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Old 06-02-2012, 11:28 PM   #1
BOBYT1630
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Toilet seal

Well here's a strange question. Well 2 actually. First is there a seal in the toilet that will retain a small amount of water in the bowl after it is flushed, or does it just drain out after a few seconds. I have noticed that there is no water in the bowl when I use it, but when I flush it there is always some there when I close the lid. Second when I flush the toilet a few small flies will come out of the bowl from under the valve. I'm concerned that I am not using enough chemicals or that I need more water in the tank when I add them. Not sure how they get in there in the first place. Any suggestions will be helpful.

Bob
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Old 06-03-2012, 02:09 AM   #2
JRTJH
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There is a rubber compound seal above and below the ball valve that opens and closes to allow you to flush. Water should remain in place above the ball valve to help seal the toilet so sewer gas doesn't seep into the RV. If you're losing that water seal, then your rubber seal is "bad"

You can try to add olive oil (don't ask, do a search on this forum for the comedy results) or another type of cooking oil. Many people say this helps, in fact a couple say it's all they'll use. If that doesn't make the rubber seal soft and pliable so it will function properly, you'll need to replace the seal. It's not a hard job and really isn't too messy, just a pain taking the toilet apart to replace it. Depending on the type of toilet you have, it might be changed without removing the toilet. Some can, some can't. Check your owner's manual for the ball seal changing instructions. You should be able to get the seal at most any RV dealer.

As for flies coming out of the tank when you open the valve, how long has it been since you did a complete and thorough flush of your black tank? You should connect it to a dump station or campground sewer connection, empty the black tank and if you have a black tank flush valve, use it until things run clear. If you don't have a flush valve, then refill the black tank by holding the toilet flush open and let water fill the black tank completely, then dump again. Continue to do this until the tank is clean. Then put in about 3 or 4 gallons of water and the appropriate chemical deodorant (follow the instructions on the bottle or box) and see how things go. If you're actively using your toilet, ie: filling the black tank once a week or so, and using appropriate chemicals, you shouldn't have any insects growing in the tank. As for those flies, imagine what they have on their tiny feet/wings and think about where they land in your RV. Clean your tank, maintain your water seal, use appropriate chemicals and enjoy camping !!!

Good luck.
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Old 06-03-2012, 05:23 AM   #3
therink
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I occasionally have the dry bowl issue with my Thetford 301. No big deal. I don a pair of latex gloves, coat the upper and lower sides of the seal with vaseline. When doing this I move the seal edges up and down with my fingers to make it pliable. This seems to keep the gasket soft and working well for a few months, then I repeat this process as needed. I have not yet found a need to replace it.
As far as flies, I can't say I've experienced that. You may want to do a search on this forum on black tank flushing and give it a good cleaning. I use nothing but water (and lots of it) to maintain my tank. No chemicals are necessary for me.
Steve
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Old 06-03-2012, 05:49 AM   #4
azlee56
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I found when I first got my 5th that when I used the bathroom it would drain. Then I found that if I raised the pedal up a bit that it would fill with water and wouldn't drain.

I think I will go do some oil in there, just to keep things oiled up :-)
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