# Polystyrene in a waste tank????



## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi all,

Whilst carrying out some general maintenace tasks on the MH today, I came across the black base cap for the underslung waste tank....... or so I thought.

Unscrewing the cap so as to clean out any gunge and corruption, I found myself wondering why there was a circular piece of polystyrene in the tank. When I extracted the said piece, I came across another base cap, but this time it was blue, with the Hymer name on it.

It turns out that the waste tank is enclosed within a plastic casing which is lined with polystyrene.

*Brilliant*, because up until now we had assumed that the MH wasn't quite "fully winterised", soley due to the exposure of the waste tank to the elements.
*WRONG*. Even the gate/ball valve is fully enclosed.

Now then, which is the quickest route to Siberia?

Whereabouts did I leave that Tom Tom? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jock.


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

If you look realy carefully Jock there are another 6 tanks inside each other and inside the last one a set of russian dolls, enjoy your siberian winter, I will be thinking of you and Rita from here in sunny Mansfield :lol: 
Geo


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hello George,

We can't go to Siberia after all.......as the maps on the TOM TOM only cover Western Europe. Shame that, but there we go, or not now. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

That bulk gas tank we looked at (Cranwell meet) has had the rub down and re-coat.  The only outstanding jobs now.......are the ones that you are more capable of. :wink: :wink: :wink: 

Jock.


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

You dont need tom tom Jock, Take a sheet of paper out of you printer, study it carefully, its a map of Siberia this time of the year,If you want a warmer climate , B&Q sell a map of the Sahara, youll find it in the decorating Dept :lol: 
Geo


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Very Funny.  

Jock.

Now back to topic, please. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Hi Jock
I discovered the same polystyrene insulation about six months ago while trying to find out why my shower water was running down the outside of the waste tank rather than going inside it (eventually discovered a broken plastic elbow above the tank - accessed from the garage - but that's another story!). The insulation did make me feel a bit better about MH-ing in the snow but I would still like some sort of heating around the waste tank- ALKO double bottom on the newer vans? - but that will have to wait until the next van change. As things stand I think it means that the waste tank would take longer to freeze than if there was no insulation, but it will still freeze if left long enough. I stand to be corrected of course. In the meantime I still leave the waste tank tap open with a bucket underneath the spout in below zero temperatures.
Following on from that does anyone know the best way to flush out a Hymer waste tank without disconnecting all the pipe connections and the metal securing straps, dropping it onto the driveway and really giving it a good dhoby out with a hose pipe? :?


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi Refuel, 

Can you not stick a couple of bottles of bleach down the plug hole amd then when it is about quarter to half full, drive back home with it all sloshing around, and empty it down the sewer drain via a bucket.

You can get Thetford tank fresh which you pop down the hole before using the waste tank.

Personally, I use bleach.

Jock


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Hi Jock
Yep - could do that with the bleach I suppose - and I have already used some very good French disinfectant on the same lines as you suggest (and read all the previous posts on the "smelly grey water tank" topic). But I always feel that, because of the height of the "take-off" to the tank drain tap, there is a very good possibility that there is about an inch of sludge in there that must be resistant to a good slosh! I'd just like to make sure, say once a year, that EVERYTHING is cleaned out of the tank and that it is as clean as a whistle. Is there an easy-ish way of doing that?


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi refuel
Is there an access port in the tank somewhere accessible so that you could put a hose pipe into it and flush it out. If you could have a hose in the top and the drain pipe open it would agitate any sludge and it should then come out of the drain... This would save a mammoth dhobi sesh on the driveway :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Keith


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

refuel said:


> Following on from that does anyone know the best way to flush out a Hymer waste tank without disconnecting all the pipe connections and the metal securing straps, dropping it onto the driveway and really giving it a good dhoby out with a hose pipe? :?


Hi

Use a commercial de-greaser powder (eg. Deepio << and please read the safety info)) or if you cannot get hold of any of that then Bold Bio Automatic washing powder added to a good quantity of hand hot water ( ouch hot) , allow to soak for half an hour or so and then drive around on a few bumpy roads and several round a bouts ... drain down and flush out with clean water. The bio action will eat all the grease and clean it out a treat.

I have added the Bold (automatic ..you dont want too many bubbles) to the tank on the drive home from a weekend away and that works really well....but you may have to sneak into the camp showers to get enough hot water 

Mike

P.S. Just washing or flushing it out will never really clean it effectivly, bleach can be a help but it is the grease that gets trapped in the tank that causes the smells so that is why you need a de greaser ( or bio powder)


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## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

Thanks Keith - could put a hose in there but it will mean dismantling some of the garage woodwork for half an hour, then some of the pipework, in order to get to a hole into which I can poke the hose! But it is probably a saving on the time taken to go the whole hog and drop the tank! 

Perhaps Mike's suggestion of the de-greaser should be my first angle of attack- thanks Mike also for that one. Will let you all know how I get on.


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