Flush ball seal????

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Fastcar

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
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Daytona area
We have a dometic 310 toilet that will not hold water long in the bowl. I've removed the seal and cleaned it and reinstalled not much better. Nice that it is designed to be replaced from the top with no disassembley.

Anyway hth do I get this thing to hold water? I've poured hot water in and that holds much longer than cold water. I'm thinking it may be new seal time but I'm in New England now and finding one is about impossible.

tia
 
We just had the same problem with our Sealand toilet.  It was the seal.  We took all the information about the toilet to our RV dealer and he had to order one from Sealand.  It was about $33 for the kit.  Husband installed and it works great now.  Check with any RV dealer and I'm sure they can order you one.

Ruth
 
I tried dealers in the providence RI southeastern MA area and they say back order. Dometic has it but i've got to be where I can recieve a ups delivery. so i'm sorta looking for a way to liven up this seal.
 
gwcowgill said:
You might try putting some Vasoline on it as possible short term solution until you can get one.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... That's a thought. wonder if it is too much. Perhaps olive oil? Sorta remembering something about Vaseline having a detrimental effect on some rubber stuff. This seal is only a year or so old. as is the rest of this rig.
 
I had a similar issue and poured a little olive oil around the seal and that fixed it.  I suspect it was just somewhat dried out.
 
gwcowgill said:
We used Vasoline on the sealsa in transmissions during assembly so I don't be;ieve it will hurt the seal, Your Call.
Click to expand...

Yup, but those seals are designed to be used with a petroleum product. But I'm about at the wtf point so I guess I'll try whatever I come to first.

One quick thought. Isn't this also a friction seal? Imo it has to kinda grab onto the ball as the ball moves to it's closed position and then make a watertight seal. Wonder if too slippery will present a situation where a seal can not be made.
 
gwcowgill said:
I don't think so, it will simply lube and fill in the space. Forgot the name for it but it should work.
Click to expand...

Here's a bit of a update. I filled the bowl with about a quart of real hot water and let it sit while i hunted around for some vaseline. Anyway the water had cooled enough so I was able to stick my fingers in and push the lip of the seal downward all the way around so it is in hard contact with the flush ball. Flushed it a couple of times and almost there. More hot water and more downward pressure and it has been holding for the past 1/2 hour. I'll play this out one more time with the hot water and if no joy will go to the vaseline.

Thanks all for your thoughts and advice
 
Couldn't you just order a new seal(or 2) from an on-line supplier like P.P.L. and get them to ship it to you?  That way you would have one and a spare.
 
x10 on the vasoline. Put on the rubber gloves (optional of course) and wipe it all the way around on both sides of the seal. It also helped to move the seal edges up and down to loosen it up. I've had no seal problem's since I've done this but found I need to reapply it every so often.
Isn't this rving lifestyle glamorous?  ;D
 
Well, I ended up going with the vaseline and it has been working just fine. Thanks much for the advice.

But the story of this toilet doesn't end there. Sunday morning had some water at the base. So, I figure it is time for a base gasket, not a big deal. Probably not, if I could find the darn seal. Nobody, distributor,RV  place or marina has one. I guess, given the economy, all dealers stock is down. So, I call Dometic in OH and a very nice girl tells me that yup, they have them but it comes with the mounting plate and hardware. Told her it was already installedd and I needed just the seal/gasket. Sorry, but that is the only way you can get the seal/gasket. So luckily, seeing as it's a bit over a year old, it is still under warranty. Now, I wait for the UPS truck.

I gotta see if this seal will match up with something else before I install it. now, hopefully it is only the two mounting nuts clean and slip it all back together.

I'm wondering if it might be a idea to coat it with vaseline as well or should I put it together dry. Any thoughts?
 
I believe that the seal construction may be the key. Another alternative to Vasoline might be lard or Crisco which should be compatible. I have always used some sort of lube on seals during assembly because it not only holds them in place but lubes them especially where the seal is subject to movement. I am wondering if those seals are a common "O" ring seal thart might be able to be found elsewhere.
 
Swimming pool contractors use a silicone based lube to assemble piping with rubber seals, and it works great on the rubber seal of the toilet because water does not wash it off.
Product is sold in small containers and costs about $5.  I use it and would recommend it because it works.
CarlGeo
 
CarlGeo said:
Swimming pool contractors use a silicone based lube to assemble piping with rubber seals, and it works great on the rubber seal of the toilet because water does not wash it off.
Product is sold in small containers and costs about $5.  I use it and would recommend it because it works.
CarlGeo
Click to expand...

Good idea!!
The lube that one would use on the O-ring on the pool pre filter strainer. That stuff really clings to everything it touches.
 
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