RV Doctor Column RV Doctor #267 Dear Gary, I have been having trouble with a plugged black water tank while here in an RV park. Yes, we did accidentally leave the drain open. Yes, I have used a tank wand several times. I have filled and drained the tank several times. Immediately after draining today, the toilet backed up again. When I used a coat hanger wire to investigate the problem, I was able to "unstick" some paper, so I'm sure it's a physical blockage. Any ideas? Bob England, (somewhere in FL) Bob, one thing you might try is to back-flush the tank through the dump assembly with the use of an aftermarket adapter that employs a connection for a fresh water hose and sprays high pressure water into the tank while it drains normally through a connected sewer hose. Purchase one that is made from clear plastic so you can visibly see when the draining water is clear. Short of that working, it may be necessary to repeatedly probe with that coat hanger enough to drain all the liquid, then piece by piece, remove each fitting from the termination assembly where the sewer hose attaches on back towards the tank. Not a pleasant situation or any easy task, but a physical blockage can be removed eventually and without damaging any components. The valves and termination assembly are usually bolted and the exit pipe from the tank should be threaded or clamped making it relatively easy to remove the components. Hope this helps. Dear RV Doctor, I'd like to clear up a problem. Some RVers I know declare that regular toilet paper works just fine in their holding tank and others have said that only RV tissue should be used. Who's right? Jim Strother, (e-mail) Jim, using tissue formulated specifically for RV use is usually best and there are many fine products available today, but studies have shown that as long as the tissue is "bio-degradable," meaning it breaks down easily, there should be no adverse implications when non-RV toilet tissue is employed. Try to avoid the multi-ply brands and stick with a thinner, easier to break down, single ply. Keep in mind an aggressive enzyme-based solid waste dissolver/digester should also be used as an additive to the black water holding tank. Quickly breaking the solids into small particles should all but eliminate potential blockage concerns. Dear Doc, I had a problem with my computer in my 5th wheel and I thought I blew a fuse or just tripped the breaker, but after going through everything and not finding anything amiss, I find that the outlet it was plugged in to has stopped working. Do I replace the outlet or is there something else wrong? Sam Roe, (Rogue River, OR) Sam, it's possible that single receptacle is faulty. This might happen if you tend to use it more often than others. My guess is that you plug and unplug the computer often, (as I do). The other possibility is that there could be a problem further upstream at one of the receptacles positioned earlier in the circuit. If you have checked the breaker, check each receptacle in that circuit with a volt-Ohm meter or polarity tester. Also, check to see if the ground fault circuit interrupter, (GFCI), is on that same circuit. If it has tripped, there will be no voltage at any receptacle located further along in the circuit. All GFCI's are resettable; see if yours has tripped. If everything checks out up to this point, next, unplug the shoreline cord. It's even advisable to turn off the main breaker just in case someone plugs the shoreline back in inadvertently. Remove the cover plate and the questionable receptacle and pull the outlet out from the box. Check where the wires are connected. Some receptacles have actual attaching screws, (my preference), while some have simple holes with a friction lock which grips the copper wire as it is inserted. Look for any loose connection at either the black or white wires. Pull on each wire to ensure it is secured properly. If your receptacle has attaching screws, be sure the wires are attached in a clockwise rotation around the screws. Counter-clockwise and they could squeeze out around the screw as it is tightened creating an improper connection. After checking all the connections, carefully re-install the receptacle and turn the power back on. If tightening all the wires does not rectify the condition, consider this; receptacles are very inexpensive, so if you have any doubts as to its electrical integrity, toss it and purchase a new one. Over time, the internal blades will wear out and cause arcing when something is plugged in. This could damage some sensitive equipment, so why take the chance. Dear Gary, I have a Pace Arrow that has a wood floor in the kitchen that stops at the bathroom which has carpet. I want to remove the carpet in the bathroom and continue the wood floor into the bathroom. To do this I must remove the toilet to put the wood floor under it. This will make the toilet sit 3/8-inch higher from the original floor and drain pipe. My question is, with the toilet sitting 3/8-inch higher, do I need to use a thicker flange seal? Do they make a thicker flange seal? Also, is there anything else that I need to know before I start this project? Paul Turpin, (Phoenix, AZ) Paul, depending on the model year and which production facility your coach came from, the toilet flange connects to the holding tank in one of three ways. Either the 3" down pipe is cemented in the ABS toilet flange and slipped into a holding tank adapter, or the pipe is cemented into the flange and threaded into the tank fitting, or the pipe is threaded into both the flange and the tank fitting. If the toilet flange and tank fitting are both threaded, chances are you will have to do nothing but remove and reinstall the pieces after the new flooring is in place. However, if the down pipe is slipped into a rubber holding tank adapter, it might be necessary to install a new, longer down pipe. But 3/8" isn't much. My guess is that as long as one end of the down pipe is threaded, you will simply have to remove and reinstall the same components. Begin by completely removing the toilet, flange and drain pipe. Note; turn off the water supply first! Make note of the positioning of the closet bolts sticking up from the flange. The flange seal, remember, is sandwiched between the toilet and flange, not the flange and floor. There will only be one thickness of seal, either wax or rubber. I recommend a rubber flange gasket. In any event, after your new flooring is down, the toilet flange must be connected to the tank and tightened in a manner that results in the flange positioned tight to the floor. If the flange sticks up off the new flooring, tighten the down pipe further into the tank or shorten the pipe. If the flange is not flat to the floor, the toilet will rock when tightened to the flange and could cause damage to the toilet base. Secure the flange to the floor with the large screws you removed earlier. Be sure to position the closet bolts to the correct clock position prior to tightening the flange to the floor. Install a new flange gasket and tighten down the toilet and connect the water supply. Be sure to test for fresh water leaks and flange leaks while flushing.
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