

Fix Leaking RV Toilet
Be sure that the blade valve is closing all
the way and does not have paper jammed in the slot it
closes into. If the blade is not seated, the valve will run
water. If that is not the problem, try putting your foot under
the pedal and gently lift up. If the valve closes and water
turns off, it is probably the spring that may require some
lubrication. If it doesn't turn off it is probably a faulty
valve. There is one other item that comes to mind and that is
the Vacuum breaker. It has been a long time but I think that
also can cause leaking into the bowl. I am going to check that
out.
Here is a link to
Thetford FAQ's
Turn off the
water to your rig so you can depress the pedal without
filling your tank. When you depress the pedal, get down low
and look inside with a flashlight behind the pedal. You will
see the mechanism/spring. While holding the pedal down spray
some lube on the moving parts. It is probably better to use
silicon spray instead of WD40 as silicon will not attract as
much dust.
Installing toilet?
I have a flat 1/2" ratchet wrench kind of
like a box wrench which makes the job pretty easy. I can have
the toilet out in about 10 minutes. I reach around behind the
toilet and feel for the nut. Put the ratchet on it and loosen
the nut. Then I can usually turn it off by hand. For the front
it is necessary to depress the pedals (water supply / with
pump turned off) so you can get the ratchet over the nut. You
can put (wedge) something in the hole to keep the blade valve
open which will keep the pedals out of the way. I have used a
spray can with a string securely tied to it just in case it
fell thru, which has never happened. The front can also
usually be turned off by hand once loosened. Before you start
be sure to have a new "doughnut",the rubber flange gasket, for
between the toilet and flange. It is also not a bad idea to
have a new fitting that attaches the plumbing to the toilet
just in case it gets stripped or damaged in any way. If you
have the space, you might want to put in a shutoff valve where
the water line goes into the toilet. This is cheap and if you
have to work on the toilet again, you won't have to turn off
all water to the trailer. Check out any fittings you might
need and buy them before you start. Anything you don't use can
be returned. If you need it and don't have it, you will not be
a happy camper. It has taken me longer to write this than to
change out a toilet. I have performed that job many times over
the past 30 years. Be sure to carefully line up and thread the
coupling, it is easy to cross thread. Another thing is that
the coupling doesn't need to be much more than hand tight. If
it is leaking, tighten a bit more. Oh I almost forgot, putting
the toilet back on is basically a reversal. Line up the two
bolts and the toilet and just ease the toilet down on them.
Get the nuts started and just snug them a bit then check for
orientation of the toilet. When it is straight, tighten a bit
at a time front and back so you compress the gasket evenly.
You will do that before making the plumbing connection. Good
luck
Bad odor from the toilet?
Try cleaning the slot that the blade slides
into when you release the pedal. There are two bolts that
secure the toilet. One behind the pedals and one behind the
lower left corner (facing the toilet). Try tightening those to
compress the seal. Do not over tighten just snug them up. Try
that BEFORE you go to the trouble of removing the toilet. As
for the floor seal, they are pretty standard and easy to
replace.