toilet valve won't hold water

They sell a product now that turns your "stuff" into something that smells like roses or chocolate-your choice.

Having said that I will add that my smell goes up my vent and even with no water in the bowl I do not get any odor up the toilet----except the roses of course. :D

OK, read the posts about changing the seal but how do you find out what toilet you have. 2011 Montana 3455 5th wheel. Looks like a nice large porcelain bowl. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks, BA

The toilet seal sounds good but what good is it if toilet won't hold it long enough for it to be effective.

Yup, Dave HM, that is what the tech did on mine. Turned it upside down, reached in and pulled out the old seal and installed a new one. Then he greased the knife blade with vasoline! Will look for the silicone grease as suggested above. We were leaving on a one month trip on Friday, and wanted it fixed in a hurry, so called out our local mobile tech. $100 though!

Try this stuff!

http://www.thetford.com/Home/Products/ChemicalsCleanersHome/ToiletSealConditioner/tabid/181/Default.aspx

I bought a bottle at Camping World (and have seen it at other RV dealerships), after our toilet started losing its water. I use it usually once in the summer and I leave some in the toilet when stored over the winter, which is safe to do and it will mix with RV antifreeze, won't hurt a thing. The toilet has worked flawlessly since and never loses a drop of water. A bottle has lasted us almost 4 years. Not a bad deal for just over $10.

On my toilet seat, Sealand which carries I think a Thetford label - you can just reach in and change the seal without dis-assembly.

I found that out when i read the instructions that came with the new seal.

The plumbers grease I bought from Home Depot was "Rectorseal Plumbers Grease" ...."used for valves, stems and faucets...". Used for years on my rv Black and gray dump valves with bad results!

The silicone grease I bought from a plumbing supply store was "Black Swan Silicone Grease". There is no reference to it being a kind of plumbers grease. The sales person confirmed what I've experienced and said to not use a petroleum product on rubber seals.

I've seen silicone grease for sale on line and at HD but don't remember the names.

ernie1 wrote:
Only use silicone grease on rubber type seals. Regular plumbers grease is a petroleum product like vaseline and, when first applied, seems to work well but over a period of time will swell the gasket and render it unusable. Used plumbers grease for years and after having stuck or hard to use valves, switched to vasoline which was suggested by a rep from Valterra, continued to experience the same issues. Use silicone grease which is not a petroleum product and is available at Home Depot.

/\ This... plumbers silicone, on rubber products. It works on door seals on cars, and on fly fishing lines too, to help them stay water proof and float.

Still Searchin' wrote:
..perhaps is accessable if I were to turn the toilet upside down??

Soap, oils, vinegar are band-aid measures which may work, intermittently and for a while.

I don't know what your toilet will look like when removed, but mine is disgusting. There's likely to be some serious cleaning going on in addition to seal replacement. If you can spare the $150, just put in a new one.

Thanks guys. I have the Theford aqua-Magic V toilet. It has a flat blade valve, which perhaps is accessable if I were to turn the toilet upside down??
I'm going to try Dawn soap first, then if that doesn't work, vinegar. Then if no luck, will turn toilet upside down and see how hard it might be to replace the seal and maybe the blade valve too. Will report back if get results before we take off this friday for a 3 week trip to Yosemite!