Water won’t run away!

[Penk]

All going well till we showered last night. Since then, not only will the shower not drain, neither will the wash basin or sink . We’ve emptied the waste tank but nothing has changed. Help appreciated as we have to drive off shortly, and with this lost sloshing about it’s a worry. Thanks, Penny

 

[Guigsy]

Put plugs into all but one drain. Get a large plastic milk bottle. Fill it with warm water. Turn it upside down over the plug hole and squeeze. It's very effective at clearing complete blockages (if a bit messy). Just don't go too aggressive straight away or you'll run the risk of bursting a joint.

 

[denisejoe]

are you on a slope if not the putting the flat of your hand over a plug hole and try pumping it up and down Ilke a plunger worked for me with our sink in the van

 

[DavidG58]

If the grey water tank is definitely empty it sounds like you have a blockage in the pipe into the tank, presume the shower and sink piles must join before the tank

Do you have any access to get into the tank and try poking something up the inlet pipe ?

Failing that try a cloth over the shower outlet and press down with palm of hand it makes a sort of plunger

 

[Penk]

Thanks. We’re on the tiniest slope. Would that affect it? And funnily enough I’ve tried the hand plunger technique but no change. I’m currently doing what I can with the world’s smallest sponge and cereal bowl

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[TheBig1]

back flushing the tank drain off will usually produce a lot of muck that had built up to block the pipe

 

[Penk]

If the grey water tank is definitely empty it sounds like you have a blockage in the pipe into the tank, presume the shower and sink piles must join before the tank

Do you have any access to get into the tank and try poking something up the inlet pipe ?

Failing that try a cloth over the shower outlet and press down with palm of hand it makes a sort of plunger

Thank you. As this a new van to us, I’ve not discovered the whereabouts of things yet. I shall see if I can find access to said tank and give it a prod and a stern look!

 

[denisejoe]

didn’t read all posts

 

[meanders]

Ours (except the washbasin in the toilet) will not drain if we tilt to the nearside even the tiniest bit. The remaining inlet pipes join and there is then a pipe that runs 3/4 of the way across the van that just seems to push back. Lifting the offside on ramps a tiny bit and it all flows fine. A nuisance but leveling side to side properly with a spirit level when parking up stops the problem occuring.

 

[Reevsie]

My sink got blocked last week. Had to get under the sink to unblock it. No u bend but at the bottom of the drain pipe was a round plastic dome that was the equivalent. Messy job to unblock it but I found the rice we had the night before.

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[Penk]

back flushing the tank drain off will usually produce a lot of muck that had built up to block the pipe

Aha - thanks. Sounds like my kind of task

 

[Penk]

Put plugs into all but one drain. Get a large plastic milk bottle. Fill it with warm water. Turn it upside down over the plug hole and squeeze. It's very effective at clearing complete blockages (if a bit messy). Just don't go too aggressive straight away or you'll run the risk of bursting a joint.

Sounds fun! Thanks. I must keep a plastic milk bottle handy then

 

[Penk]

Ours (except the washbasin in the toilet) will not drain if we tilt to the nearside even the tiniest bit. The remaining inlet pipes join and there is then a pipe that runs 3/4 of the way across the van that just seems to push back. Lifting the offside on ramps a tiny bit and it all flows fine. A nuisance but leveling side to side properly with a spirit level when parking up stops the problem occuring.

That’s interesting. thanks. Never mind a slope, we’re on a steep learning curve

 

[Penk]

Thank you. More than a grain of rice/truth in that! We had rice for dinner…..

 

[Penk]

Well, we have to move off now, sloshing or not. Thank you all for the support!

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[Nanniemate]

Well, we have to move off now, sloshing or not. Thank you all for the support!

Good luck you may find as soon as you move it runs away

 

[DavidG58]

I might now be over thinking this , bear with me

If there is a blockage stopping both sink and shower water getting to the grey tank I would expect all the water to end up in the shower you haven’t pushed the plug down in the shower have you ?

 

[Penk]

I might now be over thinking this , bear with me

If there is a blockage stopping both sink and shower water getting to the grey tank I would expect all the water to end up in the shower you haven’t pushed the plug down in the shower have you ?

No, there are no plugs in the two shower plug holes. But thank you for your idea.

 

[Jev88]

My old coachbuilt was left in a field for a couple of years and so needed a deep clean.
Big red cap on bottom of grey waste tank, 6 foot of very bendy pipe cleaner and reached up and found the manifold where the two sinks and shower pipes meet the tank - gently to and fro and the amount of gunk was surprising. Our drains still worked and it was just precautionary but glad I did.
Finally shed off with am elbow on a hosepipe and jetted the inner walls of the tank.

 

[Penk]

My old coachbuilt was left in a field for a couple of years and so needed a deep clean.
Big red cap on bottom of grey waste tank, 6 foot of very bendy pipe cleaner and reached up and found the manifold where the two sinks and shower pipes meet the tank - gently to and fro and the amount of gunk was surprising. Our drains still worked and it was just precautionary but glad I did.
Finally shed off with am elbow on a hosepipe and jetted the inner walls of the tank.

Sounds satisfying work. thanks for the tip.

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[Gellyneck]

We had the same problem a month or two back.
Managed to get under the van and split the waste pipe at a joint as it was after where the pipes merged.
Pushed a flexible rod through the pipe and managed to clear it a bit however fully cleared when I blew down the pipe.
Final clean out with baking soda and vinegar.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

My waste used to block and had to carefully push a thin piece of metal (fishing rod rest) up the out let to unblock. We eventually treated waste to vinegar and costic soda and it's never blocked since.

 

[Penk]

My waste used to block and had to carefully push a thin piece of metal (fishing rod rest) up the out let to unblock. We eventually treated waste to vinegar and costic soda and it's never blocked since.

That’s interesting to know. Is caustic soda the same as the soda crystals one can use in laundry and to clear drains at home? If so, I have the ingredients

 

[Penk]

We had the same problem a month or two back.
Managed to get under the van and split the waste pipe at a joint as it was after where the pipes merged.
Pushed a flexible rod through the pipe and managed to clear it a bit however fully cleared when I blew down the pipe.
Final clean out with baking soda and vinegar.

I feel very inclined to try that tomorrow. thanks!

 

[Outdoors Dad]

That’s interesting to know. Is caustic soda the same as the soda crystals one can use in laundry and to clear drains at home? If so, I have the ingredients

I mean baking soda

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[Outdoors Dad]

Yes those crystals, I added vinegar as it was suggested on here, anyway waste clear now and smells gone

 

[Shrimp]

If after washing up the water has lots of bits in it I don’t put it down the sink, it goes under the nearest tree or hedge.
Bread/toast crumbs, rice, bits of pasta, they will all swell up and any fats or oils are not a good idea.

 

[Penk]

If after washing up the water has lots of bits in it I don’t put it down the sink, it goes under the nearest tree or hedge.
Bread/toast crumbs, rice, bits of pasta, they will all swell up and any fats or oils are not a good idea.

Mmm. Thank you for that point. I’ll buy a washing-up bowl then. The sink’s quite big and should hold one.

 

[Brains]

We keep a £1 small plastic plunger in the van for this sort of issue

 

[Penk]

We keep a £1 small plastic plunger in the van for this sort of issue

That‘s another good tip. Thank you