the type of thing that causes sensors to misread. I use the Kleen method but I rinse my black tank until the discharge runs clear. I also go to at least half (but usually 3/4) full each rinse being VERY careful not to overfill and cause a massive problem. I also run the rinse as I'm dumping the black tank. So far so good.

KT's argument is that RV tanks are not septic tanks and thus enzyme treatments are not needed. Point taken - we're not keeping stuff in there long term. HOWEVER, we are usually dumping into a septic system at a campground or park. If I was a park owner, I wouldn't want anything going down my dumps that would upset the balance in my septic system and it sure seems like the Pine-sol and Calgon would do just that.

Love that you give Kleen Tank a good rating for cleaning tanks, despite the mixture not working. I had them clean a motorhome tank a few years ago and they were very professional. I agree the mixture doesn’t work though. Everything you did in this video was very realistic and fair. Well done, Ross.

Switched from Liquified to the Clean Tank solution and am happy. If you have your tanks cleaned by Clean Tank, they will tell you to backflush you tank after each dump and then add some water before adding the solution. What you don't describe is the amount of material left on the sides of your test tanks. I noticed that the Liquified had more residue on the sides than the Clean Tank solution. That's what the Calgon does, releases the surface tension and helps material "slide" off the sides of the tank and thus, the sensors. Everyone will have their own opinion.

EXCELLENT! This is the closest to realistic comparison of 2 products we have used while full-timing in our RV (6 months with the DIY Surfactant solution and over a year with Liquified) - our experience agrees with your much more observable investigation. btw - we do backflush our gray tank water into our black tank 3-4x at each dumping (55gal black/100 gal gray tanks) BTW - I shared this on one of my FB groups and got a suspension for the day ... was so impressed with your video I forgot there is no sharing of outside content in that group ... oops. lol. Thank you again

Thank you very much for your test. I just got back from a 5 day camping trip in South Lake Tahoe CA. I dumped out tank in our Entegra class A motorhome twice, and I used the built-in tank flush about 5 times each time I did the dump. I used Liquified for the first time ever and I was surprised than even after the initial flush, without using the rinse, I didn't see any solid waste coming out. Before using Liquified, I had been using those drop in pouches and they didn't do anything to break down our solids. I'm sold on Liquified.

Great job Ross.! Hard to argue with the facts. Appreciate you taking the time for this. Looks like we are on the right path from the beginning from watching your black tank education video. We were new two years ago, and watching your videos before we received our coach, we have never had an issue at all. :) Thank you!

Your video confirms my belief that having the agitation of the tank flush has the most effect on getting the tank cleaned out. As you show waste tends to create a mat that is hard to move and breaking it up as the tank flush or your back fill did is the key to getting it out of the tank.

This was an excellent test: very elegantly designed with good control of variables. Well done!

Thanks for putting in the time to bring this demonstration to rv'ers. I have just recently starting using this recipe, and like others, I too have to do multiple back flushes. I'll definitely go back to the liquefied solution after watching this. Great job!!

Great video!! I also found that using an additive to break down solids along with 2-3 flushes work best. Both my black and grey tanks are never empty after the flushing routine. I always leave about 3-5 gallons in each tank between rv usages. When I am hooked up to a sewer connection, the first thing I do is drain and one flush. Then I add some water and Liquified treatment. I have yet to have issues with either tank sensors, draining or smells. The visuals of this video certainly support my routine! Thanks!!!

I am glad you posted this video. I bought calgon and pine sol. I will be using the calgon in the bath. And pine sol to clean. I will continue to use liquified and unique. I use liquified when it is hot. Because unique gets a bit stinky in the heat.

Great video Ross! You are so thorough and careful with your test methods. And the production quality of your video is stellar as always. I've been RVing for 30 years and used the liquify method. We just changed our trailer - a four-year old used model - and I had Kleen Tank come out and do their thing. I also started using their mixture and Rhino back flushing as they recommend. I have found that the ONLY way to get solids completely out of my tank is to go back to what I did with our first trailer many years ago - and that is connecting the good ol' Camco spray wand and bringing it inside to spray/flush through the toilet opening. I would back flush with the Rhino as Kleen Tank recommended as many four times and still had solids in the tank. The built-in black tank flush does NOT get the tank clean either. Here's a GIANT problem for me: when we camp at a state park with no sewer hook-up at the site, I don't have the luxury of flushing the tank three or four times. There is always someone in line behind me waiting to dump. I don't have a dump at home, so I can't clean it when I get back. So it stays dirty until I get to the next campsite with full hook up. Also, I have noticed that the Kleen Tank formula does not control odors as good as the older formulas with formaldehyde. I do realize that it's almost impossible to get tank treatments containing that chemical nowadays. I bought Pine Sol in bulk to save money, but I'll probably go back to the liquify method when that's used up.

We are two years into our first RV. When we would dump I noticed that initial rush of solid waste then just liquid, for the most part. We would flush the tank 3 times at each dump from the toilet down, each dump gave us the same results. It has been that way this entire time. I am now going to try the "Liquified" treatment and add the Rhino blaster to the plan. I just ordered both they will be here on the 19th, we head out for 7 days on the 21st, we'll see how this works out. Thank you, I appreciate your "scientific method" approach to so many of your videos.

Great test! One thing that I'm going to try based on your experiment is to turn on my factory installed black tank rinse as I drain the tank. It seems that it is important to get the material in the tank agitated so that it is not a single floating mass. Breaking the material apart aids in the draining of its contents.

In my 9 years of RVing I have always just flushed the tanks repeatedly. I have never used any products in my tanks and I also use household toilet paper. Never had any be problems.

We’re on our second season with our travel trailer. I decided to try not using either a liquefier or a surfactant and just use lots of water the first time we camped. When the drain port plugged up it became apparent that this method didn’t work. I now use a tank liquefier treatment, dump a full pail of water down the toilet when I’m draining it and use the built-in black tank flush if the water hose has a threaded fitting (often they don’t). When heading home I add a few gallons of water to the black tank and toss in a couple of dishwasher detergent pods to slosh around on the return trip. At home I drain the tank again using a five gallon pail (dumping the contents down a toilet with multiple trips) then use a plastic flushing wand on a hose down into the tank through the toilet and blast the tank in all directions until the water coming out is essentially clear. Unless you’re on a fully serviced site doing multiple flushes at the dump station is usually not a good idea because often there are others waiting. Whatever way you do it nothing beats multiple flushes with a bit of water pressure.

Thank you for doing this test to help us who love full time in our RV. Having an RV that has a black tank flush system, jets that help clean the edges of the tank, has helped with clearing the solids out of my black tank. Seeing this test in real life really helps solidify 😂 that a black tank flush helps clear out the unwanted solids. Another video that I watched that I have seen that I think helps is before moving from site to site is dumping a bag of ice into the tank from the toilet right before move day to help break up anything on the sides of the tank. Especially if you do not have a black tank flush system. Thank you again and God bless your family. You have helped us learn the RV life. ❤

I use the cascade premium plus DW pods. Fill a juice jug half full with hot water, slip in a pod wait for it to dissolve, shake and ad with more water. If you think about it the DW pods clean all the crap off the dishes, no suds, break down waste and your DW is spanking clean when done. Yes there is hot water and pressure inside but for all my tanks, 4 years now, this is working just fine. Just wish that with all the technology we wouldn’t have to be dealing with this issue.

I also drive around before dumping to help liquify it all… then when it’s coming out, it’s REALLY mixed.

I have been using the Kleen Tank solution for about 2-1/2 years now with great results. My tank sensors all still work. I would like to see your test with sensors because it looks like the Liquified might coat the walls more. I think the surfactant helps with the sensors. At least it does with my use. Great video.

I use 4 oz of Pinesol 1 scoop of Happy Camper 2 oz of Dawn dishwater det . Works great no smell tank flush to finish up. No issues.

Great video! I think you are overlooking one important observation. Human waste doesn’t float if your GI Tracker is working correctly. If your poo floats in the toilet, it still has fat in it. Kids with Cystic Fibrosis suffer from this and take supplements to digest the fat. If you’re sick with the “Ria” it also floats. But Healthy humans remove that fat and it rarely floats. Your test matter still has the buoyancy of undigested food. Soap bubbles never go down the drain because they float on top of the water. Most solids in a black tank should settle on the bottom which should flow out. My 12 year old 5th wheel has never had an issue of dumping cleanly. Just use enough water. Many people poop in a dry toilet because they don’t know better. If you pooping, step on the pedal and fill the bowl 1/3 or so and poop, flush away any skids and you gtg. Still a great video and very educational!

All I have to say is a big THANK YOU for making this video. I've been wondering which way is better. I've have used both products.

I've seen a few of these demonstrations now. There is one thing that is not a spoken or used implemented factor. An actual vacuum between the long vent and the sewer drain. When I flush out, I ensure that I have the tank full of water past the toilet inlet to water seal and strengthen the vacuum to aid in draining. I've witness this and it does work the best, a true vacuum, not just a lid open to watch. Also, I did go through the pyramid and full tank of solids (little water) phase when I started. An Unforgettable Stinky Lesson! I'm Thankful for that $20 spray hose to shove down there and help break it up and flush out. I had to use it only once. And that is also the keyword here, flush out. On average, I flush tanks around every 3rd to 4th day - depending (30 gallon tank). And, I flush through about 6 times. Yes, I fill up on initial dump (1), then refill and flush out up to 5 more times (or more if needed). I haven't had any problems since. OH! Yeah, from another video I watched - Use LOTS of Water. Water is your best friend.

Great set for a realistic test Ross!!! Most impresseive!!! All I can say is, I’m glad we have a macerator pump on both of our toilets on our 5ver!!! We still rinse a lot and add water after dumping our tanks. Thanx for the well done video!!! 👍😃🍻

What I do, is i have a 5 gal bucket that i fill with water. I typically use 3 buckets to flush the tank at the camp sight. I pour them into the toilet directly with flush valve open. I do this over and over until i get clear water coming out of the end. I use surfactant mixture. You need to keep tank closed while pouring in buckets

Great video! We also use liquefied and have not had any issues. Though, I think you missed one test item...a baby Ruth bar!

Great video, Ross, well done. I think the bananas are a great idea, versus just dog food!!! I have to rinse/fill my tank @4-5 times with the integrated tank rinse if I want to get clear water to come out. Rinsing is essential, no matter what treatment one uses! Again, thank you, Ross, love your videos!!

I'm just a weekend warrior, and not nearly as much as I'd like. I dont use additives, just backfill and drain with a Flush King 5-6 times before heading home. Figure after it comes out as just clear water a couple times I'm good.

Amazing demonstration. Thank you so much. I actually use a mix of both method. I know I may just be wasting money, but I just have been doing it that way. Mainly because I just didn’t know what was best so I figured both.

Great test! With regard to Kleen Tanks, unless you're having a problem with your black tank (i.e., it's clogged and won't dump), I don't see much point in having it basically pressure washed. I just don't care if the black tank is never squeaky clean because it's going to get dirty again the very next time that you use it. Dumping the black tank only when it's full AND backflushing it thoroughly will, in my experience, keep you from having any real problems. I've used various treatments and currently use dish soap, but these are only supplementary to the above.

We’ve been full timing for 7 years. All 3 of my Airstreams have had a black tank rinser. My method has been to open the valve with the rinser running. Once the tank capacity is reduced to 5%, I close the valve and fill the tank with fresh water to 80% capacity then open the valve again. If the exiting water is not clear after the second fill, I’ll do a third. Watching this video has confirmed my method as an effective way to keep my black tank clean. We use RV Digest-It. It works better than Happy Campers and Valterra Odorlos.

Very informative video! We’ve been using the surfactant treatment for a while… the biggest thing I want to avoid is the sludge from the black tank. What has been proven consistently is that water will make all the difference and flushing with plenty of water is the best thing. Thanks for all of the hard work and detail you put into this demonstration. 🙏🏽

Great job on this video and very helpful. I have the Rhino Blaster Pro and have had great success with it. One thing I noticed is how the solids stayed in the first dumb. My mind right away thought, what if I added water to the tank on the factory RV black tank fill as the dumbing was going on? Would that keep head pressure in the tank AND mix the solids at the same time to flush out the tank? Sure, the second back flush with the Rhino Blaster Pro would be needed. Just a thought. Great video and thank you for all the great information you share.

Great test and video! My typical routine is to use the Kleen Tank recipe + Unique or Liquified + 2-3 flushes at every dump. Your video seems to support that regimen. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, tips and tricks. Black tank maintenance is not a glamorous part of RVing but it is a must. I enjoy watching and learning from your videos. Thanks again

This was excellent. I was surprised at how much waste was left behind and both of the tanks by simply draining. My next request is that you do the same or a similar demonstration, but using an installed tank back flush as are found on many RVs rather than one that goes through the hose. On my RV, the path between the bottom of the tank and the hose outlet has many twists so I am not sure that an external hose would do much good. But I do have a built-in tank spray that seems to do a good job. I usually leave it running for about five minutes, after the tank is empty, or until the water runs clear. I wonder if there’s still is being left behind and I should run even longer!

Great video, I’ve had my rv for 2 years and have religiously flushed my black tank at the end of the camping trip 3 or 4 times plus used the black tank flush line to help achieve a good flush and when I say I was shocked is an understatement when after 2 years, I bought a flush king and it was like I wasn’t flushing very much in the past. The first time with flush king, the stuff just kept coming and it took a good 12 to 15 (not kidding) flushes to remove what I thought I was getting in the past and now I use it in the middle of the camping stay and at the end of the stay. Before you ask, there are inexpensive water flow meters to put on water hose to prevent blowing out the top. My tank is 30 gallons and I only go up to 25 gallons on the tank in fear that I will overfill the tank. I have use all of the products that is supposed to break the solids down and all that done was accumulated at the bottom of the tank except the liquid type but in my opinion none of it works so I just use odor control solution. Good luck.

I always flush my tank multiple times until I see the waste water coming out clear. Also in my previous trailer that didn't have a tank flush hook up I would use a gutter cleaning spray wand and put it directly down the toilet hole and twist it around to spray down all the walls of the tank, worked perfectly.

You also have raised surfaces in the bottom which is going to hold on to the material in the tank!

Very informative to a newbie especially adding 5-10% water to before using an empty tank. Thanks.

Back flushing is the takeaway here. It is less important what product is used to break down solids, than making sure to back flush regularly. The Valterra Flush King also works well. Back fill 15-20 gallons, drain, repeat, done. It also helps to have a sprinkler in the tank. Doesn’t hurt to also back flush the gray tank occasionally.

Great video. About two years ago, I started using borax and dish soap, then just borax and we've had zero issues, smell or otherwise. I use the black tank flush until it runs clean then leave 3-4 gallons behind and ziplock snack bag amount of borax to the tank. That's all the more I do and we've had no issues, even after leaving the trailer sit for a year after surgeries. So far so good, aint broke aint fixing it. 100%, flushing is the key, and having a built in sprayer is even more magic IMNSHO ;)

Ross I start my tank flushing system before I pull my black tank dump valve. Seems to agitate the contents and provide the liquid needed to move the solids while dumping. Seems to clean the tanks well.👍

AMAZING VIDEO! No other test has proven this out like yours. I think we can all put this issue to rest now. But the big question now is, what will RV KZfaq argue about now? 😂

In our toy hauler rental business, we always used liquifiers (the blue stuff that comes in packets, supposedly biodegradable). We had about 12 trailers at our height. We would put it in, add a little water over the top, drive (tow) the trailer around a bit so the liquids in there slosh about in the tank, then hours or a day later, whichever we would hook up the black hoses and open it up. Of course that's the ideal procedure, every situation is different, sometimes a client would already have put the liquifier in before returning the trailer, etc.. So far this is what you're thinking / expecting. But we'd also get a garden hose and have someone turn on the water while another person is standing over the toilet holding the foot pedal down, spraying water into the tank through the toilet. This would tend to at least partially resolve the issues discussed here. We did not know all of what you just showed in this excellent video. Your rinse device is a rough equivalent to what we were doing, I suppose. But another thing to purchase. An added advantage is that you don't need to get a second person to help you, or kink a hose and dribble water on linoleum floors. I would never use that water hose for anything other than the black water tank rinse though. However you can probably say the same of the garden hose if you ever get it too close to the toilet bowl. Also you stated something incorrect at the start of the video. You said something along the lines of, "you can't see into the tank..." This is incorrect, at least with the Toy Hauler trailers we had, as usually the toilet was directly over the black water tank, if you really wanted to you could get a flash light and look straight down into the tank. (gross.. :-) ) We had Curtis, Baja, Forest River Toy Haulers. (baja is a curtis product if I remember correctly) I'm not familiar enough with RV design to say whether they deliberately place the black water tank under the toilet in every design, I'm guessing in most cases but not all cases. The grey water and fresh water tanks can just have hoses run to them, so they can be placed anywhere along the bottom of the trailer. Good video over-all! It clarified some things about ... remains ... staying on the bottom of the tank. Thank you.

We always turn on the back flush in our motorhome before we pull the handle to dump the black tank to see if I can move the solid to the pipe while it is draining.

Thanks Ross, best video on all the confusing sxxt! lol I’ve learned so much over the last 2 years from your videos. Thank you! 😊

Thanks for the tremendous amount of effort you put into this vid. It's taught me that I should make sure there's some liquid left in the tank between trips so that anything left on the bottom breaks down. I installed another valve at the discharge of my tank (where the cap would go). This allows me to back-flush using the grey tank and it's amazing how much more I get out of the black tank. I even get stuff out that the built in spray flusher leaves behind. It's also nice to have the extra valve in case the other valves fail.

This appears to be an accurate assessment of what happens in the tank, well thought out. I usually dump everything when the grey gets 3/4 full. I have a tank sprayer on both, I typically rinse the grey tank once, and the black 2-4 times, 70 gal grey 40 gal blk. During the rinse on both, I'll fill to 3/4 with the sprayer on watching the sensor, I also time it as my water pressure is always the same as a backup to the sensor indicator. I've always used TST tank treatment no apparent issues. However after watching this I can use liquify for about 1/2 the cost per treatment. While I'm not disappointed in tst, but why not cut costs that are literally flush down the sewer. Thank you for a great video and the education..

We use the Liquified treatment. We have two macerating toilets so, the grind is much smaller. Which may mean another video. I do back flush with the gray tank, but just a bit. We do have a flush system built in to the back tank and it does seem to get a lot out after we get to the bottom the second time.

James from The Fit RV did something similar but with many more iterations. Looking more at how tank cleaning solutions, ie tank sprayers, blasters, etc. the end result is that blasters may not work in every case because of the plumbing between the point where it's joined and the actual tank. He also tested the ice/dawn method and a few others In the end, a built in tank sprayer that acts like a rotating shower head was most effective at removing all solid waste.

Great video, I was actually surprised to see the differences. I think if I were to do anything different, it would be to find long shallow totes that more accurately replicate a black or grey tank. I think the results of the first dump would mirror the video, but it would be interesting to see how the backfill cleared a longer tank where the pressure of the back fill wasn’t as strong.

Sometimes when I will be driving a long distance after dumping my tanks I will drop 2 tide pods into them and fill them half way. The jaring from the drive works like the agitator in my washing machine and helps clean out and gunk left over and helps reduce the over all smell in the tank. When I arrive I will dump and rinse my tanks before using them again. Also as most people know getting a good tilt on your tanks when dumping is also very helpful. For some reason the people that design some dump stations have no clue about the tank tilt and either make it a completely flat surface or where it actually tilts away from the drain side. I always use my leveling blocks to get a better tilt when dumping.

Thanks so much for this! I have previously purchased the “Liquified” and initially went that way. But pivoted on my approach after reading about using Pine sole and Calgon…. being drawn in by the “make it slippery” argument. But I was remaining a little skeptical and torn about the best way to go. So I really do appreciate your brilliant effort to test on this issue! Now I can let the matter rest and just feel more confident in using the Liquified.

I use water only and it’s worked the best. I would love to see you demonstrate a water only approach. Great video content.

I appreciate the effort you invest in your research, videos and the factual explanations you provide. I also use the Canco back flush attachment but I determined that having a Black Tank Flush option on your camper is a real plus. I also have needed to use the spray wand down the toilet after our grandkids have visited.

For me: I installed a third and final exit valve. This allows me to dump black, close #3, open grey, (filling black from grey),close grey, dump black #3 again, and repeat until the black is clean. This usually takes 3 times. Then I rinse the black again using the built in flush. Finally dump any remaining grey to flush the hose. No additional chemicals or water is used. No problems.

Notice the sidewalls of your totes in the video. The Kleen tank solution was much cleaner. I have noticed since switching to the solution about a year ago that my tank sensors work much better than when I used solutions that break down waste.

Great video and test. I did notice that the surfactant treated tank/bin had less gunk on the sides of the bin after the inital dump than the liquified treated tank/bin. IMO >> this does indicate that the surfactant is making the tank/bin side walls a bit slicker (less friction) which may help keep the tank sensors cleaner (more accurate) and also a bit easier to get the gunk off the walls during the rinse/back flush. I have been using a similar recipe of the Kleen Tank surfactant of 40oz dollar tree pine sol, ~1/4 cup of Dawn diswashing liquid and ~1/2 cup Borax in a 52 gal black tank after every back flush/dump. My black tank has a rinse built in. After the inital tank dump I rinse for 20-30 minutes...just let the water run with the gate valve open. After this rinse the water coming from the black tank is clear/clean (no solids showing). The black tank rinse nozzle(s) are usually positioned on the walls of the black tank in the top 1/3 of the tank (near the top). When you rinse the tanks the water is coming in from the top/above the solids that are left in the bottom of the tank. Water coming from above means that the solids are being forced/pushed out of the tank vs just floating on top of the water as with only using the back flush method. Then I back flush the tank three times, filling the tank each time. I back flush to help get the stuck on toilet paper and other gunk off the walls to try to keep the sensors clean and remove any particles that may cause odor. Lastly I add the Geo-method (homemade recipe as mentioned above) of surfactant prior to a travel day. This allows the surfactant to slosh around a bit. I never have smells and the tank water is clean afterwards (hence no left over solids that dont get flushed out). I use this same method, dump > 3 times back flush > add surfactant to all three of our RV tanks (black, and two grey). I wish the kitchen grey tank had a rinse line in it. The kitchen grey tank can get to smelling worse than the black tank with leftover pieces of rotting/decaying food. I did take the time a while back to put a video camera (scope type) into the black tank by way of the toilet to see if the black tank was actually clean after my dump/treatment method. Surprisingly it was clean with no left over solids. The key is, as you mentioned in the video/test...you have to use lots of water with multiple rinse/back flushes to get all the left over solids moving and out of the tank.

I know the test isn’t for odors, but I will say from personal experience that Liquified is terrible for odors. It’s good for liquifying solids, but if you’re looking for something that kills odor, there is nothing that beats Happy Camper. Great video

Great video Ross last year I tried the Kleen tank method did not work I recently purchased the liquified pods have not used them yet I have a trip coming up on another note you can market those as a new portable potty 🚽 just need a dometic toilet on the lid lol 😂👍

Well, this video just proves that if you just kept washing the tank with water you don’t need any products maybe something for odor that’s it

I have not read all the comments, so my question comes from the tank rinse nozzles that have been plumbed in to aid in rinsing. How effective are they and what is your feeling towards them. I have one and use on the last day of our trips. I do add more water to help rinse the tank when I need to dump, but not a full rinse. A full rinse comes at the end of our trip before we head home or to our next destination. Thanks for your tests and info you provide, a happy camper.

Thank you for doing a well ordered and visual test. After years of using Happy Camper (one brand) I just tried the PineSol/Calgon method on my last 2 trips after cleaning my tank extensively to start the change - now my sensors are back to being clogged and useless and had to flush 4-5 times to get most of the solids out. Going back to stuff that break downs the solids again. Thanks, you video helped me make an informed decision.

Awesome! I feel smarter already. I’ve been using baking soda vinegar and lots of water, thought I would check with an expert

Fantastic video, as usual. I've tried several treatments over the years and have settled on Liquefied for a while now. I did try the KleenTank recipe, two gallons worth. The first thing that jumped out at me is that the calgon settled out so quickly. I had to really shake it before use. If it's settling in my jug, I'm sure it's settling in my tank. The other problem is my sensors always worked, that is until I started using the KleenTank. Needless to say, I'm back to Liquefied. Two of my my three sensors have started reading correctly.

One thing you forgot, most RV have a black flush system the you run 10-20 minutes after the flush. But I use liquefied to break down stuff.

Great video, with an excellent testing protocol. As a former middle school science teacher, i really appreciate your thoroughness and detailed explanation. I know that you mention planning sensor testing. Please also consider a comparison between the back flush device you used and the built-in black tank rinser. The rinser has the advantage of being used while dumping the tank initially.

I use both the “Geo Method” and Unique RV Digest-It to get the best of both methods. For the Geo Method, I use liquid Calgon, not the beads, and for detergent I use liquid laundry detergent in the black tank and liquid dishwasher detergent in the grey tanks (the dishwasher detergent is better at getting rid of any grease from the galley sink). The Calgon/detergent mix helps to keep the sensors clean and the Unique RV Digest-It works to break down the solids.

Great job with this video in explaining the what, why, and how of black tank treatments!!! I will continue to use the Liqufied that we have ! Thanks !!!

I think what people dont realize is that no matter what treatment you choose to use , is that when you dump once and use your black tank rinse until it runs ckear, you still have alot of stuff let in tank. Which requires a back flush or two to get out. Even the kleen tank people recommend lots of water over anything else . I always fill my tank with 6 gallons of water and kleen tank solution and since always using camground dump on way home, only get time to dump and use black tank rinse. Then fill put back in water and solution and drive home. Then fill up completely and take to local dump and fo the same plush back flush. You would be shocked how much stuff including toliet paper still comes out. Also use the kleen tank solution in the grey tank

I think one thing not calculated on these type of tests would be relevant to those of us that travel between our camping spot and where/when we can dump. I can drive 50-100 miles with my black tank full before I empty it, further liquifing and breaking down waste into much smaller pieces thus getting a better evacuation of the contents.

Great video man! Covered everything I could think of as well. I try to always keep fluids in the tank while I'm use and only dump when it is full. Never just leave the dump valve open. Water is your friend. I'm definitely picking up a Rhino flush adapter too.

Great video Ross, Thanks! I recently switched to Liquified and am pretty happy with it! I usually flush my black tank about 3 times after each dump...much to the chagrin of my wife😂. We watched your video and she just said "ahh, got it!" Thanks again Ross, great channel!

Just got a bottle of luquified tank treatment and cleaner can't wait to use it

I use both. I use the " Liqufie" when we are parked. Then when we travel I use both, with five to six gallons of water. Add ten and dump. Keeps the odors down alot.

I was impressed with your clear planning and controlling variables for the tests. I have a macerator toilet and macerator pump in my coach, so I totally believe in liquifying. I was also happy to see that the extra time I am taking to flush the black tank on every dump. Sadly, I just don’t think that this area of RV engineering is advanced enough. Why do not we have middle bottom release valves? Wouldn’t let gravity to help insure we maximize drainage? I assume that it would require more head room etc, but we should try to design better. Lastly, the sprayers that flush black tanks need to be better engineered too. I think build up and heat ruins the effectively of the sprayers over time and therefore almost defeats the purpose. Wish I could see inside, but I cant and I am told by flushing services that they won’t to mine because of the macerator, which I think is BS, but I don’t argue. Thank you so much for sharing! 😅

Great video. Sounds like the best way to go would be to drain the tank, close the valve, flush for a short period of time to add some water, then flush while draining again to remove remaining solids? (Just be very careful not to leave the flush on while drain is closed)!

What a great video. I have been filling my tank 2 to 3x and flush every time. Just in case because I don't see inside the tank.

I have a water meter and fill my black tank to almost max capacity and dump it no less than 3 times this way, you would be surprised how much comes out after first dump. I fill it with my black tank flush in between dumps to “spray” the crud of the walls. This works like a champ although takes an hour or so depending on tank size. Wife hates this part of breakdown, it works though!!!!

Can you put both in the tank? Because the homemade solution made the sides of the tank cleaner, and that’s where the sensors are.

Ross -- Home run! This is one of your best videos yet. I have tried the Calgon Beads/Pine Sol solution as well as Matt's Liquified. I always wondered which one was best. Now, that I can see what's going in the (simulated) black tank, I have a much better idea what works. Thank you for including the back flush step in this video because it is obviously a key step. Good job! PS -- Your DJI wireless mic is superb. Lou from Georgia.

Thank you for this! Very thorough, short of using real poop, this is as accurate as it gets. I’ve been using Happy Camper but thinking of switching.

Thanks for a great demonstration. We have a 9 gal black tank in our pull behind.( yes, only 9 gal) I have been using an enzyme treatment (different brand) and we have been rinsing, but I think we need to rinse more.

10:29 I can vouch that the best way to clean out your black tank, is to have quick connects on all your connections by your water area, go out there and you're dehydrated state with a thought of filling up your freshwater tank so you can flush your toilet some more knowing it's going to take about an hour and a half to fill 153 gallons, come back outside 20 minutes later to find out that you had actually plugged it into your black water flush as water as cascading down from the frame and the roof go inside find that it's raining down from the toilet the stairs the kitchen into the back garage. And then tell insurance about it and wait currently 2 months probably going to be 8 months before it gets fixed