sewer won't drain

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krd

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Dec 14, 2012
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I bought this used 1994 carri-lite RLS 5th wheel and shortly afterward started having trouble with sewer. Black tank won't drain. I tried pulling/pushing the valve (which was already open), tried using the internal "sewer hose" to clean out it thinking maybe TP had plugged it up since I was out of camp chem, tried running a sewer bladder up from the outside thru the drain (which is about 5ft from outlet down side of RV to valve area, tried WD 40 on valve thinking maybe stuck,  none of which were effective. It's now full and draining out the bottom of the RV; old owner said only draining out the bottom if was full and came out the vents and previously I found that to be true, so assume still full. Yesterday I used the internal hose and water/crap backed clear up into my toilet; put a huge bottle of camp chem down it to make sure anything there dissolved, now camp chem draining out the bottom on the ground. Only 2 other things I know of are the vents are plugged but I don't know where they are on this (had bus model before) or the valve handle broke off and valve is stuck shut (altho feels like its working). The valve on this model is not accessible like my others have all been where I could just see if broken or unbolt and put a new one on. ANY help would be appreciated. karen
 
Black tank vent goes up through the roof, a standard plumbing vent pipe. But venting isn't your problem - if it was flushing the toilet would relieve any vacuum, as would those leaks that are letting fluid out onto the ground underneath.  Some day you ought to fix the connection between toilet and tank so it doesn't leak there.

I doubt if that bottle of "camp chem" did anything useful -  Draino or similar would been a more likely aid.

It sure sounds as though the drain valve isn't opening or maybe the fluid is frozen in the outlet pipe? Is that possible where you are?
 
Some of the Carriage models have a cable that connects the T handle to the valve. When it breaks it still feels like its working. There should be a cover over the valves that you can remove to inspect the valves. You should be able to manualy pull the blade out  with this cover off. With tanks that full it's not going to be a fun job if you have to remove the valve.
 
With tanks that full it's not going to be a fun job if you have to remove the valve.

There's a couple of things you can try before giving up and removing the valve .....

If the cable broke outside the valve, see if there's anything sticking out that you can grab with a pair of pliers to pull the valve open (with sewer hose connected, of course).

Barring that, take a hacksaw and cut off both sides of the rectangle the gate slides into when you pull the handle.  Don't saw through the white plastic blade, just the housing around it.  Then you should be able to grab the blade with a pair of pliers and pull it out far enough to drain the tank.  Don't pull it all the way out or you'll have a leak.

Then flush the tank well and you'll have a relatively clean work area while you replace the valve.
 
Lou Schneider said:
There's a couple of things you can try before giving up and removing the valve .....

If the cable broke outside the valve, see if there's anything sticking out that you can grab with a pair of pliers to pull the valve open (with sewer hose connected, of course).

Barring that, take a hacksaw and cut off both sides of the rectangle the gate slides into when you pull the handle.  Don't saw through the white plastic blade, just the housing around it.  Then you should be able to grab the blade with a pair of pliers and pull it out far enough to drain the tank.  Don't pull it all the way out or you'll have a leak.

Then flush the tank well and you'll have a relatively clean work area while you replace the valve.

My thought's exactly.  8)

I would do the very same thing to gang control of the sewer valve and get the tank drained out and cleaned up as good as possible then replace the valve.
 

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