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- CLOC-AdminI’m in the process of changing out my 4 year old Drainmaster electric waste valve to a manual valve. I have been having trouble with it being sluggish for a while now. Carriage mounted these valves incorrectly even though they knew about the problem. I purchased the new valve today and also picked up a 1/4-20 coupling nut, 1/4-20 jam nuts and a short 1/4-20 all thread rod. I can cut the all thread rod to any length I need. It’s a 25.00 fix verses the 88.00 electric valve. I might replace the electric valve eventually but this is my fix for now. I’m going to disect the old valve if I can to see where the problem is.
I had to cut out an access hole in the pan to get to the valve due to the provided access wasn’t anywhere near the valve. I’ll secure it with some aluminum so I can get to it again if needed. I’ll try to remember to take pics as I go along. Here is a pic of the new valve with the all thread rod attached.
Chip
Posted: 2:58 PM – Nov 23, 2014I finished the valve install today. Easy job with the toughest part being getting the electric valve to open up all the way. I had to turn the allen wrench while my wife worked the button. It was only opening up about 1/4 of the way but the indicator light was on like the valve was open. Once I got it open and cleaned out the tank real good it was easy.It makes no difference to me if I push the button or pull the valve handle so I decided to keep the new manual valve so I can feel when it isn’t opening or closing all the way or dragging too hard. I can reach it very easily.
The old valve and seals were all gunked up with what appears to be calcium. After seeing the condition of the old valve I wouldn’t mount it back in the position that is installed in and no room to install it correctly. Had I waited much longer I don’t think I would have been able to open the old valve. That would have been a very messy and bad situation. Here are a couple pics of the opening I made and the finished valve.
Chip
Posted: 3:33 PM – Nov 23, 2014Nice! I changed our electric valves to the Valterra cable pulls on both the gray and black tank. I ran the cables to the area just inside the compartment door where you would put the drill to manually extend or retract the full wall slide. It works so much better than the electric valves. While the modern push button is “Fancy”, sometimes the simplest is best. If yo consider that very few of the high-end custom coaches use electric valves tell me that they are not reliable.Posted: 11:01 AM – Feb 23, 2015Chip,Thanks so much for this post. I think I cooked my Drainmaster electric black water valve by holding the button too long due to some ice in the tank. I’m new to RVs and screw up in Asheville NC in last week’s deep freeze. Thinking I was being smart and since I had a 50am service, I kept the electric heaters running hard and this diminished the need for the onboard LP furnace. Because the black/great tank’s “heater” is just a vent off the furnace, I essentially diminished the tank heater. By the time I want out there, the fifth wheel’s sewer line; PVC on the unit + the hose, was solid ice. I then bought a couple heater strip lines, like I’ve got on my fresh hose, and wrapped the RV’s PVC outflow and the sewer hose. The next morning, the heat tape had melted the hose and nearly destroyed the PVC outflow on the trailer. I barely works, but will need replacement. I also had the outdoor shower valve freeze and break, but I pulled it, plugged it off and will deal with that later. What a debacle!!
I’ll replace the PVC sewer outflow and shower valve later, as neither are time critical. But, the black sewer electric valve is stuck OPEN, which I guess is best if I had to pick open vs closed. Grey seems ok. I’m certain it’s the black valve. Weather is above freezing, so I’m running the flush system in hopes this will de-ice the valve area, if this is the issue, thereby resolving it. Also, the broken shower broke on the inside, thereby spraying water on the back side of the value switches, so maybe they will dry out. If the black valve won’t respond by end of tomorrow, I’ll have to replace it.
I was baffled by the lack of access, so your post cleared this up.
What did you use to cut into the plastic pan?
Posted: 11:11 AM – Feb 23, 2015outwestbound wrote:Chip,Thanks so much for this post. I think I cooked my Drainmaster electric black water valve by holding the button too long due to some ice in the tank. I’m new to RVs and screw up in Asheville NC in last week’s deep freeze. Thinking I was being smart and since I had a 50am service, I kept the electric heaters running hard and this diminished the need for the onboard LP furnace. Because the black/great tank’s “heater” is just a vent off the furnace, I essentially diminished the tank heater. By the time I want out there, the fifth wheel’s sewer line; PVC on the unit + the hose, was solid ice. I then bought a couple heater strip lines, like I’ve got on my fresh hose, and wrapped the RV’s PVC outflow and the sewer hose. The next morning, the heat tape had melted the hose and nearly destroyed the PVC outflow on the trailer. I barely works, but will need replacement. I also had the outdoor shower valve freeze and break, but I pulled it, plugged it off and will deal with that later. What a debacle!!
I’ll replace the PVC sewer outflow and shower valve later, as neither are time critical. But, the black sewer electric valve is stuck OPEN, which I guess is best if I had to pick open vs closed. Grey seems ok. I’m certain it’s the black valve. Weather is above freezing, so I’m running the flush system in hopes this will de-ice the valve area, if this is the issue, thereby resolving it. Also, the broken shower broke on the inside, thereby spraying water on the back side of the value switches, so maybe they will dry out. If the black valve won’t respond by end of tomorrow, I’ll have to replace it.
I was baffled by the lack of access, so your post cleared this up.
What did you use to cut into the plastic pan?
I used a new blade in my razor knife/box cutter. I scored the first cut with a straight edge then continued cutting along the first line until it went through. It only took about 4 passes for each cut. Nice straight cuts and easy to make a frame to button it up. I used a hole saw for the hole in the side for the handle.
Chip
Posted: 12:58 PM – Feb 23, 2015Chip, as always great job.Posted: 8:55 PM – Feb 23, 2015Outwestbound,Just wanted to offer a bit of terminology since you indicated being relatively new to the whole RVing world. We’ve likely all done as you have and just so you’re aware this:” the fifth wheel’s sewer line; PVC on the unit + the hose, was solid ice” is formally known as a “poopsicle”.
Posted: 7:14 PM – Feb 24, 2015Great job Chip. The pictures made everything understandable and I am sure that more of us will have to do the same mod as you did.Nate
Posted: 8:01 AM – Mar 01, 2015Comeupwithsomething wrote:Outwestbound,Just wanted to offer a bit of terminology since you indicated being relatively new to the whole RVing world. We’ve likely all done as you have and just so you’re aware this:” the fifth wheel’s sewer line; PVC on the unit + the hose, was solid ice” is formally known as a “poopsicle”.
A popsicle indeed! I can’t believe I damaged the trailer’s exterior PVC outflow with a heater strip. I think I wound the strip to many times too closely and the PVC melted. Oh well, it works kind of
Question: I ruined my black valve and really can’t deal with it until I get to Colorado Springs late March. My valve is stuck OPEN. I’m new to this. Am I crazy to believe I can keep using this thing for a month with the value stuck open? I use extra water and bought a “tray” to hold the hose so no fluids puddle again; hence, popsicle avoidance.
Posted: 8:28 AM – Mar 01, 2015Is there somewhere to purchase a manual valve close by? If your grey valve is still working you could easily install a valve on the outside. I installed this valve 4 years ago just for this situation should one of my valves get stuck open. If you use it for a black valve then you would need to close the grey and use some extra water in the black to fill the pipe and have a little “prime water” in the black.Chip
Posted: 8:54 AM – Mar 01, 2015Thanks Chip; Yes, Camping World is just around the corner for the valve.Posted: 3:33 PM – Mar 03, 2015falconhunter wrote:Is there somewhere to purchase a manual valve close by? If your grey valve is still working you could easily install a valve on the outside. I installed this valve 4 years ago just for this situation should one of my valves get stuck open. If you use it for a black valve then you would need to close the grey and use some extra water in the black to fill the pipe and have a little “prime water” in the black.Chip
Chip, sorry to bother you again. Did you find any in-line fuses on these Drainmaster electric valves? Just checking before I order.
Posted: 4:25 PM – Mar 03, 2015falconhunter wrote:Chip, sorry to bother you again. Did you find any in-line fuses on these Drainmaster electric valves? Just checking before I order.No bother at all. Mine did not have an in line fuse. There is a fuse in the 12 volt panel for the valves. The new ones come with a fuse but you would only use it if there wasn’t a pre-existing fuse.
ChipThanks. My unit does have a designated fuse for the valves, which isn’t blown. Wish it had been. I’ll eliminate the fuse, if any, when I get my new valve.
Posted: 4:35 PM – Mar 03, 2015Chip, sorry to bother you again. Did you find any in-line fuses on these Drainmaster electric valves? Just checking before I order.No bother at all. Mine did not have an in line fuse. There is a fuse in the 12 volt panel for the valves. The new ones come with a fuse but you would only use it if there wasn’t a pre-existing fuse.
ChipPosted: 8:17 AM – Mar 22, 2015Chip,I got very lucky to find a personal referral of a repair person to come out and help me switch this value out. I could have done it, but had an unexpected trip. Anyhow, this fellow took out about 15 screws along the tank cover that allowed him to drop the tank cover down enough to switch out the waste valve, without having to cut the cover. I think the access panel you built corrects Carriage’s oversight. I gave the repair fellow the pics you posted, but I wasn’t around when he did the work. He saved himself a trip to Lowes to get the material to make the new access panel. Oh well, looks like he found another way. Just thought I’d post this as an option.
Posted: 9:19 AM – Mar 23, 2015Dropping the pan would have been another way to access the valve but my LP line is strapped to the screws that hold the pan on and would have to be moved to gain access. I wanted easy access to the valve for in the future because it’s not a matter of if the valve will fail but when the valve will fail again. I opted for the manual valve because the OEM valve is installed in an incorrect manner and destine to fail again and now I can “feel” when the valve begins to drag a little.Chip
B.W.Gentry
Owner/Admin
2007 Carri-Lite XTRM5
Breckenridge, TX
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