Thetford won't release water in tank

**Bailey'sMom** · 09-08-2013, 01:07 PM

I am cleaning / flushing toilet for end of season. I dumped when leaving campground a week ago with no problem.

Today I added some water to run some clean thru toilet and dumped again into a bucket.

Flushing with more clean water a second time and now when I pull the release lever on the Thetford it doesn't do the familiar whoosh. Nothing. Pushed in again and retried it several times. Nothing. It still flushes so I know there is still water in there.

Now what? I assume the thing is somehow stuck in a closed position.

davlin · 09-08-2013, 03:10 PM

Sara,

Let's start with the "Oops!" and hope that's your problem. In all your flushing/cleaning, did you somehow close the outside black water dump valve? If you did, then the reason nothing is draining from your toilet is that the pipe between the outside valve and your toilet is full, and there's no where for the water to go.

Hope that's it. If not, then the next thing would be your "E-Z slide" valve under the toilet. You say you tried opening and closing it several times. Is the resistance (effort) that it takes to open and close the valve about the same as it's always been? If it's really easy to slide back and forth now, then perhaps the handle has broken off the valve.

It's also possible, but it seems to me unlikely, that something has clogged the bottom of the valve. If it dumped already, and now is not, I think it's got to be something wrong with your E-Z slide valve.

Dave

**Bailey'sMom** · 09-08-2013, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davlin

Sara,

Let's start with the "Oops!" and hope that's your problem. In all your flushing/cleaning, did you somehow close the outside black water dump valve? If you did, then the reason nothing is draining from your toilet is that the pipe between the outside valve and your toilet is full, and there's no where for the water to go.

Hope that's it. If not, then the next thing would be your "E-Z slide" valve under the toilet. You say you tried opening and closing it several times. Is the resistance (effort) that it takes to open and close the valve about the same as it's always been? If it's really easy to slide back and forth now, then perhaps the handle has broken off the valve.

It's also possible, but it seems to me unlikely, that something has clogged the bottom of the valve. If it dumped already, and now is not, I think it's got to be something wrong with your E-Z slide valve.

Dave

Hi Dave

Just ran out during 2 minute warning (green bay vs San Fran) and double checked. The black water valve was open so if it dumped it should gone direct into the bucket I have under the black water valve.

As for the ez slide valve, it pulls at same resistance as usual. This slide has always kind of rotated as it pulls out but I don't know if that is normal. I would not say it slides easily. If it had broken off I would think it would be very loose.

davlin · 09-08-2013, 06:14 PM

Hope you were rooting for SF!

That's indeed a mystery. It may be time to pull the top off of your Thetford and see what's going on. Or take it to your friendly RV repair facility.

Good luck,

Dave

**Bailey'sMom** · 09-08-2013, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davlin

Hope you were rooting for SF!

Nope, Packers all the way!

That's indeed a mystery. It may be time to pull the top off of your Thetford and see what's going on. Or take it to your friendly RV repair facility.

Good luck,

Dave

I was afraid of that. If I need to do that I might just replace with the Thetford Curve.

ThePair · 09-09-2013, 08:23 AM

Popping the top off = 2-3 minutes. No cost.
Replace with Curve = ??

There are just a few screws to worry about (2 for the motor housing, 4 for the top). Lots of good instructions here to do it, literally takes 2-3 minutes to do. Then you can assess what's going on and if it's an easy fix or not.

T and C · 09-10-2013, 01:51 PM

A few weeks ago I camped in a RV place where there were no sewer connections at the sites. When we got ready to leave, and to dump on the way out, I pulled the valve at the bottom of the toilet and did not hear the "woosh" as the toilet drains part of its contents into the pipe below.

I went ahead and dumped and came home. Today I went out to try to discover the problem. I closed the toilet valve by the floor and poured in a gallon of clean water. Then I went outside and put a bucket under the drain, then opened the outside drain valve.

A little blue water came out, then the gallon of clear water slowly drained out too. So, my problem seems to be that the valve leaks enough to allow the toilet water to drain down when the valve is closed. So, when I go to dump it, the pipe below is already full, hence, no "woosh".

Tom

fourteener · 09-10-2013, 02:27 PM

Yeah, I very seldom get the 'woosh' sound, as there seems to be an air lock between my toilet valve and the black water / sewer valve. This air lock is so tight, that I've had to open the toilet valve, hook up my blue dump line, pull the the black water / sewer valve, and slightly rock the TM to get it to dump, but when it does, it comes out with a passion.

I would be surprised if this happens with your limited volume of cleaning solution, as usually this only happens when the toilet is over 3/4 full. May be worth a try though, as I'm always after the easiest solution.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 09-10-2013, 02:39 PM

Not hearing the "whoosh" is a classic sign that the gate valve seal on the EZ-Slide valve attached to the Thetford has deformed. That causes a leak, allowing water past until it hits the next gate valve outside -- this part of the pipe fills with waste/water, so when you finally open the EZ Slide valve on the Thetford, there is no "whoosh" before there is fluid below that valve, not air.

The easiest way to tell if your seal is deformed is, with the toilet empty, open the gate valve OUTSIDE the TM that leads to the Thetford and remove the cap to the waste line. Put a bucket underneath. Be sure the EZ Slide valve on the Thetford is closed, and dump some water in the toilet. If water starts leaking outside into the bucket, the seal is deformed. Time to pull the toilet and replace the seal.

Dave

davlin · 09-10-2013, 04:27 PM

Guys, all good comments on the "whoosh" sound, but I think what Sara (Bailey'sMom) is saying is that:

1. She has enough liquid in the toilet so that flushing it works properly.
2. When she opens the EZSlide valve and the outside black water dump valve, NOTHING comes out.

I'm waiting for Sara to come back on line and confirm, but she's already double-checked that the EZSlide and the dump valve are open.

Dave