Please please help with gray water problem

[Muddypaws]

"If you can get someone to help you get a hose to the roof and a rag to act as a gasket then run water down the vent. That act along will probably clear the vent. If not a little water pressure should do it."

The helper should be ready to scramble & turn off the water if it starts flooding your rig.

Two helpers would be better. And you might want to cut the metal end of the hose off before you start ramming it down the pipe. But once you get the cap off if there's bugs or birds in there it will probably be obvious.

If the vent cap is plastic I'd get a spare and keep it even if this one doesn't break. They're not expensive.

I can't imagine why Monaco would have a pump for grey water? But stranger things have been built.

Years back I had a couple of guitars stored in my shower when it decided to back up. I didn't have to humidify one of them for a couple of years.

[ParryTack]

Okay.... here's what's happened so far.

I spoke with Monaco on the phone and had ladder, hose, plumbers snake on hand.

I closed the grey tank to the dump stain.

Climbed up on the roof and put water slowly into the Tank (on the drivers side (closest to shower), it started to fill the shower drain pan.

I climbed down and released / opened the grey tank valve to the dump station / and then closed the valve again, and climbed back up.

This time I used more water pressure into the vent pipe. I crimped the hose and then released it so that water would go into the pipe with more pressure.

I Climbed down and checked to find that the water was filling up the shower pan again. I released the water once again by opening the grey water valve to the dump station. Then I closed the valve again.

I did the same thing for the OTHER Tcap on the passenger side of the bus. No water came out so I am assuming that was the black tank air escape pipe. (No water in Shower)

Then I went back up to the roof and snaked the pipe. My friend on the ground could hear the end of the snake hitting something metal near where the valves are.
Did I touch the valve with the end of the snake? Maybe.

Then I snaked the shower drain inside the bus. Could only go down about 2 feet. Blocked.
Didn't want to break something so I stopped.

Ran shower and water again started to fill the shower pan again.

All of this would have probably cost me $250 at the local RV repair shop.

Still not fixed.

I cannot see the grey tank, it was getting dark.
I plan on going under the bus tomorrow to see if I can find it.

Could it be blocked where grey water goes INTO the grey tank?

Does the water BYPASS the tank when the valve to the dump station is open?

Wouldn't you think that the water ALWAYS goes through the grey tank whether the valve is open or shut?

Any suggestions are oh so welcome!

I can call the mobil guy, but I know you guys know as much as he does and Im willing to get dirty *grin
Come on guys.... gimme some more suggestion...

anita

[bdpreece]

Ok just going to throw in my 2 cents worth which may be all it's worth. If you have an access panel to the back of the shower to get to the faucets, remove it and look for a vacuum breaker if you see one remove it they just unscrew. Next look under the closest sink to the shower and remove the vacuum breaker there. Then test the shower drain. In rv's often time if there is no way to access the roof vent manufacturers installed vacuum breakers in the drain lines instead. On my coach I think only the tank and the washer are actually attached to the roof vent all the rest of the fixtures have vacuum breakers.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by ParryTack

Okay.... here's what's happened so far.

I spoke with Monaco on the phone and had ladder, hose, plumbers snake on hand.

I closed the grey tank to the dump stain.

Climbed up on the roof and put water slowly into the Tank (on the drivers side (closest to shower), it started to fill the shower drain pan.

I climbed down and released / opened the grey tank valve to the dump station / and then closed the valve again, and climbed back up.

This time I used more water pressure into the vent pipe. I crimped the hose and then released it so that water would go into the pipe with more pressure.

I Climbed down and checked to find that the water was filling up the shower pan again. I released the water once again by opening the grey water valve to the dump station. Then I closed the valve again.

I did the same thing for the OTHER Tcap on the passenger side of the bus. No water came out so I am assuming that was the black tank air escape pipe. (No water in Shower)

Then I went back up to the roof and snaked the pipe. My friend on the ground could hear the end of the snake hitting something metal near where the valves are.
Did I touch the valve with the end of the snake? Maybe.

Then I snaked the shower drain inside the bus. Could only go down about 2 feet. Blocked.
Didn't want to break something so I stopped.

Ran shower and water again started to fill the shower pan again.

All of this would have probably cost me $250 at the local RV repair shop.

Still not fixed.

I cannot see the grey tank, it was getting dark.
I plan on going under the bus tomorrow to see if I can find it.

Could it be blocked where grey water goes INTO the grey tank?

Does the water BYPASS the tank when the valve to the dump station is open?

Wouldn't you think that the water ALWAYS goes through the grey tank whether the valve is open or shut?

Any suggestions are oh so welcome!

I can call the mobil guy, but I know you guys know as much as he does and Im willing to get dirty *grin
Come on guys.... gimme some more suggestion...

anita

I'm flummoxed! Congratulations on a good days work. Too bad all of us seem to be wrong about what to do.

What we know:
1. This condition just started, so is not a problem with design.
2. Shower drains fine when gray valve is open. Yes the water goes into the tank and then out through the gray valve.
3. There is a direct connection from the vent to the shower drain.

What to do next:

1. If you close the gray valve and fill the galley sink and the bathroom sink, then release them into the drain, do they go into the gray tank with a minimum of gluging?
2. Fill the shower pan as much as possible without over flowing and put a plunger over the drain and work it out as strenuously as possible.

I don't understand why or how the water goes down the vent and into the shower pan but not into the tank. It appears that the vent ties to the outlet of the P trap under the shower pan and then goes down into the tank. I just don't understand how the vent can be open to the shower pan but not down into the tank but only when the valve is closed.

How about:

1. Open the gray valve.
2. Turn the shower wide open.
3. Go on the roof & run water wide open down vent.
4. Close gray valve for 30 seconds or so then open. Do this several times. Will help to have a couple of downstairs helpers. One inside & one outside.

I'm operating on the theory that things worked originally then they didn't. There must be an obstruction some when that needs to be dislodged.

May the force be with you.

[FlyingDiver]

Just to be clear - you've owned this coach since it was new (2008), and it just recently started doing this?

[mgscott4]

I still say "try a plunger".

[Dunner]

If you take a 2 liter bottle and turn it upside down, it still drains. Not very well, but it still drains.

Was any work done on the plumbing? Sounds like it is now plumbed wrong.

When the grey valve is opened, with water in the shower, how fast does it drain?

[jarwiebe]

How about trying to push the snake in from the curb side drain and into the grey tank to see if there is a blockage where the tank outlets into the discharge pipe.

[Quaddinmad40]

Agree with bdpeerce. Check the breaker or "cheater" valve. Fairly easy to remove and cheap to replace. I would remove them and see if that improves flow and replace them if it does

[chboone]

Hi Anita, congratulations again on what you have done. You did more then some men would do. Steve, has suggested some excellent things to try. You may want to see if Monaco can email you a detail of the gray water plumbing. There maybe a vacuum breaker/vent some place that is stuck closed. What happens with the tank drain open and water is run down the vent? The water should drain out of the tank, since the roof vent is normally direct connected to the tank. I'll send you an email with my number if you would like to talk.

Chuck Boone

[Dunner]

Just for giggles, put some water in the shower and open only the black tank valve and see what happens.

[Coaster1]

Wow! Been Rv-ing for 35 years and never knew about vacuum breakers, thanks.

[Clayobx]

Originally Posted by Coaster1

Wow! Been Rv-ing for 35 years and never knew about vacuum breakers, thanks.

X-2'. Many thank you's as well! Learn good information on this forum everyday!

[bdpreece]

Originally Posted by Coaster1

Wow! Been Rv-ing for 35 years and never knew about vacuum breakers, thanks.

Usually they fail in the open condition and you will start noticing odors in your coach but, they can also stick closed.