Calling Any Toilet Experts in Texas

[Rick A]

As many of you know the wife and kids have taken on the adventure of traveling to Texas. Lisa is experienceing some difficulties with the eternal toilet from h***. The ball valve is leaking and not allowing th bowl to hold water. I have the seal, all I need is a generaous person in the Boerne area who might be willing to help her replace the seal. She is staying at the Alamo Fiesta RV resort in Boerne, and unfortunately, I will not be making it down there until February for a visit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rick A]

As many of you know the wife and kids have taken on the adventure of traveling to Texas. Lisa is experienceing some difficulties with the eternal toilet from h***. The ball valve is leaking and not allowing th bowl to hold water. I have the seal, all I need is a generaous person in the Boerne area who might be willing to help her replace the seal. She is staying at the Alamo Fiesta RV resort in Boerne, and unfortunately, I will not be making it down there until February for a visit. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rick A]

Hey all. Just a little extra info. my hubby left out. I don't think it is just the seal. The ball or flap how ever you would like to call it is not shutting all the way either. I have not checked the cable yet I will venture down tolit tomorrow after the kids are off to school. If all else fells, I could always loose some more weight. I will take up sprinting to the community bathroom. We already use the showers on trying to save in the proprain world. Thanks again if anyone can offer some advice or a bit of help. Lisa

[TXiceman]

Rick and Lisa,

Is just that the bowl does not hold water? The flush valve still works?

If this is the case, you might have gotten some TP caught in the seal lip/groove. For this Lisa can try to fix pretty easily. Get a piece of stiff wire, like a coat hanger and bend a small right angle hook on the end...mabye 1/2" long. Now comes the fum part, hold your nose and push down on the flush valve to open the valve. CAREFULLY drag the hooked end around the groove to dislodge any materials causght in the groove.

Hopefully this is the only problem. I can not make a run over to SA...it is about a 3 hour drive one way.

Ken

[quikduk]

Have you tried asking one of the owners? We stayed there (see my avatar) and had a major fresh water leak. The owner's husband and a fellow camper had the right tools and parts to help me fix it. They were very nice so give it a try.

I think there is an RV service place next door as well.

Good luck.

[Don (W5IT)]

If I read your post correctly you have a toilet with the ball valve that rotates 90 degrees to allow it to dump.

If so the change is not difficult at all.

First thing to do is make sure the water is off. (Of course the toilet being clean helps )

Then you look under the toilet you will see a "Cover" that has two parts to it. You unscrew the screws holding it together. Some the cover simply slides outward.

After removing the clamshell cover you will see between the bowl and base what looks like a screw clamp simulat to a radiator hose on your truck/car. Loosen this screw clamp. The bowl will then be able to "Twist or turn side to side". You then can twist the bowl so that you can undo the water inlet.

This inlet is under a little cover at the reat of the toilet bowl on top just behind the lid. Remove the screw and the cover will come off. Under the cover is the vacum breaker.

This vacum breaker actually just slides into a rubber grommet in the rear of the toilet bowl. Gently work the vacum breaker (Twisting it) a little back and forth while pulling it away from the bowl.

After you get the vacum breaker out loosen the large screw clamp some more until you are able to drop it below the thing it rides on.. Under the large screw clamp is a two piece plastic ring that has a "Wedge" on the bowl side of it. This is what holds the bowl to the base. Pull it apart and set it aside.

You now are where ya want to be!

Lift the bowl up and majically you will see the seal. It sits on top of the ball valve.

Clean the sealing areas of the ball valve, base and bowl. (I usually spray some silicone lube on them too)

Change that sucker and lube it with some silicone lube. (NOT sealer)

Now ya reverse the process and you are Reddy Freddy the toilet repairman.

Sometimes all ya gotta do is clean the seal and lube it to fix the leakdown problem.

When you are finished sit back and hoist a cold one to a job well done.

[Rick A]

The water valve works at it always has, it is just the bowl not holding water. It is leaking down past the flush valve because it is not closing all the way after flushing or the seal is not sealing.

Don thanks for the detailed description, but unfortunately our toilet is a Thetford Style Lite Plus. The cover over the base is held in place only by a rubber band type thingy, and the bowl is bolted to the pedestal with four bolts. You remove the four nuuts and just lift the bowl straight up. The water inlet hose is connected to the valve with a single spring type hose clamp, easy to remove with a pair of pliars. Once the bowl is removed the seal and ball valve are right there. I think what may be happening is the seal may not be seated properly and the ball valve is hanging up on the seal or there may be something stuck in there from when it backed up. If all else fails I will try and walk her through it on the phone.

[Don (W5IT)]

Well my goofup Rick from the way your post was worded I thought you had the "China bowl".... OOPS!!

[Rick A]

Not a problem Don. It is a porcelan bowl, just mounted differently I guess.

[Rick A]

Thank you all for the info. This is Lisa. Let's try something new. My biggest issue is the crap and tolit paper keeps getting stuck right at the L in the pipe. The pipe goes straight down about, what 5 inches or so then turns L to go straight down the side. It doesn't matter if it is a little or a lot. Rick think's it keeps getting stuck because there is not enough water in the bowl to force it down. However, the last time I tried something different knowing the tolit won't hold water. I feeled it up (boy I hate talking about my crap ) then before flushing I filled the tolit up with water, almost all the way and flushed. Didn't work. I'm wondering if there is still stuff stuck in the L-joint that I did not get out before. Does anyone know of a tool out there that I can shove down and push it out? I have tried the long coat hanger and a plunger. Infact I think it was the plunging from the first time that did a wammy on the seal. I don't have a snake and can't get my hands on one. Yes I have talked to the office and they were not helpful at all. Actually made me a bit upset. Love them, but not at that perticular moment. Thanks again for any info. Lisa

[Madame Boomer]

Lisa -

Doug Trott is going to come over there tomorrow to see if he can help. If anyone knows about crap, it's Doug!!!! Doug, are you reading this! Gotta have some humor in this "stinky" situation!

If nothing else, Doug can put an eyeball on it and see what actually needs to be done. Give him a call - you have his cell number and I'll give him yours.

Sandy

[Rick A]

Hi guys, thanks for helping Lisa out in a stinky situation. Wish I were there to take care of this in persn. I will make it up to when I get there.

[TXiceman]

Rick, don't worry about paying back this bunch... What did I just say. Usually a round of 'Ritas or some barley pop will sooth the gang.

Ken

[Madame Boomer]

Rick -

I called Lisa tonight and she's handling the situation a LOT better than I could. I must say that wife of yours has got some spunk! We laughed a lot over the situation - she said she's used every long "thing" she could find to unstick the tp from the curve in the drain ,...including your son's fishing pole! Talk about ingenious!!!!

She's going to rent a "snake" tomorrow and by the time Doug gets over there, she might have that thing unplugged!

You've got a winner and I can't wait to meet her!

Sandy