Leaking sewer valve

Bigrig E · 05-01-2013, 05:30 PM

Hello everybody I have a 2007 Laredo 32rs and the sewer leaks into the underbelly when i pull the dump valve not all but enough to be nasty.has anybody had this happen and how can i fix it and clean the coroplast.Hope all is well with everyone.

Javi · 05-03-2013, 03:51 AM

There really is no way to answer this except to say.... You'll have to remove the coroplast or at least cut an access hole and find the leak... if it is indeed the valve you can either replace or repair it.. Seal kits are available for most valves..

If it is not the valve you may need to cut the pvc and replace a section or coupling...

Then replace or patch the coroplast...

Note: if you do cut an access hole in the coroplast be sure to only cut on three sides leaving you a flap.. then when done you can use gorilla tape to patch...

SteveC7010 · 05-03-2013, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigrig E

Hello everybody I have a 2007 Laredo 32rs and the sewer leaks into the underbelly when i pull the dump valve not all but enough to be nasty.has anybody had this happen and how can i fix it and clean the coroplast.Hope all is well with everyone.

As Javi said, you have to open up the belly in some way and see what's going on. It could be as simple as loose bolts on the valve assembly or as complex as a broken pipe. Since it only happens when you pull the dump valve, it stands to reason that problem could be anywhere between the valve and where ever the drain pipe exits the coroplast. This not something that we can diagnose for you. It has to be looked at directly to figure it out.

As for cleaning, soap and water is as good as anything followed by a spray of bleach water or lysol for disinfecting.

Since you don't know the extent of the contamination of the insulation and coroplast, it would be best to drop the whole belly and examine everything. Whatever has been contaminated has to be cleaned or replaced. This is the time and place to practice good Body Substance Isolation by using protective gloves, goggles, and other protective measures. You have a potential serious health risk to yourself and others.

Bigrig E · 05-03-2013, 10:27 AM

Well I found it sewer valve was cracked in half. also one of the ears was broken off the shower tank flange. is it possible to replace the flange coming out of the tank?

SteveC7010 · 05-03-2013, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigrig E

Well I found it sewer valve was cracked in half. also one of the ears was broken off the shower tank flange. is it possible to replace the flange coming out of the tank?

The tank and all of the valve and drain piping is ABS plastic. *IF* there is enough of the tank side piping to cut away the valve and install a new one with some minor mods to the piping, yes, it can be done. It is even possible to remove the old flange without cutting the pipe, but that is for someone who has some experience with these things.

If you can see all of this, please post a good quality pic of the situation so that we can see where the pipe is connected to the tank, the valve itself, and the piping for at least a few inches downstream from the valve. I'm reluctant to go any further with suggestions until I can see what's going on.

Now would be a good time for you to tell us if you have any experience working with DWV plumbing. If you don't, this is not a good project to cut your teeth on.

What you can do right now is get the tank drained and all cleaned out so that it is reasonably clean enough to work on, even if you don't end up doing the work yourself. It also needs to be really dry to be worked on. And, as I previously advised, the coroplast and anything else that has been contaminated has to be cleaned or replaced. When I say replacement, I am thinking of things that can't be cleaned like fiberglass insulation.

Bigrig E · 05-03-2013, 02:41 PM

Well im no plumbing expert of any kind. But i am a diesel mechanic that works on tankers so this sort of thing doesn't scare me. I think I cant use whats their without replacing the flange I only ask because of the ear that's broken off but its not that bad .I think with a fender washer and new valves and piping i can solve my troubles. but when i get back to it I will take some pics. and post them first.Thanks for everybody's help after i got the coroplast out of the way its not that intimidating now.

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