black water jets

[randye]

The last time I flushed the black water tank, I ran the jets that are in the black water tank and my DW yelled water was coming out under the fuse box in the kitchen. I went to the basement and found water puddle under the invertor. I mopped it all up and continued looking for the cause. I think the connection is further on were I can't see behind wall board. This spring when its warmer and dry, I will take the wall apart and see if thats were the leak is. My question is has anyone else had the jets in the black water tank hose spring a leak? Until its fixed I made up a washing wand out of pvc with a leaf gutter spray nozzle,to run down the throat of the toliet. Thanks for you time. Randye

[illapah]

What rig is this on? Could it be the gizmo (I want to call it a pressure relief valve) that sometimes fails and sprays water?
I know that someone will come along and clear all this up.

[bsmeaton]

Randye,

Sounds like a broken anti-siphon valve. They are mounted about 3' up from the top of the black tank, with the hose running up to it and then back out and down to the black tank. It is a diaphram open to air. When water pressure hits it, it closes and allows water to flow into the black tank. When the water pressure turned off, the diaphram opens and lets air into the line to allow the line to drain. The idea is to create an airgap so bacteria does not flow upstream into your potable water supply you hook up with to flush.

They are plastic, and they break. Because they need mounted high, they get stashed in the walls or behind fixtures. You can follow the hoses, or if you let everbody know the model/year you have they can probably tell you where it is. (i.e. 3400RL located behind access panel in pantry - up against back of shower wall).

If that is what has broke, the water is at least clean.

[illapah]

Aha! Anti siphon valve. That is what I was trying to say!

[sreigle]

On our 3400 that valve is between the kitchen pantry and the shower wall. In the pantry is an access panel. The valve in ours is actually just below the opening for that access panel. If I ever need to get in there I'll enlarge the opening and put in a larger cover.

Randye, that valve should have two lines coming into it from below. The valve connects the two, causing the assembly to look like an uside down U. While I think it's best to replace the anti-siphon valve, a temporary fix to get you by would be to either cap the lines or use some tubing to connect the two lines together. Temporarily.

I don't know which model you have. Yours may be located elsewhere but like the others I'd bet this is the culprit. That valve has been reported to fail by others on this forum over the years.

[randye]

My Montana is a 2007 3485SA. only leaks when I use the jets to wash out the Black tank.