A clogged camper toilet can be a real inconvenience, especially since it seems to happen at the most inconvenient times!
And even if you have the best RV toilet on the market, the possibility of it clogging is still there.
So, what do you do when your RV toilet is clogged?
Do NOT reach for your plunger (hint: it won’t work). Instead, here are 3 simple, yet effective tips to get your toilet unclogged.
Plus, we look at a few tips to prevent it from clogging again in the future.
Boiling Water
Before dumping chemicals or shoving a wand down my RV toilet, I always start out with pouring boiling water down my clogged toilet. It’s safe and more often than not, it just works.
It’s really as simple as bringing a couple of pots of water to a boil, opening the toilet valve, and pouring the water down the toilet and into the holding tank.
A word of warning though if you use this method, it may fill your camper with a “sewer” smell, albeit only temporarily.
Flexible Tank Wand
A flexible tank wand is a tool we recommend having on hand at all times! This handy tool will help clear up those toilet clogs quickly and help spray out your black tank to keep it odor-free and clean.
We recommend using the Camco RV Flexible Swivel Stik as it’s one of the most popular, durable, and effective toilet pipe and black tank cleaners on the market. The long flexible hose can reach through your RV toilet all the way down to your black tank and features a powerful rotary spray nozzle to effectively clean out any and all clogs and waste.
Camco RV Flexible Swivel Stik with Shutoff Valve
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Septic Safe Declogger
The last method you can use to unclog an RV toilet is using chemical clog removers.
Did you know…
Chemicals should always be a last resort when trying to unclog an RV toilet. Many of them can have an adverse effect on the pipes, the holding tank, seals, and even the toilet itself.
But, they do make chemical cleaners that are specially designed for use in clogged RV toilets.
Thetford Kitchen & Bath Cleaner is one such toilet cleaner that is safe for use on plastic and porcelain toilets and was designed with RV toilets in mind.
Thetford Kitchen & Bath Cleaner
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This product is easy to use (just open a packet, pour into the toilet, and rinse), requires very little water to get the foaming action to work, and is safe.
Can I use Drano in my toilet?
We do not recommend using Drano to attempt to unclog your camper toilet. Harsh chemical cleaners can negatively affect your toilet, plumbing, and black tank. Plus, it’s just not an effective solution to unclog your toilet.
Preventing Future Clogs
The best way to deal with toilet clogs is to prevent them from happening in the first place. So, follow these simple tips to ensure a clog-free camping experience.
Rapid Dissolving Toilet Paper
One of the main causes of clogged RV toilets is the overuse of regular toilet paper.
Regular toilet paper can easily form a clog in your toilet pipe and build up in your tank, forming a solid mass that is hard to remove.
Other than using less toilet paper, you can switch to what is commonly known as rapid dissolving toilet paper.
Scott Rapid-Dissolving Toilet Paper, for example, is specially designed to break down 4 times faster than the leading regular bath tissue. In fact, this product was designed for RV and boat use and is septic and sewer safe!
Scott Rapid-Dissolving Toilet Paper
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More Water
Be generous with the water when using the toilet! Fill the bowl with water before using it and again after you flush.
In other words, the more water the better. This will help ensure your toilet doesn’t get clogged and will prevent the waste in your black tank from forming a solid mass that can be near impossible to get rid of.
In fact, here’s a great video on how you should use your RV toilet to prevent clogging.
Drop-in Packets
Drop-in packets are a type of black tank treatment that is designed to help break down waste in your tank and remove odors.
Plus, they are easy to use – simply drop a packet into your toilet and flush down enough water to completely cover the packet.
Camco TST Max Drop-Ins are a popular option that is RV and marine approved and safe for septic use. They do NOT contain harmful formaldehyde, pesticides or biocides and last up to 7 days!
Camco TST MAX Drop-Ins
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