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Old 09-26-2022, 07:58 AM   #1
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Lucy Has Unusual Toilet Leak

We are on the road with Lucy. She is a 2015 25FB with fairly extensive use (700nights/74,000miles). Several days ago we started noticing some water on the floor around Lucy's toilet. Her toilet is a Dometic Model 310 with the ceramic bowl and the plastic base.

At first we thought is was a bad flange seal on the floor below the toilet. Upon further examination, we determined that the water was coming from the seam between the ceramic bowl and the plastic base. We taped a piece of paper over the bowl/base seam and it was wet at the next stop. The water is definitely coming from this seam.

What is even stranger is that this leaking happens only while Lucy is underway. We have spent several days with Lucy stationary at a campground and her toilet does not leak at all. When we get her on the road, we notice water on the floor at every stop. We wipe it up, and there is more water on the floor at the next stop. The water on the floor does not have any offensive odor.

I did some research and found that there is no seal of any kind available for this part of the toilet.

Brian
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Old 09-26-2022, 08:23 AM   #2
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Don't you have a shut off valve behind the toilet? If so shut off and see what happens.
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Old 09-26-2022, 08:33 AM   #3
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Don't you have a shut off valve behind the toilet? If so shut off and see what happens.

Thanks for the input. We do have a shut off valve and will try that the next time that we get her underway.


Brian
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Old 09-26-2022, 09:44 AM   #4
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No way to repair that area. I tried once. Toilet replacement was the only choice. The good news is that the flush valve works much better and I can (hopefully) keep it that way by cleaning and lubing it properly. We are second owners.

Second thought...There are a couple of bolts accessed from under the toilet that hold it all together. Maybe those bolts have loosened, then during travel, they wiggle a bit. Just a thought.
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Old 09-26-2022, 10:29 AM   #5
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I'm not sure if it's the same problem but we had a similar experience a couple of years ago where, overnight, a leak developed at the base of the toilet. We determined the likely cause was the seal where the pedal to the bowl flap failed and leaked (slowly). Any clean water left in the bowl after use slowly drained out. We were on our way home anyway so kept the area somewhat dry with towels until we took it to the dealer. They said it couldn't be fixed so we had a new toilet installed.
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Old 09-26-2022, 10:32 AM   #6
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No way to repair that area. I tried once. Toilet replacement was the only choice. The good news is that the flush valve works much better and I can (hopefully) keep it that way by cleaning and lubing it properly. We are second owners.

Second thought...There are a couple of bolts accessed from under the toilet that hold it all together. Maybe those bolts have loosened, then during travel, they wiggle a bit. Just a thought.
Thank you so much for your assessment. We had pretty much decided that since there are no available repair parts for that area that it was not repairable.

We have about decided that we will go ahead and treat Lucy to a brand new Dometic 310 toilet. It's available on Amazon for $205. This will give us a guaranteed fit, ease of installation, brand new valves and moving parts, and a soft-close lid.

Brian
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Old 09-26-2022, 02:19 PM   #7
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I like your fix. (Brand new toilet). I did have the same problem and fixed it by tightening the bolts that hold the thing together as previously mentioned. Of course they are only accessible by removing the toilet and then replacing the seal. Giant pain. Still like your plan which we did the following year.
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Old 09-27-2022, 02:12 PM   #8
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I like your fix. (Brand new toilet). I did have the same problem and fixed it by tightening the bolts that hold the thing together as previously mentioned. Of course they are only accessible by removing the toilet and then replacing the seal. Giant pain. Still like your plan which we did the following year.
I thought about doing the same thing, but that would involve removing the toilet, turning it upside down, tightening the fasteners that attach the bowl to the base, and reinstalling the toilet in Lucy. With my luck, it wouldn't work. But, of course, I wouldn't know if it worked or not until I hooked up Lucy and took her for a good run on the highway.

All things considered and given the fact that Lucy turns eight next Sunday, I think that I will be ordering a new Dometic 310 as soon as we get home.

Brian
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Old 09-27-2022, 04:49 PM   #9
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Been there / done that

You've got it all figured out. I went thru the same process this past March. Checked the flush valve / flange / connection behind the base. A fellow airstreamer told me about the inner seal problem that you have discovered. Several people on this forum told me this couldn't be the issue but it is.

Easy fix to just replace the toilet and you will be good to go. As others have said, the new toilet flushes much better.

Here is why I think yours only leaked while moving. I think there is a hollow cavity between the outer and inner upper ceramic bowl. It stays full of water. When you press the pedal to flush, more water comes into this inner bowl to force water up and out of the holes on the inside upper bowl to fill the bowl. When you take your foot off the pedal, any residual water slowly comes out of those holes but the remaining water stays in that cavity. When you are traveling that water comes out of that inner seal between when the toilet moves under travel.

If you were not able to find a replacement toilet, I think you could shut off the water to the toilet where that inner cavity could no longer be filled. It would slowly all leak out so the damage could be limited. You could use a bucket to flush any waste down the toilet in the mean time. It would be a pain but get you by until it could be replaced.
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Old 09-27-2022, 05:48 PM   #10
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You've got it all figured out. I went thru the same process this past March. Checked the flush valve / flange / connection behind the base. A fellow airstreamer told me about the inner seal problem that you have discovered. Several people on this forum told me this couldn't be the issue but it is.

Easy fix to just replace the toilet and you will be good to go. As others have said, the new toilet flushes much better.

Here is why I think yours only leaked while moving. I think there is a hollow cavity between the outer and inner upper ceramic bowl. It stays full of water. When you press the pedal to flush, more water comes into this inner bowl to force water up and out of the holes on the inside upper bowl to fill the bowl. When you take your foot off the pedal, any residual water slowly comes out of those holes but the remaining water stays in that cavity. When you are traveling that water comes out of that inner seal between when the toilet moves under travel.

If you were not able to find a replacement toilet, I think you could shut off the water to the toilet where that inner cavity could no longer be filled. It would slowly all leak out so the damage could be limited. You could use a bucket to flush any waste down the toilet in the mean time. It would be a pain but get you by until it could be replaced.

Thank you for your input. I have been on these Forums for a very long time and I have never seen this toilet issue mentioned before. I am also a somewhat experienced RVer, and have never run across this problem in the past. That goes to show that you can always learn something new.

Hopefully, others on AirForums will benefit from this thread. Thank you again for your information. As we are out on the road now, I will try turning the water line to the toilet off while we are underway.

Brian
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Old 09-27-2022, 07:17 PM   #11
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Old 09-27-2022, 08:21 PM   #12
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Leak fixed

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Flower View Post
I like your fix. (Brand new toilet). I did have the same problem and fixed it by tightening the bolts that hold the thing together as previously mentioned. Of course they are only accessible by removing the toilet and then replacing the seal. Giant pain. Still like your plan which we did the following year.
I concur with Jim as I had the same problem lifted the toilet replaced the seal and she works fine, that was 2 years ago.
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Old 09-28-2022, 03:13 AM   #13
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Could be a manufacturing defect.
Not an uncommon issue with the Dometic 300 series.
I had the same issue and started to attempt the fix most recommended on You Tube-dismantling and fixing the internal bowl/base gasket with silicone.
I never got that far as it was missing on of the four screws holding the bowl to the base.
When I contacted Dometic I received a snarky reply, words to the effect stating “ that Could Never Happen”��
I subsequently replaced it with a Thetford Aqua Magic.
Dometic to the dump (is that a hidden pun).
Very pleased
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Old 10-02-2022, 11:19 AM   #14
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We had this problem in our 2012 FC30RB. We replaced the toilet. Problem solved.
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Old 10-15-2022, 07:18 AM   #15
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So, we got Lucy back home and ordered a new Dometic 310 RV toilet. The toilet arrived two days ago. The outer box appeared to be in very good condition. We opened the box yesterday and found that the lid hinge was broken into several pieces.

We removed the toilet from the box for further inspection and found that one of the four screws that attach the bowl to the base was missing. We also found that one of the two screws that hold the flush valve in place was missing.

The broken toilet is being returned and we have another new one on the way.

Brian
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Old 10-15-2022, 07:24 AM   #16
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Oh no, just not a good thing. Hang in there.
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Old 10-15-2022, 09:04 AM   #17
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So, we got Lucy back home and ordered a new Dometic 310 RV toilet. The toilet arrived two days ago. The outer box appeared to be in very good condition. We opened the box yesterday and found that the lid hinge was broken into several pieces.

We removed the toilet from the box for further inspection and found that one of the four screws that attach the bowl to the base was missing. We also found that one of the two screws that hold the flush valve in place was missing.

The broken toilet is being returned and we have another new one on the way.

Brian
Hang on to the first one until the replacement arrives. I received a toilet with a broken hinge. I initiated a return/replacement. Second toilet arrived with similar but not exact damage. The previous toilet was still taking up space in the garage. Between the two I could assemble one working toilet. Sent the unworking mess back to Amazon.
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Old 10-15-2022, 09:52 AM   #18
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Hang on to the first one until the replacement arrives. I received a toilet with a broken hinge. I initiated a return/replacement. Second toilet arrived with similar but not exact damage. The previous toilet was still taking up space in the garage. Between the two I could assemble one working toilet. Sent the unworking mess back to Amazon.
Good idea. Thanks for the input.

Brian
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Old 10-16-2022, 08:58 AM   #19
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Would seem a trend has evolved with the Dometic 300 series ��
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Old 10-17-2022, 08:34 AM   #20
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Our second new Dometic 310 is due here on Wednesday. This time I will open the box immediately to see what I've got. It will be like Christmas morning.

Brian
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