Lovely Subject! (1 Viewer)

[kenwardc]

Hi there

A toilet question please (hold noses NOW)....

Our toilet (swivel Thetford) in our Deffy Trend has a very weak flush. Being a newbie MH owner, I'm assuming that the water is supposed to swirl all the way around the toilet thereby flushing anything which might be lurking in the front of the bowl down into the cassette. However, in our lovely MH, there is this weak, half-hearted flush that barely makes it around the back of the toilet... what could be causing this?

Cheers
Chris

 

[Camping Gaza]

Blockage or pinch point in the flush pipe?

I got a swivel toilet and the flush is mostly useless and takes a lot of water. I have a plastic jug I keep in the khazi and fill using the hand basin. Means after washing hands I can aid the flush and keep the water consumption from the main tank to a minimum and emptying the cassette to a minimum.

All very scientific and a squeaky clean bowl. (not that you should have to resort to such methods of course)

 

[tofo]

A drop of silicone spray helps it slide

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[icantremember]

Aim at middle for diddle ... no skid marks.

 

[DaveandJen]

Sorry to say your half-hearted flush that barely makes it around the back of the toilet is about normal for most motorhome and caravan toilets. Those unable to fire straight and hit the hole at the bottom following a night on the beer or trying out the locals hot curry normally get sentenced to a couple of minutes with the loo roll cleaning up and poking it down the hole.

 

[Speve]

Had the same problem on our Exsis and it turned out to be a faulty flush button, also had a faulty pump.

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[kenwardc]

Thanks, Folks - I won't bother to complain at the dealer if this is "normal" for the swivel toilet. Bit disappointing though I have to say. Would have been nice to see a good old swirl of water around the bowl.

 

[TerryL]

Ours seems to swirl around okay, but of course it's nothing like at home.

Now here's a thought - why not go and ask a neighbouring motorhomer if you can checkout his/her flush.....................................

 

[Cat53]

Ours is pathetic but only if we haven't turned the pump on.

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[kenwardc]

Ours is pathetic but only if we haven't turned the pump on.

The pump!? Where is that? OMG - perhaps that's the issue??

 

[Cat53]

The pump!? Where is that? OMG - perhaps that's the issue??

Our pump switch to work all taps, including the cassette flush is located on our control panel....we have a Rapido, but just wondered if your controls were similar.

 

[hilldweller]

. what could be causing this?

Cheers
Chris

Not parked up level does not help.

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[autorouter]

Sorry to say your half-hearted flush that barely makes it around the back of the toilet is about normal for most motorhome and caravan toilets.

There are two types of water system: either a single pressure switch or switch in every tap (with a pushbutton for toilet flush)

If your taps and flush have switches in them, the pump current goes all the way through the tap or pushbutton switch and back to the pump. If you look at the wires, they are not very substantial. In my motorhome the pump voltage was 12.7 volts when not running. This dropped by 1 whole volt to 11.7 volts when the pump was operating.

I fitted a relay next to the pump, and wired the tap switches to trigger the relay. The pump voltage now drops by less than 0.1 volt when it is running. The weak flush has improved to a much more useful swirl all round the bowl.

For those who don't know what a relay is, it's an electrical switch that allows a tiny current to switch a heavy current. The tiny current through the tap or toilet flush pushbutton switches the heavy current through the pump. By putting the relay next to the pump, the path of the heavy current is very much shorter, so there is less voltage drop. Relays are cheap and easy to fit.

 

[Wildbill]

My flush paked in I just use bio wasing luqeid in a spray bottle and toilet brush
Saved on water and cassette space also the boys pee out side when ever posibil and the girls pee in a small buket that fits in the toilets
We can get abut a week out of one casete and we carry a spare one we have never used
Bill

 

[kenwardc]

There are two types of water system: either a single pressure switch or switch in every tap (with a pushbutton for toilet flush)

Hi there, the taps work like Hercules! If a tap is opened one hears the pump come into operation and the water shoots out so hard it almost blows a hole in the basin. This in the kitchen and in the toilet. It's only the flush that's 'orrible.

If your taps and flush have switches in them, the pump current goes all the way through the tap or pushbutton switch and back to the pump. If you look at the wires, they are not very substantial. In my motorhome the pump voltage was 12.7 volts when not running. This dropped by 1 whole volt to 11.7 volts when the pump was operating.

I fitted a relay next to the pump, and wired the tap switches to trigger the relay. The pump voltage now drops by less than 0.1 volt when it is running. The weak flush has improved to a much more useful swirl all round the bowl.

This sounds like a likely solution. I'm not technical in the slightest and wouldn't even attempt to do anything like this. Any recommendations where I could get this done? I guess I could take the MH back to Premier Motorhomes in Chichester and ask that they do it.... interesting thought....

Thanks for the very useful reply. I'm determined that the blasted toilet is going to flush all the way around the bowl - by hook or by....

Cheers
Chris

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[DaveandJen]

Hi Chris, following on from my earlier light-hearted post I read you are now determined that the blasted toilet is going to flush all the way around the bowl. The reason why your kitchen and toilet basin taps work like Hercules and shoot out water so hard that it almost blows a hole in the basin but the flush in your toilet is horrible is probably due to a well known thing in the pumping industry called - pipe friction loss - and just by increasing the diameter of the pipe size running from the pump up to the nozzle on your loo will give you a flash of many times the pressure and flow you are getting at the moment. Be warned, you will use much more water from your sometimes small reserve if camping wild and the jet may be so powerful as to splash out of the toilet bowl. Before upgrading the pipe size look out for any restrictors fitted in the pipework to reduce the flow and pressure from the pump.

You can start to understand about pipe friction loss by turning on your cold water tap at home and measuring the flow and pressure at the tap then connect a normal ½” garden hose pipe and see the difference at the other end. This drop in pressure and flow is caused because the standard ½” garden hose is undersized to handle the normal flow available at most domestic properties so causes a considerable amount of friction loss. The small diameter pipe often used by motorhome and caravan manufactures often restricts the full flow and pressure from the pump arriving at the toilet bowl. Hope this helps.

Dave.

 

[Carol]

Hello being a newbie, a few things about toilets, a well discuss and much debated subject, to help bigger loads to go down the loo open the blade fully, make a cross with loo paper across the hole, and just a flush and things will disappear without any mess, also use a spray if you have only had a wee, don't forget every time you flush you are using water, quite a lot, and if you are in the wilds sometimes water is quite important, we were in Italy once in a stunning place on the Cinque Terre in Italy, without concerving water we would have missed a amazing few days. Loo's are quite a debated subject in the motorhome world. Lol.

 

[tonyidle]

I've resorted to reducing the size of the outlet with a smear of silicone in the past. Works a treat.

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[icantremember]

I've resorted to reducing the size of the outlet with a smear of silicone in the past. Works a treat.

Does that not make you constipated?

 

[Hollyberry]

Use a spray bottle filled with a supermarket liquid cleaner and water (1:4) spray bowl liberally with that.
If you don't mind emptying cassette more frequently try an old washing up liquid bottle filled with same mix.

 

[Cavs]

I asked Thetford about this some years ago at a show. The response was to get a different nozzle that directs water in one direction only, rather than both directions that is the standard fitting. I was given the part number by the guys at the show, but I cannot now find it . This adaption applies to the plastic Thetford (obviously) bowl, not the ceramic version.

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[Doctor Dave]

There are two types of water system: either a single pressure switch or switch in every tap (with a pushbutton for toilet flush)
.

It might be that there is a separate water tank for the flusher - guess that makes a third type as regards flushing.

If that is the case make sure there is plenty of water in that tank.


Dave

 

[tonyidle]

Does that not make you constipated?

No - it pops out easily under stress .

 

[magicsurfbus]

Opening the dark portal to Hell and firing straight down the hole in the middle is an excellent way to minimise all types of water usage. A quick squib with the flush afterwards and all is well.

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[DaveandJen]

Looking on the Thetford website you can download the installation instructions for your model of toilet. Reading the packing list on a few they are supplied with a flow reducer to fit if the flow /pressure from the pump is too high. Maybe yours has been fitted with one and by removing it may overcome the problem.

Dave.

 

[pappajohn]

Opening the dark portal to Hell and firing straight down the hole in the middle is an excellent way to minimise all types of water usage. A quick squib with the flush afterwards and all is well.

You must have a large seat......
When the sewage outlet is directly over the hole the wedding tackle is dangling over the front on ours.

 

[nicholsong]

Our 'bathroom' is toilet and shower combined. Our showerhread is removable and the hose will reach to the toilet so I use that to give a stonger flush.

Geoff

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[yodeli]

It's only the flush that's 'orrible.

I see there's some H missing here, as if a French was saying it ..... Errrr... I wonder.... Should I take offence?

...Now now, I'm just kidding

 

[OldCodger]

In one of the (many many) threads on lavatories someone said flush before and after to prevent adhesion!

 

[kenwardc]

Hi Chris, following on from my earlier light-hearted post I read you are now determined that the blasted toilet is going to flush all the way around the bowl. The reason why your kitchen and toilet basin taps work like Hercules and shoot out water so hard that it almost blows a hole in the basin but the flush in your toilet is horrible is probably due to a well known thing in the pumping industry called - pipe friction loss - and just by increasing the diameter of the pipe size running from the pump up to the nozzle on your loo will give you a flash of many times the pressure and flow you are getting at the moment. Be warned, you will use much more water from your sometimes small reserve if camping wild and the jet may be so powerful as to splash out of the toilet bowl. Before upgrading the pipe size look out for any restrictors fitted in the pipework to reduce the flow and pressure from the pump.

Many thanks for that - I'll have a look at the system. I really would like a little more water running around the bowl but not so much that it creates a tsunami haha