Snow Fresh or Odorlos

Can anyone suggest a good chemical additive for the toilet. I've been reading about Snow Fresh and Odorlos on different boards. The main thing I've seen about these products is the harm or the non-smell issuse. Do any of these products work better than the other?

Thanks,

Louie

Hi... Click on "Search" and type in toilet chemicals. It will take you to where you will find quite a bit of information. I put up a post myself, asking for help and many responded with very helpful information.

Jo Ann

We used Odorlos this past August in Texas. We did not find it effective at all even though we make it a point to "hike up the hill" so to speak for many of our toileting outings

Louie,
I understand Oderlos is a clear fluid where visibility is not a desirable feature considering what is being pumped round and round in recirculation. I asked about this product several months ago and had several responses from folks who 'been there, done that' and didn't find it effective.

We bought our TM last March. I read everything I could regarding the toilet. My conclusion was to use the Thetford liquid (non-formaldehyde), available at Walmart in six packs of small single use bottles, and to add Potty Toddy tablets available at Camping World.

It works for us for 3 days, but not 4.

We never use the bathroom fan as it is noisy and does not seem to help.

When we took our first summer long trip in our new 3124 in 2000 I purchased a couple of gallons of Odorlos which was on sale at Camping World. We used it numerous times and found it did little to control the toilet smell. I threw the last couple quarts of it in the trash.
The best thing you can do to control toilet odor in the TM recirculating toilet is to not use it. This toilet is marginal at best. Aside from the smell issue our fill guage has never worked from day 1 and the valve at the floor started leaking in it's 2nd year.
The toilet is handy as a pee pot but for anything more substantial you would be well advised to use the campground facilities or, if that is too much trouble, than use liberal doses of a formaldehyde formula toilet chemical.

[Bill]

Bruce -

The fill gauge, at least should be easy to fix. It can be easily removed from the body of the toilet. Once you have removed it, make sure that the float is not bound up with debris - if it is, simply rinse it off and put it back.

If this is not the problem, then one of the float rods is probably bent a bit. The float rides up and down on two metal rods, and it must ride smoothly. If one of the rods is bent a bit, the float will bind. Try to move the float up and down with your finger - does it move smoothly? If not, note where it binds, and bend the rod back into shape until it does move smoothly.

It is possible, though much less likely, that the center strip - a flat metal strip with a twist in it - is bent. Again, if this is the case, just tweak it back into the correct shape.

The leak at the floor valve is a bit more annoying to work with, because you have to get down on your hands and knees, and the bathroom doesn't have a lot of space to work in. Most likely, the mounting bolts/clips simply need to be tightened, to reassert the seal at the Slide-EZ valve. At worst, you will need to release the clips and lift the toilet off the floor to see what is going on.

You can see good pictures of all this on the Thetford web site. For pix of the gauge:
http://www.thetford.com/parts_electramagic.cfm

For pics of the mounting bolts and clips, seals, and valves, plus installation/removal instructions:
http://www.thetford.com/permanent_el...gicservice.cfm

I have to agree with you that some of the "gentle" deodorants don't work. We haven't tried Odorlos, but tried one called Enviro-Chem, and it was terrible. Like you, I threw it out.

I have to disagree with you that the toilet is marginal. We use ours full time for everything, and it has been great. You do have to follow Thetford's instructions, though. If you use an improper deodorant, or try to save a few cents by using too little - well, you can't blame the toilet if it smells. I haven't tried any of the tabs, pucks, or powders, and don't intend to. Use a full 8 ounce bottle of Aqua-Kem, and it works fine. Don't get hung up on formaldehyde - that is advertising hype from makers of non-formaldehyde liquids. (You can do a search on "formaldehyde" and find a couple long threads on the topic.)

And finally, if you have a very sensitive nose, there have been a couple rather ingenious forced-ventiation projects described on this forum. The Search tool will uncover those as well.

Bill

Bruce,

Try removing the toilet and using a Porta Potti in its place. It has a positive seal and won't smell. The first thing I did when I got my new TM home was to get rid of that recirculating toilet. It's up in my attic, (for sale cheap).

Bruce

Thanks for all the advice on how to live with the recirculating toilet Bill
I stand by my assertion that the best toilet is an unused toilet.
I will follow your advice though on the use of formaldehyde toilet chemical in the quantity you recommend.
When I said that the valve at the bottom of the toilet leaks I meant that it leaks past the valve, not onto the floor. This is a problem that seems to afflict all the TM toilets eventually. There is no longer any "woosh" when I pull the valve open.
I don't see much sense in fixing it as it will only break again.
I have had the guage out for repairs numerous times. It will work for about 1 day and then jam up again. It doesn't matter that much anyway - I just add water to the toilet until the pump works and I know it is time to dump it when the sewerage level comes up in the bowl.
I don't think much of the Thetford recirculating toilet and will only use it in emergency situations or if we have full hookups so I can dump it every day or two
I like the solution AstroBruce came up with ...http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...cons/icon7.gif
Smile