Brand new gray valve stuck closed

blackfly · 08-08-2018, 09:07 PM

Good afternoon,

I have a new FR No Boundaries.

Last week I dumped the tanks with no issues. This weekend I went to dump it again and the handle is full stuck. It will not budge a bit. I cannot push it in or pull it out.

I searched for a solution and I see a lot of people recommending dumping some sort of lubrication or soap in the tank to help it move but I'm 99% certain that will not fix the problem because as I said above this is a brand new camper and the tank has not had time to develop the conditions required for lubrication.

To me there is a mechanical issue.

It is a cable activated valve, by Valterra. There are two valves, one for black and one for gray. Black works fine. Sorry I do not have a photo.

Has anyone had this happen or have any suggestions on what to try? I'm going back to the camper this weekend and can pull the bottom and dig into the problem a bit. But would appreciate if anyone has had this happen to them.

rskeans · 08-08-2018, 09:32 PM

Haven't had that problem, but the valve assembly is typically held in place by 4 screws in series with the drain. Try loosening the tension on the screws. Maybe that will unbind the valve.

NMWildcat · 08-08-2018, 09:32 PM

The cable is probably kinked. I ordered new ones and routed them w/o the kink (sharp bend). No problems since. Has happened on two of our RVs with longer cables.

blackfly · 08-09-2018, 05:57 AM

Thanks. I'll dig into it this weekend.

I'll start with loosening the screws as suggested and then open up the bottom as I need to.

jimmoore13 · 08-09-2018, 02:39 PM

If you get it working, take a moment to lube the valve with a water-resistant silicone spray. Apply liberally to the slide valve and the guide channels while in both the open and closed positions, and on the shaft that pulls the valve open. Operate the valve repeatedly to ensue the lube is well distributed to all surfaces. My 4+ year old valve was getting stiff to operate, and using this lube made it work better than new.

Somewhat related suggestion: If your rig has a gray water dump that empties through the black water pipe ("Y"'d together), consider abandoning that craziness and relying on the black tank flush to wash down the tank and the dump hose. Meanwhile, route your gray water out a separate dump so you are handling true gray water that is not contaminated as it come out the black dump pipe. If you boondock much, you may discover that you'll run out of gray water capacity far before the black tank is full. It's a shame to contaminate the gray water by running it even a short distance through a sewer pipe when you dump it.

sandstuv · 08-09-2018, 03:10 PM

We had the same thing happen to our black valve and took it to the dealer to fix for us, they are currently fix it as I type. Keep you posted on what they suggest as the issue.

Sandra & Rob
2018 Cardinal 5th wheel
2015 GMC 250

Larry-NC · 08-09-2018, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackfly

Thanks. I'll dig into it this weekend.

I'll start with loosening the screws as suggested and then open up the bottom as I need to.

This will be messy, and probably have nothing to do with the problem. This is a gate valve, a metal plate sliding between two rubberized bushings. Very unlikely to stick. If you can manually move the actuator at the valve. It's not the problem.

The good news is that the bushings provide the seal, so you won't need to worry about new gaskets when you re-tighten the valve.

There have been lots of postings about problems routing the cables. You might want to see what happens if you pull the cables from the valve end.

Larry

blackfly · 08-09-2018, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

This will be messy, and probably have nothing to do with the problem. This is a gate valve, a metal plate sliding between two rubberized bushings. Very unlikely to stick. If you can manually move the actuator at the valve. It's not the problem.

The good news is that the bushings provide the seal, so you won't need to worry about new gaskets when you re-tighten the valve.

There have been lots of postings about problems routing the cables. You might want to see what happens if you pull the cables from the valve end.

Larry

Good points. I opened up the bottom of the trailer just enough to grab the valve but was unable to find a way to manipulate it - it was fully sealed. But I was in a hurry and didn't have time to mess with it. I will have a look.

I appreciate all the suggestions.

DouglasReid · 08-11-2018, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

If you get it working, take a moment to lube the valve with a water-resistant silicone spray. Apply liberally to the slide valve and the guide channels while in both the open and closed positions, and on the shaft that pulls the valve open. Operate the valve repeatedly to ensue the lube is well distributed to all surfaces. My 4+ year old valve was getting stiff to operate, and using this lube made it work better than new.

Somewhat related suggestion: If your rig has a gray water dump that empties through the black water pipe ("Y"'d together), consider abandoning that craziness and relying on the black tank flush to wash down the tank and the dump hose. Meanwhile, route your gray water out a separate dump so you are handling true gray water that is not contaminated as it come out the black dump pipe. If you boondock much, you may discover that you'll run out of gray water capacity far before the black tank is full. It's a shame to contaminate the gray water by running it even a short distance through a sewer pipe when you dump it.

We dont boondock and I see no problem with running grey water after the black to flush out the pipes.

After all, it is ALL going into the same sewer.

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