Howdy !
Our Recreational vehicles provide us with several creature comforts so that we can better enjoy our time on the road. One of the more important comfort systems, as my grandmother used to say, is the indoor plumbing. RV Toilets have been designed to be dependable devices that perform their function without a lot of fuss or bother and very low water usage; but, as with all things, they need to have maintenance and be taken care of to ensure a long service life.
There are three basic types of RV toilets; the freshwater or marine toilet, the recirculating type and the portable potty. They can be constructed of molded plastic, china or ceramic materiel. They are manually operated with a foot or hand lever, and in some models they operate electrically or with compressed air at the touch of a switch. The freshwater and recirculating types are permanently mounted in the RV while the portable type can be carried like a small suitcase.
The most common type of toilet found in RV’s, and the focus of this article, is the freshwater type. This toilet uses fresh water from the pressurized water system of the RV to flush and rinse the bowl clean and carry the contents to the black water holding tank for later disposal. A “vacuum breaker” or back-flow restrictor valve is used to ensure that water in the toilet bowl cannot be sucked back into the fresh water system. Water is released into the bowl by the use of ether a foot or hand valve. This same valve also opens the trap in the bottom of the toilet to allow the contents to empty into the black tank.
Routine maintenance will greatly prolong the life of the toilet mechanisms. One of the most common problem areas is a jammed or partly open slide, ball or flapper valve in the bottom of the toilet. This is the valve that you can see by looking down in the bowl of the toilet. This is usually caused by the user releasing the foot or hand flush before the contents of the bowl are completely flushed out. In normal usage when the valve is closed a small amount of water is kept on top of the valve. This provides a water seal in addition to the positive seal of the valve. However, if some toilet paper becomes caught in the valve so that it packed into the valve seal area the valve will not be able to close all the way. This will allow odors to escape from the holding tank up into the RV. If the valve is prevented from closing all the way it may also allow the water to run as if the flushing mechanism is being operated. The only way to correct the problem is to use a Q-Tip type probe and reach into the toilet and clean the area of the valve seal until the valve can close completely. Do not use hard or sharp objects to clean the valve seal area as these can ruin the seal.
Another common problem comes along in the spring time when you use the toilet for the first time and suddenly find water squirting from the base of the toilet. This happens because when the RV antifreeze was put into the water system in the fall the toilet wasn’t included in the process and the water that is always in the valve body froze, thereby cracking the valve body and giving you your spring surprise. The cure the problem is when antifreeze is being pumped into the lines of the RV, flush the toilet until the “pink stuff” comes out during the flush cycle or use air to GENTLY blow-out the air lines .
Another problem is accelerated wear on the internal parts of the toilet caused by scouring power or high-acid-content household cleaners being used to scrub the toilet during cleaning. Simple soap and water is all that is needed for most RV toilets.
You may see water around the base of the toilet, not under any pressure but a constant amount is there. This is an indicator that the base seal of the toilet is loose or damaged. You can try to tighten the base bolts a bit to see if that cures the problem. Make sure that the bolts are tightened evenly or the base of the toilet can be permanently warped. Do not over tighten the bolts or you could break the bottom of the toilet. Chances are that you will have to remove the toilet and install a new gasket. Somthing else, the old wax seal used on household toilets don’t do well in RV’s because they tend to melt so RV makers use a foam-rubber type seal. If you have a used unit you might want to check the seal and see which type you have.
Very few things in a RV toilet can be repaired with the toilet bolted to the floor. To remove the toilet first find the manufactures booklet that came with the toilet and read it or go on-line and download one. If you look under the lid of the toilet there is a decal there that will tell you the make and model of the unit. The steps for removing a fresh water toilet are:
- Turn-off the water supply to the toilet. In most cases there is not a separate water supply valve to the toilet. You will need to disconnect the RV from the city water or turn off the RV water supply pump.
- Disconnect the water supply line to the toilet. This will be a plastic hex nut which holds the water supply line to the toilet valve. Be very careful not to damage the nut or the fitting it attaches to by using incorrect tools. Use only a open end wrench of the correct size. Do not use slip-joint pliers or pipe wrenches. Have a large sponge handy. There will be a small amount of water in the lines that will leak onto the floor.
Remove the mounting nuts from the flange bolts at the base of the toilet. There will be two to four mounting bolts in the base of the toilet. In some cases one or two of the rear mounting bolts must be removed by first taking out a plastic access plug from under the toilet seat and using a deep socket with an 12 inch extension go through the access hole and remove the nut at the enclosed base of the toilet.
- Pull the toilet straight up so that the base is clear of the mounting bolts in the floor.
Now you can check and/or replace the rubber seal base gasket. What if the problem was a leaking toilet valve ? Well, as long as we have the toilet off of the floor let’s review replacing the toilet valve. You will need some tools for this job. Hose clamp pliers or needle-nose pliers, a number two phillips head screwdriver and the proper sized sockets and wrenches to fit the nuts and bolts holding the valve in-place.
All manufacturers of RV toilets also make repair kits for their products. These come with complete instructions and diagrams of parts placement. Study these before starting the job. As a general rule the following procedures apply.
- Turn the toilet upside down, that is on it’s lid, and place it on a padded work surface.
- Study the attachment of the springs, links and screws to the valve. A tip here, if you are not sure how the valve and it’s components are connected, take a Polaroid picture of the assembly before taking any of the parts off.
- Disconnect the springs from the foot flush type toilet and the links from the hand lever type toilet.
- Unscrew or unbolt the valve from the toilet body. Notice if there are o-rings or float assemblies under the valve.
- Install the new valve into the toilet and re-attach the springs and links to it.
- Place the base gasket into the base of the toilet and then pick-up the unit and place it over the base mounting bolts on the floor.
- Tighten the mounting bolts evenly until the toilet is flush to the floor and does not rock when pushed by hand. Do not over tighten !
- Re-connect the water line to the toilet and then turn the water supply back on.
- Test for leaks at the water line and under the toilet. Any water found under or around the base of the toilet means that the @#$@#% thing has to be pulled out again and the valve checked for correct sealing.
There comes a time in the life of any appliance or device where the cost of repairs, or even the ability to be able to repair the item, necessitates replacement. The cost of RV toilets is low enough that you may wish to upgrade to a newer style with a updated method of flushing. The problem with installing a new model toilet is that the mounting flange and its bolts along with the water connections will not line-up with the original fittings. The traditional answer is to remove the old bolts and install new ones as needed and to modify the water connections to fit the new installation. There is another way however. The Thetford company produces a china bowl toilet called the Aqua-Magic Aurora that has advanced flushing and a base design that allows it to directly replace almost all fresh water toilets without modifications. Another problem is the back of the new toilet hitting the wall behind it. Best to measure things before buying a new unit.
Now here is a problem that taller RV’ers often have. You go into the bathroom and sit to think for a spell, and your knees are up under your chin. This uncomfortable position makes it very difficult to think. Makers of RV pottys have an answer to this problem. They produce a two and a half inch toilet riser platform. It is designed to fit all toilets base mount plans on the market and extends out far enough from the base of the toilet so that shorter folks can rest their feet on it and prevent the nerve killing leg dangle.
As we said in the start of the article, the indoor plumbing is one of those things that make life much more civilized while we are on the road, and that’s why we RV instead of tent camping isn’t it ?
Later – – –
The Old Ranger