Fix for Broken Flush Line?

[Galway Girl]

I was dumping and flushing tanks  today and noticed water coming out of the scupper in front of the flush port. 

I turned off the flush line and the water stopped.  I finished my dump by passing a hose inside and filling the toilet from the top.

upon inspection I found that the flush port line running forward to the black tank is floppy loose, and I assume snapped or popped off from the harsh roads in the Yukon/Alaska.  It’s loose way up front where I don’t have access.

 

Anyone know where the black tank flush lines run, how they are accessed for repair?  
 

I’ve turned in a ticket but assume a field repair isn’t possible. 

Craig - Hull 505

[Mike and Carol]

The black flush line enters the trailer, makes a 90 degree turn and enters the side of the black tank.  All of this is accessible from the rear dinette seat.  I had to replace my backflow valve and it is mounted on the flush line just where it enters the tank.  The only picture I can find right now is where the flush line enters the black tank.  This is looking from above, the side of the trailer is at top, the side of the black tank on the right.  We have a 7+ year old trailer, I don’t know if they’ve made any changes here.

[Galway Girl]

Thanks…after service contacted me they said the new design has hose come in from side port, then all the way up under the sink to a valve.  
 

If you have the flush system where the lines run around the front of the tank then it has a vacuum break under the bathroom sink. That is where it is most likely leaking. You would need to remove the bath vanity insert (4 screws & caulk). The system runs up to that break which keeps any tank water from flowing to the inlet.

 

The hose continues as a loop back from the front of the tank back to the flush input as you’ve shown.

 

Vacuum break valve located under sink now used on newer trailers.   
 

I’ll tear into this when I get home.

 

took this out our rear windo this am at Meziadin lake PP BC    We had been sitting out there the night before! 

 

 

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, Galway Girl said:

Thanks…after service contacted me they said the new design has hose come in from side port, then all the way up under the sink to a valve.  
 

If you have the flush system where the lines run around the front of the tank then it has a vacuum break under the bathroom sink. That is where it is most likely leaking. You would need to remove the bath vanity insert (4 screws & caulk). The system runs up to that break which keeps any tank water from flowing to the inlet.

 

The hose continues as a loop back from the front of the tank back to the flush input as you’ve shown.

 

That’s quite a change.

[topgun2]

13 hours ago, Galway Girl said:

We had been sitting out there the night before! 

More than likely - so were they!

[John E Davies]

I suspect that other owners were breaking the old style line by putting heavy stuff in that storage compartment. While you are in the bath cabinet, secure all the other loose parts that flop around. Maybe the next bad roads won’t break stuff. I bet that very heavy brass vacuum breaker doesn’t have a support bracket. 

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9039-how-to-bath-sink-compartment-mods-duct-rework-insulation-disconnect-flush-line/

What tire pressures? I always ask when owners report this sort of failure. I towed over all kinds of nasty roads including British Columbia  and never had problems at 42 psi and careful driving (ie slow down for those visible tire eating potholes and whoop-de-dos…)

Please post lots of pics, this is informative. Thanks.

John Davies

Spokane WA 

[John E Davies]

Found that part,

Cash Acme 1/2 Inch V-101 Anti-Siphon Vacuum Breaker, Brass Plumbing Fitting, 17383-0000

FYI it is about 6 ounces and designed to attach to rigid pipe like a house hose bib. It should be mounted with the diaphragm (plate) facing up, so water will drain out and not pool.

FYI that white check valve will function in any position, but ideally it should be horizontal to rule out the effect of gravity and road bumps. If yours is vertical, you could switch the position of the 90 degree elbow to correct that.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[Rivernerd]

14 hours ago, Galway Girl said:

If you have the flush system where the lines run around the front of the tank then it has a vacuum break under the bathroom sink. That is where it is most likely leaking. You would need to remove the bath vanity insert (4 screws & caulk). The system runs up to that break which keeps any tank water from flowing to the inlet.

This is an exemplary, and prompt, response from Oliver Service.  Such responsiveness is one reason we chose an Oliver. 

[mossemi]

15 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

All of this is accessible from the rear dinette seat.

Mine looks like yours except it is accessed from the forward dinette seat.  Is that a typo?

Mossey

[mossemi]

14 hours ago, Galway Girl said:

Vacuum break valve located under sink now used on newer trailers.

I assume Oliver provided the picture of the San-T-Flush vacuum breaker and you haven’t taken yours apart yet.

Mossey

[Mike and Carol]

16 minutes ago, mossemi said:

Mine looks like yours except it is accessed from the forward dinette seat.  Is that a typo?

Mossey

Yep.  It’s the dinette seat next to the bath, toward the front of the trailer where the black tank is.  Mike

[Galway Girl]

After digging into the "leaking / broken flush line" issue...I found that the problem was not the air trap under the sink area, nor was it any of the hoses leading to/from the air trap. 

FYI - The air trap valve (above pix)  is held in place on the front side of the sink cubby.
Oliver uses screw head zip ties and that's then attached onto a piece of core board that was epoxied to the inside of the sink.

Since the sink was open, I labeled the lines to/from the Air Trap valve and then moved on to find the real problem leak.

The broken part was actually the flush inlet port on street side of the trailer.

To test this I capped off the flush input line at the point it would normally enter the anti siphon valve. (1/2" NPT Male Cap).
Next I had my wife turn on the water, and looked at the street side port under the dinette seat by the bathroom.  
When she turned it on , water was gushing around the connection.

I recall that flush port got tweaked once as I had tripped over the hose while it was connected to that port.
The port was pretty loose...and likely the copper to brass connection inside had cracked and finally let go.

I've replaced the external port with this new San-T-Flush port, and all is fixed and no more leaks.

To mount this port, Oliver uses butyl tape on the back side to make a flat surface, then two screws into the body of the trailer.
(I'm planning to fabricate a backing plate and change from screws to bolts on the next repair if needed.)

Now my last step will be to re-caulk the bathroom storage cubby on the front of the sink.

CS