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03-28-2012, 12:55 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 322
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Does a Grey Water Tank have a safety overflow?
I was flushing my Grey and Black tanks yesterday. When I had filled the Grey tank with Fresh water to flush it, I accidentally overfilled the tank to the point that water started to creep up the shower drain into the shower pan. I quickly turned off the water hose that I was using to fill the grey tank via the Kitchen drain, when I saw this happening, and a few moments later I noticed that a stream of water coming from the Grey water tank somewhere. My tank is mounted in such a way that there is a lip on the tank that tucks behind an I beam to hold the tank in place on each side (no straps in other words hold it), but it was from this tab area where the water was draining to the ground. Not at the sides of the tank, but at the front of the tank (highest pitch of the tank) not the outlet end.
This could mean only two things to me: Either there is a safety overflow on the very top of the tank at that location that I cannot see, or I have a crack or hole in the top of the tank the water is coming out. “I am hoping it is an overflow.”
Would the grey tank have an overflow to prohibit flooding in the cabin by water backing up the lowest drain? It would make since? Or are all grey tanks a closed system like the Black other than the breather vent pipes?
Has anyone ever overfilled your grey tank and have this happen? My rig is a 2000 Fleetwood Wilderness.
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03-28-2012, 01:11 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
National RV Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Ford Super Duty Owner Carolina Campers
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,266
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There are many threads on this topic. Generally a full grey tank will overflow into the shower pan before flooding your coach, as the shower pan is the lowest point. There has to be a VENT somewhere in the tank to allow air in. Maybe the water was coming from that vent?
__________________
2002 National Dolphin LX 6356
Workhorse W-22 chassis
Don't believe everything you think.
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03-28-2012, 01:33 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: sault ste marie,Ontario,Canada
Posts: 364
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x2 on the air vent(sounds better then a cracked tank!)
__________________
1997 four winds windsport 38,000 miles
polaris sportsman 700,polaris sportsman 500. honda goldwing 1500
Rob,Faye and peanut(long haired chiwawa)
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03-28-2012, 02:56 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Angola State Prison - Murder
Posts: 4,230
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Mine backs up in the shower, no over flow except the vent on the roof. Bath would flood before it got out the roof vent 
__________________
John & Clare Lyon
2007 43.5' Monaco Dynasty Palace III (All Electric)
Towd: 2011 Chevy Equinox
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03-28-2012, 03:48 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 104
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My GUESS is the vent pipe is broken at the tank........getting any smells in the coach?
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03-28-2012, 04:08 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 322
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No smells. If it is a closed system other than the vent pipe, I have no idea where the water came from. All I know is when I drained off enouph water making it full to not overfull the draining stoped. So there must be a compromise somewhere ? It has never leaked before, but then again it has never been overfilled either.
At this point I guess I will never let it overfill again. I am not having any other issues other than the first post.
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03-28-2012, 05:34 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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As others have said, no overflow... Your "Stream of water from the gray tank" is likely a broken pipe or a bad collar where the pipes join the tank.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
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03-29-2012, 02:57 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Southern CA
Posts: 322
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Thanks all for your input.
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03-29-2012, 03:22 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Excel Owners Club Mid Atlantic Campers Coastal Campers
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Beaufort, SC
Posts: 540
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Our last fifth wheel had a similar issue, but with the black tank. I was flushing it one day and filled it up. I started hearing water running somewhere and found it coming from the underbelly. I pulled the underbelly and could find nothing from the underside, except a bunch of wet insulation.
A good friend had a scope and allowed me to use it to find the problem. Basically, I had to give the fiver a colonoscopy...  I found a crack in the connection from the toilet to the tank. It wasn't much of a crack and never leaked, unless it was over full.
__________________
2015 Excel Winslow 37SDF 38' fifth wheel
2007 Excel Limited 33RKE 35' fifth wheel
2015 Ford F350 Platinum DRW Crew Cab 6.7PSD
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03-29-2012, 07:05 PM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,948
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Some of the RVs do not have a real secure connection for the gray water into the gray water tank. Some I have seen, amounts to a hole large enough to get the pipe in aand it may or may not have any sealant around the joint. Ince full it will leak out this joint.
Ken
__________________
Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
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03-30-2012, 08:46 AM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: The Great American Southwest
Posts: 298
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I do believe you may want to check the vent pipe connection at you grey tank as in the future you may have some bad type smell finding its' way into your RV.
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03-31-2012, 08:48 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 93
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We have the same problem with Gray water in our fiver. It never leaked until a year ago. HR in their infinite wisdom also installed flanged tanks. Nowhere can I see how to drop the tank and reseal the vent without cutting a steel brace that would need to be welded back in. . .
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03-31-2012, 09:40 AM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 37
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Is your shower located directly over the Tank?
If so start there and check for a leak (plug the drain fill the shower base and check for a leak)
If no lea, k there is most likely a leaking connection at the top of the tank possibly the vent pipe
__________________
06' Coachmen Freedom 258DB
Quigley 4x4 Conversion
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03-31-2012, 10:30 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,772
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And he gets to that by ......?
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Terry & Alice
2006 Bounder 38L DP
2012 GMC Terrain
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