Advice please - emptying the toilet holding tank

Thank you for showing your appreciation moonchip. It makes a refreshing change to hear that our replies are helpful. Some posters are never heard from again, after their original posts.   

Thanks also to Steve and ValDa  for their explanation, I'll be working on it ...........

Not the most pleasant bit of caravanning. Not anything new to add but would stress that the cap should not be put anywhere that might let it fall into the trap. I rinse it out with water after emptying and use the proper fluid rsther than bio tabs as although they seem to work for some people I am not convinced they are the best.

Aldi sell the toilet fluids cheaply regularly in their offers so I look out for them and buy the fluid then.

Who would’ve thought there’d be so much to say on this subject? And I’ve just thought of something else to add.

It will depend on your toilet using habits but, if you tend to fill quickly, I’d suggest making it a habit to empty, or at least check, each evening. You don’t want to find your cassette full in the middle of the night or even first thing in the morning. Emptying whilst in your pyjamas is not the best idea because Sod will have ensured that it’s raining.

If you should overfill your cassette, such that contents are above the flap and still in the bowl, don’t just pull the cassette out. It may be possible to swing the emptying tube out of the access door. Get a bucket and gently remove the cap, letting excess liquid come out. It’s a good idea to get the culprit to do this, as it could be messy, but it’s better than having it all slop into the bowels of your cassette area.

And finally: have some method to indicate that the toilet is out of action (maybe a towel over the seat) while you’re doing the task, to avoid an unpleasant “surprise” on return.

Just one thing to add to the good down to earth advice ( the only way too explain ) do not be too vigerous when swilling the cassette out, Remember there is a float inside that gives the available capacity reading.

One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.  

Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants   when next opening the blade.     

One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.  

Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants   when next opening the blade.     

Well thanks for the tip.  Never caravanned, so far, in really cold contidions but WELL WORTH knowing

Just opening the blade slowly helps as well......

If you visit rural areas abroad - Greece, Turkey and most of Russia outside of the main cities - toilet paper is placed in a bin because the sewage system cannot cope. You soon get used to it and you can do the same in a caravan or Motorhome.

Surely no need hitchglitch, as toilet paper breaks down in the tank ?......

One further tip after replacing the Cassette back into the compartment, go into the van and open the toilet blade and leave it open for several minutes, this will allow the now colder air in the cassette to mix with the warmer air in the van, thus preventing the pressure build up that will occur as the colder air, when trapped inside the cassette with the blade closed, gradually warms up and expands.  

Failure to do this, particularly in colder conditions, can result in getting a face full, of a very unwanted mixture of pressurised air and fluid remnants   when next opening the blade.     

Well thanks for the tip.  Never caravanned, so far, in really cold contidions but WELL WORTH knowing

I thought that only applied to older cassettes and they now have a valve to release pressure. If you have SOG, it will be vented. In an unvented tank, pressure can be created in hot weather and from gases being produced from within.