Toilet not holding water when closed

[KariRich]

Evening everyone.

Our 27FB international is just 4 months old and the toiled does not hold water when seal is closed. We used to be able to slightly push down on the pedal and completely fill the bowl, and then drop an enzyme cleaner in, flush, and then repeat filling with water two more times to "prime" the system. Now it will not hold water. Black seal inside still wet with lube and not cracked.

Ugh.... Help much appreciated, as it feels like the white thing that moves is the part not making the connection

Thanks everyone!

Rich

[dkottum]

I would lube the white thing and black seal again, after taking a toilet brush and cleaning anything that may be caught up under the black seal.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by dkottum

I would lube the white thing and black seal again, after taking a toilet brush and cleaning anything that may be caught up under the black seal.

^
X2

Plus...pour some vegetable oil in and let it sit overnight, (I used to use Olive oil).

Cheep wally-world rv antifreeze ruined ours years ago,(no longer put AF in the bowl when Winterizing...just Crisco),not a big deal to replace the flapper valve, but take pics of the mechanism. The instructions for ours were lacking.

I'd stop putting the enzyme tabs directly in the bowl to dissolve, most likely the culprit.

Good Luck..

Bob

[A W Warn]

If the stiff brush does not work you may need to clean the groove. Paper and waste can get impacted in there and stop the valve from completely seating.

Thetford makes a tool for cleaning out the groove that the valve blade slides in.
http://www.adventurerv.net/thetford-...r-pi-5136.html

I created a home made tool out of a flat screwdriver by heating/bending the end. Be gentle if you use the tool. I tied a string to the tool and wrap around my wrist to keep from accidentally dropping it into the tank.

[centennialman]

I had the same challenge with my 2016 FC20. When I had it in for warranty work they repaired the gasket. Now it holds water just fine. I never could tell if it was the gasket or not because it looked like it was sealing as it should but apparently wasn't

[Wingeezer]

Ours gets finnicky sometimes.

If the trailer is in storage for a long time, sometimes the water seeps out (or evapoarates?) and once the seal dries it takes a while to get it sealing again.

First time this happened I suspected paper - or something - in the seal area and cleaned it out with a popsicle stick (using throwaway nitrile gloves!) That didn't fix it. I wound up putting some silcon dielectric grease that was in my toolbox on the flapper, and that seemed to do the trick!

Never had it apart, but I imagine you need to remove the whole toilet to get at it if you need to replace the seal.

Brian.


Ne

[TomKirk]

Sounds like the seal has dried out.

Get a tub of plumber's grease and rubber gloves. Turn off the water. Open the valve (hold it open with your knee). Lather the seal both top and bottom. As you lather grease, work the valve back and forth. Be generous with the grease.

While you're at it, inspect underside (lip) of seal with your fingers; remove all solids. Underside of seal must be free of all solids.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-Plumber-s-Putty/4754110

BTW - Plumber's grease is an important part of your tool kit.

Tom

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by TomKirk

Sounds like the seal has dried out.

Get a tub of plumber's grease and rubber gloves. Turn off the water. Open the valve (hold it open with your knee). Lather the seal both top and bottom. As you lather grease, work the valve back and forth. Be generous with the grease.

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Oatey-Plumber-s-Putty/4754110

BTW - Plumber's grease is an important part of your tool kit.

Tom

Never heard of plumber's grease; you mean plumber's putty? That's where your link takes me. I've used that in the house but it dries up in about a year, have to buy new stuff. I've used it to seal sink drains but never to grease anything.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Plus...pour some vegetable oil in and let it sit overnight, (I used to use Olive oil).
Bob

I know that olive oil or vegetable oil will eventually go rancid. I've heard of people using mineral oil on things like cutting boards to season them and not have to worry about the oil going bad. Ever try mineral oil on the seal?

[heitkergm]

It's really not hard to replace the gasket. But it is indeed early for it to have failed.

Been there, done that. Not hard, just messy (and yucky for the germ-o-phobes). There are repair kits containing the flapper gasket and the base ring seal.

But I would think you might want to ask about a warranty repair before diving in and replacing the seals yourself. Mine lasted about 7 or 8 years before it refused to hold water.

[dkottum]

I use silicon grease to lube the valve, doesn't wash off or dry out, long lasting.

[Plan-B]

I can't say enough good in how well this product works for rejuvenating dry and/or old leaky toilet seals and tank valves. After winterizing I always poor a fair amount in black/grey tanks and pour in toilet bowl so it covers about 1/2" deep in bowl. It is silicone based so it peneteates well and does not damge your seals. Be careful in over doing it with certain kitchen oil based products. The wrong kind and too much will overly soften your seals making them non functional. I had a 21 foot AS for 19!years. In its later years I had your same issues. After usining this product , she functioned perfectly as if new for 8 more years, till I sold her. My new AS gets regular treatments. Really sold on this stuff. Link to product description:
http://m.campingworld.com/shopping/i...nt-20-oz-/4179

[Jacob D]

Originally Posted by richw46

Never heard of plumber's grease; you mean plumber's putty? That's where your link takes me. I've used that in the house but it dries up in about a year, have to buy new stuff. I've used it to seal sink drains but never to grease anything.

NOT PLUMBER'S PUTTY.....Plumbers Grease....The best brand I have found is ACE Hardware. As to the lubricating the toilet valve, that would work. You can also find a product at NAPA auto parts stores called SilGlide, a silicone grease. I use it also on my rubber window seals which are now starting to show some cracking after 50 years.

[TBRich]

We have used hand lotion to lubricate a dried out toilet flapper seal...anything that will help lubricate will work...when its clean, we pour a bit of cooking oil and leave it in the toilet bowl for a couple of hours to soak. We put gloves on and use a toothpick to get into the groove that the flapper fits into (don't drop the toothpick!) ... Be sure to clean the underside of the gasket...it gets calcium deposits which keep it from sealing properly. When in storage we check the toilet periodically to make sure the water in the bottom of the bowl hasn't evaporated, especially in our dry climate in AZ.

[SKANDAL330]

I have a23d Serenity 2016 model, picked up October of last year and I have the same problem. I am a first time owner of any type of RV and I wasn't quite sure what to do so I just kinda cleaned it a little with a toilet brush and jiggled it up and down a few times and now seems to be working fine. I read this forum sometimes twice a day. It's funny how much you can learn and don't know about your AS. I thought I was the only one having troubles. I wouldn't trade it or change anything. Thanks to all of you who contribute.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Jacob D

NOT PLUMBER'S PUTTY.....Plumbers Grease....The best brand I have found is ACE Hardware. As to the lubricating the toilet valve, that would work. You can also find a product at NAPA auto parts stores called SilGlide, a silicone grease. I use it also on my rubber window seals which are now starting to show some cracking after 50 years.

Ditto....ACE plumbers grease. It is 100% silicone and is thinner than many silicone water valve lubes. This is important as the thick stuff will actually create "high spots" and cause the seal to stand off the ball valve.

I find this style to be much more finicky than the blade type. I have to clean under the seal lip a couple times a year and re-lube.

GROSS spoiler alert! Be sure to open the valve fully, hold it open and don't let it close....slicing solids. This will immediately "foul" the seal.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by richw46

I know that olive oil or vegetable oil will eventually go rancid. I've heard of people using mineral oil on things like cutting boards to season them and not have to worry about the oil going bad. Ever try mineral oil on the seal?

Nope...wouldn't trust petroleum based.

Couple tablespoons in the dumper over the Winter has worked for about 5 Seasons, SFSG

"..if it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is"

Bob

[OTRA15]

In a new toilet, sounds like something solid is preventing a good seal IMO. Clean flushing of solids is very important, especially if others flush the toilet with solids in it, and don't hold the valve open long enough.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by A W Warn

. . .
Paper and waste can get impacted in there and stop the valve from completely seating.
. . .

Originally Posted by dznf0g

. . .
Be sure to open the valve fully, hold it open and don't let it close....slicing solids. This will immediately "foul" the seal.

Originally Posted by TBRich

. . .
. . . it gets calcium deposits which keep it from sealing properly.
. . .

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Jacob D

NOT PLUMBER'S PUTTY.....Plumbers Grease....The best brand I have found is ACE Hardware. As to the lubricating the toilet valve, that would work. You can also find a product at NAPA auto parts stores called SilGlide, a silicone grease. I use it also on my rubber window seals which are now starting to show some cracking after 50 years.

Well, that's what I thought, but TomKirk's link was for Plumber's Putty. He must have been looking at the wrong product.

[dznf0g]

OOPs, I could've sworn my little tub said 100%. Will have to check when I get home off the road at week end. But this is the stuff:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...ductId=1272642