Black Water Siphon Valve Repair!#%&*

[mach111]

Well, I endured the dreaded black water valve repair this past weekend. I have '09 2980RL so the valve was behind the shower faucets where the pocket door slides. I had to remove TV and cut hole to access. The valve was pouring water so I am glad for the info all of you had posted in prior post covering the fix. I followed Dick's advice and removed the valve and hooked pipes together. I will install a better quality valve in convenience center. WHY

[kdeiss]

Under the bath sink in my 2955RL easy to get at

[Phil P]

Hi

Ours was supposed to be under the vanity sink. When I looked they had just hooked the 2 lines together and never install the suction breaker valve.



Phil P

[Ozz]

Phil, wouldn't that be a vacuum breaker by design?

[BB_TX]

Repaired mine back in May. Behind the shower wall and pocket door, but behind my entry closet. There was a cutout with a cover in the closet, but nothing behind the cover. But I could reach in and feel the valve several inches below and to the left of the opening so I knew where to cut a new one. The valve was basically shattered!
Was going to replace the valve but no RV parts store had one or knew where to get one. I finally traced the name on the valve to a place in Houston and bought a new one. But when I received it, I could see stress fractures all around the molded curves and ridges (it was clear plastic so easy to see them). Obvious manufactureing problem. Then I knew why the original was so badly broken. Marked them and sent it back and they gave a refund. So I just used fittings to connect the pipes together and bought a check valve to use at the outside fitting.
I don't really think there is much chance of siphoning back but use the check valve just to make sure.

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by Ozz

Phil, wouldn't that be a vacuum breaker by design?

Hello Ozz

Only if there was some way air can get in at the high point.

The way my trailer was put together if I fill the black tank full so water is standing in the toilet and then ran some water thru the flush system. Then disconnect the hose or the water system I was using for a source failed it would siphon the water out of the black tank until the spray nozzle in the tank could get air.

That is what the anti-siphon valve is supposed to prevent.

The way my trailer was put together there was not a check valve in this line anywhere and no anti-siphon valve.

The fitting in the water center was not caulked under the trim piece or at the back of the water hose connection.

The drain in the floor of the water center was not caulked.

The potable water line did not have a check valve at the water hose connection and was not caulked.

Every time I flushed the black tank when I disconnected the water hose water ran out of the fitting. I didn’t think anything of this because there is a drain in the floor.

Every time I disconnected the potable water hose water ran out of the fitting as well. Again there is a drain in the floor of the water center.

Thirteen months latter I go to close the black tank valve and my hand goes thru the wall of the water center.

I crawl in the basement to take the basement wall down. My knee goes thru the floor.

Call Keystone customer support.

I am informed that because the manual with the trailer requires me to re-caulk the trailer every 3 months that they have no liability.

When I point out that the part that leaked water was not where I could see it without disassembling the trailer I am told I am required to disassemble the trailer at 3 months including removing the sink and shower drains to re-caulk them.

I tried for almost a year before having this repaired. About $9,900.00.

The big slide was a similar problem. I found 3 other owner's that had the same problem with the big slide. Keystone repaired theirs but refused to repair mine. When I pointed out and provided the VIN numbers of the other trailers their comment was “we don’t cross check those things” or something like that.

Another about $9,900.00.

This is only the big items that Keystone refused help with.

This trailer was only 1 week old when I returned it to the dealer because the potable water system flooded the basement because the water lines were not hooked up.

Then it was 2 weeks old when I returned it to the dealer because when we tried to use the shower the bathroom was flooded because the shower enclosure was not caulked.

Some where I have a list of all items that failed during the warranty period it will take up 3 single spaced pages of lined notebook paper.

Then on top of that when I couldn’t get help from Keystone I started calling the manufacturer of items like the tires, wheels, axels, and liquid tank level indicators etc. The response I got from all of them when I started asking question was “that is not the product we recommend for that application”.

Sorry OZZ you ask me about it. LOL

Phil P

PS:
Tthe back flush and the potable water lines now have hose connection fittings installed that have check valves in them.


Added the PS line

[K0LCB]

They told you to disassemble the trailer every 3 months to recaulk?

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by K0LCB

They told you to disassemble the trailer every 3 months to recaulk?

Yes they did. Then when I looked in the manual that came with the trailer it says to inspect the caulking every 6 months. But the way it is written it indicates they are talking about the caulking on the outside of the trailer.

Somewhere else on this forum I posted some advice to someone having warranty problems to make sure and try to get Keystone to communicate in writing. Use E-Mail or whatever possible. If Keystone returns a phone call in response to your E-Mail it is because they don’t want it in writing.

Never accept the excuse that the work was warranty for the dealer not giving you a copy of the work order. If the dealer says there isn’t a work order because it was warranty it is because he doesn’t want you to have proof the work was performed.

Phil P