Black Tank Issues Toilet Burping

[kozzy124]

I have been having black tank issues for a couple of weeks now. I have been researching this on a different forum, but I just found this one, and since I have a Reflection, I will post it here, the short version.
I have been getting a burp when I flush my toilet, started while camping a few weeks ago. My unit is new, we got it last year in august, and only used it a few times, and I cant remember if it was doing it then or not, I guess I would have noticed though. I have tried everything, assuming I had the pile of poo at the bottom of the toilet pipe. I know it was clogged, last weekend, when I added the water and chemical, it filled my toilet right up.

No, since then, I have tried all the tricks, and flushed the **** out of that tank, filled up, emptied so many times, water looks clear as clear can be. I have tried it all.

So, while im waiting for the dealer to get back to me with more options, here is where I set.
I haven't been camping, and the last I used my toilet, was when I was trying to fix this issue.

Toilet doesn't burp until the tank reads about 2/3's full, then the burping starts. When I did this test, it was after all my flushing, so the black tank just had water in it.
I did it several times, and it is pretty consistent, when the tank hits 2/3 full, the burping starts. I empty the tank, and it goes away.

Anyone have anything for this one?

I have flushed, tried snakes, ice, snaked the vent pipe, I mean I have done it all...

 

[Cate&Rob]

As you fill the tank with liquid, the displaced air goes up the vent stack . . . until the liquid level gets to the bottom end of the vent pipe and seals it off. Now the displaced air has no place to go except to "burp" back through the toilet. Reflections have a history of vent pipes pushed too far into the grey tanks . . . no reason to think this would not have happened with a black tank vent as well.

Rob

 

[kozzy124]

I think that is what my dealer is leaning towards, I will follow up with them tomorrow.

 

[Sandi]

We had the issue at one time also. Of course someone on here gave us a hint! When we were flushing we were only holding the pedal down probably a second or two. We were told to hold the pedal down at least 8 seconds to put more water into the tank. Of course it does fill the tank up faster but we would rather empty more often than have the stinky burping into the bathroom!! It seems to help!!


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[JustinThyme]

I get the same at 2/3 full even following the heavy flush to get the solids out from under the valve. I'm attributing it to the vent tube being too far in and found I can minimizing the burp by slowly depressing the pedal when I get to that point. I generally plan dumping the tank soon after the burping starts.

 

[RGMutchler]

We had the same problems with our black water tank on our 2014 Reflection 303. At the suggestion of Grand Design the dealer checked and shorted the vent in the black tank as it extended too far into the tank. This did not fix the problem. When we were at the rally last year we took the trailer to Grand Design's Shop and they checked and found that the pvc pipe from the toilet into the black tank was also cut wrong and went into the tank too far. This caused the water as the tank filled to between 1/3 and 2/3 to raise above the end of the pipe and cause the burping. Grand Design reset the pipe from the toilet and it solved the problem.

 

[kozzy124]

Thanks for the tips guys. I talked to my dealer today and they are thinking the pipe extends to far into the black tank. Sounds like I will be making arrangements to have them fix the issue. My dealer is 2 hours away, so to drop off, and pick up its 8 hours or travel. They are going to try and see if a local dealer can fix it for me and save me some travel

 

[RGMutchler]

I am a long way from my dealer also and Grand Design has agreed to let me have a local RV Mobile Repair work on my trailer and then reimbursed me for the cost. I have made these arrangements directly with JD Adams at Grand Design. Grand Design was also willing to set up a payment directly to the RV Mobile Repair Service but they (Mobile RV service) weren't interested in that arrangement so I just had Grand Design reimburse me. The other thing I would suggest is that no matter were you have it fixed make sure they fill the tank completely with water and that the problem is fixed before you leave. If my dealer would have done that they would have found that the vent and the main pipe were to far into the tank. When Grand Design worked on it they filled the tank and checked to make sure the problem was fixed.

 

[kozzy124]

Thanks Ralph, I forwarded your post to my dealer. They are trying to get GD to authorize me to take it to the dealer 5 minutes down the road from me. They are a good dealer and have no problem doing the work. Ill make sure to tell them to fill and test the tank before they give it back to me.

 

[wally2117]

I have the same problem and almost everytime no matter the level of the tank. I've made a video with clean water...and send it to my dealer. I've no answer yet. I think it could be the vent too.

 

[luckeyd1]

Had the same problem, at about1/2 to 2/3 full would start burping, smell awful. Finally got it to dealer, they found the pipe from toilet to tank was over 12 inches too long. They removed toilet, cut pipe to proper length determined by Grand Design and now I will find out if it works as first camping of the season is end of this week (4th of July weekend).

 

[Bhanson]

I had similar problems too. My black water never did empty very well from new. I have always used the backflush, and in fact each time it gets emptied I would backfill and empty 3 times to make sure all was out. I was having issues with the water burping in the toilet, and even a sewer smell in the camper on each flush. This weekend it all happened again and I decided to put a little dawn dish soap down the toilet, and started backfilling again. This time when I looked down the toilet to see if full it really burped hard. I ran outside to pull the lever, after it emptied I noticed soap suds on my patio, the awning and roof. Apparently enough pressure blew this all out my sewer vent. Im not thinking it was plugged, since after this event it flows like a river.

 

[PolarBear]

yelp they do burp

 

[John Griggs]

My reflection has the same problem with burping when getting half full.

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[kozzy124]

I just talked to my dealer today, they fixed the issue, toilet drain was 7 inches to far into my black tank.
they cut it down, problem fixed..

 

[Bhanson]

I just talked to my dealer today, they fixed the issue, toilet drain was 7 inches to far into my black tank.
they cut it down, problem fixed..

was this issue the same across the board with these units?

 

[RGMutchler]

A few months after we got our Reflection last year we had the vent repositioned in the black tank. This did not solve the problem. In Sept. of last year after the GD Rally in Elkhart we took the trailer to the GD warranty center and they fixed the toilet pipe that went too far into the tank. So,..... yes...... same problems over a year apart.

 

[minnow101]

How is this fixed accomplished ? Remove the bottom and remove the pipe from the tank that way ? I assume the pipe is glued into the tank opening ?

 

[RGMutchler]

With my unit the vent and the sewer pipe from the toilet fit into a rubber grommet that seals into the opening in the top of the tank.
I think it can be accessed completely through the area behind the pass through in the basement

 

[kozzy124]

RG is correct.
the dealer cut the pipe in half in the storage compartment, pulled it out of the black tank, cut 7 inches off of it, and put it back in reattached where they cut it with a rubber flex pipe and 2 clamps.
works great. wish I had though of that, took me 8 hours round trip both times to bring it to the dealer, I could have done that fix. I though they had to drop the tank but I was wrong.