Dump valve leaks?

Hi all,

In preparation for using our new (to us) TM, I installed a new Thetford (the prior owner had removed it).

Filled it up with plain water to test for leaks. Had both the outside dump valve and the toilet dump valve closed. As a test, I opened the toilet valve (as you would do if you were planning to close the unit and drive to the dump station). The outside dump valve did not provide a 100% seal - there was a very small trickle. As far as I could tell, it was completely closed.

This doesn't matter with clean water, but would not be good with the normal contents.

In addition to the leak, the slide moves VERY stiffly. Anyone have ideas on either issue??

Thanks,

Steve

we had a similair issue with our new TM... the inside dump value wouldn't seal completely and when the shop repaired that issue it stopped the leaking at the outside valve.

[Bill]

Thetford makes a drain valve lubricant. I think this stuff will lube the valve, and also improve the seal.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...=4179&src=SRQB

Bill

I'm having a similar problem with my 2720. The local dealer has had a new part on order for a week and a half. If I get tired of waiting, how hard of a job is it to work on the toilet? I see comments on the chanllenge of removing the Thetford. Exactly how hard is this? Waiting for the dealer is NOT hard at all!

The difficulty is the small space you have to work in. I am 6'5" and 230lbs, so trying to work under the toilet to get it unseated (and then reseated once repaired) was very difficult.

One of the first things I discovered was that to remove the side molding on the bottom of the toilet, you just have to remove the front two screws. Then if you pull the molding forward (toward you away from the wall), it should come loose of the two rear screws.

Once you have the both sides of the base molding removed, you begin the task of unseating the toilet from the floor. There are white plastic tabs on either side of the toilet beneath the bowl that must be slid forward (again, away from the wall, toward you) to be able to lift the toilet off the floor.

Once those tabs are pulled forward, you can lift the toilet straight up off the floor. It is easiest to remove the electrical connection by removing the motor cover assembly and removing the small electrical motor from the back of the toilet. (OBVIOUSLY you need to cut off the electricity to the toilet prior to messing with the electrical wires.) After I was able to do that, I completely removed the toilet.

Once the toilet is removed from the floor, you can see how the EZ-Slide valve works and try to ascertain why it is not working correctly.

Of course, if it is just the outside valve that is leaking, this may all be unnecessary. And some of the lube others suggested might help your sticky EZ-Slide valve...

Here is the website with the exploded parts diagram for the toilet:
<http://www.thetford.com/parts_electramagic.cfm#18>

Steve

I just finished replacing the EZ slider valve on the toilet (bad gasket), and the biggest challenge for me was locating a "hooked instrument" for pulling those white tabs forward. Happiness is being part Greek, I guess, because I found that a flat, metal kabob skewer worked great once I bent the last inch at a right angle. I had to use a lot of force to get the tabs forward and that skewer was both long and strong enough.

The tab closest to the tub just would not go, so we had to resort to using a 13 mm open-ended wrench on the nut above and behind the tab to loosen it a bit. DB had to work by feel to do this, but luckily he only needed to turn the nut a little bit. I know that's not supposed to work that way, but in the end we got the tabs out. Of course, then we had to tighten the nut back up again before putting the toilet back.

Thanks so much to Steveandjulie for the great narrative on removing the toilet. I wasn't quite understanding Thetford's instructions, but once I read this thread, it all made sense.

Our toilet does not have the locator disc installed, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the slider valve won't fail again.

On another topic, would it have been so hard for the factory to label the fuses correctly? They are all wrong!

[Bill]

Originally Posted by utahsue

...would it have been so hard for the factory to label the fuses correctly? They are all wrong!

Well, that's not good! I'll have to check mine. Much easier to do it now than it will be sometime in the dark, by flashlight! Since they went to the new converter with more fuses and a new fuse layout, I bet the production details have't been quite ironed out yet.

Bill

[fcatwo]

When possible we pour a full 3gal bucket of fresh water through the Thetford after dumping to make sure everything is flushed out. Paper left in front of the slide valves can build up in the far side of the gasket after several repetitions and block the valve from closing. The same thing can happen if the valves are not left open to completely drain. This would happen when partially dumping into a container smaller than the Thetford.