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Topic: Toilet won't go down
Posted By: 2 plus 2 on 10/21/09 04:11pm

Well here's an embarassing problem that I'm hoping others can help with. Our toilet won't go down. We had this problem on our last Mexico trip and we tried everything. Eventually when we got home we had to pull the toilet off and handle it manually [emoticon]
Well we're here in Mexico again, and again, the toilet won't go down. (We don't think it has anything to do with Mexico). What are we doing wrong [emoticon] We put several gallons of water in the tank along with the 'blue' stuff. We hardly ever put paper in and if we do we use RV paper. We use lots of water when flushing. But still -- it won't go down. Any ideas as to why it won't and any ideas on how we can get it to???

2 plus 2
Ken and Jodi
Fur Children Max & Mitzi - smooth hair dachshunds

Posted By: 2oldman on 10/21/09 04:15pm

If "won't go down" means it won't empty the bowl, you may have the dreaded 'pyramid of poo' in the tank itself which is holding it up. I've never heard of anyone putting blue stuff in the toilet bowl. Does the flapper open up to let water down?

You said you'd pulled the toilet off, so I'm thinking you probably looked in the tank then and would have seen what I'm talking about.

Posted By: the bear II on 10/21/09 04:24pm

Is the valve opening at the bottom of the bowl and the stuff is clogging in the pipe or the valve is not opening and the stuff just sits in the bowl.

If the valve is opening and the stuff is clogging in the pipe leading to the tank, you may have something stuck in there. You can try poking a long flexible stick down to see if you hit something soft (clogged toilet paper) or hard (pipe joint or a matchbox car). If it's soft, keep poking at it to break it up. A plunger or a short plumbers snake works on these toilets. We always carry a plinger just in case of a clog.

If the valve isn't opening and the stuff stays in the bowl then you need to determine why the valve won't open. Something has broken or come loose.

Does anything come out of the dump valve when you open it ? If nothing comes out or very little comes out then your clog is in the pipe from the toilet to the tank. Or you have a big clog of dried stuff at the dump opening of the tank. A snake or flexible stick can be used to break it up and clear a path to dump. It's tricky to do this because as soon as you braek through...everything is coming at you.

Posted By: 352 on 10/21/09 04:33pm

Reach your arm down the opening and squeeze the solids up and flush with water.Works every time.

The manatees of Halls river Homosassa Springs Fl

1985 Chevy Silverado c10. 454 stroker / 495 CI = 675 HP. 650lb of torque. Turb0 400 tranny. 3000 stall converter. Aluminum heads. 3 inch exhaust flowmasters. 2 inch headers. Heat and air. Tubed.


Posted By: cherokee33 on 10/21/09 04:34pm

I had the same problem last year when we went to Florida. I spent about 5 hours trying to clean it out. I had to run the hose into it and just keep moving it around inside the tank until it hit the right spot. I keep a close eye on it now. I bought a clear sewer hose connector and now I can see that it's working or not. I haven't had anymore problems and don't want too. thats for sure

Posted By: jimw606 on 10/21/09 04:43pm

I had this problem once, and my dealer said, that he had seen the down pipe too deep in the black tank. Had to remove the tank and shorten the pipe. Mine was just the age old problem of not using enough water, I think, Jim

Posted By: 2 plus 2 on 10/21/09 04:54pm

Well quite the response from everyone. Thank you. FYI, the flange opens but everything is piling up in the tank. Last year we did the "poke a stick", ran a snake, etc. And we messed with it for hoouuuurrrrsssssss. So we were thinking we weren't keeping enough water in it. So we're keeping water in it now and again having the same problem. We're letting time take its course right now and then we'll probably snake it. I tell ya....makes for wanting to 'hold it' all the time (LOL). Interesting thought about the long pipe into the tank though. We're spending 3-4 months down here in Mexico and hoping this isn't the beginning of 3-4 months of potty problems!

Posted By: UsualSuspect on 10/21/09 04:57pm

jimw606 wrote:

I had this problem once, and my dealer said, that he had seen the down pipe too deep in the black tank. Had to remove the tank and shorten the pipe. Mine was just the age old problem of not using enough water, I think, Jim

Sister had the same problem with hers. Ended up emptying the tank, dropping the tank, cutting the pipe off about 2", and reassembling. There was only about a 1/4" to 1/2" between the bottom of the toilet drain pipe and the bottom of the tank. After the fix, she has not had the issue.

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2007 Chev 2500HD D/A Long bed CC (Yes, it is my TOAD ">)
2011 Toyota Tundra
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara (Backup towed)
Gone but not forgotten, 2008 Jayco 299 RLS

Posted By: mowermech on 10/21/09 05:26pm

When we were full-timing in the fiver, we found that over use of tissue (or under use of water in the toilet bowl) would sometimes block the pipe from the toilet to the tank. The pipe in this particular trailer has two 45 degree bends in it. I found that the only way to clear the blockage was to turn the water valve off at the toilet, open the drain valve, open the toilet valve, run a hose down the pipe, then have DW turn the water on. That successfully cleared the blockage.
Forever after, we watched closely when flushing the toilet. If it "burped" (a bubble came up through the water in the bowl), that meant either the tank was full, or the pipe was blocked again. If dumping didn't stop the burp, then it was again time for the hose down the pipe, and time to review the proper procedures for using the toilet.
Good luck.

CM1, USN (RET)
2010 North Trail 28BHS TT
Daily Driver: '14 Subaru Outback
Toy: '05 Wrangler Unlimited
Towing: 1999 Dodge QC LWB, Cummins, Auto, 4X4
Other toys: 2 Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATVs.
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Posted By: JoeGood988 on 10/21/09 05:33pm

Water, Water, Water, Water,,,,,you can never have too much water in your tank. There should be 2/3 water and 1/3 waste when you empty the tank. The force of all that water trying to get out the hole sucks most of the waste out with it. Every time you use the toilet, fill the toilet back up at least two times and dump it in there. I just stand and let water run in for about a minute after every use. Yes, you will dump more often but it will empty your tank without problems.

2003 3330 Jayco Legacy

Posted By: Fiverwheel on 10/21/09 05:36pm

I am assuming that you are not hooked up and that you do not leave your dump valve open to the sewer. If that is the case shut the valve and dump only when the tank is full.
Close the dump valve and put a gallon of vinegar into the tank to disolve the paper and solids. Give it 24 hours and flush it out real good. Should do the trick!

2006 34' Monaco Cayman

Posted By: retired frog on 10/21/09 06:19pm

I had the same problem caused by TP... the more I pushed the worse it got. Got my Shop Vac, removed the plastic extension on the hose & sucked the clog out using the flexible hose. You wouldn't believe the mess I pulled out!!! Good luck!

Posted By: 7.3 psdman on 09/27/10 04:59am

Neighbor in the rv park just had a problem with something caught in the cross pipe under the toilet. He finally used a piece of hose with a fish tape inside to clear it out. Fish tape alone wasn't big enough and must have been slipping past but when he stuck the fish tape inside the hose it made the right combo. Hope this helps somebody out sometime.---Tom

Posted By: Crackerssouth on 09/27/10 06:08am

A 5 foot piece of 1/2" pex tubing with a 5" bend at each end. Shove it down the drain till it hits bottom, then spin it like a snake. Works EVERY time. Wash it off with bleach.

Experience is the result of too many mistakes

2008 F350 6.4L 4x4
2011 Heartland Big Country

Posted By: joelc on 09/27/10 06:49am

If it won't go down, check first to be sure nothing is caught. Be sure your tank is not full. The only other thing I can think of is it must have something to do with Mexico. No further comment.

Posted By: Dave H M on 09/27/10 06:58am

When this post popped up agin, I had a flashback to the early days.

Wasn't that term applied to some of the female gender? [emoticon]

Posted By: Dave H M on 10/21/09 06:23pm

do a seach for poop pyramid. easy to ressolve with the wand.

Posted By: JoeGood988 on 10/21/09 06:33pm

Adding water, drop a bag or two of ice cubes down the toilet and drive. The ice cubes bouncing around inside your tank breaks up deposits. Do this before you leave home and when you arrive at your campground, hook up and dump what you broke loose. After dumping, add 5-10 gallons of water, a bottle of blue chemical and enjoy the weekend. Add lots of water and dump before leaving the campground. Keep 5-10 gallons of water + chemical so as you travel, water & chemical slosh around and will keep "stuff" from sticking.

Posted By: dww8 on 10/21/09 06:36pm

Sometimes it's as simple as putting a lot of water (like your home toilet) in the bowl before using. That will give you more flushing action...It's a crappy business

Doug and Karen
2007 Newmar Caynon Star 3642 F53 V10
2010 Kia Forte "Toad"
Midnite the wonder dog


Posted By: Likes to tow on 10/21/09 07:15pm

Mine has a turn or 30 degree elbow right below the toilet. You can see it is not a straight shot all the way down. Problem we had was trying to conserve water and not flushing it good. We did not hold the valve open long enough and it built up a paper dam somewhere near the 30 degree turn. When I got it cleaned out and trained the wife on holding the flush valve open longer the problem never returned.

Posted By: campNride on 10/22/09 04:43am

I do the bag of ice trip every so often to keep things cleaned out and knocked loose. Works good for me and keeping things down along wiht plenty of water....

2007.5 Dodge Ram 2500
2004 Wanderer Wagon Toyhauler
1997 XR400R Plated
2003 Polaris Trailboss 330

Posted By: lat471 on 10/22/09 06:06am

What fiverwheel said. Keep your dump valve CLOSED until the tank is full then dump. You may want to use a hose down the toilet after the tank is empty.

07 Cameo F35FD3
The Black Cloud


Posted By: cwit on 10/22/09 06:25am

Always keep the toilet side higher than the discharge side if not a direct drop. If you leave toilet side lower then all solids will settle there.




Posted By: JoeGood988 on 10/22/09 06:34am

CWIT is right except you need to know where the pipe is attached to your tank. All sewer hookups are on the drivers side of an RV but like my unit, the black pipe goes all the way across my Rv and attaches to the passenger side of the tank. So I have to make sure the drivers side of my trailer is higher than the passenger side for proper drainage. Only a 2-3 degree rise, just enough so fluids run towards the exit hole.

Posted By: sbmowrey on 10/22/09 07:12am

Dale_S wrote:

jimw606 wrote:

I had this problem once, and my dealer said, that he had seen the down pipe too deep in the black tank. Had to remove the tank and shorten the pipe. Mine was just the age old problem of not using enough water, I think, Jim

Sister had the same problem with hers. Ended up emptying the tank, dropping the tank, cutting the pipe off about 2", and reassembling. There was only about a 1/4" to 1/2" between the bottom of the toilet drain pipe and the bottom of the tank. After the fix, she has not had the issue.


Just read through this post and this seems to be a good answer for a reoccurring problem. The input pipe is too close to the cone in the tank and restricts the flow.

2006 Mandalay 40G
2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Posted By: youroo on 10/22/09 09:56am

If the person who drilled the holes in the black tank let the scrap disk fall into the tank at install,you are in for off&on problems!The disk will float around the tank and block the discharge outlet,sometimes! Dont ask how I know,dont ask how to fix,it will make you sick!! Youroo!!

Posted By: DKean on 10/22/09 10:54am

Something else to try. Blue stuff in tank,liquid water softener and dawn blue dish soap. The water softener stops the sticking to the sides of the tank. And use lots of WATER WATER WATER. The only problem with using lots of WATER is you will have to dump more often. But you already know what will happen if you don't use enough WATER. Remember in an RV black tank WATER is your friend. One more thing don't dump until the black is full or almost full. If you are leaving the CG before the black tank is full don't dump the tank until the next CG. If you must dump with less then a full black tank add lots of WATERthen dump.

We now have a 2018 Ford Explorer,2wheel drive.

Posted By: 80psi on 10/22/09 07:26pm

Flush your tank, flush your tank, flush your tank. Use dawn dish soap and water softener, fill your tank and let it set a day or two. Flush your tank, flush your tank and then flush your tank. If you will flush your tank after every other dump and add water softener and water to your tank after each dump you will have no more problems. This will also clean your tank sensors. This requires a dump station, and alot of water but its worth the time and effort. Also buy a clear 3 inch to mount between your dump valve and you dump hose to monitor how clean your water is.

Posted By: HawgGuy on 09/27/10 07:27am

I am with Joe. The best solution to pollution is dilution. I tend to be kind of anal (pun intended) about my black tank status.

Bob, Theresa, Alek, Emily
2011 Newmar Ventana 3962
1994 FLXR, stroked


Posted By: Chris on 09/27/10 07:55am

We winter in Arizona and I have added another step to our weekly Black Tank duties. I call it the super flush.

I have the in tank wash system and dump the tank on Wednesday Mornings.

1. Dump
2. Run the flush for a few minutes
3. Close the dump valve and let the flush system add water for four minutes.
4. Dump
5. Run the flush for a few minutes
6. Close the dump valve and let the flush system add water for four minutes.
7. Dump
8. New step - fill the Toilet Bowl completely full with water and perform the "Super Flush" or water bomb on any mound.
9. Repeat Super Flush.
10. View clear adapter for only clean water flushing out of the tank. Keep repeating steps above until you have clean water coming out.
11. Close the dump valve and run water in the tank for about one minute.

Wait a week and repeat. Warning: Do not let anyone distract you while running water into the tank with the flush system. I have a little stool and just sit right there at my "duty station" while Flushing.

Chris

* This post was edited 09/27/10 08:01am by Chris *

My Rig
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Posted By: Ford Man on 09/27/10 10:42am

I had this happen earlier this year and the toilet paper was stuck in the drain where the sewer hose hooks to the camper. Mine has a sewer boom on it where I do not have to remove the sewer hose each time. I"f this is your problem when you unclog it you had better be out of the way.

Posted By: laknox on 09/27/10 01:25pm

2 plus 2 wrote:

Well quite the response from everyone. Thank you. FYI, the flange opens but everything is piling up in the tank. Last year we did the "poke a stick", ran a snake, etc. And we messed with it for hoouuuurrrrsssssss. So we were thinking we weren't keeping enough water in it. So we're keeping water in it now and again having the same problem. We're letting time take its course right now and then we'll probably snake it. I tell ya....makes for wanting to 'hold it' all the time (LOL). Interesting thought about the long pipe into the tank though. We're spending 3-4 months down here in Mexico and hoping this isn't the beginning of 3-4 months of potty problems!


I had this problem on a recent boondocking trip. I was concerned with water use since we were out a day longer than normal, and it was plain that we simply weren't using enough water in the bowl to flush. With only girls (and me) allowed to use the loo, I guess too much TP just piled up and wasn't getting flushed down. Poked it down, followed by a couple full bowls, and it cleared up. One of these days I'm just going to find someone to pull a port-a-jon up there and keep the traffic out of my trailer. :-)

Lyle

2002 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Duramax Crew Cab 4x4 6.5' Bed
B&W Turnover Ball with 5th Wheel Companion
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1936 John Deere Model A
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