Grey Water tank leak

[JStelly]

While on our month long trip this is our second water problem. We have a very slight leak in our grey water drain line where it joins the tank. Per the photo I removed the insulation to identify the source. It’s so slight I have nothing dripping now although it could start as the tank fills. We are in a FHU campground and I have a mobile tech coming out tomorrow. Should I let him tear into it? Ride it out for 2.5 more weeks?

A photo without insulation of the joint on a 5.0 would be helpful.

Any tips or thoughts are welcome.

John

[JStelly]

And a quick update. I added a bucket under the suspect leak and will do an overnight leak test to see how much if any water accumulates. Results tomorrow. [emoji4]

[ksitte]

The leak appears to be so slow that I, personally, would wait until I returned home. If you have mobile repair service where you are, that's hard to resist. I really trust my mobile service tech at home. I'd want him to look at it but you may want more peace of mind on the road.

[davidmurphy02]

Here are a couple of photos for you of trailers without the spray foam. The first one is a 5.0 several years old, probably just like yours. The second is a more recent one, the white sealant at the tank is new as is the flexible connecting piece between the tank and the dump valve.

[JStelly]

Thanks David. This is very helpful.

[JStelly]

Originally Posted by ksitte

The leak appears to be so slow that I, personally, would wait until I returned home. If you have mobile repair service where you are, that's hard to resist. I really trust my mobile service tech at home. I'd want him to look at it but you may want more peace of mind on the road.

I’m leaning that direction. I checked my bucket under the leak this am and it was dry. [emoji4]. The mobile tech is coming out at noon today. I will ask him to remove the remaining spray foam and properly diagnose the leak at the joint. If it’s leaking this slowly I will just wait till I get home to do a proper repair.

[JStelly]

The mobile tech made a service call and we both agreed the leak is so minor it’s not worth the trouble to fix while on the road. It’s actually more of a “seep” and the water evaporates quickly enough that there is no real accumulation. He did confirm the leak/seep is at the union of the discharge pipe and the grey tank.

Since it’s so minor I now wonder how long it’s been leaking. Maybe six days stationary at Custer SP with an increasingly full grey tank gradually permitted the water to finally soak through the foam.

Anyway…all good for now. On to Medora, ND on Monday. The journey continues. [emoji4]

John

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by JStelly

Anyway…all good for now. On to Medora, ND on Monday. The journey continues. [emoji4]

John

Glad it's nothing serious, sometimes it's better not to sweat the small stuff and detract from the enjoyment of the journey. Enjoy.

Ron

[gbaglo]

I had a similar leak in the same place. Asked Reace what sort of "fix in a tube" I could use and he advised it wouldn't work and that I needed new pipe "spin welded" for a proper fix. That's what he did. I still don't know what spin weld is but it hasn't leaked since.

[JStelly]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I had a similar leak in the same place. Asked Reace what sort of "fix in a tube" I could use and he advised it wouldn't work and that I needed new pipe "spin welded" for a proper fix. That's what he did. I still don't know what spin weld is but it hasn't leaked since.

Thanks for the tip. When we get back to Houston in a few weeks I’ll take it to a repair shop and use this. I checked this am and the joint is only damp. I suspect this has been around a long time and only now manifested itself.

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by JStelly

And a quick update. I added a bucket under the suspect leak and will do an overnight leak test to see how much if any water accumulates. Results tomorrow. [emoji4]

Well I would spray a little leak with flex seal until I got were I could repair it.

[Lanark Camper]

This has been an issue. A fitting cracks where it is threaded into the tank because the sewer pipes are not well supported

A thread here

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...ion-18996.html

Go to the end of the tread for detailed repair.

Easily fixed by removing the fitting and replacing it. Insert a rubber plumbing sleeve in sewer pipes to provide some movement without causing fracture of the fitting. Improve the suspension on the sewer pipe to limit movement and so prevent other pipes from leaking.

Bob

[JStelly]

Thanks Bob. This is very helpful.

[JStelly]

After several days of observation, I’ve noted the tank leaks from the TOP of the connection with the tank. Therefore, as long as the grey tank is 1/3 full or less it doesn’t leak. ��. Better said than done.

Even when above 1/3 tank I’m only getting a few tablespoons overnight so it’s certainly manageable until we return.

John

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I had a similar leak in the same place. Asked Reace what sort of "fix in a tube" I could use and he advised it wouldn't work and that I needed new pipe "spin welded" for a proper fix. That's what he did. I still don't know what spin weld is but it hasn't leaked since.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fMdLWAYr7Ck

[lostskier]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

This has been an issue. A fitting cracks where it is threaded into the tank because the sewer pipes are not well supported

A thread here

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...ion-18996.html

Go to the end of the tread for detailed repair.

Easily fixed by removing the fitting and replacing it. Insert a rubber plumbing sleeve in sewer pipes to provide some movement without causing fracture of the fitting. Improve the suspension on the sewer pipe to limit movement and so prevent other pipes from leaking.

Bob

So far, I've had to repair 3 of the 4 drain/vent connections to my 2019, E19. I expressed my sincere dissatisfaction to ETI about this "defect" in the trailer. I'm not a complainer but this should never have been an issue. Unfortunately, the trailer is out of warranty. Fortunately, I'm capable of making the repairs it would have cost me a pretty penny. I'll be working on the shower drain this week to install a rubber sleeve as I'm pretty sure its going to break if it hasn't already.
Brian

[Ron in BC]

Not that it's any help to you but it must be a luck of the draw situation because I've never had any issues with either my 19 or 21 and I've driven a lot of rough roads. Just in case any newbies think that this is a common situation.

Ron

[safetybill]

I had similar issues with my grey tank outlet. Once I tore into it I discovered the tank fitting was either sheared off or never installed well. Escape simply sealed the pipe using plumbers putty. Once I pealed the putty, the pipe simply fell off the tank. This was the factory install (sigh....). I ended up installing a reduced diameter fitting, glued in place with PVC glue, and attaching the outlet to that. I lost 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter to an already slow flow, but it stopped the leak. Escape should redesign this connection.

[Warpau]

I agree with Lanark Camper. I had this problem on a 19 ft 2019. Escape gave me the necessary parts and I did the labour. I needed a new threaded male fitting and a rubber connector. The rubber connection reduces vibration on the critical connection to the grey tank. I also used a u clamp over the rubber connector screwed to the trailer frame. Last year when I picked up the parts from the Chilliwack showroom, I noticed that the display unit was using a rubber connector. It seems that Escape is recognizing the problem.