Thetford Macerating Toilet

[Phil57]

Well just got off the phone with Thetford. It's hard to call it costumer service when they are so short and unhelpful. Anyway she said only two things would cause the issue. One is the J pipe being to low and the other is venting. I believe my J pipe is high enough so BT venting is the only other cause. I opened my drain and it still has issues. I don't know what else I can do to check the venting. She also said to check the voltage at the pad and at the back of the toilet. This is because I also can't set the water level. I need a new MM to do this as the cheap one I bought reads everything at 16+ volts. Why do I buy cheap junk?
Boo it looks like you were right on the vacuum being a possible cause. I just don't see it as my problem because mine does it even after I dump. It sounds like yours could be a vent issue as yours stops working as the tank levels get higher.
Any ideas.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by Phil57

Any ideas.

Yeah, my idea is to wait until you get to Goshen and see if some really bright individual might finally figure it out.

As far as your MM.... I have a Radio Shack I bought over 20 years ago; it was fairly inexpensive, has a nice feature set and still works very well.

I say this, because IMHO, Radio Shack never did sell much stuff that wasn't complete junk. One time I was in RS discussing a junk police scanner I had bought. The guy admitted that it was crap, then with out missing a beat, tried to sell me a "better" one. Is that balls, or what??

Boowho??

[15berkxl]

Boo could that be why they are out or going out of business lol.


Wayne

[boowho]

Originally Posted by 15berkxl

Boo could that be why they are out or going out of business lol.


Wayne

YEP!!!!


boowho??

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by 15berkxl

Boo could that be why they are out or going out of business lol.


Wayne

Where is my like button.

[jcowles3]

Have you checked the vent because if it was clogged to plumbed wrong when you flush the waste needs air behind it to move down the pipe... Without that the vacuum affect might happen to boohoo's point. I also assume the toilet is not above the black tank. Just 2 cents from the peanut gallery...


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[boowho]

Originally Posted by jcowles3

Have you checked the vent because if it was clogged to plumbed wrong when you flush the waste needs air behind it to move down the pipe... Without that the vacuum affect might happen to boohoo's point. I also assume the toilet is not above the black tank. Just 2 cents from the peanut gallery...


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

Thanks...... Will check you ideas.

Boowho??

[jcowles3]

Another thought is to add water after it has been sucked dry to see if it's an after flush thing or a constant thing... Are you stationary while this is happening?


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[boowho]

Originally Posted by jcowles3

Another thought is to add water after it has been sucked dry to see if it's an after flush thing or a constant thing... Are you stationary while this is happening?


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

Never moving when it happens...... You can't even get TO the rear bath when the slides are in.... That's why RB's have the second 1/2 bath; to use while on the road.

I DID try pouring a gallon of water slowly into the empty stool. It ran out and would not stay in there. I did NOT hear any belching or gurgling sound that would indicate (to me, anyway) that a vacuum existed.

This is incredible as the drain pipe from the stool is basically an upside down trap. There is no way the water should be able to run out UNTIL the water in the drain pipe is above the pipes highest point. And that highest point is level with a "line" that is nearly all the way up in the stool.

Yet that seems to be happening; water IS running uphill (seemingly).

Here is simple (crude) drawing to illustrate what I'm saying above.

Thanks for you interest.

Boowho??

[lefaivre]

Pardon my ignorance but what is the purpose of a macerating toilet. Is this what you use when on one of those extreme high fibre diets?

Personally we have a no poo policy in our MH

[tkdavis]

A Macerating toilet is basically a garbage disposal in your toilet. Breaks things down into much smaller pieces so they move through the system easier.

Terry & Kim
Dallas, Texas
2015 Berkshire 38A
2007 Jeep Wrangler JKU

[Phil57]

Originally Posted by lefaivre

Pardon my ignorance but what is the purpose of a macerating toilet. Is this what you use when on one of those extreme high fibre diets?

Personally we have a no poo policy in our MH

Because the RB model has a rear bath the poo needs to be pumped to the BT. It's to far to depend on gravity like most Rv toilets.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by tkdavis

A Macerating toilet is basically a garbage disposal in your toilet. Breaks things down into much smaller pieces so they move through the system easier.

Terry & Kim
Dallas, Texas
2015 Berkshire 38A
2007 Jeep Wrangler JKU

Actually, is pretty much liquefies everything. What comes out of the BT would pass easily thru a garden hose.

Boowho??

[Phil57]

Just to clarify the comment about it being like a garbage disposal. It's not. It a 12 V pump made of plastic and will jam if it encounters anything but poo and the correct paper. It is a most unpleasant task to take it apart and remove that which doesn't belong in the toilet. Just a warning most unpleasant!

[Phil57]

Boo a frustrating day for the Thetford guy. That guy tried everything. They have no idea why it won't work.
Things he ruled out where the j pipe is high enough
The black tank is not a vacuum.
He tested the voltage when flushing and it did drop to 11 volts for a second but quickly returned to 12.8.
They are still trying to come up with a fix.
I'll keep you posted.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by Phil57

Boo a frustrating day for the Thetford guy. That guy tried everything. They have no idea why it won't work.
Things he ruled out where the j pipe is high enough
The black tank is not a vacuum.
He tested the voltage when flushing and it did drop to 11 volts for a second but quickly returned to 12.8.
They are still trying to come up with a fix.
I'll keep you posted.

Thanks Phil...... Looks like the mystery just deepens.....

And maybe the "stuff" too????

[Phil57]

So the mystery remains with no answer. They are still working on it but Thetford (Norcold) says we need to add a ventless trap? to the line at the sewer line. No one at FR thinks that will fix the issue. Thetford did acknowledge that they have had several issues exactly like this and the issue is not just with FR. So this is what they want to add.
I totally disagree with the fix as I think this will make the poo go faster. They say it will slow it down.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I totally disagree with the fix as I think this will make the poo go faster. They say it will slow it down.

What has making the "poo" go faster (or slower) have to do with all the clear water (after a complete flush) failing to remain in the bowl.

If Thetford has seen this before why haven't they fixed it? If other coach vendor are having the same problem, then it shouldn't be FR, correct??

I haven't unbolted mine from the floor for quite some time, but maybe I need to take another look at that actual exit plumbing to see if anything makes any sense at all.


I mean, it has to be a simple case of basic hydraulics or fluid dynamics, right?

Where is Archimedes when we need him?


EDIT:: DW just said she thinks she hears the "grinder" pump still running after all the water and "stuff" has left the bowl. Maybe it doesn't shut off soon enough? If not, then it would probably pump all the fresh incoming water back OUT, thereby leaving the bowl empty, right?? As I sit here thinking of it, I'd wouldn't be surprised if that WERE the problem. If so, tell Thetford/FR they owe me $5K in consulting fees.

Boowho??

[Phil57]

I will ask the in the morning. If you are correct I can get an address to send the bill.

[boowho]

Originally Posted by Phil57

I will ask the in the morning. If you are correct I can get an address to send the bill.

So this is now a "dead" issue? NOBODY knows what the problem is, nor how to fix it??

Boowho??