Roughly where do you live in NI? I would avoid Halfords etc as they can be "expensive". Might be able to recommend somewhere local depending on where u live or where you are heading.
We personally don,t use the pink in the flush tank as we have been plagued by black bits in the past. Instead we mix up a small quantity in a spray bottle and use this after the flushing. Keeps it smelling fresh !!! Dont know of any sites here that are insisting on green chemical rather than blue but no doubt others may.
------------- The things that come to those who wait, may be the only things left by those who got there first.
Does anyone know the cheapest online store to get alternatives to thetford. my local camping shops all only sell thetford, so need somewhere with low postage , so I wont be temptd to buy lots of other stuff to make the postage worth while
------------- Debbie
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You can get it on ebay, do a search for elsan blue or elsan pink. The postage looks like being more than the chemicals though. My local dealer keeps a selection of brands. You can also get it from towsure and most other accessory dealers online. There are usually good buys for a pack of elsan double blue and double pink.
Debbie - just a thought, but have you got any caravan dealers near you? I know youre a tenter, but dealers usually have shops on site and sell several different brands of loo chemicals. Might save you some postage.
Wenz - found the stuff we used to get rid of the black bits in the shed today, it was Thetford Cassette Toilet Cleaner, 1 litre bottle and price was £6.99. We look to have used about half of it. Not had problems since.
Annie I'm a caravanner again now too, as of 2 weeks ago.
I have the black bits problem in my cassette loo, hence wanting to try another brand other than thetford.
My local camping shops and the sites I use all stock thetford, strange I never had any problems with black bits in the portaloo using thetford pink.
There is caravan dealer a few miles away ,I may just give them a ring and ask if they have other brands.
when you used the tank cleaner , did the flush water come out a dark purple colour? because that was the colour the flush water was when we first got it.
I'm wondering if that's what has been put in to clear the black bits and now it just needs repeated filling and emptying to clear all the bits out?
or does the tank cleaner just dissolve the black bits when you use d it ?
Annie I'm a caravanner again now too, as of 2 weeks ago.
I have the black bits problem in my cassette loo, hence wanting to try another brand other than thetford.
My local camping shops and the sites I use all stock thetford, strange I never had any problems with black bits in the portaloo using thetford pink.
There is caravan dealer a few miles away ,I may just give them a ring and ask if they have other brands.
when you used the tank cleaner , did the flush water come out a dark purple colour? because that was the colour the flush water was when we first got it.
I'm wondering if that's what has been put in to clear the black bits and now it just needs repeated filling and emptying to clear all the bits out?
or does the tank cleaner just dissolve the black bits when you use d it ?
do you empty the loo b4 journeys, i mean of chemicals? and fill when you arrive?
not a good idea to carry any water because of the weight and a possibility of in-balance due to water sloshing round.as i remember a gallon of water weighs 10 lbs. or 4.5 kgs.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
We've only had it 2 weeks, and we always empty the bottom tank before packing up anyway.the top was completely emptied the first weekend.
I never thought to check if the top was empty last weekend tbh. It certainly wasnt full, probably only a couple of litres left in it.
but we only towed it a few hundred yards fom the pitch into the storage compound on the site we were at.
is there a way of draining the top tank without flushing it over and over ?
its a thetford casstte, not electric , not swivel type , in a 1995 van .
What I dont understand is, even if I use the tank cleaner , the hard black bits in it have to come out somewhere ? or will the tank cleaner dissolve them , from what I've read the tank cleaner is for cleaning bottom tank and waste carriers, not top tanks .
I cant remember the water colour, but the black stuff didnt dissolve. You put the cleaner in the system, left it a few hours, and then flushed and flushed the loo till the tank was empty, which was very satisfying cos all these great gobs of black stuff came away! But them Im a 'squeeze your spot' kind of person! That was last year, so far we havent had a recurrence.
Wenz, we always travel with our loo empty and fill up with water and chemicals when we are setting up on site. We carry a cheap plastic watering can (one of those you screw the spout on) to make filling up easier. We often go to sites and CLs with no facilities so loo in constant use!
Quote: Originally posted by beefysmum on 29/4/2010
when you used the tank cleaner , did the flush water come out a dark purple colour? because that was the colour the flush water was when we first got it.
I'm wondering if that's what has been put in to clear the black bits and now it just needs repeated filling and emptying to clear all the bits out?
or does the tank cleaner just dissolve the black bits when you use d it ?
If your flush water is coming out a dark purple, I would wager a drop of blue has found it's way in. Probably cross contamination from someone using the same lid / jug to measure it out.
is there a way of draining the top tank without flushing it over and over ?
yes there is in the compartment for the toilet tank at the base and the left hand side,there should be a drain.as a rule clear tube with a bung inside it.fit a towel inside first to catch any drops.poor design and requires up dating.have a small plastic jug ready.i have made a plastic pipe with a plastic fitting to just push in the fitted pipe.only do this with the toilet tank out as there is little room to work.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
If your flush water is coming out a dark purple, I would wager a drop of blue has found it's way in. Probably cross contamination from someone using the same lid / jug to measure it out.
That could be the answer, there was a small amount of blue chemical left in a bottle , but no bottle of pink stuff when we got the caravan , so maybe they have put blue in it when they ran out of pink ?
Thanks Michhael , I will have a go at emptying it from the bottom as well, seems easier than flushing hundreds of times .