Micro-leaks in Tetford RV Toilet Water Entry Assembly
For the second time in 10 years the plastic molded water entry valve assembly screwed onto the back of our RV's Tetford toilet has developed super fine cracks in the valve's plastic assembly that leak fresh water onto the floor whenever the 12 volt fresh water pump is left on. Since there is no water shutoff valve just for the toilet, the RV's entire fresh water system has to be shut down in order to stop water from leaking from this failed plastic part.
The first time I replaced it, the new plastic assembly from Tetford was a different material (black plastic) that I assumed was an improvement for reliability over the original assembly's teflon colored plastic material. I was wrong - it happened (micro crack leaks in the molded assembly) again on our recent trip.
The micro cracks in this molded assembly are probably "caused" by the toilet's slight vibration motions when traveling - combined with the stress that the incoming stiff PEX water supply line places on the the assembly due to the stiff PEX line being bent in a curve just before it is screwed onto the valve assembly.
Have any of you experienced this?
Is there a permanent solution so this never happens again? i.e. How does one install a small length of very flexible water supply line between the female connector on the end of the fresh water PEX line and the mating male connector on the Tetford plastic assembly so that that a stiff incoming line doesn't stress the molded plastic valve assembly? So far I'm finding that interfacing PEX line connectors to other connector types is not all that easy to find adapters for.
The first time I replaced it, the new plastic assembly from Tetford was a different material (black plastic) that I assumed was an improvement for reliability over the original assembly's teflon colored plastic material. I was wrong - it happened (micro crack leaks in the molded assembly) again on our recent trip.
The micro cracks in this molded assembly are probably "caused" by the toilet's slight vibration motions when traveling - combined with the stress that the incoming stiff PEX water supply line places on the the assembly due to the stiff PEX line being bent in a curve just before it is screwed onto the valve assembly.
Have any of you experienced this?
Is there a permanent solution so this never happens again? i.e. How does one install a small length of very flexible water supply line between the female connector on the end of the fresh water PEX line and the mating male connector on the Tetford plastic assembly so that that a stiff incoming line doesn't stress the molded plastic valve assembly? So far I'm finding that interfacing PEX line connectors to other connector types is not all that easy to find adapters for.
