Toilet Fresh Water Valve Leak

[perryg114]

Well I am getting my Excella Close to being ready for travel. I have a relatively new hot water heater and I got the gas system working. While playing with the water heater, which works fine, I found that the fresh water valve on the toilet is leaking. This is a bite in the Butt at the last minute. What is it going to take to fix this thing? I assume I am going to have to pull it off the floor. Am I going to ruin a bunch of gaskets in this process are are they reusable. I may have to live with it for now. There is a shutoff valve for the toilet. I bet this toilet has been leaking for a while. The good thing is that is it a fresh water leak and not a sewer leak. I guess I could leave the valve turned off and flush it with water from the sink.

Perry

[garry]

What make of toilet? You will have to know to buy replacement parts.

Most water valves are easy to replace but the toilet will have to come out so you can get to the back of it. There is a gasket just like a residential toilet but a different size just pick up one when you buy a new water inlet valve. They can be purchased at just about any RV dealer.

[HowieE]

If it a slow leak that you can put up with for a weekend trip try this.

When flushing push the lever all the way down and slid your foot off it so it snaps back into place. Try this for the week end. Sometimes the gasket just needs to be shocked back into place if it has sat for some time.

Another problem might be paper jammed in the valve slot and not letting the valve seat. This is generally a fast leak and the toilet will not hold water for more than a minute. Again working with water may soften the paper and restore things. Another trick is to take a good stiff coat hanger and bend about a 1 in. leg at the end. While holding the valve open slide the coat hanger around in the slot the valve seats in. You may snag the paper and remove it without having to remove the toilet.

If your toilet is a ball valve these ideas are not for you but the age of the trailer says it should be a knife valve.

[KeithC]

The hotwater heater is not connection to your fresh water toilet valve.

The fresh water line into your toilet is a single line that goes from the fresh water system into a valve operated by a step on lever. If this step on lever valve leaks..you get water everyewhere. A new valve is a $20.00 to $40.00 dollar fix.

[perryg114]

Yes I know it is not connected with the water heater but they are in the same general location and it just happened while I had the water on testing the water heater.

Looks like I will have to pull the toilet. It has nothing to do with the flush valve mechanism. It holds water just fine in the bowl. It seems to be the water inlet valve leaking not the blade valve in the bowl. It is closing all the way and the lever returns to the off position. It could also be a loose hose hooked to the valve.

It is a Thetford Toilet. It is part 10 on this diagram from the owner's manuals. Which is the last document on this page. It is an Augua-Magic Star Galaxy/Starlite.

Aqua Magic Galaxy/Starlite PDF

Perry

[perryg114]

Ok I got a new water valve and I pulled the toilet and replaced the valve and no more leaks. It looks like the valve may have frozen at one time. This valve looks like it is real hard to purge because there is always water in the outlet tube that goes up to the top of the bowl. I suspect that the best way to purge it is to unhook the inlet hose and push down on the flush valve so the water above the valve can leak out. Compressed air might work as well or filling the fresh water tank with propylene glycol.

Perry

[HowieE]

No need to disconnect anything at the toilet when winterizing.

If you have access to compressed air. Drain the hot water heater. If there is a bypass system on the heater put it in the winter position. Put an adapter, home made or purchased from a camper supply, on the city water connection and while someone opens each faucet, working your way away from the connection, apply air to the system. While doing this treat the toilet as a faucet and blow it out also. Don't forget the spray hose if your toilet has one. Once the system has been purged of water disconnect the input side of the water pump and connect a short hose to it. Place the hose in a gallon of antifreeze and pump antifreeze to each faucet till you see antifreeze. It takes less than a gallon of antifreeze to do the largest trailer if the hot water heater has been isolated from the system.

Put about 8 oz. of antifreeze in each trap and the toilet. Drain the freshwater tank and you should be fine.

[perryg114]

Well I am thinking that just doing the air purge should just about get me there. The winters here in Alabama are not as bad as NJ. Putting some Antifreeze in the traps is not a bad idea. I suspect the reason my shower valve does not work is for the same reason. Does is hurt to have water in the holding tanks?

Perry