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Overflowing Toilet

ian_c
Explorer
Explorer
This has been some trip! Tonight we're in Gallup and during dinner we hear a "thump" that sounds like it has come from outside. A visual check reveals nothing and I come back inside to my fork.
About this point, my wife who is sitting across from me, facing the bedroom, says "My God!" and races up the stairs to the toilet. Water is flowing down the stairs out of the bathroom. When I look, the toilet is full of water (clean) but pressing the foot pedal doesn't flush it away - it appears that the holding tank is full!
I race outside, turn off the water, and then use a pot to empty the water in the toilet down one of the sinks.
We've now tidied up but as we don''t have a waste connection here I'll have to wait until tomorrow to dump it.
(Fortunately we dumped yesterday and the waste tank got a good hosing out. There was nothing in it when we unhitched.)
So.. somehow water has got into the waste tank. No I did not connect the hose to the waste cleanout connection.
I have no idea how this could have happened and all suggestions are appreciated!
Many thanks!
Ian
2011 Heartland Graystone 5th Wheel
2010 Ford F250 V10
Lovin' the lifestyle - never getting enough.
22 REPLIES 22

gbopp
Explorer
Explorer
Do you have a pressure regulator on your water inlet?

Please, when you figure it out, let us know what caused the problem.

RJsfishin
Explorer
Explorer
Wish I could help, and I can help so it never happens again.
I wouldn't be caught dead w/ city water pressure hooked to my RV !
Oh.....that wonderful sound of that noisy water pump,...I love it !:)
Rich

'01 31' Rexall Vision, Generac 5.5k, 1000 watt Honda, PD 9245 conv, 300 watts Solar, 150 watt inv, 2 Cos 6v batts, ammeters, led voltmeters all over the place, KD/sat, 2 Oly Cat heaters w/ ox, and towing a 2012 Liberty, Lowe bass boat, or a Kawi Mule.

TakingThe5th
Explorer
Explorer
Here are some more unusual possibilities to consider based on the thump you heard just before the problem appeared -

The thump you described makes me wonder if you didn't blow something on the fresh water side like a valve or check valve. Have you turned the water back on? If so then I assume the problem did not re-appear and that would not be the problem.

Is it possible that black water flush system was somehow feeding back into the black tank? The thump could have been the tank expanding just before your DW started seeing water. If that is indeed the problem then you may also have a clogged vent pipe on the black tank. A clogged vent pipe might explain why the toilet would not flush. Did you notice any smells beforehand? The vent pipe may have somehow become clogged when you flushed the tank previously.

* * Edited * *
TakingThe5th - Chicago, Western Suburbs
'05 Ford F350 Crew 6.0 DRW Bulletproofed. Pullrite Super 5th 18K 2100 hitch.
'13 Keystone Cougar 333MKS, Maxxfan 7500, Progressive EMS-HW50C, Grey Water System.

CJW8
Explorer
Explorer
If water was running down the stairs something was open full stream into the toilet or black tank. It stopped when the city water was turned off. You'll have to drain the black tank some, they turn the city water and listen to hear where it is coming from.
2003 Forest River Sierra M-37SP Toy Hauler- Traded in
2015 Keystone Raptor 332TS 5th wheel toy Hauler (sold)
2004 Winnebago Vectra. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad

CJW8
Explorer
Explorer
If water was running down the stairs something was open full stream into the toilet or black tank. It stopped when the city water was turned off. You'll have to drain the black tank some, they turn the city water and listen to hear where it is coming from.
2003 Forest River Sierra M-37SP Toy Hauler- Traded in
2015 Keystone Raptor 332TS 5th wheel toy Hauler (sold)
2004 Winnebago Vectra. 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad

path1
Explorer
Explorer
(If you have normal RV plumbing, not the fancy "water bay" or a lever like a submarine handle pointing to different plumbing)

I had one toilet that if you didn't release the flush valve (water supply) smartly, the water valve didn't seat right and water leaked slowly into toilet. Once toilet bowl becomes full, it overflows into waste tank, then when waste tank gets filled up you overflow. No where else for water to go, so you overflow.

Hope I explained it right. The water valve didn't shut off the water supply IMO. In ours we thought the toilet water supply valve was bad. Got a new one. In process of changing the water valve, noticed some plastic parts also worn. Changed the valve and couple plastic parts that slide against each other and had become worn. Then no more problems.

That's one reason we don't use the city water connection anymore. If you were in the self contained mode, your water pump would of been making a burping noise and you might of been able to hear it pushing water, before it overflowed.

With city water, I can't here water running when using city water supply and a lot more water available than my fresh water tank.
2003 Majestic 23P... Northwest travel machine
2013 Arctic Fox 25W... Wife "doll house" for longer snowbird trips
2001 "The Mighty Dodge"... tow vehicle for "doll house"

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
Black waste tank..........

Water goes into it via:

Toilet
Flush connection
Sometimes bathroom sink or shower are plumbed to black tank

You verified that nothing was connected to 'flush connection'

So that leaves toilet or bathroom sink/shower if plumbed to tank
Faucet left dripping or Toilet flush ball not fully closing allowing water valve to run

TO me.....sounds like toilet flush ball stuck partially open and water valve running
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
First determine where the water was coming from. Either the pressure side or the holding tank. The holding tank can't fill by itself.