Manual dump valves

[Les Marzec]

Has anyone had the experience of changing out the dump valves.  They are pretty well hidden behind the water service center panel.  My black tank valve is leaking just enough to make it annoying, when I first set up my drain.

Is there an adjustment that can be made to the valve?  

I thought I saw a thread that relates to this, but I could not find it by searching dump valves.

Thanks

[LEAH DRAPER]

I've never had a drain valve leak, but I am very religious about using a Drain valve lubricant which is available from Camping World, and made by Thetford, the maker of many/most toilets.  Might want to try some on a regular basis to help/prevent your situation.  

[Jim Felton]

Have had electric dump valves fail twice in 2 years. Just had valves replaced 2 weeks ago with manual Valterra valves at Beaver Coach in Bend.  Aesthetically they were nicely placed on the service panel and appear to work well, time will tell. They stated the electric dump valve failure is a common problem and they have replaced many. Removing the service panel to manually open or close the electric valves is a hassle, especially at 20 degrees and when eager to break camp.
Have not had a leakage problem, but drain valve lubricant is a good suggestion. How is it used and frequency?

[Tom and Pam Brown]

Lester,

I have changed the dump valves out on mine along with the servos that operate them.

Aside from getting to them through the access water panel they are not much trouble to replace.

Make sure the seals are seated on each side of the valve and tighten.  I believe is takes a 5/16 socket to remove and there is enough room to seperate the pipe to slide in the valve.

Just FYI the black tank and the grey tank valves are at least in mine different size openings so make sure you get the right size for whatever you are replacing.

Good Luck

[Richard And Babs Ames]

We have electric dump valves on our 1997 Patriot (after market) with no failure in 10 years. They are easy to get to and are very convenient.

[Les Marzec]

Thanks for the tips. I have the panel halfway out.  But there is a thunderstorm coming through right now.  The rest will wait til morning.

[Ken Kruse]

A Twist-on Valve from Camping World is a relatively easy fix for a leaking dump valve.  Take a look at http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/twist-on-valve/27868

[LEAH DRAPER]

Jim
I use the lubricant for the valves each time I dump the black tank after rinsing it several times til no more residue is showing.  I close the tank and then add the chemical and the lubricant.  Have not used it in the grey tank, but I probably should.  Another Thetford product I use also is the toilet seal itself but only when I will not be using the RV for an extended time, Otherwise I alway make sure there is a fair amount of water in the toilet bowl to keep the seal wet.

[Joel Ashley]

Often such leaks are the result of debris getting trapped between the blade and the seal when you close the gate.  The debris may still be jammed in there, compromising the seal's ability to completely shut off flow;  or the debris tore the O ring.  You may only need to disassemble and clean the gate valve, or replace only the O ring.

Rigs that are stored for long periods allow seals to dry out, so lubricating gate valves and toilet valve before storage is important in that scenario.

After dumping, flush rinse both tanks with extra water from the toilet and sinks (use the built-in rinser if you have it), and as Leah recommends, add a gallon of water and a lubricant like coconut oil so it settles around the gate ports a bit.  Move the valves in and out and work the lubricant solution into them before closing.

-Joel

[LEAH DRAPER]

Joel,
Might I ask how you open/close valves etc without losing the lubricant particularly if one has also put some water in the tank??
leah

[JimCasazze]

Lester,
Looks like I will be performing a black water valve replacement as well.  Our '99 Patriot Thunder, had a slow leak which has now worsened despite my attempts to clean and lubricate it (without removal).  They are the manual style with pull handles at the water service bay.

The valves are located behind the water service panel right?  Does anyone know if the repair or replacement parts are readily available (ie Camping World, etc)?  I'd like to have the parts on hand before starting the project.
Jim

[Les Marzec]

I just finished replacing the seals on the valve.  That seemed to stop the problem. The repair to the valve is not too bad, but getting to them was a several hour process.  It is a tight fit to get back there, but once you are there look around and take care of anything else that needs attention.

The tips on doing preventative maintenance are well taken.  Thanks, I will be sure to follow your advice.

I had no trouble getting the parts at camping world.  I would replace the complete valve, they are only $12 bucks or so.  You do have to move the handle extension to the new one, but other then that it is pretty straightforward.

[Les Marzec]

By the way, there was debris in the channel that was keeping the valve slightly open.  I cleaned that out and replaced the two seals and put some silicone lube on the valve and reassembled.

[Gerald Farris]

Les is right when he said to replace the valve with a new one if you have to remove it. The cost of the valve is insignificant when you look at the labor involved in removing it on a Beaver coach. The black water valve is a 3 inch and the gray water valve is 1 1/2 inches on most all Beaver coaches.

Gerald

[Joel Ashley]

Leah, The idea is to get clean and relatively undiluted lubricant worked throughout the mechanism, from gate to channel to seals.  Yes, some will be lost in the process, but a lot will also get where it can do some good.  Just diluting the lube in a full tank of effluent and dumping wouldn't be as effective as the procedure I advised.

-Joel