black tank flush system

danemayer

Well-known member
I have a 09 bighorn 3670RL. When I hook up the water with the pressure regulator attached and have opened the dump valve and then turn on the water nothing comes out of the sewer end. Anybody have any thoughts as to what is going on?

Hi bonnie717,

A few questions:

Are you hooking the water hose to the black flush fitting?
Do you think the black tank is full?
When you pull the handle to dump the black tank, does it feel like the cable is still attached to the valve?
Have you checked to see if water is coming out of the hose/regulator when disconnected from the coach?
Has it all worked correctly until now?
 

curt717

Happy Campers
Hi bonnie717,

A few questions:

Are you hooking the water hose to the black flush fitting?
Do you think the black tank is full?
When you pull the handle to dump the black tank, does it feel like the cable is still attached to the valve?
Have you checked to see if water is coming out of the hose/regulator when disconnected from the coach?
Has it all worked correctly until now?
Yes I am hooked to the proper inlet.
Tried flushing after I emptied the tank. Cable works. Don't know if it ever worked, first time I have tried. Have to check the regulator, I use a different one for the fresh water.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I have a 09 bighorn 3670RL. When I hook up the water with the pressure regulator attached and have opened the dump valve and then turn on the water nothing comes out of the sewer end. Anybody have any thoughts as to what is going on?

If the tank washer is working it is pretty obvious - IT'S NOISY.
Forgive me for asking, but are you sure you connected the water supply hose to the correct inlet hose connection? The UDC labelling can be confusing.
Has it EVER worked for you? If not, maybe the check valve was put in backwards.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
If the flusher worked before and there is no water pouring out from under the rig, remove the hose from the flusher UDC fitting and see if there is a small button or stem in the middle of the check valve (providing there really is one...another story). Press the button, the check valve may be stuck. And if there is a sediment screen in the fitting, remove it and see if it's full of crud blocking the flow.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Yes I am hooked to the proper inlet.
Tried flushing after I emptied the tank. Cable works. Don't know if it ever worked, first time I have tried. Have to check the regulator, I use a different one for the fresh water.
It's possible when you emptied the black tank that it wasn't really empty. You can easily get a blockage of toilet paper and such blocking the gate valve. The water trickles down to nothing at the outlet. When this happens, you sometimes have to backflush the system to clear the blockage.

Take a look at our owner-written Water Systems Guide. Pages 17-21 cover this in detail.
 

curt717

Happy Campers
If the flusher worked before and there is no water pouring out from under the rig, remove the hose from the flusher UDC fitting and see if there is a small button or stem in the middle of the check valve (providing there really is one...another story). Press the button, the check valve may be stuck. And if there is a sediment screen in the fitting, remove it and see if it's full of crud blocking the flow.
John, took the whole assembly out of the UDC. Unscrewed the fittings and there is nothing but air in there. Haven't a clue as to where the so called check valve is. Is it possible that the pressure regulator is not allowing enough water to get through the system? Read the owner-written guide and will be heading to the RV parts place tomorrow to get me one of those back flush gizmos. Thanks to all for the replies.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
John, took the whole assembly out of the UDC. Unscrewed the fittings and there is nothing but air in there. Haven't a clue as to where the so called check valve is. Is it possible that the pressure regulator is not allowing enough water to get through the system? Read the owner-written guide and will be heading to the RV parts place tomorrow to get me one of those back flush gizmos. Thanks to all for the replies.

THANKS!! You've just vindicated something I said a couple of years ago when my UDC flusher fitting broke. The black plastic B&B Molders fitting is nothing more than a hollow tube flow restrictor, not a check valve as some have said. When mine broke, I replaced it with a brass city water fitting that has an actual check valve in it.

In regards to the pressure regulator you mention, if it's one of the little blue plastic gizmos they sell at the RV parts store, WallyWorld, or they stuck in your owners package at the dealer, it's probably not passing very much water volume. Those are also more of a restrictor than a regulator. You best bet for a regulator is to use either the Watts N55BG or 263A regulator from these folks: http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/ They're a great source for water filter info and parts, along with quality hoses for drinking water. Pricey to some, but you get what you pay for.

Other question: When you were trying to run the flusher, could you hear anything behind the basement wall? I run mine off my filtration system, but I can still hear it. With your hand on the hose, you should be able to feel if the water is running through it, too. If you don't hear of feel anything, you could try loosening the basement panel next to the UDC to hear and see. Most likely, your anti-siphon valve is mounted in the wall directly behind the toilet, not behind the shower. I have the same rig, and that's where the piping goes. Have you tried running the water into the flusher without any regulator/restrictor? If you for certain don't have any flow, then it's possible the anti-siphon valve is blocked (or backwards).

If you look in the center of the photo (one of my Basement-O-Doom collection), you'll see two red PEX lines disappearing into the overhead at the rear. That's the lines to and from the anti-siphon valve in my 2009 BH3670. The one attached to the white vinyl hose goes to the flusher in the side of the tank. I've installed access panels on both sides of the basement so I can check back there for leaks and get to my converter and suppressor (which you don't want positioned under anything with water in it).

View attachment 25734View attachment 25735
 

wdk450

Well-known member
If you are having problems with this system, I (personally) would recommend you replace the installed B&B Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker with a brass check valve while you are working on it to avoid a future disaster. While this is probably a plumbing code sanitation violation, read item # 7 in the B&B manual to see that water coming out of this valve's vent is an expected event:
http://www.bandbmolders.com/files/TankFlusherInstructions2.pdf

Add-on tank flushers you can buy at RV parts stores don't have these atmospheric breakers.
 

curt717

Happy Campers
Hey Gang, I finally fixed my flushing problem. I took the whole mess apart again and found that the inlet fitting looks like a small ball with a small orifice. When I hooked up a pressure regulator it did not let water through. Hooked the hose directly to the inlet and Voila, it flushes. Thanks for all of your help. Curt
 

ParkIt

Well-known member
Hey Gang, I finally fixed my flushing problem. I took the whole mess apart again and found that the inlet fitting looks like a small ball with a small orifice. When I hooked up a pressure regulator it did not let water through. Hooked the hose directly to the inlet and Voila, it flushes. Thanks for all of your help. Curt
Good to hear you got it sorted :)

Not sure what's up but I think we tend to over think what could be wrong or not working properly...too many times I've only had to pop something off or ends off then hook it back up and it works like it was intended. Didn't take long to find the check valve in mine as a case of "what the heck is this for in the shower?" (the manuals are just too slim on these things) so I unscrewed the cap and followed the lines listening for water I'd set at a trickle. Didn't want to have to clean up much for the 'just in case' scenario.

That being said my son the plumber is still trying to get time to 're-do' the entire plumbing jungle. He took one look not long after it was delivered and groaned then started rattling off what he is going to change out so it will hold pressure spikes and rolling earthquake moves. I just back up and let him figure it out...best to stay outta his way when he's on something. (gee, I wonder where he got that from? lol)
 
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