Backflush line flooded the kitchen...what the...?????

[StansCustoms]

No kidding...in 20 seconds or less.

I dumped my black water tank ...or was dumping my black water tank and hooked up a water hose to the backflush inlet. Turned on the water and all of a sudden I noticed water running out of the slide. I rushed over and turned off the water to the back flush valve and ran inside to find the kitchen floor flooded???

I'm temporarily by myself ...so I can't get wifey to turn on the water at the outside faucet in a short spurt while I locate the flooding source inside...anyone have any ideas what is going on??

[takepride]

Stan:

Are you connecting your water hose to the tank flushing connection or to a backflush (normally part of the sewer connection)?

If you are using the flushing system, it sounds like the hose has come loose and is shooting up through a hole/space/gap in the floor.

Open up the right-side door/panel to see where the flushing system connects to the tank. I imagine the hose came loose/split/has a leak. I had this happen on my Vectra and always anticipate a reoccurrence with the Alpine. I'm fairly certain the Alpine's system is a better quality, but cringe anyhow.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by takepride Stan: Are you connecting your water hose to the tank flushing connection or to a backflush (normally part of the sewer connection)? If you are using the flushing system, it sounds like the hose has come loose and is shooting up through a hole/space/gap in the floor. Open up the right-side door/panel to see where the flushing system connects to the tank. I imagine the hose came loose/split/has a leak. I had this happen on my Vectra and always anticipate a reoccurrence with the Alpine. I'm fairly certain the Alpine's system is a better quality, but cringe anyhow.

Takepride

I'm talking about the labeled factory tank flushing connection to the right and above the dump valves.

I'll do that in the AM and see if anything is visible from the right side panel.

It really was a BIG leak judging by the speed it flooded..

Thanks for the help....

[johnwr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StansCustoms Takepride I'm talking about the labeled factory tank flushing connection to the right and above the dump valves. I'll do that in the AM and see if anything is visible from the right side panel. It really was a BIG leak judging by the speed it flooded.. Thanks for the help....

My experience with the back flushing lines is that the supply line goes from the valve up to a check valve (higher than the top of the black water tank) and then back down to a fitting on the side of the black water tank. It sounds like the tubing from the supply valve has become detached from the check valve and is spraying up under the slide. You can access this by removing the white access panel that is secured with velcro in the water/waste compartment where the dump valves are. Hope this helps.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwr My experience with the back flushing lines is that the supply line goes from the valve up to a check valve (higher than the top of the black water tank) and then back down to a fitting on the side of the black water tank. It sounds like the tubing from the supply valve has become detached from the check valve and is spraying up under the slide. You can access this by removing the white access panel that is secured with velcro in the water/waste compartment where the dump valves are. Hope this helps.

I pulled that panel first thing...all the lines I can get to are intact there, but water was running down from somewhere above...

I don't know about spraying up under the slide...? I was just shocked to see water in the kitchen floor. I thought all this was contained in the waste tank compartment. I guess it has to have a way to spray into the kitchen area from the waste compartment between the kitchen compartment ant the toilet (to the right of the pantry on my coach).

I'm out in the boon docks at a Corp of Engineers campground...wife is gone to home base to take care of some things and attend a wedding .

I am going to have to have to ask one of my campground neighbors for a little help turning on/off the outside faucet when I get the right side panel removed this morning...

Thanks

[Old Scout]

Dont know the exact geometry but believe there is a check/vacuum breaker valve for the black water flush system in the wall behind the shower head/mixing valve. Think you can get access via an opening/cover in the back of the top kitchen cabinet in the slide. Anyway, the black water flush nozzle in the tank can get plugged, causing the check/vacuum breaker valve to leak or a pipe connection to come apart. No first hand knowledge on this but have heard this can/does happen. This all assumes the 2001s are plumbed like the 2003s.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Scout Dont know the exact geometry but believe there is a check/vacuum breaker valve for the black water flush system in the wall behind the shower head/mixing valve. Think you can get access via an opening/cover in the back of the top kitchen cabinet in the slide. Anyway, the black water flush nozzle in the tank can get plugged, causing the check/vacuum breaker valve to leak or a pipe connection to come apart. No first hand knowledge on this but have heard this can/does happen. This all assumes the 2001s are plumbed like the 2003s.

Scout..

I finally got a look at the plumbing...still haven't turned on the water.

On my 40' 2001...there is a cavity between the toilet closet and the back of the kitchen sink/slide. Looking all the way thru the kitchen cabinet...I placed a mirror on the floor looking up. Mind you this is all the way out of the back of the kitchen cabinet and the slide itself.

The flush line comes from the water connection on the waste water compartment up thru the floor to a mushroom lookng vent/valve, hooded somehing or other mounted on 2' up onthe backside of the toilet closet wall..very hard to see, and totally inaccessible as far as I have found. Maybe what you are describing ..yes/no?

From that apparatus a line goes back down thru the floor and back to the black water tank less than a foot from the starting point at the flush water connection on the drivers side waste water compartment.

It would be a simple matter to bypass all that and go directly into the blackwater tank.... (I'm sure a one way way valve would be essential since it's not mounted on the top of the tank but a third way down on the side).

What does the hooded thing do...other than guarantee that if the flush line is stopped up it will flood the whole inside of the motorhome...?

Many thanks..

[Dave Fernandez]

The Device you are looking at in an Anti Siphon Valve which was placed in line to prevent the water/liquid in the black tank from accidently being released. They perform the same as the anti Siphon valves on lawn sprinklers. It was run through the floor above the Black water tank to help break the siphoning of black water.

They do go bad and sometimes they get some dirt or debris under the rubber valve and they will leak. When mine went bad I replaced it with a one way check valve.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Fernandez The Device you are looking at in an Anti Siphon Valve which was placed in line to prevent the water/liquid in the black tank from accidently being released. They perform the same as the anti Siphon valves on lawn sprinklers. It was run through the floor above the Black water tank to help break the siphoning of black water. They do go bad and sometimes they get some dirt or debris under the rubber valve and they will leak. When mine went bad I replaced it with a one way check valve.

Thanks Dave..

I can't get to this thing at all..in fact it takes looong arms and a mirror to even see it.

I don't see the harm in just bypassing it and running a line directly to the flush connection on the side of the tank with a one way inline valve...

It seems to me the factory thing should have been mounted in the waste compartment...then it would run out on the ground and basement if it failed...

....anything beats flooding the carpet and flooring inside the coach.

Thanks...

[Old Scout]

Not sure how this valve functions but suspect location is driven by need to keep valve above the level of the black tank when full. Assume a check valve would do the same/similar thing but not sure what happens if you install below the full line on the black tank--suspect the plumbing codes "require" the valve to be above that line. Municipal water folks get real concerned about "their" fresh water line being hooked directly to "your" black tank. Therefore, doubt if WRV had a choice about location during the build.

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Scout Not sure how this valve functions but suspect location is driven by need to keep valve above the level of the black tank when full. Assume a check valve would do the same/similar thing but not sure what happens if you install below the full line on the black tank--suspect the plumbing codes "require" the valve to be above that line. Municipal water folks get real concerned about "their" fresh water line being hooked directly to "your" black tank. Therefore, doubt if WRV had a choice about location during the build.

Scout....

Yea that's probably right...Maybe a flexible fiberglass reinforced line routed up to the top of the waste compartment with a check valve will work...and lessen the chance of interior flooding.

Truevalue Ace Hardware has the line, maybe they'll have a check valve.

Maybe not too...I'm way out in the sticks....I bet they have bear traps though..

[wa8yxm]

In a normal motor home or trailer the tank flush connection (IT IS NOT A BACK FLUSH) goes first to a vacuum breaker, then down to the sprayer mounted in the tank wall (The sprayer is inside the tank)

My guess is that last winter this line (The down line to the sprayer) still had water in it and the vacuum breaker thus froze and broke. I've seen it happen on lawn watering systems.

The repair may be easy (or not) depending on how hard it is to get to the beast

but the line should be fairly straight forward, Start opening up the panels to find where it goes, I'm guessing you'll find it quickly.

[RVNeophytes2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Scout Municipal water folks get real concerned about "their" fresh water line being hooked directly to "your" black tank. Therefore, doubt if WRV had a choice about location during the build.

Great wisdom, fellow Texans. I remember that lines transit the heated basement portion, never thought of it, but they could do the same thing into my passenger-side basements.

'Don't know how many people this'll help, but my own technique is to use lawn irrigation water for the flush: same pressure, but no harm if there is any backflow. 'Cool trick for those who have both potable and non-potable water service.

Super thread, very helpful, even to us folks with other makes.



We are based in Granbury, but I'm in a Tokyo hotel room right now, where we just shook and shimmied for three minutes!

[StansCustoms]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm In a normal motor home or trailer the tank flush connection (IT IS NOT A BACK FLUSH) goes first to a vacuum breaker, then down to the sprayer mounted in the tank wall (The sprayer is inside the tank) My guess is that last winter this line (The down line to the sprayer) still had water in it and the vacuum breaker thus froze and broke. I've seen it happen on lawn watering systems. The repair may be easy (or not) depending on how hard it is to get to the beast but the line should be fairly straight forward, Start opening up the panels to find where it goes, I'm guessing you'll find it quickly.

Hello wa8xym..

No..freeze damage is out. I have flushed it several times since winter.

Panel access is the issue as per post #9...short of tearing out the toilet closet wall or removing the glass on the kichen backsplash...I see no way to access the valve.

Anyone having a '01 40FD that has actually gained access to this thing please chime in.

One thing for sure...it will not be left functional in its present location. I'm not putting up with a potential flooding catastrophe in the coach interior. This thing should have been mounted in the waste compartment or anywhere but where it is....

For those reading this..it is EXACTLY like turning a garden hose on in your motorhome. If you are outside by yourself, and flushing your tanks...you won't even know it's happening till you see water cascading out of the extended slide. Ask me how I know ...!!

I can't even imagine Alpine doing anything this silly...