Shower/Grey Water Slow Leak When Full

[mkiley]

Hello fellow TMers!

I have noticed I have a slow leak (e.g. a drip every 10 seconds) when the tub is full of water and draining OR the grey water tank is close to full. I have read the miriad other posts concerning the grey water tank leaks and I have come to the conclusion that fixing the leak is complicated and expensive. Should I worry about this leak or just move on with my life (and skip the fix headache/expense)?

Thanks,

- Mike

Originally Posted by mkiley

Hello fellow TMers!

I have noticed I have a slow leak (e.g. a drip every 10 seconds) when the tub is full of water and draining OR the grey water tank is close to full. I have read the miriad other posts concerning the grey water tank leaks and I have come to the conclusion that fixing the leak is complicated and expensive. Should I worry about this leak or just move on with my life (and skip the fix headache/expense)?

Thanks,

- Mike

September 2, 2008

I think I have the same situation. Notice last time out I had a drip underneath near the valve. I went back into my trailor and notice the shower pan was full of water. Went back outside and dump into sewer gray water. No more leaks. What I'm gathering from other post, the tub is the lowest point. If your grey water tank is full and your tub is back up, its time to dump.

Still, I'm not sure where the drip is coming from, only know it happens when all systems are back up. The drip doesn't occur when grey water tank isn't full.

Have a geat day Mike,

Joe

[mkiley]

OK Joe, looks like we have the same "feature"!

Thanks for the input,

- Mike

[B_and_D]

We have had this problem and feel that if the grey water tank is that full, it's time to dump. Just don't let it get that full. You can always let a small amount out of the tank into a bucket and dump it somewhere.

[Mr. Adventure]

It seems like a loose tub drain could cause the problems you mention. I don't have the TM handy to look, but it seems like it should be a screw-together fitting just like any other tub, right?

[Bill]

The tub is indeed the low point in the system, and when the gray tank fills up, it backs up into the tub. This is not a mistake - this is what is supposed to happen. As JoeAllen and B&D pointed out, this is your ultimate signal to dump the gray tank!

Apparently the connection between the tub and the gray tank is a set of solvent-welded fittings (not screwed together), and the solvent welding was not well-performed by the factory on a few units (including mine). If this is your situation, the connection will leak when the gray tank fills up. Fixing this is a more-than-major pain - see the thread by Al R Hall who is struggling with it at this time.

My suggestion - if your TM is still under warranty, and you really really REALLY want this fixed, take your TM to the factory. They will do it. But otherwise, just follow B&D's suggestion, and dump, at least partially, before it gets full.

Bill

I thought there was an overflow on the tank to keep water out of the RV. There is not. In fact the lines are intended to be sealed to keep sewer gas out of the RV. This could happen if you leave the dump valve open and don't have a trap dip in your sewer hose. See my gray water tank post. The top of the tub drain is an OATEY # 39012 Cheater Vent that allows air in when you drain the tank.

My leak was a poorly glued flange on the top of the tank.

My advice;
Check the two nuts on the tub trap. If that’s not it, forget it.
It is best to keep the drain valve closed until you drain and drain often.

We had the same leak. On our '08 3326 the tub and grey water tank are welded together as a single unit. The dealer could not remove the tub w/o breaking it. So TM paid $1622 to replace the tub and grey water tank--no problems since.

Had the same problem on our 07 2720sl. As Bill suggests, it's a job best undertaken by the factory or a factory-advised dealer.
We had ours repaired by the dealer but they needed to talk with factory personnel for technical advise. Even if your unit is out of warranty I'd, respectfully, ask the factory for some relief. You may have never filled your gray tank to its highest level in the short time that you've owned it --- so you may never have had an opportunity to discover the leak. Be gracious and present your case. The factory knows that there has been a problem with the joint on the top of the tank. If I were King --- you would have your concession.

September10, 2008

So, hopefully, everyone knows its a real bad idea to let the grey water tank overflow into shower. I believe no one dose this intentionly, but it happens for different reasons. As for me, my wife gets caught up with making sure the grandkids take their showers and most likely no one is watching how much water is being used. Dosen't matter now, what damage is done is done. But, I would think this needs to be put on one of the major list as a top proirity to watch for.

What kind of damage this may cause, my guess water damage and possible long term dry rot to any wood in and around shower base. Hope to never find out.

Just a thought, maybe this should go out as a seperate post (ALERT! POSSIBLE PROBLEM AREA -Overflow in shower may cause future dry rot). Just a thought.

Looking forward to chatting with fellow trailmanor owners at the Petaluma raly in October.

Have a great day,

Joe