Toilet leak

[UFO]

There is water in the toilet cassette locker. Luckily it is fresh water. It appears to be coming from the pipework / connectors under the toilet bowl - possibly from where the red arrow is pointing in the photo. The solenoid valve will be in there somewhere as well. The solenoid valve is working as it should - no water going into the bowl when turning a tap on and water going into the bowl when the toilet flush button is pressed.

The photo is looking up at the underside of the bowl in the locker, i.e. a worm's eye view.

I think if I remove the four screws circled in blue in the photo I should be able to get at the pipework / connectors / solenoid valve and find the leak.

But before I do this any thoughts?

It is a Thetford C200 C/CS where the flushing water is direct from the campervan water tank pump.

 

[maingate]

It is quite possibly the vacuum breaker. I had trouble a couple of times with this. Mine was a bench type toilet (C2 or C3 model I think). I was able to get to it (with difficulty) by removing the holder for the toilet paper. They are not expensive but a bu**er to fit.

You can google for an exploded diagram of yur particular model, which should help you.

Thetford Vacuum Breaker for Cassette Toilets - Caravan and Campervan Spares

Genuine Thetford spare part for caravan, motorhome or boat. Vacuum Breaker 16833 for cassette toilets.

www.jacksonsleisure.com

 

[r4dent]

a lot of posts on the net indicate that ehe problem is a faulty seal on the cassette.

I suggest you give the following a try before getting the screwdriver out.
Remove and empty the cassette
Dry every thing
Replace the cassette
With the flap closed carefully pour water from the jug into the bowl.

Have a cuppa or two.

Remove the cassette. (leave the water in the bowl)
Check for water.

 

[UFO]

a lot of posts on the net indicate that ehe problem is a faulty seal on the cassette.

I suggest you give the following a try before getting the screwdriver out.
Remove and empty the cassette
Dry every thing
Replace the cassette
With the flap closed carefully pour water from the jug into the bowl.

Have a cuppa or two.

Remove the cassette. (leave the water in the bowl)
Check for water.

The cassette has been out for a number of days now and there is still water in the cassette locker.

The water is not coming from the toilet bowel flush nozzle - that's all dry.

Its definitely dripping from somewhere under the bowl.

The odd thing is that there was still water in the cassette locker even when the flush, or any of the taps in the van, had not been operated for a number of days. Although the leak now seems to have stopped.

 

[UFO]

It is quite possibly the vacuum breaker. I had trouble a couple of times with this. Mine was a bench type toilet (C2 or C3 model I think). I was able to get to it (with difficulty) by removing the holder for the toilet paper. They are not expensive but a bu**er to fit.

This is mine, a C-200S VE according to the label in the cassette locker. From the Thetford exploded diagram it looks like the vacuum breaker is next to the valve. So if my assumption is that the four screws I indicated will give me access I can inspect all the parts.

 

[maingate]

On my Thetford setup, the vacuum breaker was just before the flush pipe (the one that goes to the bowl). It was set at the highest point, presumably that is how it broke the vacuum. Personally, I see no reason to have one fitted at all when there is an open ended pipe (the flush pipe).

 

[Boris7]

I had a similar leak recently and it turned out to be the locker seal, so if you’ve had rain or washed the van check that.

 

[colinm]

On my Thetford setup, the vacuum breaker was just before the flush pipe (the one that goes to the bowl). It was set at the highest point, presumably that is how it broke the vacuum. Personally, I see no reason to have one fitted at all when there is an open ended pipe (the flush pipe).

I'm guessing it's there to stop possible contamination of the water system from drain back from the nozzle, and yes we also had problems with leaks from that valve but ours was due to the pump losing pressure and struggling to close the valve.

 

[r4dent]

The cassette has been out for a number of days now and there is still water in the cassette locker.

The water is not coming from the toilet bowel flush nozzle - that's all dry.

Its definitely dripping from somewhere under the bowl.

The odd thing is that there was still water in the cassette locker even when the flush, or any of the taps in the van, had not been operated for a number of days. Although the leak now seems to have stopped.

Just to clarify,
The cassette was taken out.
Water was removed from the inside of the toilet locker, and it was dried.
After a number of days water is still dripping into the locker.

As a defense for the cassette seal I think it is watertight (sorry!)

You have my blessing to activate the screw driver.

Before starting to replace parts you could make a video to identify the source of the leak ?

Good luck.

 

[maingate]

I'm guessing it's there to stop possible contamination of the water system from drain back from the nozzle, and yes we also had problems with leaks from that valve but ours was due to the pump losing pressure and struggling to close the valve.

The toilet shown in the photo has an electric flush, which means it has a solenoid valve which opens and starts the pump at the same time as the button is pushed. It is not a good system if you want to drain down when a hard frost is due. The best you can do is drain the water from the tank and then operate the flush (and pump) and hope any water present runs back through the open solenoid valve. I believe it was freezing cold weather which damaged my first vacuum breaker when it froze up as it is after the solenoid valve. It is not good to run the pump with no water going through it but it is probably the lesser of two evils.

 

[Canalsman]

It is quite possibly the vacuum breaker. I had trouble a couple of times with this. Mine was a bench type toilet (C2 or C3 model I think). I was able to get to it (with difficulty) by removing the holder for the toilet paper. They are not expensive but a bu**er to fit.

You can google for an exploded diagram of yur particular model, which should help you.

Thetford Vacuum Breaker for Cassette Toilets - Caravan and Campervan Spares

Genuine Thetford spare part for caravan, motorhome or boat. Vacuum Breaker 16833 for cassette toilets.

www.jacksonsleisure.com

Agreed. I have had exactly this problem and this was the cause.

 

[UFO]

From my 'cardboard test' definitely leaking from the area around the arrow in the photo in my first post. I have some other jobs to do so it will be a while until I get my screwdrive out.

I will then send an update.

 

[maingate]

That screwed connector might need a nip up and I notice there is no Jubilee clip on the green hose near it.

 

[UFO]

I have now had a closer look at the leak.

Removed the four screws marked in red to release and remove the two bowel retaining brackets.

Removed the screws marked in red and the three plastice pieces marked in blue to release the bowl.

Once released the bowl can be turned over to access the vacuum breaker and the electric valve. I connected a hose, not shown, to the flush nozzle and ran this outside through the locker door so that I could operate the flush without flooding the shower.

Electric valve on the left, vacuum breaker on the right.

The vacuum breaker removed from its mounting. When I first used the flush with the vacuum breaker still in situ a lot of water came out. Since removing it each time I have used the flush only a few drops of water come, so maybe it is sensitive to being moved.

However as there are no leaks from anywhere else and the there is water coming out of the hole on the bottom of the vacuum breaker I think it's safe to assume that this is the source of the leak.

The solution is a new vacuum breaker ~£15. Or remove the vacuum breaker and join the two pipes together.

Either way as it's a job that has to be done blind, I used a mirror, within the locker It's not something I want to repeat

So I am inclined to fit a new vacuum breaker.