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Old 12-09-2009, 11:01 AM   #1
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I pull a 2007 CF30SK Cruiser.
I noticed something I can't understand. A couple of times, I have let the grey and galley tanks get too full, before dumping.
I expected the water to stand in the bottom of the shower, when the grey tank got full.
The last time out, the water backed up into the bathroom sink. Since the bathroom sink is the highest drain in the whole camper, I assumed the "P" trap got blocked, so I tried to clear it with no luck. DW kept saying the tank is too full, and I need to dump it. Of course, I know that water seeks it's own level, so she obviously couldn't know what she was talking about. But...I have learned to pick my fights, so I went out and pulled the drain handle. She immediately said see!!! I told you so! Sure enough, the water drained from the sink just fine.
Of course, I thought it must be a coincidence, or vacuum lock (?) or something.
Well, the next time it happened, instead of fooling with the sink, I immediately dumped the tank, and it drained out just fine.
This drain is a good foot higher than the shower drain, and a couple of feet higher than the kitchen sink (just in case it might be draining into the galley tank). I can't figure out any possible way for it to back up into the sink first.
Anyone out there able to help me understand this?
Thanks for any thoughts.
Cliff


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Old 12-09-2009, 11:55 AM   #2
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Cliff .....I have the same unit but have never let the grey tanks fill up that far to notice. DAMN good question. I agree with you that the water should come up the shower first. The only thing I can think of is that water will take the easiest path. Obviously it is easier for the water to go up the lav drain than the shower drain which is hard to imagine. Other than the remote possibility of a checkvalve in the shower drain that keeps the water from going up but I have never heard of that. Maybe an email to Crossroads will shed some light.





BTW, I installed a new 3" drain valve at the sewer line connection. Now I can open both grey tank valves and shut the new 3" slide valve and have 80 gallons of grey water storage. This helps on those long stays without a sewerhookup.
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Old 12-09-2009, 12:23 PM   #3
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I would first check to make sure that the shower drain went tothe correctgray water tank and not black water.It has to be a plumbing line going to the wrong place.If your shower drains good during use,maybe it goes to the kitchen gray tank.I would also wait till its warm to do anything.But thats just me.Good luck







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Old 12-09-2009, 12:43 PM   #4
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Stan,
I had considered adding the extra valve, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I did add cable release valves to the grey and galley tanks, terminating beside the black tank valve. Sure does make it easier to dump.
FB1965,
I thought it might be going to the kitchen (galley) tank, but the kitchen sink drain is even lower than the shower drain, so it would back up there first.
If it were going to the black tank, the toilet would overflow first, because the sink drain is higher than the toilet. Plus, when I dump the grey and galley tank, the bathroom sink water goes away, even though I didn't dump the black water.
I think maybe my cruiser is magic, and can violate the laws of nature???
I guess I will just dump the grey tanks more frequently.
Thanks for the input.
Cliff


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Old 12-09-2009, 02:42 PM   #5
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We have 2009 cf29ck. The grey water tank has been full several times and backed up into the shower stall. We had 1994 Westwind. When the grey water tank was full it would back up into the bathroom sink. This never never made sense .

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Old 12-09-2009, 10:41 PM   #6
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I can't answer your question as to why the lowest drain point doesn't getthe backup water first.But I can tell you if you add one of the twist on Valtera valves to the end of your drain tube you can use it to equalize your two grey tanks. With the wife and daughter our shower tank always fills up while the kitchen sink tank has nothing in it. Once the shower tank hits 2/3rds I pull both grey tank handles. You can hear the main drain tube fill up. After a couple of minutes the tanks will equilize.
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Old 12-10-2009, 12:33 PM   #7
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Well Cliff, sounds like you know the requirements of being a plumber. Crap flows down hill, payday is Friday, and don't bite your finger nails! That one sure stumps me too. It would be very interesting to hear the answer.



Question to those who are tying the two grey water tanks together. Can I have a picture of the look on your face when you get out of the shower and find the kitchen flooded? ( Assuming your camping in a 5ver).
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Old 12-10-2009, 12:49 PM   #8
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Camper NJ...yup you are correct. That would be a sight. WhenI equalize both tanks I monitor the levels closely for just that reason. Thanks for pointing it out to all others.
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Old 12-10-2009, 03:00 PM   #9
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Cliff, the bathroom sink in my CF32BL does exactly the same thing as you are seeing with your trailer. The sink starts to back up when my grey tank gets about 3/4 full and the shower drain is still dry. I have checked the grey water tank roof stack vent for obstructions with a plumbing snake and it is completely clear. I have verified that both the bathroom sink and shower do in fact drain into the grey water tank and are not routed to the galley or black tanks. When the bathroom sink is backed up I candump water down the shower drainand it will still flow into the grey tank! The bathroom sink drains quickly whenthegrey water tank is under 3/4 full and I have also removed the trap under the sink to check for obstructions and it is clear.The grey water tank itself drains quickly with no indications of obstructions ora vacuum forming in the tank from a plugged vent stack. The only other thing I can think to check would be to remove the trap from under the bathroom sink and run a snake down the drain line into the tank to see if there is any debris ormaterial that could rise or floatinto the pipe and plug it when the grey water tank gets to about 3/4 full.That will have to wait till spring as ithas beena tad bit too cold here lately to be troubleshooting plumbing problems!
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Old 12-10-2009, 10:15 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CamperNJ

Question to those who are tying the two grey water tanks together. Can I have a picture of the look on your face when you get out of the shower and find the kitchen flooded? ( Assuming your camping in a 5ver).


You got me thinking....but I am not sure why that would happen. I am pretty sure both my grey tanks are at the same level. The shower drain lineruns through my "pass through" storage and down into the tank which I believe is at the same level as the kitchen grey tank. I have tied the 2 tanks together using a "temporary valve"while dry campingand had no problems.



I also have a vanity sink that will drain slowly when the grey is getting full. It will also make gurgling sounds when you drain the tub if the tank is getting full. I think it is not well vented. Haven't taken the time to really look at it because it doesn't seem to be a big problem but it is on my list to check out at some point.

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Old 12-11-2009, 12:39 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chuck N. Wined
Quote:
Originally Posted by CamperNJ

Question to those who are tying the two grey water tanks together. Can I have a picture of the look on your face when you get out of the shower and find the kitchen flooded? ( Assuming your camping in a 5ver).


You got me thinking....but I am not sure why that would happen. I am pretty sure both my grey tanks are at the same level. The shower drain lineruns through my "pass through" storage and down into the tank which I believe is at the same level as the kitchen grey tank. I have tied the 2 tanks together using a "temporary valve"while dry campingand had no problems.




I believe your bathroom sink drain is the highest drain in the system. If you ran enoughwater thru it when your tanks are full, gravity could cause the kitchen sink to over flow. The shower drain and the kitchen sink drain are close enough in height to each other I would expect the shower to drain slowly before the kitchen sink actually overflowed. But since we allmonitor our tank levels I wouldn't expect this to be a problem.
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Old 12-11-2009, 02:05 AM   #12
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[QUOTE=scott





I But since we allmonitor our tank levels I wouldn't expect this to be a problem. [/QUOTE]



That is the key!

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Old 12-11-2009, 04:32 AM   #13
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When I was talking to the repairman about my propane problems ( see here: http://www.crossroadsrv.com/forum/fo...=1289&amp;PN=1
I also asked him about the drain problems. He said the only thing he could think of to cause this is if the bathroom sink drain pipe sticks down into the grey tank, and when the water level reaches the sink drain pipe, it seals it off, causing an air block in the "P" trap, causing water to back up. Maybe that's it. I did, however, put some pressure on the water using my hand as a plunger, and forcing the water down with a pumping motion. And that didn't push anything down. So, I have my doubts about it being that simple.
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Old 12-11-2009, 10:29 AM   #14
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Cliff, I think your repairman is right. When you said the water backs up in the sink drain I assume you mean when you run water in the sink it doesn't drain. As opposed to the water actually coming back up from your tank. If that was the case it would come up in your sink when yourun water down your shower drain.



If your sink drain pipe sticks down lower in the tank than your shower drain pipe it couldblock your sinkdrain pipe while letting your shower drain. That islikely the problem. Unfortunately that is not a simple fix. Those pipes are normally plasticwelded into the tank and the tank has to come down to do it.Iassume since yours is an 07 like mine your are out of warranty.



I have not been impressed with the plumbing and ventwork on my Cruiser. I had to rebuild the vent and drain piping in my kitchen because they had the drain piping installed with such a negative angle that it was blocking the air vent pipe and my sink was backing up when the galley tank was only 1/3 full. And it was leaking down on to my furnace.

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Old 12-11-2009, 11:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cliffw42
... the bathroom sink drain pipe sticks down into the grey tank, and when the water level reaches the sink drain pipe, it seals it off, causing an air block in the "P" trap, causing water to back up.

In my 07 32BL the bathroom sink backs up before the shower as well. At about 3/4 full. I have always assumed that was the reason.

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Old 12-11-2009, 12:20 PM   #16
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Even if one pipe were in the gray tank farther then the other, if you do nothing,the water should end up draining down,(seaking its own level) because it is vented there can't be a vacuum or pressure.Thats not saying that the factory couldn't haveplumbed it wrong as putting a drain line to the vent or a common drain line and one is higher then the other.Just my 2 cents
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Old 12-11-2009, 11:40 PM   #17
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"(seaking it's own level)".That rings a bell in mynot as good as it used to bememory. FB1965, I think you are right about that. So forget about whatI said above on the lower pipe drain.

On my cruiser, the crossroads folks do run the tank air vents from the roof directly into the drain lines rather than the tankfor both gray water tanks. That plus a wrong slopingdrain line was causing the problem with my kitchen drain I mentioned in my first post. However I just checked my bathroom piping again and the sink drain goes directly to the tank, while the shower drain to the same tank has the air vent tapped into it.



So there doesn't seem to be a vent problem unless Cliff's rig is plumbed differently. I'm stumped!
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