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Leak near Valve/Tank Connection

ENG2242
Explorer
Explorer
I have an occasional/slow leak at the Tank/Valve connection. This is the black tank, and it seems like the pressure vent is not releasing pressure, as this only happens whilst the tank is 3/4 full and the ambient temperature is very hot. How do I reseal this connection and snake the vent?
Thanks,
David
Trying to post picturesโ€ฆ???
David Hartmann
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12 REPLIES 12

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
And a guy has a leak and half the people start discussing the virtues and drawbacks of tank level monitorsโ€ฆ.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
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CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
Even IF the vent is plugged or dropped into the liquid as soon as you flush the tank is vented and liquid will flow in (and gasses out) until the tank is full. This is given that the toilet empties into the top of the tank, hard to imagine otherwise.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland

Bob

2112
Explorer II
Explorer II
Use This to post pictures

Even if his vent pipe is too far down inside his black tank it shouldn't leak. Fix the leak.

It could just be the weight of the water causing it to leak at a poorly sealed joint. Fix the leak
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Timbrens
2013 KZ Durango 2857

nickthehunter
Nomad II
Nomad II
His piping leaks, the level of chit in the tank is immaterial (as is the size of the vent). There is no โ€œpressure ventโ€. There is only a vent. If his tank was โ€œpressurizedโ€, he would certainly be well aware of that fact every time he flushed the toilet - he would get a rude face wash.

PButler96
Explorer
Explorer
Gdetrailer wrote:
Dusty R wrote:
The SeeLeval is a system that circuit boards that attach/glue to the side of the tanks and measure the level/densaty of the tank, in 10's .


:R

Yes Dusty, I suspect most folks are aware of "SeeLevel" and its "advantages"..

But it is not cheap, depending on tank placement may be a real pain in the rear to install or even not be able to install, it replaces an existing system which is already in place so now you have a old and new monitor.. Not to mention you are adding more complex circuit boards and electronics which can and do fail.

Mine is built into the rangehood and simple as dirt so I would have to poke a new hole in the paneling..

It's cheaper and easier to just ensure your the probes are not holding on to waste material don't you think?

Good proper dumping procedure seems to work pretty well and only costs a couple of squirts of dish detergent and copious amounts of water each dump.. Mine is going on 40 yrs old and still working but I guess mine is the only ones in this world that works correctly so I must be doing something wrong?..


That would depend on your definition of cheap. A seelevel 3 tank system is @ $220. A drive motor for a Dometic 9100 awning is over $700.00 and if you ever need to but anything from Lippert they'll soak you good.

I've installed 3 seelevel systems on 3 different rigs and all were less than a 3 hour install including opening or dropping underliner. On two I was able to use the existing wiring to the idiotic problematic ORM sensor system which was a PITA on all 3 rigs.
I have a burn barrel in my yard.

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
Dusty R wrote:
The SeeLeval is a system that circuit boards that attach/glue to the side of the tanks and measure the level/densaty of the tank, in 10's .


:R

Yes Dusty, I suspect most folks are aware of "SeeLevel" and its "advantages"..

But it is not cheap, depending on tank placement may be a real pain in the rear to install or even not be able to install, it replaces an existing system which is already in place so now you have a old and new monitor.. Not to mention you are adding more complex circuit boards and electronics which can and do fail.

Mine is built into the rangehood and simple as dirt so I would have to poke a new hole in the paneling..

It's cheaper and easier to just ensure your the probes are not holding on to waste material don't you think?

Good proper dumping procedure seems to work pretty well and only costs a couple of squirts of dish detergent and copious amounts of water each dump.. Mine is going on 40 yrs old and still working but I guess mine is the only ones in this world that works correctly so I must be doing something wrong?..

Dusty_R
Explorer
Explorer
The SeeLeval is a system that circuit boards that attach/glue to the side of the tanks and measure the level/densaty of the tank, in 10's .

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
CA Traveler wrote:
I was thinking 1.5" but regardless of the cause the leak should be fixed.

Also wondering how he knows it's 3/4 full. Typically grey/black gauges are very inaccurate.


I would call them unreliable more so than inaccurate..

The unreliable comes from the sensors often getting fouled up with waste not getting cleaned off of them..

Clean probes will be pretty spot on accurate since they are physically installed and don't move around..

Get em clean each time you dump and they work well, mine are in a 1984 TT, bought it used and yet my sensors work very well.

I dump the waste, then add some Dawn dish detergent and fill the tanks to 3/4 and then dump that.. Has worked well for me.

Dusty_R
Explorer
Explorer
Take a look at SeeLeval gauges for RV holding tanks. The read in much more accurate. If I remember right 10's of the tanks. Not very hard to install.

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
I was thinking 1.5" but regardless of the cause the leak should be fixed.

Also wondering how he knows it's 3/4 full. Typically grey/black gauges are very inaccurate.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland

Bob

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Explorer III
CA Traveler wrote:
Black tank has a large roof vent so not likely to be the problem. Tilt the rig and drain the tank, then you can work on it including a snake. Good time to also replace the valve.


Not sure what you consider as "large" but the black holding tank will have a pipe diameter that is half of the tank outlet. Outlet on black is 3" so the vent size will be 1 1/2".

To make this a bit confusing but easier for manufacturing purposes the grey tank will use the same 1 1/2" pipe for roof vent even though the grey tank has 1 1/2" outlet..

To help make things a bit easier to locate the tank vents the OP is looking for a small round "mushroom" looking cap on the roof..

Many variations of design but here is what many plastic ones look like..



To snake the vent, one will have to remove the entire cap assembly..

If vent is clogged, OP may have to open the toilet valve to relieve the vacuum as the tank is being dumped.

It is also possible that the vent pipe may have slipped down into the tank just enough that 3/4 full it no longer vents..

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
Black tank has a large roof vent so not likely to be the problem. Tilt the rig and drain the tank, then you can work on it including a snake. Good time to also replace the valve.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland

Bob