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Old 01-13-2018, 09:41 AM   #1
W5LEW
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Black Tank Slow Leak

Yesterday, we returned home to smell apparently a black tank odor in the kitchen when we walked in. I found the smell to be coming from the pocket door, not the toilet. Storage bay investigation with flashlight found some black water drip on the plywood base for the water pump, the apparent cause of the smell. Right now, I figure the leak is coming from the 3" PVC pipe/tank connection above and to the curbside of the water pump. Am going back this morning to take some pictures with my phone if I can get in there to confirm my suspicions.

If I'm right, what kind of sealant do I need to use to seal the connection and stop the leak? Not sure if I can get my caulk gun in there. Other other sealing options?

BTW, the tank is full - time for a dump due today. Also, my BIL and I replaced the black and gray valves a few months ago. Wonder if we could have put the black tank/pipe connection in a bind or something putting in the new valve that could have caused this?

Thanks for your help.
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Old 01-13-2018, 01:24 PM   #2
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Update on my situation: found a hose clamp which I could not see until I got hands on the joint that is the problem. Managed to get the hose clamp loosened, slipped back onto the PVC collar on the curved pipe coming up from the valve, and then tightened down with a little 1/4" rachet. I think I've fixed it. I'm ready to empty the black tank - will see if I solved the problem.
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Old 01-13-2018, 02:16 PM   #3
wingnut60
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Sounds like a simple solution to a smelly problem. Working on the black tank is never fun.
By the way, I never let the black tank go past about 75% just in case....
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Old 01-13-2018, 03:32 PM   #4
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75% is a good idea - thanks for passing it on.
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Old 01-13-2018, 03:33 PM   #5
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I think I solved the problem with the hose clamp. I'm closely monitoring the situation
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Old 01-13-2018, 06:50 PM   #6
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Update: No drip from the joint yet. Black tank emptying went well. Will update if I have any other news but it's fixed for now.
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Old 01-15-2018, 06:48 AM   #7
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Check your toilet seal, we found ours improperly installed causing the same problem. Unfortunately the leak killed my converter before I figured out what was going on.
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Old 01-15-2018, 12:31 PM   #8
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That's a good suggestion. My BIL and I replaced the toilet almost a year ago and have had no problems except for the flush valve on the toilet failing, and I replaced that about 2 or 3 months ago. However, if the black tank leak comes back, I think I will check that seal. Thanks for your reply, Steve.
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