Newbie With Not So New (1997) Holiday Rambler ((HR) Vacationer

[lneagle]

Could use some sage, experienced HR advice on the following pending repair issues:

1. What does it entail and how do you repair a leaking toilet valve seal (doesn't hold run- in water)?

2 Added too much winterizing RV antifreeze fluid to water system last fall (in Wisconsin). Now still get the ordor of

it every time we turn a faucet on and run water. Is there some other way to mitigate this ordor than by continuing

to run the water (and emptying the grey water tank) until it disappears?

.

[kaypsmith]

New seals can be bought for most any brand rv toilet, just need to know brand and model of the toilet.

Getting rid of the antifreeze smell should fairly easy. The gray water tank doesn't usually pose much of a problem because you normally empty it when you dump the waste water. The fresh water holding tank is another issue, most people empty the fresh water tank for winterization, if that is not the case, then yes you need to empty it by draining, or pumping it down. To get the smell out of the supply lines, one needs to flush them with plenty of fresh water, then I recommend using a quart of hydrogen peroxide through the system. This can ne accomplished by unhooking the supply hose, draining it, then pour the peroxide into the hose and hook it back to the water supply and turn the water back on. Go to the further most faucet inside the coach and run water. Same can be done to other valves inside the couch.

I'm sure others will have other ideas, but that's why we are here.

[desertdeals69]

There is a valve cleaning tool that looks like a tongue depressor only thiner and made of plastic, it has a rough surface on one side. I have also used hydrogen peroxide for cleaning my fresh water system, works very good.

[rlbarkleyii]

On the toilet seal, they all seem to leak down in a relatively short time. Make sure that your vent is not blocked, that will reduce the negative pressure against the seal and help keep the odor out of the coach.

I do not use peroxide, it would probably work but it is a bit corrosive and destroys rubber (water pump) as well as being poisonous in other than the smallest dose. Your biggest job is to first get all the antifreeze out. There are three floor valves on the 97 HR, if i remember two are in the hall closet floor, and the third tank drain is in the drivers side night stand floor behind the pump. Make sure you drain the hot water heater, remove the outside drain plug and drain. If your water is also heated by engine exhaust, you must drain that as well. Fill and drain at least twice. the third time add one cup of household bleach w/o fragrance, with the system sealed up, valves closed. Fill tank, and run a gallon or so thru each faucet. You must be open the furthest hot & cold water tap from pump and ensure the water heater tank is filled and bled of air. I have done this dozens of times with RV antifreeze and never had odors after flushing. Often you may see a little bubbling (foam) in the water expelled thru aerators like the kitchen sink, this is normal and will go away in a day or two. We keep flushing when we can until no bubbles are in the water, we don't drink or cook with it until they are gone.

Because of the large quantity of antifreeze that must be put in to fill lines to prevent freezing, i use another approach. I bought a device that screws into by city water fill and the other end is attached to a air compressor. Be sure to reduce PSI on the compressor to not more than fifty pounds. Make sure that water heater is in bypass mode. Open the faucets one at a time at the furthest point from the fill and apply air pressure. The air will blow all the water out of the system. When all water seems to be removed, then open the remainder of the faucets one at a time and drain. Last open the floor drains and close when drained. Open the tank drain and close when drained. Add one gallon of Rv antifreeze to tank and pump only a few seconds until antifreeze is in pump and toilet. Take second gallon and pour a cup down every drain, don't forget shower.

[hermanmullins]

You can fill your water tank and then drain it several times. Shut off the outlet from your tank. Blow out the water lines. then connect the hose to fresh water and turn on all fascets until the water runs clear and you have no more smell.

Before we began storing our coach in an insulated building, I drained all my tanks, including the hot water tank, blew out the lines and then put MH antifreeze down my drains. My thinking is that if I have cleared all lines, I don't need to fill the lines with antifreeze because there is nothing to freeze. If you have a empty fresh water tank and there is still a small amount of water in the tank it wont do any damage if it does freeze.

Just the way I do it.

Herman