Toilet overflowed...

[myredracer]

Had an extended 6-night labor day weekend camping trip. Around 7 am on the second morning I got up to go to the bathroom and stepped in about 1/2" deep water. Nooooooooooooo.... I quickly discovered that the toilet had overflowed since the last time someone used the toilet during the night, maybe about 3 hours earlier.

Like a scene from Apollo 13, after quickly realizing there was a catastrophe, in seconds we were both grabbing towels, the dog blanket and a sleeping bag to mop up the water. I hadn't bothered to properly level the trailer and the water was in front next to the bed on one side. Fortunately it hadn't run under the slide, to the kitchen or under the dinette seating where the furnace and converter are.

Once the standing water was all mopped up, I used the hair dryer to try and dry up the bottom of the luan paneling and under the under-bed storage and under the bathroom vanity. Water had gotten in the pass-through storage so that had to be mopped up too along with using the hair dryer.

Then, looking at the underbelly, it was obvious water had leaked there too. I quickly pulled down almost 1/2 of the coroplast and found some of the batt insulation was saturated. I also found the the some of the batt insulation directly under the plywood subfloor was also saturated. I cut slits in the Darco fabric where it appeared water was trapped. The left side of the trailer where there is Darco between the frame and outer wall (about 1' wide lengthwise) had quite a bit of trapped water so I ended up cutting a slit lengthwise about 12' long (between the outriggers). I pulled out what I *think* was all of the saturated insulation.

From when I stepped on the water to the time the corolplast was pulled down and all the wet insulation removed was around 4 hours non-stop. I made a trip to a nearby hardware store and bought the only batt insulation they had, the last roll of 15" wide R12 in the store plus a roll of Gorilla tape. Over the next two days I got new insulation installed, the cuts in the Darco taped up and the underbelly back in place. Getting the coroplast back in was waaay harder than getting it out. Working on my back in a CG on sharp crushed gravel was NOT fun. I could not find any wet looking plywood subfloor.

I'm not really sure why the Thetford Aqua Magic (porcelain) toilet overflowed. The holding tank had filled right up. Not sure if it was the foot valve mechanism or a sticking flapper seal. If you release the foot pedal slowly, the flapper valve doesn't fully close and the water keeps running. We found the toilet had started to overflow 2 seasons ago and caught it in time. Had an RV repair shop install a new water valve and it has been fine until now. Several years ago I installed a shutoff valve behind the toilet and we kept it off and only turned it back on when we needed to flush.

What a POS toilet if it can overflow like that. Not sure I want to rebuild/repair it or get another brand. Would switching to a Dometic toilet be better? I never ever want to have this happen again, besides the fact that the weather was great and it ruined the trip.

Oh, and to add insult to injury, I found that a PEX fitting under the shower was leaking and water had gotten under the shower and into the insulation below. The cinch clamp on the flex braided hose to the toilet was improperly done at the factory. I have no idea how long it has been leaking. Had to make another trip to the hardware store for a couple of fittings. Ended up using a gear clamp temporarily until I can fix it properly at home.

FWIW, the insulation and the so-called "heated underbelly" is a joke in these things. If I had the time and inclination I would pull out all the insulation and do it better/properly.

Not a good weekend. 😞

[myredracer]

Carl n Susan wrote:
The Thetford POS is known for flooding the bowl and then the RV (among other things). Buy a Dometic 320 and throw the Thetford away.

I thought I've seen that posted somewhere in the past. I'm sure not impressed with the design of plastic valve mechanism in the Thetford. I haven't looked yet but I have to wonder if the seal has failed or clogged and won't let the flapper valve close properly.

There was no #2 deposited into the tank from the time we arrived at the CG. The water that leaked out was clear. Of course doesn't mean there couldn't be a bacteria cell or two in it. If it was full of TP & "stuff", I would have really freaked out.

I've kinda wondered about adding a solenoid valve on a time-delay relay and switch that would give water for a few minutes when needed for flushing. Last year I added a solenoid valve and switch for the incoming line so we can shut the incoming water off when we're not there. Doesn't help if the toilet overflows during the night tho.

Have seen the water alarms at our local plumbing wholesaler and have often thought about getting one. Too late now but will probably get one now.

[RJsfishin]

Hard to believe anyone would not run all their water thru the noisy pump.

[imgoin4it]

Have friends that will tell you it is not “if” you have a water leak, it is “when” you have a leak. We were watching tv one evening when our toilet overflowed and did not know it was slowly and quietly flooding the bath room.. repairs were not bad. We caught it early were at the factory and they took care of all repairing. We now leave water off when out of coach and also got a water alarm for the bath. Just for good measure got one for under the kitchen sink as well.

[Lwiddis]

Joe wrote...”If I a going to be gone for an extended period of time, I shut off the water supply.”

Better to shut if off whenever gone, long or short. Best practice...safer, don’t hook to city water.

[Dick_B]

One reason why we always use the water pump instead of the CG water source. One would have heard the pump running and running and....

[shastagary]

cured my sticky pedal problem with a can of silicone spray.
i put down a towel under the pedal and sprayed all around the pivot point liberally then wiped down the excess it springs back much easier now have not had a problem since.

[ScottG]

A few years ago we had a member who had a similar toilet flooding scenario and his ins. co, totalled it.
There was just no way to get all the filth cleaned out enough to be sanitary and not have the posibility of toxic mold.

[ScottG]

Dave5143 wrote:
After a couple of middle of the night episodes of flooding caused by bits of tp holding the ball valve partway open we got a $20 water alarm from Home Depot in their water heater department. It sits on the floor behind the toilet and it is loud. No more scrambling for all of the towels in the middle of the night just a bit of mopping up from the little bit water on the floor.

Best idea ever!

[Dave5143]

After a couple of middle of the night episodes of flooding caused by bits of tp holding the ball valve partway open we got a $20 water alarm from Home Depot in their water heater department. It sits on the floor behind the toilet and it is loud. No more scrambling for all of the towels in the middle of the night just a bit of mopping up from the little bit water on the floor.

[Lynnmor]

At one time RV toilets had an overflow tube that would bypass the flapper valve, The tube had an S shape to act as a trap to prevent odors from coming up. With that arrangement one needed to fill the toilet from time to time to replenish the water in the overflow trap. Now the genius toilet makers eliminated that simple thing to save a few pennies. Of course a running toilet would eventually overfill the black tank, but you had a good chance of heading off a big problem.

I installed a Dometic 310 china toilet, it is the same as the elongated seat 320 model. Well that thing cracked the flapper and there is no replacement part, you simply toss the toilet. I wouldn't recommend it for that reason and the fact that it also wastes water.

The suggestion of running off the pump is probably the only reasonably safe way to use a modern cheap RV.

As far as clamping hose and PEX fittings, KZ and probably many brands simply attach flexible hose to PEX fittings and that is wrong. Hose attaches to a hose barb and PEX attaches to a PEX barb.

[joelc]

Been there. What a mess. A practice I now have. If I a going to be gone for an extended period of time, I shut off the water supply.

[camperdave]

I had a flood situation similar to that long ago. As an admitted overreaction, I no longer hook up to city water. I fill the tank and use the pump. At least if I have a leak, the pump will alert me.

[path1]

When same thing happened to us and you have it under control, but thought I'd add my experiance and what I did. (Not saying what I did is right or wrong)

I used foam insulation as replacement as foam doesn't trap water as much.

With us... a grandkid got up in middle of night and didn't want to wake anybody so she gently released the foot valve, and aparently so gentle that the valve didn't shut off supply water all the way. Atleast that is what Thetford's customer service best guess was. Other guesses was what the valve rides on had a rough spot or a wear groove in the plastic and valve didn't "seat" all the way. Now before anybody uses the toilet we give a "potty" lesson on how to use the toilet and don't be gentle with foot valve. That was also when we went totally self contained mode in water department only. No more of an unlimited water supply coming in if something breaks, pressure valve or not.

Then filed insurance claim, but nothing could be done until there was actual damage and how much to fix. But a file was started as a "open claim" and to call back in when actual $$$ amount of claim could be established.

Then dried out with dehumidifer and I picked up moiture meter from big box store. Kept dehumidifer going till until humidity gauge inside TT matched just about what was outside. Took several weeks just to be sure. Moisture meter that pokes into wood with little prongs pretty useless IMO. Moisture gauge helpful.


Then put in another water pump switch in bathroom and little led light visible from outside. As a reminder when we leave TT make sure led is not on. As in no elec going to water pump. And I put one of these under the sink, under water pump and under bath. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.battery-operated-water-alarm.1000800787.html (link doesn't want to work... "watchdog water alarm")

Doesn't gravel feel great laying in it? I changed a starter in a campground once. Not good so I picked up a cheap foam yoga mat that rolls up nicely. Helps a lot.

Couple years later out of the blue, the insurance company calls and tells me they are closing the "open" claim. I forgot all about it and have no damage to TT that I can see.

[Carl_n_Susan]

The Thetford POS is known for flooding the bowl and then the RV (among other things). Buy a Dometic 320 and throw the Thetford away.