Pedal Fill then Flush

[WeBeGone2]

I have a 2 year old Thetford Aqua Magic peddle flush toilet. This is the kind that you hold the peddle down about an inch and it fills the bowl. This past week out camping and find that the minute you depress the foot pedal the ball cock opens. Can not fill the bowl. Flush works fine. At first thought it was low pressure water supply. Not that. Tried it with onboard pump, still no go. Tried again at home with tons of water pressure, still no go.
Is there an adjustment for the pedal action?

I have reviewed the materials that came with the toilet and the troubleshooting suggestions do not address this problem.

Got any ideas?

[J Walker]

I have a nine year old Aqua Magic IV that may work differently. I have two pedals. One I depress which both turns on flush water and opens the slide valve to the black tank. The other just fills the bowl. Is yours just one pedal and you fill the bowl if you depress it about an inch and then you flush if you depress it further? If it now flushes immediately when you start to depress the pedal you have a problem with the mechanical linkage. You can see if you can view and fix the problem with the toilet installed. If not just uncouple the water supply and remove the two nuts holding the toilet down and remove it. You should be able to fix it then.

[LVJ58]

Here's a site where you can download a manual, may be the same as you have though: Aqua Magic V Hand and Foot Flush PDF

If all else fails, you might want to give them a call, as from what you describe it may be a pedal adjustment problem and perhaps they can guide you through an adjustment procedure.

Good luck and let us know the results,

[Tincup]

On my Thetford you pull up on the pedal to fill the bowl, have you tried that?

[LVJ58]

Tincup our Traveler toilet by Sealand also works the way yours does by lifting the pedal. When I downloaded the Aqua Magic manual, it read to depress the pedal part way to add water to the bowl.

[GaryKD]

Hi Jim,
We may have the same toilet. One pedal. Press down to flush and pull up to fill the bowl. When you pull up on the pedal does the valve close? If so, will the toilet fill?

If the valve does not close, when pulling up on the pedal, there may be a spring loaded plastic part inside the toilet where the pedal attaches. This spring loaded plastic part closes the ball and opens the water fill valve.

If this part is broken, there will be a noticeable lack of spring back in the pedal.

[LVJ58]

Hi Gary, On ours, when you lift the pedal, ball valve stays closed and water flows into bowl. When pedal depressed, ball valve opens to dump bowl contents with fresh water flowing in.

Sometimes I'll add water with the spray unit that's pressurized all the time. I understand with some units you need to depress the pedal for the sprayer to work.