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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Thetford Toilet Wont Stop Running

    Wife told me this morning that the toilet wont stop running water and that the water pressure was way lower than normal. I thought it must be the water valve stuck. Looked into it and yup when the foot pedal was pressed water ran in and yes it was at way lower than normal pressure, and when the foot pedal was released water kept running in also at way lower than normal pressure but it kept running.

    First things first, shut off city water and go over on internal tank and pump. Keep pump off when water not needed. Started to look for a Thetford water valve. Looked on the RV build sheet, the toilet is listed as a Thetford 42072 Style II. Actually on the back of the toilet the model is listed as 42070 but none the less the water valve replacement kit is part number 42049. With that you get the two pieces of the valve and Oring, rubber stopper valve and spring and the toilet base Oring. There are several U tube videos on how to replace the valve. Easy takes a few minutes, the hardest part is getting the foot pedal off and on. I included a pic before taking the valve apart. I DID NOT remove the toilet to work on the valve, with our floor plan there is plenty of room to get at the valve.

    Well changed the valve went on pump and now hardly any water flows into the toilet bowl. Well shoot! Looking at the back of the toilet a water hose runs from the output of the water valve up and into the back of the toilet into what looks to be a small plastic vacuum breaker (accumulator oneway valve) that is then attached to a water defuser inside the toilet bowl by a 1.5" short hose. Removed the spring clamp and took the vacuum breaker off the back of the toilet, turned the pump on and using the toilet foot pedal shot water through the valve into the shower. Some junk came out of the line but it had very good pressure. Now for the defuser inside the toile bowl, removed that and it was almost totally plugged up with lime and sediment. Soaked it in straight vinegar for a few minutes and used a small piece of safety wire to poke the holes to make sure it was open. Hooked the defuser to the vaccume braker outside of the toilet, then using the toilet foot pedal shot water through the breaker through the defuser aimed at the shower and now all is well! Reinstalled the defuser back inside the toilet bowl, hooked the hose back up and now all fixed!

    Truth be known the problem wasn't the water valve at all, its was the defuser inside the toilet bowl all plugged up with lime and sediment bits. When flushing the toilet the defuser hose was being pressurized since the water could not flow out through the defuser. What water could flow out, it was taking a long time for the pressure in the defuser hose to dissipate and finally stop. It looked like the water valve was bad. All those campgrounds with bad heavy iron water wells will do a number on RV systems.

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    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
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  2. #2
    Long Hauler geotex1's Avatar
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    Now you know the real reason old campers run a vinegar rinse after sterilization with bleach... we don't care about the chlorine taste because we swallowed drums of pool water as kids... we just hate dealing scale buildup! Lol
    Rob & Nikki + Cloverfield
    2020 Grand Design Solitude S-Class 3350RL
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  3. #3
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by geotex1 View Post
    Now you know the real reason old campers run a vinegar rinse after sterilization with bleach... we don't care about the chlorine taste because we swallowed drums of pool water as kids... we just hate dealing scale buildup! Lol
    Yup using vinegar is probably less caustic than using something like that CLR product to eliminate lime/scale build up. It tends to take a lot of vinegar and then you need to let it set in the system to let it do a good job. Bottom line is that you don't want to use something that could harm seals, Orings or plastic. Something that should be mentioned also is to keep the metal water heaters cleaned out of sediment from degrading anode rods. That sediment can get into hot water lines and plug them up. We'll soak the shower head also to get it cleaned out. Wife said we should rethink getting a water softener. We looked at them a few months back but decided not to get one.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  4. #4
    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    Wife said we should rethink getting a water softener. We looked at them a few months back but decided not to get one.
    You really do need to start listening to your wife
    At one of the firsst few GD rallies when the attendance was much smaller , vendors and repair people had more time to visit and chat with the owners. The Dometic service guy said the best thing you can do for the life of your water heater is to use a good filter system and a water softener. We had both and still use them at most stops, for over nighters we use those throw away tube filters but don't get out the water softener with filter attached or double filter.
    Marcy & Gary
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  5. #5
    Left The Driveway
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    Thanks for the post. How did you remove the diffuser? We tried to move it, seemed firmly in place. We did use a q-tip in the holes and wiped out some black gunk. That seemed to have helped us a little.
    2017 Ram 3500
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  6. #6
    Site Sponsor Steven@147's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BSAbbott View Post
    Thanks for the post. How did you remove the diffuser? We tried to move it, seemed firmly in place. We did use a q-tip in the holes and wiped out some black gunk. That seemed to have helped us a little.
    IIRC there is a big nut on the back side of the diffuser. Get to it from the back side of the toilet, take the hose clamp and hose off, use some needle nose plyers and take the nut off, but that was a porcelain unit. Ours was full of lime build up. Since we installed a water softener haven't had any more problems.
    Steve & Tami Cass - Escapee's, FMCA Members, Texas Fulltimers Since July 2020
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 2018 Ram 3500 DRW, Laramie Longhorn, B&W Companion, Texas Class A Non-CDL Drivers License
    Sharing the Fulltime Lifestyle - www.youtube.com/@tsrvadventures3219/videos, Nonprofit Channel

  7. #7
    Seasoned Camper st2rv's Avatar
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    Had the same issue with the toilet running. The issue was not limescale or anything like that. Guessing just worn out. Easy fix.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    Replaced valve and vacuum break. I had an issue with the vacuum break leaking at one time so I just replaced both since the toilet has to be unbolted and removed to change out the valve.
    Once again a good reason to turn off your water when leaving the camper. You never know.
    Good idea with the water softener.
    Tom and Sandi
    2017 337RLS

  8. #8
    Left The Driveway
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    Thank you for the info. I will need to pull the toilet to do the ball seal, or replace with a dometic. You have been very helpful. Brian
    2017 Ram 3500
    2020 Reflection 303RLS
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  9. #9
    Big Traveler Keebler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BSAbbott View Post
    Thank you for the info. I will need to pull the toilet to do the ball seal, or replace with a dometic. You have been very helpful. Brian
    Replacing my stock Thetford Aqua Magic with a Dometic 320 rates as one of the best upgrades I have made. In addition to getting an elongated bowl, the Dometic does NOT use a diffuser; it has holes that circle the bowl near the top of the rim, similar to a residential model. Another benefit is that the flush ball seal gasket can replaced from above without removing the tank. Unlike the Dometic Aqua Magic, that requires removing the tank to replace the gasket from below.
    2017 Ford F350 Platinum 6.7L PowerStroke DRW
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  10. #10
    Setting Up Camp
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven@147 View Post
    Started to look for a Thetford water valve. Looked on the RV build sheet, the toilet is listed as a Thetford 42072 Style II. Actually on the back of the toilet the model is listed as 42070 but none the less the water valve replacement kit is part number 42049.
    Thank you so much for clarifying the part numbers. Looked all over the internet and so hard to find valve replacement kit for 42070. Doesn't exist. I had suspected that teh 42049 kit was the one, but finding your post on here was invaluable. Thank you!!!

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