Exercise the terminal drain?

[morninghill]

Have a new to me 2005 Safari Trek. There is a "Y" connection between the black tank valve and the grey tank valve, Safari calls this a terminal drain.

The manual says to "grasp the drain firmly on both sides of the drainpipe, swivel the pipe up and down several inches to exercise the internal o-rings, the drainpipe may be left in the upward position to prevent residual material from leaking out."

I've tried this, the drain doesn't want to move and I don't want to break the drain or the valves. Right now the drain is positioned at an angle that permits me to hook up the sewer hose through the open door of the wet bay compartment, or through the opening in the floor of the wet bay. In both cases there is a relatively sharp bend in the hose, but it does work.

Leave well enough alone? Crank on it? Other options?

I posed this question on rv.net, got conflicting responses.

["007"]

They sell lubing tank cleaners you may be able to try that might free up the rings or try and force some silicone liquid into cracks of drain line to free them up. May take a while to free up so be patient.

[Cruzer]

That wye swivels between the gray and black dump valves. You could try loosening the bolts and nuts (after you drain the tanks ) and then swiveling it. That should relieve pressure on the swivel joints. Once it loosens up, retighten the bolts.

Worse case scenario - drain tanks thoroughly and replace the rubber seals in both of the gate valves and clean things up when they are apart. They aren't that expensive and the wye connector should swivel nicely once everything is clean.

[GaryKD]

Hi morninghill,
If it works, don't fix it. If it were me, I'd leave it alone.

[morninghill]

A little muscle was the answer. Held the black valve stationary with one hand, rotated the "y" with the other hand. After the first time, it rotates just fine with no motion in the black or gray valves.

[Ed_G]

"Have a new to me 2005 Safari Trek. There is a "Y" connection between the black tank valve and the grey tank valve, Safari calls this a terminal drain.

The manual says to "grasp the drain firmly on both sides of the drainpipe, swivel the pipe up and down several inches to exercise the internal o-rings, the drainpipe may be left in the upward position to prevent residual material from leaking out."


The above prompts a few questions from me. I have a 2008 model with the above type drain.... and it leaks. Beaudry RV in Arizona replaced the black valve and it still leaks. Perhaps I need to exercise this o ring too, but I do not see how that would effect the black tank valve from leaking.... even a new one.

Ed