Grey Water Tank Problem

[jtelles3993]

Big Thanks to Brenda and Bryce!

[jeeps]

[font size="3"](Brenda said) Okay, the picture posting process here is difficult (why can't it be simple like Facebook??) so I'll do my best .....

(Bryce said)
Tools needed:  5/16 socket and ratchet, 3/8 end wrench, 3/8 socket w/ extension, measuring tape, saw to cut pipe, and a file.

Remove 4 bolts from gray tank gate valve.  Take note where the [font color="#e65219"]*[/font]seals on each side of the gate valve are located because they have to go back in the same place.
Remove 18 screws from straps.  Make sure you mark the position of the straps, so you can put them back correctly.
Cut or disconnect wires to tank [font color="#2919e6"]**[/font]sensor, if you have one.  (I had to redo some of the See Level wires that I had just installed last week.)
Pull tank down off of vent and drain pipes. (It's a tight fit on the vent pipe and won't fall down on its own.)
Measure how much to remove from vent pipe.  (I removed about 3 inches from ours.)  Vent pipe is closest to the dump valves.
The vent needs to go into the seal fitting a little more than 2 inches.
Cut pipe.  (I used a battery powered sawzall, but a hacksaw or any hand saw would work.)
Chamfer the edges around the outside of the cut pipe to make it easier to insert back into the seal fitting.
Remove burrs and sharp edges off the inside of the vent pipe also, to ensure that any gunk going down your drain doesn't get caught there and cause a backup.
Carefully push tank back up into position, making sure to get both pipes lined up into their rubber fittings.
Reinstall the gate valve.  Take care to get the [font color="#e63a19"]*[/font]seals in place and operate the gate valve to make sure it works properly.  (That was the trickiest part for me.) 
Bolt straps back into place and reconnect [font color="#2919e6"]**[/font]sensor wires.

The seal that holds the vent pipe is inside the tank, and because it needs that minimum of just over 2 inches of vent pipe to attach to, the vent pipe/seal still protrudes those 2(+) inches into the tank.

1st picture - the gate valve with the bolts removed
2nd picture - the straps
3rd picture - the vent pipe before shortening....it hung down that far into the tank.  

[attachment id="670" thumbnail="1"] [attachment id="671" thumbnail="1"]
[attachment id="672" thumbnail="1"]
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[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/8509/thread" timestamp="1427420867" author="@gleamb"]What is the next course of action??[/quote]I'd say wait for the full details from Brenda (courtesy of her husband), give it to your closest LL dealer (or camping world) and then LL pays for them to do the work. If it only took an hour then I'm sure they won't hesitate to take care of it for you.

[jeeps]

[quote source="/post/8518/thread" author="@tinkeringtechie" timestamp="1427427406"]

What is the next course of action??

I'd say wait for the full details from Brenda (courtesy of her husband), give it to your closest LL dealer (or camping world) and then LL pays for them to do the work. If it only took an hour then I'm sure they won't hesitate to take care of it for you.[/quote][font size="3"]Yeah, assuming they have a proper lift to hoist up the trailer to work under, it'd be a snap for them to do.  It would probably cut the time in half.  

Good luck, everyone.  Let us know if you have questions.  [/font]

[solds88]

[p]Brenda & Bryce,[/p][p]
[/p][p]Great work guys![/p]

[bobbie56]

Yes, great work, and pictures to boot. You should get a paycheck from Liv'n Lite for your trouble shoot and solution.

I will be running my "Test" in a week or so when I pull the unit out of winter storage for a few "To Do" items (many from things learned on here).

She is still under warranty, so once the test is done, and if it is the case, she will be going in for repairs. That being said, it does not look that bad a job, but why do yourself what you can get others to do for free.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Great work Bryce and Brenda. The pix came through fine. Question for Bryce: Having done this would there be any advantage to leaving the vent pipe long and drilling the holes as suggested by James?  Would the longer pipe help in reassembly? Also, did you look at the sink drain entry pipe? When it gets buried in water it might slow the sink drains somewhat while the levels equalize.
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[jeeps]

[quote source="/post/8536/thread" timestamp="1427462309" author="@charliem"][font size="3"]Great work Bryce and Brenda. The pix came through fine. Question for Bryce: Having done this would there be any advantage to leaving the vent pipe long and drilling the holes as suggested by James?  Would the longer pipe help in reassembly? Also, did you look at the sink drain entry pipe? When it gets buried in water it might slow the sink drains somewhat while the levels equalize.
[/font][/quote][font size="3"](Bryce talking)  Thank you.  The sink drain was a little long, but I left it as is.  I could have take maybe 3/4 inches off, but felt it wasn't worth it.  I don't think you can pour water in fast enough for it to back up, as long as the vent works.  

I would not recommend drilling the holes because it would be just as much work as what I did.  It's such a long reach (about 2 ft.) that you might hit the seal by mistake, damaging it, causing it to possibly leak.  Dropping the gray tank was fairly simple, and less risky, IMO.  [/font]

[daplumbr]

If a standard brilliant spouse can do the work in about an hour, it should take a competent technician at an RV dealer less than a half day. Surely LL can spring for that under warranty/recall to fix a now known problem? 

[jerrybeaird]

Well.....not happy at all.  I replaced the AAW valve that Don sent me and did the gallon test again.  Now, at the 15 gallon Mark it does not stop draining like before.  Instead, it spits water all over the bathroom sink, gurgles and drains.  So I believe I have a working AAV but a vent pipe that extends too far into the tank, just like Brenda and Bryce detailed out in their previous posts.

A big THANKS  to Brenda and Bryce for their posts and detailed instructions!

I will call Don at LL in the morning to discuss what they will do from here and report back.  I know I could crawl under and do the fix but I really do not want to.

to be continued.....

[charliem]

[quote source="/post/8663/thread" timestamp="1427755019" author="@nd1979"]Well.....not happy at all.  I replaced the AAW valve that Don sent me and did the gallon test again.  Now, at the 15 gallon Mark it does not stop draining like before.  Instead, it spits water all over the bathroom sink, gurgles and drains.  So I believe I have a working AAV but a vent pipe that extends too far into the tank, just like Brenda and Bryce detailed out in their previous posts.

A big THANKS  to Brenda and Bryce for their posts and detailed instructions!

I will call Don at LL in the morning to discuss what they will do from here and report back.  I know I could crawl under and do the fix but I really do not want to.

to be continued.....[/quote][font size="3"]Exactly the symptoms that proceed from the now well known problem. Try to impress upon Don that he has a production problem that is not fixed by a new AAV. Try to get him to read this thread and get him to show it to his production manager, engineer, shop foreman, or someone close to the production process. And thanks for your work. Let us know what happens.[/font]

[jerrybeaird]

Yes,,I am planning on discussing and sending this post via email to him as a follow up to our conversation.  If we can get his production team to listen, perhaps others will not have to deal with this issue, and current owners will be covered via a recall of some sort.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]nd1979,

How were you filling the tank when you observed the problem? Were you filling from a sink, from the shower using the shower head, or dumping 5 gallons at a time into the shower? I need another data point. And good luck with LL.
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[jerrybeaird]

I was filling from the kitchen sink, like I did last time.  I wanted to perform the same test as before to see what would change. I was filling one gallon at a time.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]nd1979,

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. There is a scenario in which the problem might exhibit when dumping large quantities into the shower pan even if the vent is installed properly, but you didn't do that. If the problem shows up when filling from the sinks or the shower head the vent is definitely getting submerged in the tank. Can't believe LL hasn't acknowledged this one out yet. 
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