Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: jwg1199 on November 11, 2019, 06:04:48 pm
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Black tank valve is leaking. I've tried flushing several times. No luck. Moved valve manually by removing Barker elect opener. The valve is hard to move and the Barker is now popping opening and closing. Still works though.. So I'm going to replace both. Any advice on replacing the valve and electric opener. Yes I will dump the tank first lol
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Check with Carol at PC first to make sure, but for a long time they were using Bristol valves, if so it is far easier to get a new Bristol valve and just remove the "center" of the valve and not the inlet and outlet portions. Just make sure you replace the rubber seals that sit in the inlet and outlet pieces that seal the "blade" that opens and shuts.
I believe, after you remove the Barker, there's only 4 bolts to get the center piece out and in. I have done that on my PC black tank valve, the hardest part is getting the inlet and outlet pieces to separate enough to get the center piece out. But that is far easier than cutting the inlet and outlet pieces off and trying to adapt the 3" line to the whole new valve and sealing all with ABS cement!
Don
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Yes I will dump the tank first lol
Dump through the three inch and flush several times. Maybe give the macerator a run also to be as clean as you can get it. John used the macerator and skipped the three inch and it was nasty. There must be a little jog in there that trapped solids... until they pulled the valve.
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If servicing the black tank system, I recommend first doing what I do at home at the end of every RV season.
Open the black tank valve so the cleaning process includes the gravity drain piping and macerator. Fill the black tank with hot water. While it is filling, add 1/3 gallon of standard laundry bleach. I have a service sink in my garage that I hook a garden hose to for hot water, and fill the black tank directly through the toilet. Screwed on the end of the garden hose, I use that common 18" white RV wand with the little yellow shut-off from Walmart. I fill the tank to within a few inches from the toilet flushing valve. I then run the macerator a little then quickly screw on the end cap. This allows the macerator system to be cleaned. After a 2 to 3 hour soak, I run the macerator for a minute, then let the rest rush out the gravity drain. I repeat the entire process without bleach because bleach will damage the system if left inside.
We don't do #2 in our toilet so the only solids discharged are remnants of toilet paper. I also do this to the gray tank. The reason I do this is because our PC is in our garage, located under our bedroom. It's all about eliminating odors. 12 years of this practice and our PC has never had valve issues, nor any odors inside the PC, nor in the garage.
I do wonder if you followed my process, just maybe your valve will clean up and work well again. The key is using "hot" water. I add the bleach primarily to disinfect the discharge for my local environment and make the system fresh like new. But the bleach might also help dissolve whatever is making your waste tank valve sticky. In your case, during the 2 to 3 hour soaking process, I would exercise the sticking valve so the hot bleach solution soak will be more effective.
Just my thoughts.
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Check with Carol at PC first to make sure, but for a long time they were using Bristol valves, if so it is far easier to get a new Bristol valve and just remove the "center" of the valve and not the inlet and outlet portions. Just make sure you replace the rubber seals that sit in the inlet and outlet pieces that seal the "blade" that opens and shuts.
I believe, after you remove the Barker, there's only 4 bolts to get the center piece out and in. I have done that on my PC black tank valve, the hardest part is getting the inlet and outlet pieces to separate enough to get the center piece out. But that is far easier than cutting the inlet and outlet pieces off and trying to adapt the 3" line to the whole new valve and sealing all with ABS cement!
Don
Great advice.
EXACTLY what I did on mine. Easy job.
But I did bring it to work and cleaned it many many times at the dump station first. Thats a MUST.
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Took more time contemplating the job than doing it. I changed mine out in all of 20 mins once I had tools and bucket etc set aside. I only changed out the black as my gray was fine but it only would have added roughly 8-10 mins to do the gray at the same time. I installed a valterra purchased on amazon, roughly $15. Keep in mind if your valve is leaking by due to something stuck in the seat path changing out just the slide won’t fix it. Also there is no need to cut anything to replace the entire assembly. It’s four bolts, the new unit comes with new seals. A monkey with two bananas could do the swap out.
An oil change drain pain works perfect for run off.