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silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 08:53 AM

OK... so riddle me this Airstreamers....

Last night I wake up at 3:30 in the am to a sound of running water in the bathroom. WHA? So I stumble out of bed, flip on the lights and behold! The toilet is overflowing with water! Huh?

We are on city water hook up and everything was fine otherwise. No water running or on anywhere. We opened up the black tank valve and drained it all out which worked fine. BUT! How the heck did that happen in the first place? Maybe I am a brick head... but I am just not getting it.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what went on there?

mello mike · 07-21-2007, 09:04 AM

Sounds like a faulty "flushing" valve in your toilet that got stuck in the "open" position. It kept running until it eventually overfilled your black water tank. Just my guess, without actually inspecting it.

davidz71 · 07-21-2007, 09:15 AM

Wow, what a pisser!

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 09:19 AM

Hi Mike... I guess that is about the only logical explanation huh? The toilet valve seems fine now with no visible or audible leakage.... but maybe last night it was stuck somehow.

It was a real shocker to wake up to I'll tell you that. I stood there looking at it with my mouth hanging open for a good long while before I snapped to and thought...Turn off the water outside!...drain the tank!!! Luckily I woke up early on and it did not flood out the whole floor of the trailer.

I guess I will have to keep an eye on the water outlet in there.

SRoffe · 07-21-2007, 09:28 AM

That is strange. From the looks of your profile, you have a new trailer, so, a stuck valve being a little open sounds unusual. Keep an eye on it for sure. Did it fill you black water tank? Or just the bowl of your toilet? If it was a slow leak, I would imagine just your bowl filled up, otherwise you probably would have heard water running if it filled your black water tank.

Thank goodness it was confined to the bathroom. I hate over flowing toilets, yuk.

Sam

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 09:36 AM

Hi Sam...

It actually DID fill up the black water tank. But the weird thing was it was just clean water spilling out of the toilet onto the floor. Well, it LOOKED clean anyway!

When I stepped on the flush mechanism it opened up the hatch in the toilet as usual but no water drained out because it was full, full, full!

I guess we will just have to keep a close eye on it and see if anymore funny business seems to be going on in there.

Our "new" trailer has had many a bizarre thing wrong with it since we hit the road in March! This is just another weird one to add to the growing list!

InsideOut · 07-21-2007, 09:48 AM

That stinks!

Hope you get it figured out...

Shari

whitelight · 07-21-2007, 09:56 AM

Silverpeanut - what type of toilet is installed in your A/S?

At the Salem Int'l, friends with a newer 30' A/S (2005?) MoHo had the same problem, only their head started its constant running (hooked up to city water) during breakfast.

They summonded the Mothership repair techs in attendance at the rally - apparently, the problem was fixed under warranty - faulty O ring in one of the toilet fittings.

Part of the techs explanation was that the water pressure was too high, which exacerbated the "faulty" O-ring problem, causing premature failure. As part of the repair, the city water inlet/pressure regulator was replaced.

One of the neat things about this forum is that, if you throw a problem out there, chances are someone has had the same experience . . . .

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 10:12 AM

Ahhhhh! Thanks Whitelight! This is something to look in to!

We have also had weird problems on and off with our fresh water tank filling up slowly while on city water. I wonder if this is all connected and if we have a faulty water pressure regulator which is causing other stuff to break? We took the trailer in for repair (to have the water pump replaced under warrenty) while in Massachusetts (left it at an authorized dealer for TWO WEEKS...and we live in this thing full time so that was kind of a big deal) and they handed it back over to us in the same condition we had left it off in. They said the water pump was on back order. Actually they said a lot of things which were amazingly goofy to explain why they had fixed nothing we asked them to...and we packed up and went on our way with all of our repair work still needing to be done. Now we are up in Maine where there are no Airstream repair shops that I know of... so we are hanging tough and dealing with the problems we have as best we can. Our eventual goal is to land in Jackson Center in September to get all these problems fixed but this toilet issue may not be able to wait that long. *Sigh*

Where is the magical trailer genie when you need him to fix all these things in the blink of an eye?

rock60 · 07-21-2007, 10:15 AM

i had that happen to me one time. replaced the flush valve and that took care of it. took the old one apart and found a piece of trash stuck in it.

Poprivet · 07-21-2007, 11:31 AM

Could the problem be the shore water pressure? If it is too high, I suspect it could cause leakage past the toilet flush out valve. Some units have built in water pressure regulators or you can get them off the shelf.

53flyingcloud · 07-21-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverpeanut

Ahhhhh! Thanks Whitelight! This is something to look in to!

We have also had weird problems on and off with our fresh water tank filling up slowly while on city water. I wonder if this is all connected and if we have a faulty water pressure regulator which is causing other stuff to break? We took the trailer in for repair (to have the water pump replaced under warrenty) while in Massachusetts (left it at an authorized dealer for TWO WEEKS...and we live in this thing full time so that was kind of a big deal) and they handed it back over to us in the same condition we had left it off in. They said the water pump was on back order. Actually they said a lot of things which were amazingly goofy to explain why they had fixed nothing we asked them to...and we packed up and went on our way with all of our repair work still needing to be done. Now we are up in Maine where there are no Airstream repair shops that I know of... so we are hanging tough and dealing with the problems we have as best we can. Our eventual goal is to land in Jackson Center in September to get all these problems fixed but this toilet issue may not be able to wait that long. *Sigh*

Where is the magical trailer genie when you need him to fix all these things in the blink of an eye?

silverpeanut,
I don't have the fone number but, in Maine, there is an Airstream dealer by the name of State Line RV. I realize this info is one year old but you can check em out~ If you can't find any info, I check with a friend of mine who went up there this morning. Good Luck on that issue.
ciao\53FC

53flyingcloud · 07-21-2007, 01:07 PM

An update, thanks to a forum member.

The telephone number is:
207-339-0032
I don't have the address except for what Mark gave me.
It's just off Rt 202, in Maine near the NH stateline..
If that's any help..?
ciao
53FC

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 01:16 PM

Thanks 53FC! I will look into that. Maybe we can swing down there from our next location which is actually right on the ME/NH border. I'll map it out and maybe we can at least get the valve checked. Although our experience in MA with the dealership repair shop there has left me feelin' pretty cold about heading back into another one!

I have been keeping an eye on the water in the toilet all day and it seems to be fine... of course if it is gonna DO something it won't DO IT while I am watching. It'll wait until we are gone for the day and/or the middle of the night again.

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 01:24 PM

Yup... Stateline RV is only a few hours drive from our next campsite where we will be for three weeks in NH. Thanks for the info. If we get into trouble we can head there pretty painlessly.

Foiled Again · 07-21-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverpeanut

Hi Mike... I guess that is about the only logical explanation huh? The toilet valve seems fine now with no visible or audible leakage.... but maybe last night it was stuck somehow.

It was a real shocker to wake up to I'll tell you that. I stood there looking at it with my mouth hanging open for a good long while before I snapped to and thought...Turn off the water outside!...drain the tank!!! Luckily I woke up early on and it did not flood out the whole floor of the trailer.

I guess I will have to keep an eye on the water outlet in there.

I like wet baths - more free space for living. Now you've just given me one more reason to like them.... the shower drain is a floor drain too.

I think if it had been anything else BUT the flush valve open it wouldn't have been CLEAR water. Glad you caught it so fast.

Paula

Tim A. · 07-21-2007, 02:11 PM

Our 2002 Bambi has a shutoff valve for the flush (fresh) water for the toilet. That valve is behind the toilet and hard to see, but perhaps you have one also. Since your gremlin only comes at night, you could turn that valve (if you have it) off while sleeping.

If your onboard pressure regulator is not functioning properly, you can buy an external one until a repair is possible. For example, check out "water regulators & gauges" on Camping World's website. You should be able to find something similar at a local RV supply. If not, we have had good luck having Camping World express ship to quite remote locations.

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 02:12 PM

Hey Paula! How's Virginia?! We miss it!

Yeeesssss.... a drain in the floor would have been a good thing last night! Unfortunately ours was a whole new take on a "wet bath."

silverpeanut · 07-21-2007, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim A.

Our 2002 Bambi has a shutoff valve for the flush (fresh) water for the toilet. That valve is behind the toilet and hard to see, but perhaps you have one also. Since your gremlin only comes at night, you could turn that valve (if you have it) off while sleeping.

If your onboard pressure regulator is not functioning properly, you can buy an external one until a repair is possible. For example, check out "water regulators & gauges" on Camping World's website. You should be able to find something similar at a local RV supply. If not, we have had good luck having Camping World express ship to quite remote locations.

Tim! I just looked and I do believe you have given us a band aid until we can get this fixed for real! Looks like there is a shut off valve back there (and your right it's hard to see unless you really stick your face way back in there...which obviously you wouldn't normally!)

We actually do have an external pressure regulator... but maybe something is so jacked up in the system at this point it is beyond helping.

Thanks much for the tip on the shut off. Now at least we can leave for the day without having potty leakage stress! Lol!

Tarheel · 07-21-2007, 03:01 PM

the Sureflo water connection has a pressure regulator made into it, you should not get water pressure from the city water at greater than 40-50 psi. The toilet supply valve on the toilet is the most likely problem. Do you have a black water spray made into the tank? If so that could be leaking and cause the same symptoms.
The fresh water tank problem is usually the check valve in the water pump.