Leaking black tank gate valve

[Sandals 123]

Hello everyone, on my 2019 29RKS, I have the gate valve handles within the side panel. The two outlets join into one pipe under the "driver's" side.

Last year, when taking the cap off the end pipe, it would leak a bit of stinky mess... . I solved it, short term by adding a length of pipe with a separate gate valve. This works fine when I am dumping at a sani dump. The problem is that I now have my unit on an unserviced lot where I have dug a pit for grey water but do not want any leaking from the black water tank for obvious reasons.

I am not handy at all... How can I solve this problem? Do the valves eventually wear out? Does it perhaps need lubricant?

Any thoughts and ideas welcomed.

Thanks
Alan

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Sandals 123

Hello everyone, on my 2019 29RKS, I have the gate valve handles within the side panel. The two outlets join into one pipe under the "driver's" side.

Last year, when taking the cap off the end pipe, it would leak a bit of stinky mess... . I solved it, short term by adding a length of pipe with a separate gate valve. This works fine when I am dumping at a sani dump. The problem is that I now have my unit on an unserviced lot where I have dug a pit for grey water but do not want any leaking from the black water tank for obvious reasons.

I am not handy at all... How can I solve this problem? Do the valves eventually wear out? Does it perhaps need lubricant?

Any thoughts and ideas welcomed.

Thanks
Alan

Dump valves can and do leak as they consist of a blade type piece where the handle attaches and rubber seals. To change one, you often have to undo the bolts or screws holding the tank to the fame, loosen the screws holding the valve to the tank fitting and be able to gain some room by nudging the tank over. It can be a messy affair. Since you dump from a common valve adding a dump valve at the end of your current plumbing doesn't solve the leaky black tank valve. Probably best to replace it.

[Sandals 123]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Dump valves can and do leak as they consist of a blade type piece where the handle attaches and rubber seals. To change one, you often have to undo the bolts or screws holding the tank to the fame, loosen the screws holding the valve to the tank fitting and be able to gain some room by nudging the tank over. It can be a messy affair. Since you dump from a common valve adding a dump valve at the end of your current plumbing doesn't solve the leaky black tank valve. Probably best to replace it.

OK, sounds like a good job for the repair shop I suppose, as I no longer have a place to work on it and lack the enthusiasm to deal with the mess...

[chuckster57]

I don’t loosen any tank straps unless absolutely necessary. It is a messy job and always given to the new hire

[Sandals 123]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I don’t loosen any tank straps unless absolutely necessary. It is a messy job and always given to the new hire

Well... If you insist!! Lol. Yeah, I am not shy about expressing my horror around dealing with the black tank, even on a good day! As I mentioned, it works great for now at a sani dump, so I will schedule a winter repair at my dealership.

[gkainz]

I just swapped out my gray tank valve this morning. Turns out I could have just changed the cable, but since I was this far into it, I changed the whole thing. The cable failed because Keystone installed the handle about 24” forward of the valve, kinked the cable against the tank and made a couple sharp S turns to get to the valve. I drilled a new hole and mounted the handle directly in line with the valve, so I’m shortening the 36” cable to about 4”, and will have a straight line pull.

The black tank valve has leaked since new, so I installed a blade valve on the single dump pipe after our first trip (and surprise when taking the cap off the dump pipe on our first dump station stop with this trailer), intending to fix the valve if or when I should ever have to dig into the belly. So… Monday looks like a new black valve is going in, along with relocating the handle to a straight line pull and shorter cable.

Not a horrible job, at least for me, as I had enough slack in the dump pipe to separate the blade valve mounts for easy removal and reinstall action.

Should have done this the first year I had it.

[chuckster57]

Lots of times just putting the cable/housing in a loop takes care of kinks.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by Sandals 123

.............How can I solve this problem? Do the valves eventually wear out? Does it perhaps need lubricant? ............

My 2020 fifth wheel required a black tanka dn cable replacement since the valve would hang up either in the closed or open position. Had it replaced under my extended warranty. That is the first after owning 3 fifth wheel trailers for 18 years. As far as lubrication, I spray dry silicone on the valve stem behind the handle and add some water softener into the holding tank after each dump.

[SteveBlomquist]

Nice work modifying the cable route. I have a similar mess but my problem is the attachment of the cable to the pull rod of the gate valve. My cable keeps coming off because I am not attaching it securely at the pull rod of the gate valve itself. From the factory it looked like they bent the cable through the "eye" of the pull rod and that was it. I am looking for information on that attachment that is secure?

[dutchmensport]

This last year (in August), I had a leaking gate valve on my bathroom grey tank. Actually, the valve was perfectly fine. The leak was occurring where the black 2 inch pipe connected to the valve (on the "out" going side). However, all the 2 inch pipe then connected to the 3.5 inch pipe that connected to the black tank and the black tank slide valve.

I could easily reach the grey tank slide valve and see where the leak was happening. Since the break was not the valve itself, but the connection to the valve, I did not want to disturb any plumbing between the valve and the grey tank itself. No, no.

I ended up cutting the 2 inch pipe about 2 feet beyond the connection where the break was. With all of that gone, I was now able to glue a new pipe together and fit it. The problem was, the break was in the actual pipe, not the valve, but right at the valve. I could not remove the glued pipe from the inside of the female end right on the valve. I had 2 options. Cut the valve completely out, or figure out a way to connect to the glued pipe inside the slide valve, or use something that would fit over the entire end of the connection on the slide valve.

I opted to not remove the slide valve. Instead, I used two of these, (Click here) one on each end of the new pipe inserted. This allowed lots of flexibility to hook up both ends without without having to undo a LOT more of the fixed hard pipe than I really wanted.

The end result.... no more leaks. The fix itself was actually pretty easy. But, I've done a LOT of plumbing in houses and wasn't afraid to tackle this. I just had to make sure I could get all the parts. It was the running around trying to find the right hardware store that was the challenge. Where I was, there were no "Big Box" home improvement stores. If I were home, I would have had all the parts I needed in my garage, but I did this while we were at a campground some 550 miles from home.