Community Forums

Gary.Jones · 10-06-2018, 08:42 AM

Well, I will pass along my new dumb mistake as I am seriously amazed at what I managed to do.

First.... I had dumped the black and flushed the sanicon hose with the gray water. Then I flushed the black tank with the black tank sprayer system, and dumped the black again. Then decided I would do it one more time, left the black tank valve open (the black tank switch "on") and responded to something the DW asked and went into the coach to do whatever it was.... and forgot the black tank was flushing with the dump valve open. Went outside for yet another chore, came back in to talk to Dee about some issue, and noticed nonchalantly that a "river" of water was coming out of the half-bath. Looked like a river.... no little trickle here. I screamed to Dee who was right beside the half bath that the toilet or sink was overflowing and to turn it off. She screamed back that both the toilet and sink were dry.

Lightening bolt realization that I had left the water running and that was the reason. I ran outside and turned off the water. Now, that was really a major problem. Luckily, the black tank was flushed well already as there was no excrement in the coach. What was fascinating was that there was water pouring off my roof on both sides on the front of the coach and also pouring off the roof right above the half bath. A lot of water was pouring off the roof. It continued to cascade off the roof for several minutes, again, a river, not a trickle. Apparently, rather than overflowing the toilet or the sink, the pressured water came out through the vent on the roof. Wow.... a major cascade of water off the roof. Boy did I feel DUMB !!!

While Dee was sopping up water inside, I tried to dump the black tank..... nothing happened. Turned the black tank on and off and nothing... Macerator would run but it would pump nothing. See-Level showed the black tank was still full. So then I tore apart the wet bay door to expose all the inner workings of the water/sewage dump system which I had not previously looked at. A few minutes exploration with a flash light revealed that while I was dumb to do what I had done, there was also simulaneously an equipment failure. I am going to try to upload some pictures either as an edit or a separate post. What I discovered was that the switch controls a motor which operates a lever with cogs on the side. The lever is run by a motor which moves the lever up or down. OK. That lever and motor is right beside the dump valve for the black tank. There is an identical motor/lever and dump valve beside it for the gray tank. What makes the connection between the motorized lever controlled by the switch in the wet bay and the dump valve is a plastic connector that links the dump valve with the motorized lever. The plastic connector on the gray tank was still connected, but the plastic connector on the black tank had fallen off ..... there was no connection between the motorized lever and the dump valve.... so whether I had the switch in the open or closed position had no effect on the dump valve... it remained closed all the time. Its an amazingly flimsy plastic connector!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried and tried to get the flimsy plastic connector to connect the lever and the valve handle again, but it would not stay in postiion. Now I am no engineer, but I do not believe that the connection between the motorized lever and the dump valve is only this plastic ring.... seems like it is designed to fail.

So, the way that I repaired it is to use zip ties to bind the motorized lever to the valve stem because that is all I had that might do the job. However, that is not going to be good enough for long use. I just don't understand how that can be an acceptable connection. Engineers among us? Any ideas?

Going to have to find something for both the gray and black tank that works better than that plastic connector or this problem is going to happen again. Maybe some type of stainless steel hose connector can do the job. There has to be something better. Maybe some custom tooled metal bushing or block that fills the space between the two handles/levers and doesnt distort the "travel" of the flush handles??

Now, I am going to try to attach files or publish a separate post with the pictures attached.

OK, I am defenseless.... kick away... I deserve it (but I was only half at fault now that I understand there was a simultaneous equipment failure)....

----

Gary

Damn, the top two pictures are sideways

The first picture is of the gray tank wich shows the dump valve in the foreground with the plastic ring connector that holds the valve handle into the motorized valve arm.

The second picture shows the black tank valve with no connection. You actually see the plastic connector hanging on a black rubber strap

The third shows the black tank valve handle, the motorized connector, and I have strapped the lever to the motorized arm with three black zip ties up at the very top of the picture.

brobox · 10-06-2018, 08:59 AM

What a mess. Phone timer set to 14 minutes with pressure regulator at 55 psi has kept me out of trouble. Sorry for the problem, not good.
Reading your post brought the memory of the movie RV with Robin Williams , I wouldn't wish that on anyone

Dr. Q · 10-06-2018, 09:03 AM

Well, this is one problem I don't have to worry about with my classic coach...

Victory Blue · 10-06-2018, 09:40 AM

Gary,

I’m really sorry to hear about the problem. Like Chuck I set a timer on my phone, but it’s still just one small distraction away from forgetting the water’s on. I know my wife finds me especially cranky when I’m doing that because I can imagine the result of inattention.

For the photos, if you’re using an iPhone, holding the phone in landscape mode with the button to the right has eliminated the forum photo rotation for me. You’ll also get better photos this way.

Gary.Jones · 10-06-2018, 09:50 AM

Bill

Since I am right handed, my normal way to hold the phone is to hold it with the round "button" near my right thumb or finger, so landscape button to the right is the way I naturally hold the phone. Could I occassionally hold the phone up with the button at the bottom, yes, but not without doing something that is not natural. I will start paying close attention to what I am doing... Maybe because the valves were taller than they were wide, I did something not natural. Who knows? I am going to try to pay more attention to this whole issue, but I swear that sometimes for reasons I dont understand, the forum web page turns the pix.

Gary

egwilly · 10-06-2018, 10:03 AM

I would drill the valve handle and install a 1/4" screw and nut to prevent the round yoke from slipping off the curved surface of the handle.
Not sure how that happened, but a permanent fix will end the nonsense.

DoggieDaddy · 10-06-2018, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Q

Well, this is one problem I don't have to worry about with my classic coach...

Yes you do. Been there, done that by forgetting to leave the black tank valve open. In my case the water came up through the sink and over flowed. What a mess.

Rollin101 · 10-06-2018, 10:38 AM

My 2017 has a rigid fairly heavy piece the handle fits in with a piece that snaps in the end. Seems pretty fool proof, don't know why Entegra would change something that works well. Dollars I guess.

oneknight · 10-06-2018, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoggieDaddy

Yes you do. Been there, done that by forgetting to leave the black tank valve open. In my case the water came up through the sink and over flowed. What a mess.

Yes indeed, we all do.

In my old Monaco, I twice forgot the black tank flush was on. The macerator bypass can't handle the volume and won't keep up.

There are few things as disturbing as black water flowing out from under the bathroom wall :(

I'm careful to keep my brain on my business, stay right there, ignore everything, even the DW, who believe me is not easy to ignore!

It will clean up Gary!

The engineer in me, tho he has never seen an electric dump valve, is appalled by those pictures!
My imagination summons a threaded dump valve rod, with a motor driven gear firmly afixed.

brobox · 10-06-2018, 12:14 PM

Gary a thought after reading about your bathroom flooding. It might not hurt to unscrew the air admittance valve under the sink and rinse it out to make sure no debris got in there that would cause the valve to stick. The valve sticking is not a nice experience either.

One of the first spares I bought was a cheapie at Lowe's until I have time to change them to Studor valves.

sdennislee · 10-06-2018, 12:26 PM

May have already been suggested but do not use the gray water to flush the hose until after you've rinsed the black tank. The black tank rinse gives you more black tank stuff stuff to flush out of the hose.

Gasman 2 · 10-06-2018, 12:57 PM

Gary,
Sorry to hear of the water issue. We feel for you and Dee but as others have said it will clean up. Bet Zowie and Bowie were wondering what was going on.[emoji77]

Richard

Victory Blue · 10-06-2018, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brobox

Gary a thought after reading about your bathroom flooding. It might not hurt to unscrew the air admittance valve under the sink and rinse it out to make sure no debris got in there that would cause the valve to stick. The valve sticking is not a nice experience either.

One of the first spares I bought was a cheapie at Lowe's until I have time to change them to Studor valves.

Chuck,

If water didn’t come up through the sink plumbing wouldn’t the AAV have stayed dry? Just curious.

brobox · 10-06-2018, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Victory Blue

Chuck,

If water didn’t come up through the sink plumbing wouldn’t the AAV have stayed dry? Just curious.

Not sure, just a precautionary measure. I know from first hand experience, sewer gas will come through that vent if it sticks. Takes less than a minute to unscrew and flush it with water.

DoggieDaddy mentioned his overflow came into the sink. Not something I would hope for the best on, but that is just me.