Replacing grey and black water valves (Valterra)

Moved to Tech Issues forum from DIY.

Been there done that. The water can be leaking 'down' to the valves making it look like you just needed the valve replacement.

I had the valves only to still have sewage dripping.:S

What it ended up being:
I had 'hairline' cracks

around where the four screws hold the attachment

. THAT is where the water can be coming from.

They are nearly impossible to see them but they are enough to leak water.

Repair guy says he sees this a lot. The sewage assembly hangs suspended and moves and takes a beating when going down the road.

Hairline stress cracks happen around where the screws go in.

During the repair one was stressed with several hairline cracks it broke off. Sadly this is a molded part of the lead pipe, and has to be cut off, replaced and repaired with a rubber clamp just like home plumbing.




So check with a flashlight around where the screws go in for hairline cracks.

Hope this helps.

No...I doubt you have a crack. What you do have is a valve or two that are not installed correctly. If you look at your valves, the old ones are ok if you still have them, you'll see a rubber ring on both sides of the valves. These rings MUST remain in the grooves as you install the new valves. If not, you'll experience what you're seeing. What can you do now?:h

Remove the valves. If only one is leaking, just remove that one. Reposition the "O" rings into the grooves. I used a bit of vaseline to hold mine in place. Once they're back in the grooves, carefully reinstall the valve. Snug the screws back in place and give it a try. Sometimes it takes several tries to get it right.....Good Luck....Dennis