Grey tank full but valve open

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Carin

Carin

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2017
Posts
53
Location
Arizona
According to the panel and the kitchen sink the rear grey tank is full. Problem is - the valve is open.

Went out to see if it was indeed open and yes it us. BUT the valve won't close. Does this mean the valve is broken?

Why would panel show tank is full if the valve us open? 

Now what?  Grrrrrrrr
 
Maybe something (food or other debris) is stuck on the sensors? You could try rinsing it out.

Or it could simply be a sensor failure.
 
First, the gauge may be incorrect, they are extremely unreliable.

It might be that the handle has disconnected and is not actually pulling the valve blade.

Is your valve where you can see into it using a flashlight?  Is it cable operated?  Could you post photo of the valve?
 
1.  Using your best guess, how full is the tank?  Generally, do not trust the gauge.  Could it really be empty?

2. The handle MAY be a separate, but more important issue.  The tank may be "stuck" open.  When you say the valve won't close, is a cable activated valve and the cable stuck out?  How do you determine will not close?

One gadget I saw recently while just looking around is this:

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_12?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cable+luber+tool&sprefix=cable+lumber%2Caps%2C161&crid=3L4YEVNRQKP56

It MAY solve your problem by lubing the cable.  It is strapped around the end of the cable, then forces lube down the center.

NOTE:  I do not have one, nor used one.  I saw it on a you tube video.
 
Can you take a picture of your valve setup and post? I have 3 valves on my Sunset Trail, 1 for black and 2 grey. If you turn on your water is your sink not emptying? If it is can , sink is emptying, you can leave the water running and check outside to see if it is passing through? My sink drain valve sits back further than the other 2.
Just a thought
 
according to the original post, apparently the sink is not draining so the logical suspect is the valve not opening. For a kitchen situation, there are usually two valves involved: the valve close to the tank and the main discharge valve where the sewer hose is connected. If you can empty the other grey and/or black tank, the main discharge valve is not the problem. In that case, the kitchen tank valve is probably the culprit. I suspect your problem is the connection from the valve handle to the knife valve at the tank.
 
The valve is open according to the handle. It will not close.
Tried to take a pic but file too big. The sink won't drain.  I can't leave the water on it will overflow.

The bottom if the trailer is sealed (Arctic pkg). So all I can see is a slot where the "T" handle comes out. It is definitely out.

What do I do?
 
Unfortunately, it sounds like a cable problem. The belly will have to be opened up to investigate. A square can be cut into the fabric, but only cut three sides, with the fourth side attached forming a flap. When done fixing the problem, tape it back up with Gorilla tape.
 
kdbgoat said:
Unfortunately, it sounds like a cable problem. The belly will have to be opened up to investigate. A square can be cut into the fabric, but only cut three sides, with the fourth side attached forming a flap. When done fixing the problem, tape it back up with Gorilla tape.
Click to expand...

Make sure you make a big enough hole so that you can work in it. I'd make a small 6" cut first, pull it down then decide which way to cut after looking up inside for the valve.  If the 1st cut is in a wrong location, just tape it up and move on.
 
I recently bought an endoscope with a 5 meter line for around $20.  It connects to a laptop or smart phone with a USB.  Run it up the pipe and take a look.

https://smile.amazon.com/Endoscope-Depstech-Borescope-Inspection-Adjustable/dp/B0749BQG1B/ref=pd_ybh_a_40?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=F2YWZMD650SHEGP7PPXZ
 
Thanks for all the info. Fortunately this trailer is brand new and under warranty. So I will take it to the dealer.

Btw - this morning during breakfast both sides of the sink burped and drained. Pretty loud and scared me and the doggies. Then had a good laugh.
 
Must be clogged up sink. If memory serves me correctly I believe the shower pan would fill up with waste water if your gray tank was full....
 
john owens said:
Must be clogged up sink. If memory serves me correctly I believe the shower pan would fill up with waste water if your gray tank was full....
Click to expand...

Only if they are hooked up to the same gray tank. The kitchen sink may be on a tank by itself. The OP  did specify rear tank, which leads me to believe there's a front tank.
 
Yes I have 4 tanks
1 fresh water tank
1 black tank in front along with 1 grey tank for shower and sink. Both come out of same port.
1 grey tank in rear for kitchen. Only the kitchen is full and won't drain.
Can I put drano down it??
 
No, don't use draino. If you have a double kitchen sink, make sure both sides are not plugged with the stoppers. Go to Home Depot, Lowes, hardware, Wally World etc and get plastic drain cleaners. The look like a double edge saw. Use these to clean the drain. Also, undo the trap under the sink and make sure it is clear.

You said it is a brand new so it is kinda unlikely it's stopped up with food waste. I think the dealer should fix the problem even if you get the sink to drain for now.
 
Do not use Drano or anything else. Get it to the dealer for warranty, call a mobile tech to repair the valve/cable, or crawl under, cut the belly and fix it yourself. I'm not trying to sound cold, but the problem needs to be fixed, and made worse by adding chemicals that could possibly hurt whoever does the repair.
 
I agree.  It's still under warranty and I have an appt on October 1st.
 
If I had a trailer under warranty, and couldn't use my sink for a month, the dealer would really get tired of me. A couple of days of us doing our dishes in their breakroom, and they would be fixing my trailer TODAY! A month to fix a valve when the sink is full of water is way out of line.
 
It is a pain - but I am not near a dealer. So I have to wait until I leave this area and drive to them.  Hence, the wait time.
 
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