Well I too got bit..

[TXBobcat]

Well I found water on the floor in the entry way the other day. Got a couple of rugs wet. Could not find out where the water came from. Thought it might be some Ice melting that we missed when filling up the cooler.

This morning I went to use the flush on the black water tank. Went around to get something and water was running out the bottom of the trailer. I opened the main door and water was running in front of the door. I got it turned off before it did any damage as far as I can see.

I don't know why these things were put in such a difficult place to repair or replace. But I guess I will have to open up the closet just inside the door and replace the valve. Don't have one yet but will have to find one somewhere down the road.

I am not happy about this.. but no more comment. Bite my tounge and keep going.

BC

 

[mrcomer]

Bobcat,
Sorry to hear of your problem. Hope you can get it fixed. Let us know what you find.

Mark

 

[ChopperBill]

If it was mine I wouldn't just replace the valve I would eliminate it.

 

[TXBobcat]

Yep.. That is my idea also. I was thinking of doing that for some time just to eliminate a possible problem.

Now I am thinking about the plastic connections on the water heater.

BC

 

[TXBobcat]

Well I took a look at the coat closet just inside the entry door. There seems to be a small trip strip on the right side. I don't see any way to dopen up the back of the closet to get at the water line inside. The opposite side of the closet is the toilet room.

Has anyone removed the wall in the closet to replace the valve?? i would like some ideas before I do my rip it open and worry about it later syndrome...

I have a Pex tool and can get a coupler to repair the line. I just need to know how to open up the wall with out destroying it.

Thanks
BC

 

[katkens]

Well I took a look at the coat closet just inside the entry door. There seems to be a small trip strip on the right side. I don't see any way to dopen up the back of the closet to get at the water line inside. The opposite side of the closet is the toilet room.

Has anyone removed the wall in the closet to replace the valve?? i would like some ideas before I do my rip it open and worry about it later syndrome...

I have a Pex tool and can get a coupler to repair the line. I just need to know how to open up the wall with out destroying it.

Thanks
BC

Bob, just start removing the trim pieces till you get enough off to remove the right side paneling. It will be in the outside wall where paneling was removed ,at least it was on mine. It is fun they only put 5 million staples in the trim and paneling....Kenny

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Bob, I don't know how your's is laid out, but in mine the vacuum breaker is just shoved up the wall between two studs. There is enough PEX line that I could pull it down and out if I needed to. Try that before opening up the wall. Removing it completely does sound like the way to go. Kinda unlikely anybody's going to let their black tank get so full that it backs up through that plumbing. If it did, you'd have something worse than just water dripping down the walls.

Before I relocated it, my converter was directly under that thing.

 

[tom]

I will join the problem, too. The black tank sani flush seems to be plugged. I hooked the hose on to it, turned on the water, and no nose of water spraying in the tank as I heard in the past. I took the panel in the basement off, DW turned on the water, and not water went through hose, but the hose did "jump". That may indicate a air block. There appears to be no leak. No water was running out underneath the unit or in the unit by the door. Any suggestions? I thought of blowing air into line, but if it is plugged the air under pressure would blow the line or valve head apart. Thus, I did not blow air into the line. I can understand that the valve head may be plugged, like the screen on a faucet,with the junk that is in the water. Reading the other posts I found out where valve is located, but could my problem be the back flow valve not opening to allow the flow of water? That, I think, is located in the wall behind the toilet, and if I take the cabinet out of the wall above the toilet I may be able to reach the valve and replace it. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[jmgratz]

I would start with the back flow valve.

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Thanks, Jim. I may take the shelves out above toilet to see if I can get at the valve. Whee do you get a new valve?

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

I understand you can get them at Home Depot and Lowes. RV Supply stores too.

 

[TXBobcat]

I took out the box above the toilet. No way can I get to the valve from there. All I see is the boxes and wires in the top of the panel.

Inside the closet by the entrance door there is one piece of trim on the right side which is stapled. If I take it off I am not sure I can take the back panel out to work on the valve. I am going to try and unload the basement and pull it down into the basement and repair it.

It would be very helpful if someone at the factory could jump in and indicate how this was installed in the older trailers it would help. Mine is a 2008. If I understand it they are now placing them behind the shower wall.

When I get it fixed I will post some info as I can.

BC

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

A little something to think about. I've heard the backflow valve is where it's at because it has to be placed higher than other fixtures in the rig. My question is why? That line is not connecten anywhere to the RV's fresh water system. It's a direct line from the UDC to the flusher.
On after market flushers available anywhere, the back flow valve is plumbed right next to the flusher or the inlet.
Why not re-plumb the line and put the valve where it can be accessed easier, like behind the UDC?

 

[wdk450]

A little something to think about. I've heard the backflow valve is where it's at because it has to be placed higher than other fixtures in the rig. My question is why? That line is not connecten anywhere to the RV's fresh water system. It's a direct line from the UDC to the flusher.
On after market flushers available anywhere, the back flow valve is plumbed right next to the flusher or the inlet.
Why not re-plumb the line and put the valve where it can be accessed easier, like behind the UDC?

Ray:
Other posters have said that the valve being higher than any other plumbing fixture is an RVIA regulation that Heartland must follow to get their approval seal. Some states require this approval seal for any RV's to be sold in their state.

 

[JohnDar]

They may have moved the location in newer units to behind the shower access port, but in the 2009 BH3670, it's in the wall between the toilet and the shower stall. The PEX lines drape forward from it to the basement wall panels. One to the UDC fitting, the other to the fitting on door side of the black tank. When the plastic UDC fitting broke, I replaced it with a brass city water connection port, with a built-in check valve. Since I control the flush with a valve on my manifold, the likelihood of the system going into negative pressure and sucking from the black tank without me knowing it is extremely remote. When I'm working the UDC, I stay at the UDC.

 

[TXBobcat]

A friend that had the same SOB as I did removed the santiflush plumbing and ran it directly to the black tank. Took out he part in the black tank and modified it to spray more water into the tank.

This is sorta like the tag on a mattress. It is against the law to remove the tag. But once you own the mattress who cares if it had the tag on it.

The only way they would know if the valve was on the trailer is if they went through it and looked for one.

I still want to know how to open up the coat room at the entry door so I can replace the valve or what ever..

I haven't had time to unload the basement and get behind the wall and see if the pex tubing can be pulled down. It has been raining almost every day here in Florida.

BC

 

[TXBobcat]

Well I got it done. I did not open up the coat closet so I don't know how it was constructed. I opened up the basement, needed to be cleand out anyway. Traced the Pex tubing from the UDC back under the toilet closet. Found the Pex tubing returning and goind down to the undercarriage. I tried to just pull it down, as someone earlier suggested but that did not work. It must have been secured some were up in the wall. I cut both of the tubings and with a coupler connected the two with a Pex tool. It works and I can now clean out the black tank. And it is quite.

Now something I think I will have to do before I can flush the tank like I did before. If I am right there is nothing to keep fluid from the balck tank to rising up the flushing tubing if the tank is filled and rising into the toilet. I need to install a check valve. I don't think the water fitting in the UDC has a check valve as part of it.

I learned one thing in addition. There is two types of Pex tools and I had the wrong connectors for the Pex Tool I am using.

I am going to start another thread specifically for information about the Pex tools and their connectors and piping accessories. I would like anyone intrested to join in.

BC

 

[JohnDar]

Bob, when my plastic black tank flush fitting in the UDC broke, I replaced it with a brass city water port, with a built-in check valve. You're correct, there is nothing in that hollow black plastic fitting to prevent backflow. They make check valves that fit on hose bibs, so you could probably just screw one of those into your current flush fitting. I got a lesson in PEX tools when I had to fix a small leak off the water heater line earlier this year. I can now handle either type of crimp, and have spare parts for it.

 

[TXBobcat]

You know, everything seems to be a learning experience..

I am retired.. I just want to have fun. This learning is a pain in the.. ***..

Ok.. I am willing to learn but spread it out. Seems like it comes in bunches.

BC

 

[JohnDar]

You know, everything seems to be a learning experience..

I am retired.. I just want to have fun. This learning is a pain in the.. ***..

Ok.. I am willing to learn but spread it out. Seems like it comes in bunches.

BC

Cheer up, Bob. So long as you're still learning, you're not looking at grass from the root side.