![]() ![]() ![]() From plumbing repair to plumbing pipe installation, we’ve got you covered. If you haven’t had either one of these scenarios, then this article will prepare you for how to retrieve items from the toilet that should never have been flushed. Jay Mechanical, the best HVAC company in Essex, offers the best plumbing services. Tibbets (her beloved teddy bear) down the toilet!” Your mouth falls open, speechless. You’ve probably been in this scenario if you do have kids: “Hey, Mommy! Daddy! Look what I just did?” You come up the stairs to find your preschooler in the bathroom. Russ and Tiña De Maris are authors of RV Boondocking Basics, a how-to guide for RVing “off the grid.” Visit for more information.You’ve probably been in this scenario if you don’t have kids: you flush the toilet, and as you move your hand, you accidentally knock something off into the toilet, and you stand there helplessly as you watch it go down the drain. Be careful not to ding or in any way damage that steel rod, as a rough rod can create problems-like tearing up the shaft seal. Now turn the handle counter-clockwise by hand to remove it, and screw a new one on firmly. With the valve open and actuating rod exposed, wrap a rag around the rod, and grasp the rod firmly through the rag with a pair of pliers. Again, it’s an easy fix, if done properly. Replace it if it cracks, or if any part of it breaks off. If that T character breaks, opening the valve is tough. Regardless of your choice of lubrication approaches, you need to keep an eye on the valve handle. As we’ve said, we’re not recommending this procedure, only commenting on it. Pump the cavity full of grease and the theory says you’ll keep the actuating rod freely operational. Screw in a 1/4-inch Zerk fitting until the shoulder of the fitting is snug to the valve body-don’t over-tighten. Then use a 1/4-inch x 28 thread tap to tap threads into this hole. Is it possible that the application of petroleum-containing grease might cause the rubber seal to deteriorate-eventually leading to a mechanical breakdown or possible leakage of holding tank contents?īut for those who would like to know more, here’s how the job has been explained to us: With the valve closed, in the area immediately adjacent to where the stainless-steel actuating rod comes out of the holding tank valve, bore a 3/16-inch hole through the plastic and into the cavity. We’ve never tried it, and do have a couple of concerns. By adding a Zerk fitting (grease fitting) to the dump valve assembly, they pump grease into the cavity around the steel rod. Some RVers who have been flummoxed by sticky valve handles have gone a step further than the simple advice to lube it every now and then. How’s the lubrication to work there? We scratch our heads on that theory. However, there is a nice seal that prevents holding tank contents from actually getting onto the rod. Do they actually work? They may help keep the gate itself lubricated between the rubber seals. Some manufacturers brag about lubricants that are added to their holding tank treatments. There are other methods of lubricating things. WD can work its way into the seal at the end of the rod shaft and gum it up, making it extremely sticky. Now “work” the valve open and closed a few times.ĭO NOT USE the old standby, WD-40. When you dump a tank and the handle is pulled to the open position, simply shoot the stainless rod with a good shot of lubricant spray containing silicon or Teflon. If the rod gets stuck, or the handle breaks, you have a decidedly difficult issue. It’s a simple concept, but a couple of things can get in the way of a simple operation. A small T-shaped handle allows you to grab the rod and pull back the gate, permitting the contents to flush forth. The gate is pulled aside, or open, by an attached stainless steel rod. A little plastic gate rides between two rubber seals (one on the outside of the gate and one on the inside), preventing the stuff from rolling out. All that “goop” in your black water and gray water waste tanks is held in place by the tanks’ dump valves. An understanding of how dump valves work helps us take better care of them. A stuck (or broken) holding tank valve is a really big issue if it happens, but can easily be prevented. It’s called, “You’ve got no place to go if your holding tank valves won’t open.”Ī sticky holding tank valve is a pain in the neck. There’s a parallel to the old “You don’t miss your water until your well runs dry” tune. ![]()
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