The sloshing around of the liquid will not only clean the inside of your tank, but it can get down into the valve and loosen whatever residue is there. You can also try tapping on your RV black tank valve with a hammer. DO NOT USE the old standby, WD-40. I will report back the results. Squeeze the flanges together and insert the four bolts and nuts. The gate valves that open the black and grey tanks start to get difficult to open and close. Thetford has a great product we have used for several years called the Drain Valve Lubricant. But if youre in a tough situation with an RV holding tank valve that wont open when you need to dump your RV its a simple trick you can try. My thought is that products like the Thetford one that is mentioned, are a compound that is actually heavier than the water, and they probably sink to the bottom of the tank and collect at the seal. Clintoons: Ever wonder how these directions make sense? no go! Travel Trailer. Driving around with the lubricant in the tank will help it sink to the bottom faster. That doesnt mean things wont break or crack, but do what you can to prevent such issues from happening. And we also ensure that any third parties we contract with either anonymize your data or have strict privacy policies in place that are aligned with ours. When your RV black tank valve gets harder to open, you dont want to wait until it breaks. If the rod gets stuck, or the handle breaks, you have a decidedly difficult issue. If you plan to attempt this we highly recommend you put the hole in the thickest part of the valve which is the TOP or where the SS shaft comes out of the body when you pull on it. Likewise, to prevent gunk buildup and maintain pliable seals, you can pour vegetable oil down the drain and allow it to coat the RV waste valve. They may help keep the gate itself lubricated between the rubber seals. The company specializes in RV waste systems, and its RV drain valve lubricant is the best way to make it easier to open RV black and grey tank valves. How to conquer the fear of breaking down in remote areas, Lawsuit could upend operations of Recreation.gov, Montana moves to save some campsites from filling up with out-of-staters, Fact-checking, ethics & corrections policy. Most important, we want to hear from you so please leave us a comment.\rHAPPY GLAMPING \u0026 SAFE TRAVELS!\r\r\r****************\rVIDEO \u0026 MUSIC\r****************\rVideo \u0026 Editing by Jason Bowles\rOriginal Music by Tod Kimbro\rcopyright 2020 Tod Kimbro \rAll rights reserved.\rOriginal \u0026 copyright free music and/or a combination of is also used in some of our videos. Thank you for stopping by. Refill the tank, then run the water again, until the smell of bleach is gone. Home Fix For Hard To Open & Close RV Black Or Grey Tank Valves. Finally, it will settle on the RV gate valve from inside the tank. You can install cable-operated RV dump valves by connecting them with the flanges. Make sure to lubricate the valve blade and put a leak-free gasket around it. Posted on June 27, 2022 by Product information Technical Details Additional Information Feedback I had to put new seals in it, and when I did, I used vegetable oil & gave both seals a good coat, plus the blade on the valve, and the valve shaft. Read more. Serving RVers for more than 20 years. Have done this before but had been a little over a year. The Glamping Guys 6.73K subscribers Subscribe 8.7K views 2 years ago #gaycouple #rvlifestyle. To install, remove the broken waste valve and seals from your holding tank. Its called, Youve got no place to go if your holding tank valves wont open.. If you dump cooking oil, or another oil of that type, you arent accomplishing anything if there is any water in the bottom of the tank. If youve tried the suggestions below and the gate valve is still sticky or stuck closed it could be an issue with the cable and not the valve. Front gray and both black tank handles are in the water bay. Usually, a 3/4 full black tank wont freeze from a few days of low temperatures. On ours, it took putting about 1/2 gallon of oil in each tank and running it through twice to get them loosened up real good. They act as a door that keeps the wastewater in the appropriate tank until you wish to empty it at an appropriate dump facility. If you use a grease zerk be sure you do not apply too much grease or the valve will be hard to pull and push open or close. Holding the piping/flanges apart, insert the valve between the flanges being sure NOT to move the seals. Uflex Replacement Cables; Hydraulic Oil/Power Steering Fluid; Trim Controls; Uflex Rack Steering; The idea is that the dish soap will be able to clean around the gate valve to loosen up whatever is making it impossible to open. One tip I did see is to drill a small hole above the handle and spray silicone into the hole while moving the handle in and out. Dave recommends applying silicon to the shaft, rather than WD-40, which will clean the grease and rid of the natural oils that help the valve slide fluidly. RV waste tanks have valves that hold the liquids inside the tank until you are ready to dump. It works well but its not my favorite method for regular maintenance because it involves drilling a hole in the gate valve housing. Click Here to Login Attach a photo or two if it might help Dave with his response. Is It Time to Replace Your Waste Tank Gate Valve? If your valves are installed in the tank piping with the handle lower than the 3 9 oclock position when you open the valve the water inside will seep into the valve body (the root cause of sticky valves). gauges not work so guess. If damaged, replace. I do think it is a good idea to occasionally dump some recommended conditioner down both the black and gray water tanks to lubricate and condition the rubber seal that the spade valve slides in and out of. RV toilet tissue is single ply and will break down quickly in your black holding tank. This consist of a cable much like a throttle cable on a lawn mower. Save my name and email in browser cookies for the next time I comment so I won't have to enter that information again. For use on Nissans, Toyotas and other OHC engines. Make sure to do this lightly. I keep the cables lubed the best i can with silicone lube. And How to Do it Legally. Its a relatively easy process that requires few tools. If your valve is getting stuck, you might need to replace it down the road anyway. Menu and widgets Just make sure the tanks are empty! Required fields are marked *. Enclosed And Heated Underbelly; Heated Holding Tanks; Enclosed Dump Valves; Heated Dump Valves; Zero Degree Extended Season Enjoyment; Touring Edition Package. went to drain black water tank and handle came out with the cable nothing drained so i pushed cable back so did the end of the cable come off, the gate ? Then we pull each valve a few times to lubricate the action. Replacing a BAL Accu-Slide slide-out clip-in style wiper seal, New lube product coming soon for CP4 pumps. Install a grease zerk or access port so the valve can be lubricated without removing the valve. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Get exclusive tips and tricks to save your money and time in the RV lifestyle! You can dump in the entire bottle if you want. New cables work MUCH better than the OEMS ever did. Once you detach the valve, clean around the seals and gaskets. The gray #2 is a long run on our unit since the valve is on the door side. Happy camper. You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button. He said that usually the issue isn't the cable, but the gate valve & rubber seals. A 7/64ths inch drill bit and a #8x1/2 inch stainless steel screw works best to plug the hole.You don't have to use lithium grease, you can use any lubricant that you think is appropriate and one that will not damage the valves in your particular system, which may be different than mine. Add Thetford RV Drain Valve Lubricant Anyways, Drill an Access Hole in the Stuck Gate Valve, Conclusion About Fixing Sticky RV Grey and Black Tank Valves, Valterra Electric RV Gate Valves (click to view on Amazon), What To Do When An RV Waste Tank (Black/Grey) Wont Drain, WD-40 Specialist (click to view on Amazon). This will get the lube on both sides of the seal and the rod. shot in dark but maybe you have answer. By Doug Swarts (also mineral oil does not congeal in cold weather)cheap ire dressing and doesnt hurt the rubber is to wipe them with dish-soap after cleaning..looks nice and makes tire self cleaning during rain storms!!!!!.LOL!!! Simply remove the valves after the tanks have been emptied and flushed, remove the seals and thoroughly clean the valve. The 19th Hole: Featured RV-Golf Resort Eagle Nest Resort/Polson Bay GC, Get Free Weekly RV LIFE Updates in your Email Inbox, Decluttering Your RV: Make The Most Of Your Small Space, Passport America Discount Camping Club Is Still Going Strong, The BestCounty Park CampgroundsFor RVers. Your ice cube tray does a lot more than just make ice, Holy federal film permit, Batman! Rockport TX. the freeze statrs Friday night and it is Wednesday night. Glad to hear it worked for you. I havent actually tried this by putting a small amount in a jar and letting it sit, but I think that I will the next time I use some. Now work the valve open and closed a few times. Remove the bolts securing the valve. The first thing you need to do is make sure your black tank is empty and clean. I am in campground with blk tank maybe 3/4 full. The RVers are usually referring to the black 3-inch gate valve on their black holding tank. Dear Dave, Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Hopefully, the valve just needed a little space and it opens after just a few turns. The waste tank T handle is in the wet bay. As you can see in the photo, it has a plastic gate or spade that slides in and out of the dump hole. Let sit for a few minutes and then exercise the valve by opening and closing a few times. Hopefully, everything was ok over the holiday. You are using an out of date browser. When you spray your slide-outs with lubricant each month, go ahead and spray your black tank valve as well. i had the same problem plus mY black tank valve wouldn't shut all the way off. This will then lube the valve seals. Hows the lubrication to work there? I've tried spraying the exposed part of the . 2022 RVTravel.com All rights Reserved. Use a product like Dow Corning 111. Once the hold is drilled put the nozzle straw that came with the can of lubricant into the hole and spray lubricant inside the gate valve until its filled with lubricant. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Any ideas on lubricating the cables and valves that might last a while?