Does NoFlex really work?

[Captain Spike]

After reading through many of these threads and coupling that with my experience with RVs and boats black tanks, these are my thoughts on the issue.

There are three ways to deal with waste in a black tank,

Preserve it, (formaldehyde) no longer an option.

Mask it, perfume it, liquefy it, most of the common tank treatments.

Use a biological component to create an ecosystem that naturally accomplishes the elimination of voters and the liquefication of solids.

My observation is that many of the strong supporters of no flex type treatments have newer boats that are under 20 years old. It may very well be that once the boat gets to a certain age and build up it may not work or may take a long time to get the system cleaned to eliminate the odor’s. Also it may be that chemicals used in the past on older boats leached into the materials of the system and are killing the biologicals...

I really do believe that the biological products work, and work very well.

If it is not working on your boat you probably have other issues,

need to use more product until years of build up or removed,

the oxygen supply for the bacteria is limited or blocked from the vent line,

there may be something in your tank or system that is killing the biologicals,

you are using a toilet bowl cleaner that is killing the bacteria,

set your expectations that this is not an quick perfuming job, this is building a living ecosystem that consumes the waste.

Additional issues affecting the product will be added to this post as they are posted.

After joining and reading this great forum, I cleaned out the holding tank and began using no flex The waste level indicators were not working when I bought the boat 2002. With in the timeframe for the next pump out they began to work again. So I’m now a convert.

 

[Chris-380]

After joining and reading this great forum, I cleaned out the holding tank and began using no flex The waste level indicators were not working when I bought the boat 2002. With in the timeframe for the next pump out they began to work again. So I’m now a convert.

Been on noflex, this is my third summer, just pulled the floats and cleaned the tp off of them…. I am not as much of a believer as some on here, but it has controlled the smell a lot better since I doubled the Amount….

 

[Chief Ed]

We just started using NoFlex about two weeks ago. The wife and I pretty much live on the boat all summer as it’s close to my office. We’re putting a scoop in each head every other day. Can’t say that I’ve noticed much difference good or bad, as we didn’t have a smell issue to begin with. Just trying to be proactive in not creating any smell.

We have the tank pumped every two weeks. Should I be adding more after each pump? Do you think our bi-daily regimen is enough?

I suppose ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?

 

[MonacoMike]

Whenever I pump out, and I take off the cap I always check for odor. I never have any that I can detect. We have pump out built-in at our marina for every slip and sometimes when neighbors pull their cap to pump out there is a wave of foul smelling air that can sometimes be smelled 30 feet away.

The only time we seem to have any odor on our boat is when we come back from being away for several days and turn the pumps back on. The internals that I have been able to see our pristinely clean from the NoFlex, Not sure why restarting the pumps leads to some odor in the cabin.

 

[bbwhitejr]

I suppose ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’?

Agree...have been using NoFlex for 5 years now on 2-boats each with 2-heads. After pump out, I put one scoop full in down each head into an empty tank. Then, every weekend, a full scoop down each head. If we are on the boat during the week, I will add 1/2 scoop or so down each head every other day. Done. Changed the holding tank filters on the 44DB when first purchased and never again. Have never changed the one on the 420DA. Never ever had any smell and pump out is always 100% stained water looking. Have now started making my own using Carter's recipe. So much better than trying to cover up the smell.

Bennett

 

[Strecker25]

I made 30 pounds of Carters mix and it seems to work just as well. I also ordered a pack of Tank-teria to jumpstart some additional cleaning as it's supposed to work in conjunction with the noflex to really clean it up. This is only our first full season with the boat and all the previous owners used the blue junk so the tank needs some extra love, no smells but the sides are anything but clean

 

[MonacoMike]

I made 30 pounds of Carters mix and it seems to work just as well. I also ordered a pack of Tank-teria to jumpstart some additional cleaning as it's supposed to work in conjunction with the noflex to really clean it up. This is only our first full season with the boat and all the previous owners used the blue junk so the tank needs some extra love, no smells but the sides are anything but clean

I have use the no flex for three years and the one thing we haven’t been able to do is clean the sides of the tank as I had hoped it would. I wonder if it’s more like concrete on the sides, particularly above the normal levels we maintain.

I have pondered filling the tank with fresh water, dumping an entire bottle of no flex and several of the tabs in the tank just before putting it in indoor heated storage.

 

[Strecker25]

I have use the no flex for three years and the one thing we haven’t been able to do is clean the sides of the tank as I had hoped it would. I wonder if it’s more like concrete on the sides, particularly above the normal levels we maintain.

I have pondered filling the tank with fresh water, dumping an entire bottle of no flex and several of the tabs in the tank just before putting it in indoor heated storage.

I've peered in there to check the level when my sensor wasn't working, the sides are definitely a concrete like coating. I'll post results if the tank-teria makes a difference or not

 

[MonacoMike]

I've peered in there to check the level when my sensor wasn't working, the sides are definitely a concrete like coating. I'll post results if the tank-teria makes a difference or not

I have been using the tank teria tabs.

It just makes me wonder if the tanks soaked all winter if that would make a difference.

 

[Woody]

All I've been using is whatever is on the shelf in walmart or an rv place and if I know conditions will be sloshing my holding tank I'll flush some laundry detergent.

 

[nealtrombley]

I assume everyone after pump outs adds water back to their holding tanks? I add 2-3 gallons with two scoops of Noflex down the pump out inlet....once a week if using or not I flush a scoop down the fwd head... I have no issues

Where I pump out at the City of Ft Myers Yacht Basin the attendants tell me some people don't want any water in the tanks after pump out... of course they smell the worse..

 

[Strecker25]

I assume everyone after pump outs adds water back to their holding tanks? I add 2-3 gallons with two scoops of Noflex down the pump out inlet....once a week if using or not I flush a scoop down the fwd head... I have no issues

Where I pump out at the City of Ft Myers Yacht Basin the attendants tell me some people don't want any water in the tanks after pump out... of course they smell the worse..

I don't but we use it almost immediately and are generous with water on flushes so it's effectively the same thing

 

[Blueone]

I don’t add water for the sake of adding water. We always pump out on our way out for the weekend so it’s not going to be empty for long

 

[spikedaddy99]

I've heard of RV owners putting ice into their tanks while driving to slosh around and break up crud. I don't know how easy that would be into a vacuum flush tank (could you put it in via the waste removal cap??) but in gravity fed tanks of RV's, its pretty simple.

 

[Strecker25]

I've heard of RV owners putting ice into their tanks while driving to slosh around and break up crud. I don't know how easy that would be into a vacuum flush tank (could you put it in via the waste removal cap??) but in gravity fed tanks of RV's, its pretty simple.

That’s interesting. I could easily add it by pulling the level sender. I use that trick in our home garbage disposal occasionally, one pint of ice ran through cleans it right out

 

[MonacoMike]

I assume everyone after pump outs adds water back to their holding tanks? I add 2-3 gallons with two scoops of Noflex down the pump out inlet....once a week if using or not I flush a scoop down the fwd head... I have no issues

Where I pump out at the City of Ft Myers Yacht Basin the attendants tell me some people don't want any water in the tanks after pump out... of course they smell the worse..

I put one scoop down the inlet and one scoop in each head with generous amounts of water.

 

[Woody]

I don’t add water for the sake of adding water. We always pump out on our way out for the weekend so it’s not going to be empty for long

I don't get the 'adding water' thing, what's that supposed to do?...or do they mean rinsing the tank. When we pump out a few gallons of water is put back in and pumped out as many times as needed until water is clear coming out.

 

[Blueone]

I don't get the 'adding water' thing, what's that supposed to do?...or do they mean rinsing the tank. When we pump out a few gallons of water is put back in and pumped out as many times as needed until water is clear coming out.

I don't do the rinse thing either with the garden hose....when the tank is empty I flush the toilets for 45 seconds then finish the pump out

 

[MonacoMike]

I don't get the 'adding water' thing, what's that supposed to do?...or do they mean rinsing the tank. When we pump out a few gallons of water is put back in and pumped out as many times as needed until water is clear coming out.

I believe the freshwater dissolves the noflex and allows for distribution of it throughout the tank before you start putting mostly waste in the tank.

noFlex does not recommend rinsing the tank as that removes the healthy bacteria that you are trying to encourage the growth of to Eliminate the odors.

using NoFlex is a totally different mindset, you’re actively trying to grow biological cultures that eat and dissolve the waste and Eliminate the odors.

 

[MonacoMike]

Reposting post number one.

After reading through many of these threads and coupling that with my experience with RVs and boats black tanks, these are my thoughts on the issue.

There are three ways to deal with waste in a black tank,

Preserve it, (formaldehyde) no longer an option.

Mask it, perfume it, liquefy it, most of the common tank treatments.

Use a biological component to create an ecosystem that naturally accomplishes the elimination of voters and the liquefication of solids.

My observation is that many of the strong supporters of no flex type treatments have newer boats that are under 20 years old. It may very well be that once the boat gets to a certain age and build up it may not work or may take a long time to get the system cleaned to eliminate the odor’s. Also it may be that chemicals used in the past on older boats leached into the materials of the system and are killing the biologicals...

I really do believe that the biological products work, and work very well.

If it is not working on your boat you probably have other issues,

need to use more product until years of build up or removed,

the oxygen supply for the bacteria is limited or blocked from the vent line,

there may be something in your tank or system that is killing the biologicals,

you are using a toilet bowl cleaner that is killing the bacteria,

set your expectations that this is not an quick perfuming job, this is building a living ecosystem that consumes the waste.

Additional issues affecting the product will be added to this post as they are posted.