RV toilet repairs: nobody likes to talk about them, but sometimes they’re necessary. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know to repair your RV toilet yourself. From toilet parts to troubleshooting tips, and from RV toilet seal repair to RV toilet replacement, we’ve got your covered!
- Common RV Toilet Problems And How to Fix Them
- Overview of RV Toilet Parts You Should Know
- RV Toilet Replacement
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Common RV Toilet Problems and How to Fix Them
First, let’s take a look at some of the most common RV toilet issues and how you can go about fixing them.
RV Toilet Stinks When Flushed
Occasionally an RV toilet stinks because of buildup in the black tank. This can be avoided by keeping your dump valve closed, ensuring your tank doesn’t leak, and using plenty of water when flushing. A buildup can be gotten rid of using a backflush tool. When backflushing, be sure to keep running the water through the tank until it comes out 100% clear and clean.
Another possibility is a clog in the vent pipe. Every RV has a pipe from the black tank to the roof, allowing methane gasses to escape. If this vent becomes clogged, those gasses can’t escape through the roof, and will instead come up out of the toilet when you flush.
To check a vent pipe for clogs and get rid of anything that could be obstructing the airflow, simply put a garden hose into the top of the pipe and run some water through it. If the water backs up onto the roof, there is a clog and you will need to use a stronger jet of water to dislodge it.
RV Toilet Leaking
First, look for any of these symptoms and determine exactly where the water is coming from.
- Is the water dripping from the upper part of the toilet during the flush cycle?
- Is the water leaking when the bowl is full?
- Is the water only around the base of the toilet?
Once you determine where the RV toilet is leaking you can decide what to do.
From the Upper Part of the Toilet
Let’s say your RV toilet leak is coming from the upper part of the toilet usually during the flush cycle. This could mean that your float seal in the vacuum breaker is not working right. Some toilets need you to buy a kit and replace the float seal. Other models must be taken apart and cleaned.
Only When the Bowl is Full
If the leaking only happens when the bowl is full of water. The first thing you want to do is inspect the unit for cracks. A crack above the normal usage area will cause a leak and it can often happen after winterization. In this case, the entire toilet will need to be replaced.
From the Floor
There is also the floor leak to consider. In this case, water will be coming from the base of the toilet usually after the flush is complete. Sometimes, it will leak without a flush cycle. If this is the case, you may need to replace the flange. The flange is the piece of wax or plastic that goes under the toilet and connects to the floor. To replace the flange you must pull the toilet.
From the Back of the Toilet
It is also possible that a leak can be coming from the water connection at the back of the toilet. Check to make sure the connection of the water inlet valve is tight.
Damaged Ball Seal
Sometimes a toilet seal will dry out over time and develop a slow, gradual leak. To prevent this you can coat the seal with vaseline with rubber gloves. You can also choose to use a substance called Plumber Grease. Keeping the seal moist may solve your problems or it may just be a good preventative measure.
If this doesn’t do the job, you will need to replace the seal entirely.
- Purchase the new seal kit, making sure to get the correct size.
- Turn off the water pump and city water source.
- Flush the toilet to relieve pressure.
- Disconnect water lines from toilet.
- Put on rubber gloves.
- Remove the top half of the toilet.
- Remove the old seal.
- Clean the area.
- Place the new seal in the flange.
- Bolt the top part of the toilet back into place.
- Reconnect water lines.
- Turn on the water pump or city water to test.
Clogged RV Toilet
If you have a clogged tank, it won’t dump completely—or at all, sometimes—meaning you’re left with old sewage hanging out in your tank for days, weeks, or even months on end.
Usually, a clog is caused by too much toilet paper and not enough water. Sometimes this means you aren’t flushing long enough; other times it’s because the dump valve was left open, allowing all liquids to leave the tank and leaving just the solids behind. A leaky black tank can also cause this same issue.
In any case, there are a number of methods for getting rid of such clogs:
- Some people will dump a bag of ice down the toilet and drive the RV around, allowing the ice to break up the clog.
- Others use special black tank chemicals to attempt to break up the clog.
- We’ve even heard of people using boiling water.
Our favorite method, however, is to backflush the tank using the same gadget we mentioned above. Just make sure your tank isn’t full already, as spraying more water into a full tank may cause it to back up into the toilet and your RV bathroom.
Drop in Water Pressure
If you notice a significant drop in water pressure at your toilet and the pressure elsewhere seems fine, the problem is likely a clogged filter screen inside the water valve.
To fix this, simply remove the water valve and clean the screen. Reassemble all of the parts and your toilet should be good as new.
Overview of RV Toilet Parts You Should Know
It is helpful to know the various parts of an RV toilet before you try to repair anything. Below, we have provided a quick overview of the various RV toilet parts, so you can head into your repairs armed with knowledge.
Ball and Seal
The main purpose of the toilet seal and ball is to serve as a barrier. There is a small amount of water that is held in place by both the seal and valve. This acts as a seal to prevent smells from coming into the cabin. If at any point in time the seal and valve fail to hold water (which occurs when the seal dries out), this part may need to be replaced.
Flush Pedal
In contrast to your toilet at home, most RV toilets have a foot pedal flush as opposed to the conventional handle flush. It’s important to understand that the functionalities of these foot pedals can differ for each toilet.
Some foot pedal flush toilets require the user to step on the pedal to flush the liquids, and then lift up the pedal to fill the bowl with water. On the other hand, other foot pedal flush toilets require the user to step halfway down to fill it with water, and fully step down in order to flush.
Regardless of how the foot pedal operates, it may require some trial and error when determining how each one behaves.
Hand Flush
The only major difference between the hand flush and the foot pedal flush is the appearance and location on the toilet.
Furthermore, this hand flush device operates similarly to the foot pedal device. If the user wishes to fill the toilet bowl with water, they must press the device halfway. Alternatively, if they wish to flush, they must press the device fully. All in all, this device replicates the same functionalities as the foot pedal flush.
Water Module
The sole purpose of this mechanism is to connect the toilet to the water supply. Without this device, there would be no water available for the toilet to use. Out of all the existing RV toilet parts, the water module has proven to be a primary cause of leaks.
Fortunately, RV toilet manufacturers offer their customers RV toilet repair parts. Overall, they are fairly simple to replace and there is no shortage of these prepackaged repair parts.
RV Toilet Replacement
For when you’ve tried all the fixes and nothing is working, it may be time to replace the toilet. Fortunately, this is not too terribly hard to do and the benefit of replacing your RV toilet is that you can choose the type of RV toilet that works best for you and your travel style.
Clearly, there is a lot to know about RV toilets and what to do when they aren’t working properly. Fortunately, you now know everything you need to know to tackle basic RV toilet troubleshooting all on your own. Why not fix that problem now, so you can get on the road sooner?
