It happened again! Clog between toilet and black tank

[amosher13]

So i had this issue a week or 2 ago, a few large pitchers of really hot water down the toilet and in 20 minutes it freed up and all was great.

Tried that again and nothing is going down still, now the water is higher than I'd like to describe to the point where I can't open the valve, is there any way to shut the water off to just the toilet so I can continue working on this? Thinking of trying to use a coat hanger to get down there and see if I can free sit up.

edit: I know the tank itself is more or less empty as I let it fill up pretty good and drained it and I know it flushed as I kept and eye on the sewer hose. Also drained both gray tanks after to clear the hose.

[hankpage]

Disconnect city water and release pressure at a faucet and you will be able to operate pedal with no water coming in. For future .... hot water can crack a porcelain toilet. (Ask me how I know this )

[amosher13]

haha i think i get the picture. yeah i figured that might be the only way to do it which is fine, i'll have time later today hopefully. also i think the toilet here is just plastic so... i have a fun afternoon planned, don't be jealous!

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by amosher13

Tried that again and nothing is going down still, now the water is higher than I'd like to describe to the point where I can't open the valve, is there any way to shut the water off to just the toilet so I can continue working on this? Thinking of trying to use a coat hanger to get down there and see if I can free sit up.

If I recall correctly, you have one of those toilet drains that is angled so that you can not see straight down into the tank. Sounds to me like there is something other than what is supposed to be there causing the clog.

Just poking about with a wire coat hanger isn't your best choice. If there is something substantial lodged in the pipe, the coat hanger is not likely to move it out. (My dad was a plumbing and heating contractor and this kind of problem was a near daily service call from one of his residential customers. Residential plumbing and RV plumbing are near identical in many cases and similar enough in the rest.) My recommendation is to pick up an inexpensive drain snake at your local home improvement center. The shortest and lowest priced one they carry is more than adequate. You will want to push it into the drain until you feel resistance and then work it in and out 6" to a foot at a time to break through the clog. You'll be able to feel when the end of the snake is down in the tank itself. Even then, pull the snake back a few feed and run it in again several times.

To clean the snake, run lots of water into the toilet as you slowly withdraw the snake.

If you can find a plumber's camera to use, it would be worth having a look-see down there.

[amosher13]

you do recall correctly on the angled pipe, buggers, well i suppose i gotta do what i gotta do, thanks for the input!

[hankpage]

Home stores sell inexpensive toilet snakes (under $20) that only go a few feet. They have a hand crank to turn and extend the snake. If you use a snake or anything to go in and out of the toilet be careful not to damage the seals.

[Cool Canuck]

The hardware stores sell a device to which you attach a garden hose. You place this down in the drain line and turn the water on. This thing will blow up like a balloon and seal itself in the drain line and then shoot a jet of water out the bottom. Believe me, this will take care of any blockage. A whole lot less messy than trying to stir things up with a stick. They are not expensive and come in different sizes. Just remember to open your dump valve while using.

[Mighty Ming]

No no no no !!! Don't use the ballon type drain cleaner. You stand the chance of it expanding and expanding and expanding and breaking/cracking your plastic plumbing! Those devices are a plumbers money maker!!! Have had friends use them and be successful and friends who ended up the creek without a paddle. Yup had to break up cement to repair the damage to the stick house as a result of using this device. User beware!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by Cool Canuck

The hardware stores sell a device to which you attach a garden hose. You place this down in the drain line and turn the water on. This thing will blow up like a balloon and seal itself in the drain line and then shoot a jet of water out the bottom. Believe me, this will take care of any blockage. A whole lot less messy than trying to stir things up with a stick. They are not expensive and come in different sizes. Just remember to open your dump valve while using.

Got to agree with Ming. I only use the pressure blaster on schedule 40 pipe or stronger. Even if the RV is schedule 40, the cost of a repair if something goes wrong is not worth the risk. Residential stuff that I can easily reach and repair isn't a problem.

[Jim W]

I have had this problem on both of my 5er's when I have the grand kids or someone new that will come out to camp in the 5er from the family with us. What I have found out is people do not use enough water when flushing the toilet. The Paper will hang up in the drain pipe due to the slop of the drain pipe to the black tank. If there is not enough water to cause this toilet paper to flow down the pipe it will sit and then eventually dry out causing a paper dam.

Now how do I eliminate this when it happens; I use a flexible tank wand. I connect the spare black tank flushing hose to the wand; all other water connections are shut off. The wand is than pushed into this mess being careful not to over flow the toilet. I step on the flushing lever and open the bowl to the black tank drain allowing the wand to enter the drain pipe. I will than turn on the water lever on the wand which is adjustable and allow this to soak the toilet paper and I use this like a plunger moving it slightly up and down. I have always been able to open the drain pipe this way.

After this I have instructed all most everybody who camps with us to allow enough water to run after you are done to insure that the pipe stays open.
Jim W.

[Javi]

I find myself having the "Not enough water" discussion with the DW every couple of months... Not sure there is a solution...

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by Javi

I find myself having the "Not enough water" discussion with the DW every couple of months... Not sure there is a solution...

My complaint is usually too much water .... but that's a different story!!

[amosher13]

ha thanks everyone, this is a great discussion, lol. so my verdict was i grabbed the $9 snake a few posts pack (hadn't even seen the balloon type sprayer post yet) and a few minutes with that sucker and i was able to free it up.

i think we have been having exactly the not enough water issue. the snake went very far down so i'm not sure if it was even in the tank itself. i read a few posts and followed suit and put 3 full bowls of water in the empty tank to start her off and will be sure to use (and instruct to use) plenty of water when flushing.

good times!

[Javi]

Originally Posted by hankpage

My complaint is usually too much water .... but that's a different story!!

So far (too much) water has not been a real problem... WE normally stay in campsites which have full hookups and when we don't I have a portable tank with capacity (40 gal) to handle the grey water overflow..

My solution for the (not enough) water so far has been to simply go in and do a followup flush running a couple of bowl fulls after she leaves.. Since it's just the two of us the 30 gal black tank will handle the "load" for our trips... most of which are no more than 3 or 4 nights in duration... Can't wait till I turn 100 and can finally retire...

[PerryB]

My black tank is 45 gal. and I always put 4-5 gal. in before heading out and don't leave the drain valve open when on full hookups or you will be constantly getting clogged due to stacking. This is probably the most common problem I see.

[SAABDOCTOR]

javi WHAT U TALKIN BOUT retirement! That prospect looks dimmer by the day