RV/Marine
Can I leave Commando in my tank for longer than 24 hours?
Some of the most common questions we receive have to do with how long to leave Commando in the black holding tank.
If you don’t leave it in the tank long enough, the enzymes won’t have time to work thoroughly, but people also worry about leaving it in for too long. The short answer is that you should aim to leave Commando in the tank for a minimum of 12 to 24 hours, but there’s no real harm in leaving it longer.
Commando is a pre-portioned product designed to work in as little as 12 to 24 hours for those in a hurry. However, if you need to leave Commando in your holding tank for 48 hours, 72 hours, or even a week, that would be okay and will not harm your holding tank. Each packet contains enzymes that immediately go to work, breaking down waste and paper and penetrating build-up on your tank walls and sensors.
Walex chemists designed the super-concentrated formula to work quickly to eliminate the most robust waste and paper build-up. Although it’s rare to have build-up after using Commando, when used according to instructions, if you continue to have issues due to extreme build-up, you can repeat the process.
If you have further questions about Commando or any other products, call us at 800-338-3155, and we’d be happy to help.
Where can I empty my black holding tank?
Emptying, or dumping, the black holding tank is an unpleasant but necessary part of RV life. But because the black tank contains a mix of waste, toilet paper, and, often, deodorizing chemicals, laws exist regulating where you can dump.
Dumping laws vary from state to state. Because black water contains a wide variety of bacteria, you should not empty your tank into a public toilet, a river, or the ground. Doing so could earn you a hefty fine, depending on your location.
If you’re stationed at home, you can empty the tank into your septic system, but only if you use septic-system safe deodorizers like Bio-Pak in your wastewater. Bio-Pak is a biocide-free, formaldehyde-free formula that uses natural enzymes to break down waste and paper in the tank.
Other deodorizers work by killing bacteria, which septic systems require to function correctly. If you’re using one of these products, you’re better off dumping your tank in the municipal sewer system.
If you’re on the road, you can empty your tank at a public dumping site. These are located at campgrounds, and some truck stops (call ahead to make sure). These dumping sites often have less stringent rules about what chemicals you can dump. These laws vary from state to state, so again, call ahead to make sure you don’t violate them.
These laws regulating chemicals allowed in dumping sites can be confusing, so give us a call if you have any questions. We offer several deodorizing formulas in both drop-in packets and liquids, and we can help you figure out what product is best your needs.
Products to Help You Winterize Correctly
Before you put your RV in storage after the last trip of the year, you need to winterize it thoroughly. Otherwise, when you take it out next spring, you’ll face many issues, from mechanical damage to foul odors. Walex, the odor control experts, can help you with the latter.
Campers generally use three Walex products to winterize: Commando (black tank cleaner), Elemonate (grey tank cleaner), and Odor Absorber (air freshener). Here is how we recommend using these products to winterize.
Commando – Black Holding Tank
- Empty the tank and rinse it out
- Drop one Commando packet in
- Fill with water above the sensors
- Allow 12 to 24 hours for the powerful enzyme formula to penetrate the residual waste caked to your tank walls and sensors and thoroughly lubricate your valves and seals. Then empty again.
Elemonate – Grey Holding Tank
- Drop one Elemonate tablet into your sink drain
- Run your faucet for a few seconds to dissolve it
- Wait 24 hours to allow the enzymes to dissolve any grease and organic sludge and freshen your holding tank. The tablet will release a fresh lemon scent.
- Empty the holding tank to prevent freezing.
After you’ve winterized the rest of your RV, you can place an Odor Absorber inside to keep the air fresh throughout its time in storage. Odor absorber is a gel product, infused with a layer of charcoal, that eradicates and absorbs odors. When you open the container, the formula goes to work, neutralizing odors for up to 60 days.
Call 800-338-3155 for more details or purchase Commando, Elemonate, and Odor Absorber at premium RV Dealers world-wide.
Get rid of grey holding tank odors with Elemonate
When it comes to preventing RV holding tank odors, you might focus on treating and cleaning your black holding tank, which contains water flushed from your toilet. But your grey holding tank, which captures water from your shower, kitchen sink and bathroom sink, can also emit foul odors, due to food waste and grease that often slips down the drain.
Walex’s grey holding tank treatment, Elemonate, is a rapid dissolve tablet that uses enzymes to dissolve grease and organic sludge that accumulates in the tank and drain lines. Not only does Elemonate destroy odors, but it also gives off a fresh lemon scent. And because the tablets are pre-portioned, you don’t have to worry about measuring or spilling; just drop it in.
Find Elemonate at premium RV dealerships worldwide.
Hear from our customers:
★★★★★ "Easy and Fast"
“No need to measure out 8 ounces of liquid from a 32 ounce jar of holding tank treatment. These are a loosely formed briquet that smells "lemon fresh" and you simply drop one into the sink, run a little bit of water over it and that's it. It melts down really fast and coats your drain pipes on the way down to the holding tank so that the whole system gets refreshed and deodorized. We like them well enough that we have now set up a recurring order and they ship some to us every few weeks.”
-Dempsy 
★★★★★ "Helps freshen your grey water tank"
"I like how simple this product is to use...you simply put a tablet of Elemonate in your sink, run some water on it til it washes down the drain, and it goes to work. I usually perform this operation before a trip so the chemical gets to work while I am using/filling the grey tank...in my experience, it does freshen your gray tank."
-Oliver
★★★★★ "A must-have!"
"One of the best items I started buying for my motor home. We used to get a smell well driving. For a very long time we thought is was a sewer smell from a black water. It turned out someone suggested it could be from our gray water. So I got a package of these. They work amazing and no more smell."
-Amber
Planning a vacation in 2020? Three reasons to make it an RV trip
Since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, we’ve watched many aspects of our life change, including the way we travel. The typical vacation that includes airline flights, hotel lodging, restaurant dining and other mass entertainment might not be feasible for awhile, and even if it is, many people will be reluctant to embark on such a holiday.
There is one type of trip for which social distancing is not only possible, but an inherent part of the experience: RV travel. Your recreational vehicle can take you anywhere and contain everything you need. If you’re new to RVing and considering planning an RV trip, here’s why 2020 is the year to do it.
Greater flexibility
It’s hard to plan a trip not knowing what attractions will be open to the public, and at what capacity. But the mobile nature of RV travel means you’re less committed to a specific itinerary or destination. Say, for example, that you plan to kayak at a beautiful lake only to find out the week before that the boat ramps have closed. You can fairly easily reroute your trip, because all you really need is a spot to park your camper.
Peaceful solitude
For many, the appeal of an RV trip is trading in the bustle of everyday life for peaceful solitude. Since the pandemic outbreak, solitude is the norm. There are no big shows to attend, no summer concerts to watch, and no athletic events experience or take part in. But rather than mourn the loss of these stimulating social outings, embrace the feeling you get from quiet time spent in nature. It might be a different kind of thrill, but you’ll still find excitement sitting around a campfire with close family or cooling off in a mountain stream.
No stress over mass transit, lodging, and dining
Even if we do our best to avoid large gatherings of other people, we could still contact germs on frequently touched surfaces. Many pre-pandemic vacations involved countless brushes with such surfaces, such as a taxicab door handle, a hotel lamp, or a restaurant menu. Rather than packing bottles of hand sanitizer and obsessively wiping down every surface, you can travel, sleep and eat in the safety and comfort of your recreational vehicle. You will need to pack the right products to sanitize your own germs, but that’s where Walex comes in. Our sanitizing and deodorizing products are both easy to use and effective at keeping your RV fresh and clean throughout your next vacation. Give us a call at 800-338-3155 or purchase wherever RV products are sold.
Bio-Pak Offers a Powerful Biocide-Free, Environmentally Friendly Holding Tank Treatment
As the world becomes more conscientious about protecting the environment, it’s essential for RV dealers to offer environmentally friendly alternatives for the increasingly eco-conscience RV user. Using more eco-friendly products isn’t necessarily synonymous with using an inferior product. Natural enzyme-based products like Bio-Pak, made by Walex Products Company, Inc., offer many alternative benefits to using entirely chemical and biocide-based products.
What is the definition of an enzyme? – A substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
How does it work? – Enzyme holding tank treatments accelerate the break- down of organic materials in waste while also helping to neutralize foul odors. Enzyme holding tank treatments help to digest paper and waste to allow for a more efficient and fluid dumping process.
Environmentally Friendly – With many regulatory changes on the horizon across the country (California in particular), properly working enzyme-based products like Bio-Pak offer a solution that is formaldehyde-free, biocide-free, bio- degradable, and septic system compatible.
Sensor and Tank Cleaning – Holding tanks are a messy part of RVing, but they don’t have to be if using the correct type of product. Bio-Pak offers the breakdown of waste and paper with no need for special toilet paper. The advanced enzyme formula rapidly digests residual waste build-up on tank walls as well as waste and paper that may build up on the sensors. Using Bio-Pak regularly will help keep your tank healthy and clean. It will also lubricate valves and seals.
Septic System Safe – Often RVers may not be informed on where their waste goes after dumping the holding tank. In this case, it would be wise to use an enzyme-based product like Bio-Pak if there is a possibility of dumping into any septic system. These enzymes help with the proper digestion and keep the system healthy because they are compatible with the existing bacterial microflora in the septic tank. Bio-Pak is also formulated with enzymes to directly manage tank and septic malodors emanating from sulfides and amines, including ammonia.
Portion Control – The beauty of using a product like Bio-Pak is having the power of portion control. Knowing you can throw in one quickly dissolving, water-soluble, odor control packet in the tank helping to freshen up the RV is a huge bonus in a small area. It’s simple – just drop it in and, one packet will treat up to a 40-gallon tank.
Odor Control – Having an odor in a confined living space can make for unpleasant trip or vacation. It’s important to use a holding tank product that will provide not only superior digestion but also have excellent odor control. Often odor can be from residual build-up on the tank walls. Breaking down the wall waste build-up with a strong enzyme-based holding tank treatment will help to keep those foul odors from creeping up into the RV. Bio-Pak currently comes in two powerful fragrances, Alpine Fresh and Tropical Breeze.
Hearing from satisfied customers is the best form of advertising. A Bio-Pak customer, E. Quinn states, “GREAT environmentally-friendly replacement for harsh chemicals in my RV black & grey water tanks! I have been very pleased with how this product worked for me – dissolved solid waste really well, and I had no odors from my tanks at all.”
Bio-Pak is manufactured by Walex Products Company in Wilmington, N.C. Dealers can order Bio-Pak from their distributor of choice. Walex products are available at premium RV and Marine retailers world-wide.
Capture attention and create sales with the new eye-catching Walex Freestanding Display!
Capture attention! Show off the leading brand of RV and Marine deodorizers and cleaners with a beautiful and functional freestanding display. It is designed specifically to showcase the broad range of Walex products giving the consumer an aesthetically pleasing presentation with products that sell and work. Dimensions are 73" x 27" x 12". Reach out to your distributor of choice to ask about getting one of these displays.
Walex’s Bio-Pak offers a biocide-free, formaldehyde-free, and septic system safe solution.
Natural Enzyme Deodorizer & Waste Digester
Bio-Pak provides portion control and is easy to use with no messy liquids – just drop it in! The environmentally friendly enzyme formula starts working immediately to control odors and break down waste and paper in the waste tank. Liquefies all types of toilet paper, eliminating the need for special toilet paper! Continued use ensures that pipes, valves, and seals will be trouble-free.
- Pre-packaged portion control
- Removes odors and breaks down waste and paper
- Cleans residual waste and paper on walls and sensors
- Biocide-free
- Formaldehyde-free
- Safe for septic tanks
- California compliant - California Health and Safety Code 25210.2