Bolly1965 Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Finally got a bit of time off work and going on my first outing. Brought the motorhome home and was getting it ready for it's first trip of the year so i thought i'd tackle a couple of minor niggles. Firts the slow draining sink. After poring down everything ranging from bleach to caustic soda the only thing still that gets the water flowing is a good ole sink plunger - but only for a matter of minutes... traced the pipe to a joint under the van (push connection) undid the connection and just out of curiosity ran some water through - fully expecting as it was almost a vertical run that it would woosh through - no such luck. There is a point where the pipe goes back up slightly (it dips slightly under the chassis) - would this be enough to cause an air lock that would result in slow flow? Would replacing the ribbed pipe with smooth have any effect? Second the lock on the gas bottle door is of the type that when you unlock it the handle springs from a recess enabling it to turn (well that only worked once) it no longer springs out so i took the lock mechanism out and gave it a good dousing in WD40 - did that work? hell no - never that easy, do i started to dismantle the lock mechanism and of course one very little but ever so important piece sprang out and landed somewhere on my expansive drive, expansive and very grubby block paved drive (waiting for decent weather to power wash it). Now i'm usually good at finding lost items but after 2 hours on my hands and knees gave up. I reassembled the lock the best I could and refitted it to the van - not the handle springs out on its own accord and ends up in the bushes. Finally I gave up and after locking up and walking back to the house, I galnced down and spotted the tiny missing item! I reassembled the lock and put it back on the van. Now it still sticks!!!! Are motorhomes always this frustrating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 WD40 is good stuff for many applications - but not for locks as it tends to bind the accumulated muck into the mechanism. I always use a good squirt of silicone spray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 The baffleing thing about the poor drainage is that it improves for while after using the plunger. This suggest that there is some sort of debris moving about. Is it possible to disconnect at the joint and give it a flush through with a hose that far. With that section clear disconnect at the tank and repeat the process, the aim being to check there is a free flow all the way from the sink to the tank. Obviously a smooth pipe will be less likely to hold debris than the wire reinforced type but its always best to work out why there is a problem before spending time and money on something that may not work. As long as the drain in the sink is higher than anywhere in the run of hose to the tank the force of gravity should overcome any air lock effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 "Are motorhomes always this frustrating?" Yes - but the sex is damn good. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 Sorry for the short reply earlier, had to go off quickly so pressed the submit button but again YES they are frustrating. There is obviously, as you probably suspect, a blockage somewhere. Why do manufacturers insist on using this small bore ribbed flexible plastic pipework for drainage? Why cant they all just use normal size waste pipework as we use in the plumbing business? As already suggested, it may be a case of getting a hose onto the end of the waste pipe and putting a little bit of pressure behind it to unblock the pipe. Try not to use caustic soda as I have been to some blockages where people have poured neat stuff down and it has solidified and caused damage to both the pipework and me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 If you can, eliminate that uphill section of pipe. All drains should have a steady gradient throughout their length. It is very unlikely an airlock would prevent free drainage. However, a dip in the pipe will act as an elongated trap, and if food waste has lodged in this waterlogged section, some pretty rich gunge may have accumulated and that could well cause a partial blockage. So too can a crushed pipe! Smooth is preferable to ribbed for waste pipes to reduce the risk of food waste catching and blocking or restricting flow. If you decide to change the pipe, and it is possible to connect a larger bore pipe to your waste tank, it may be worth doing this. The sink waste connection can be "grown" onto the larger tube using reducing pieces. Have you checked the actual sink waste outlet? Some of these have a small, blockage prone, trap just below the actual sink. Also, have you checked the alignment of the waste strainer in the sink and any stiffening webs inside the waste attachment? Just look down the waste strainer to see if it is partially obstructed. These Mickey-Mouse sink outlets are small enough at the outset, and misalignment of the strainer certainly doesn't help outflow. The strainer is often retained by a central machine screw into the attachment beneath, and just loosening it slightly and rotating it until none of the outlet holes are obstructed can make quite a difference to the speed at which the sink empties. Enjoy! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted May 3, 2012 Author Share Posted May 3, 2012 I have detached the wastepipe under the van and put a hose up it and run some water but that didn't have much of an effect. As I said, if i fill the sink up and use a plunger it wooshes out and gurgles quite happily. As soon as it empties then the next sinkful drains slowly again - I have washed the pipe through with gallons and gallons of water and the only temporary solution is the plunger! The difference is unbelievable, but 5 minutes later it's back to a slow drain. The plug hole is difficult to get to from underneath as the sink is directly over the fridge. I may be able to get at it through the top fridge vent. The next section of pipework takes quite a dip under the chassis then joins a metal possibly aluminium pipe to the waste tank. As there is the chassis in the way I can't see a way round the dip. I've just had a thought - i have a wire sink-snake, which i put down the sink but didn't find a blockage. I'll try it from underneath tomorrow see if there is gunge in the 'dip' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 BGD - 2012-05-03 10:53 PM "Are motorhomes always this frustrating?" Yes - but the sex is damn good. ;-)Not if you've got a drop down bed like ours bashing the side of the van and attracting attention. :-( The ribbed pipe is usually smooth on the inside if it's the correct type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aljen Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I had the same problem for a long time then one day i had been doing the washing up, the kettle was boiled so i used that for the washing and when i emptied the bowl of hot water lo and behold after a bit of gurgling the water dissapeared with a whoosh and i havnt had any problems since. My thoughts were that maybe some fatty residue had been building up at the dip in the pipe and the boiling water finally got through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 i've tried bloing water too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Mornin' Bolly... Are you convinced it's the pipe that's under the van that's the problem and not the runs that are inside,under the sink/behind the cupboards?... If I was you,seeing as you've already done the obvious(check "traps/taps",loads of rinsing,hot water,plunger etc)and have spent time crawling under the van anyway,if it's easy enough to access throughout it's length,then I'd be looking at just renewing the hose(possibly with a slightly larger bore,while I was at it..) However,as others have said,it *does* sound as if sections of the hose are acting as "traps",slowing the flow... Is there anyway the hose could be re-routed? or does it already take the shortest,straightest route? Oh ..and Peter's correct, the "ribbed" waste hose "should" have a smooth bore (Although Peter..somewhat unfortunate that you pointed it out,whilst making referance to your drop down bed "bashing the side of the van"! ) 8-) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crinklystarfish Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I'd rip it all out. CAK sell supaflex hose which has a smooth bore but which is extremely pliable and is easy to run. They also sell the types of lock that are giving you the bother, hopefully they'll stock an exact match - without the sticking fault. Change the barrel and you can still use your suited key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Worth looking at this earlier thread: http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=24741&posts=13 It's stating the obvious but, when the design of a motorhome's waste-water system is inherently flawed it may be impossible to obtain acceptably quick draining from a sink/basin/shower, and a redesign may prove extremely difficult. I recall seeing a motorhome where a drain-hose went up into the rear wheel-arch (to clear the rear axle) before descending back down to connect to the waste-water tank at the back of the vehicle. There was absolutely no chance that the system would drain properly and it was difficult to see how the design could be successfully modified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Obviously if your pipework runs downhill all the way to the tank water will certainly flow better. HOWEVER if the pipework does not create in effect its own water trap by having an uphill bit smells coming back up the pipe from the waste tank are more likely. They use convoluted tube because it is cheap, simples to fit and will follow any route without joints or difficulty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Try filling the sink with hot soapy water then feed a plastic coated curtain wire down the hole jiggle it up and down and see if it unblocks, I would suggest a small hook of some kind on the end to see if there are anything that can be pulled out. I think its a good idea before we put the van to bed for the winter to make sure the sinks have a good flush through as debris left standing will solidify when it stands for any length of time. The only other suggestion is to bung the outlet with something then put a kettle of hot water and something like Milton down and let it stand overnight with a squeeze of washing up liquid. I would try that before trying to replace pipework after all if the plunger works it is moving what's there it just needs dissolving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 The curtain wire idea is sound but NOT with a hook on the end because if the hook gets caught in the pipe you will then be paddle free up a well known creek! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 I have tried a sink snake - similar to curtain wire. there seems to be no way to route it any straighter than it is. looks like best way as new hose and see how tha fairs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I agree with Rich..Although the idea of feeding a wire down is worth a go,I wouldn't be putting a hook on the end ! :-S Seeing as the OP has had this problem for a while,I'd like to *assume* that by now the pipe has had all the soakings/rinsings/caustic soda/plungering it could take.. (lol) ... ..and,again,assuming,that there aren't any unnoticed kinks/blockages which can be rectified,as the van is of mid nineties vintage,I'd be looking at replacing the hose.. Edit: Sorry Bolly,we crossed posts.. :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I had a similar problem on our Swift. I noticed that if the waste tank drain cock was open the kitchen sink drained smoothly. Investigation showed there are a number of small pressure relieving holes on the upper edge of the waste tank. Clearing these made a difference but the flow is still not brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I know this isn't solving the problem directly..but until it's sorted out,can you not just do as we do and use a bowl in the sink and then just empty that..? We put a small bucket outside,with a old sieve over the top(..water goes down the drain,any "debris" in sieve goes in the bin). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Oops! Double post... *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 pepe63 - 2012-05-04 1:24 PM I know this isn't solving the problem directly..but until it's sorted out,can you not just do as we do and use a bowl in the sink and then just empty that..? We put a small bucket outside,with a old sieve over the top(..water goes down the drain,any "debris" in sieve goes in the bin). That's a good idea, although we always wipe the plates with paper towels before washing, it certainly can't hurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Tracker - 2012-05-04 12:39 PM The curtain wire idea is sound but NOT with a hook on the end because if the hook gets caught in the pipe you will then be paddle free up a well known creek! No Richard I didnt mean the actual hook that comes with the wire I meant to use a piece of wire to make a small either hook or loop anything that you can twist and attach lumps etc; too!! Ive done it in my bathroom sink and it does work. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retread24800 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Maybe you will bite the bullet. If you need serious evacuation try replacing your convoluted hose with 32mm domestic PVC, or smooth bore rigid 28mm push fit caravan pipework from Reimo or Reich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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