Leaking near gray valve?

[infinity]

Hey guys,
Got a slow leak near the gray tank and valve on my Escape 19. What is the part and process to repair this? Wasn’t sure what to search for as I’m sure someone else probably has asked about this. Thanks!

 

[Chamberman]

This is due to a cracked pipe. You'll find a lot of info in the thread linked below. You should expect that you'll need to repair more connections for that gray tank.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f9/leak-from-above-grey-water-tank-20737.html

 

[Thane-ESC]

I had a cracked pipe in the gray water system that I repaired using a syringe and ABS cement over 5 years ago and it has held up well, perhaps it will work here.

I cleaned the cracked area with a scotch-brite pad and not sand paper as I didn’t want to close the cracks,

I taped over the gray tank vent, taped a wet-dry vacuum cleaner hose to one drain and had a helper cover the other drain with her hand when commanded.

I used the vacuum cleaner to create suction and used the syringe to apply the ABS cement to the cracked area; apparently an adequate amount of cement was drawn into the cracks to seal them.

Before applying the cement, I slightly heated the cracked area with a hair dryer to help ABS cement to be drawn into the cracks.

I used a syringe with a blunt needle like this to squirt the cement in the cracked area while vacuum was applied. I used the largest diameter needle. I bent a long needle to get to cracks I could not reach directly. I applied enough cement to have extra material on the outside of the cracked area, and put down a drop cloth to catch drips.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B93YKX2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For your application, you could plug all drains, open the drain valve and have a helper stick the vacuum cleaner hose into the drain and use a hand to seal around the hose. This allows a vacuum to be applied for only the short time while you are applying the cement. You don’t need, or really want, an airtight seal for the vacuum cleaner hose.

It was a bit messy, and doesn’t look great, but who looks under a trailer anyway?

I don’t think that anything bad would result if you tried and it didn’t work.

 

[edlynnrich]

Brilliant!

 

[Chamberman]

I had a cracked pipe in the gray water system that I repaired using a syringe and ABS cement over 5 years ago and it has held up well, perhaps it will work here.

While I'm certain that your approach may work or at least get someone by for a period of time. I personally wouldn't try it on the gray tank waste drain. If this drain fitting eventually fails as many on the forum have experienced with the entire 1.5" gray tank piping shearing off at the threads flush with the tank's female threaded input and pulls away form the tank this will put a real damper on things if you're in the middle of a trip. I might try it on the vent or one of the drains which are higher up on the tank and may fail in such a way as to still allow someone to continue lightly using the gray tank if on a trip. However if the waste drain fails by pulling fully away from the tank then that's it you're done, there's no more using the gray tank until its been repaired because it'll not just slowly drip out, the gray tank will empty out onto the ground.

Escape began using 1.5" flex couplings to correct the failures. This can be done to existing trailers and is easier to retrofit if you can catch it before the drain piping breaks. Then you only have to cut a short section of piping out of each of the drain's and install the rubber coupling. On our 2019 E19 the only gray tank fitting that wasn't affected was the main waste drain.

 

[infinity]

Thanks so much for your tip. I used flexseal and it helped but there is a very very slow leak.

Sent an email to Escape for support and they offered a free repair kit. Here's the letter from Escape with the instructions for the repair:


GREY TANK FLANGE REPAIR
(READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS PRIOR TO STARTING REPAIR)

A limited number of 2019 19’ Escape trailers have developed a leak at the top of the grey water tank. This was a result of a design deficiency that did not allow any flex in the system below the kitchen sink. This lack of flex resulted in a threaded male coupler that connected the 1 ½" ABS sink drain pipe into a collar on the grey water tank to pull out, thus allowing the grey water tank to leak when full.
The repair for this is to install a rubber sleeve in the downpipe below the sink. This rubber sleeve allows for the flex required as the trailer travels down the road. The following instructions are to assist you in completing this repair:
1) Using a hacksaw or other fine-tooth saw, cut through the 1 ½" ABS drain pipe below the sink, approximately 2” above the current threaded male fitting that screws into the inlet of the grey tank.
2) Remove the remaining pipe and the fitting from the grey tank. This should spin out of the tank fairly easily.
3) Install Teflon tape (not supplied) around the threads of the new threaded male fitting sent to you.
Thread this new male fitting into the grey water tank collar just below the cabinet floor.
Apply ABS glue (not supplied) around the bottom 1” of the supplied 6-inch piece of 1 ½" ABS
Insert this piece of ABS into the new male fitting in the top of the grey tank and twist it into place. Allow this to dry (approx. 10 minutes)
OR
Apply ABS glue (not supplied) around the bottom 1” of the supplied 6-inch piece of 1 ½" ABS
Insert this piece of ABS into the new male fitting and twist it into place. Allow this to dry (approx. 10 minutes)
Thread this new male fitting along with the ABS pipe into the grey water tank collar just below the cabinet floor.
4) Cut the either the drain pipe or new pipe to allow a ¾" gap between the two.
5) Loosen the pipe clamps that are already in place around the supplied rubber sleeve.
6) Apply Vaseline (not supplied) or similar lubricant to the inside of the rubber sleeve at each end. Slide this rubber sleeve up onto the drain pipe, then down onto the new ABS pipe.
7) Tighten the pipe clamps firmly.

You are now finished! Thank you for completing this repair.

 

[Sean Murry]

Our 2019 E19 had leaks at every connection to the grey tank. The vent connection near the shower, the sink drain, the shower drain and the discharge valve. Took to a local RV shop who changed all the connection points with new PVC Pipe and some flex hose to allow movement.