Grey water drain freeze damage.

[ComputerChips]

I winterized, including pouring pink stuff down all the drains but evidently had enough untreated water just behind the grey cutoff valve to freeze and crack the pipe. There is a crack in the 1 1/2" ABS sweep 90 degree ell pipe. That sweep ell is glued to the Gate valve. I can get a new sweep 90 degree ell at any plumbing shop but because it's glued to one side of the grey gate valve, I'll need to replace part of that valve body too. My question is this. I have the combo black 3" and grey 11/2" dump setup as most RVs. Can I purchase a standard 1 1/2 gate valve and remove the side that "I need" to replace and bolt it back together and have any success? Or do I need to figure out and buy the same brand? I'm trying to buy the $15 gate valve and only use the,1/2 I need rather than buying the $45 combo unit and using only a 1/4 of it. Any thoughts?

[javelin]

My first year of “careful” winterizing of our 2013 ACE 30.1 resulted in a cracked grey water 1-1/2” ABS fitting close to the gate valve body the following Spring. I now leave the grey drain blade valve open and the sewer drain fitting cap off (with small catch tray below) in the Fall after doing the pink winterization process ......never have had a freezing problem since. The black tank blade valve remains closed all Winter with some pink in that tank ......lots of room for freeze expansion there, so never had an issue. Our coach uses the Lasalle Bristol dual rotating black and grey fitting union and I had to buy a new complete dual fitting just to get the needed 1-1/2 ABS portion that interfaced the 1-1/2 blade valve side facing the grey tank. The hardest part of that repair is removing the ABS cracked fitting and then getting the new ABS pieces exactly aligned so the existing blade valve body is perfectly mated to the new ABS pipe pieces ......since ABS glue sets in seconds. If you have this Lasalle Bristol system then I am not sure if you can buy just the ABS interface piece to the blade valve. Also the Lasalle blade valves are not compatible with Valterra or Camco blade valves in my experience, so I carry spare Lasalle units since they are typically harder to find.

[ComputerChips]

Originally Posted by javelin

My first year of “careful” winterizing of our 2013 ACE 30.1 resulted in a cracked grey water 1-1/2” ABS fitting close to the gate valve body the following Spring. I now leave the grey drain blade valve open and the sewer drain fitting cap off (with small catch tray below) in the Fall after doing the pink winterization process ......never have had a freezing problem since. The black tank blade valve remains closed all Winter with some pink in that tank ......lots of room for freeze expansion there, so never had an issue. Our coach uses the Lasalle Bristol dual rotating black and grey fitting union and I had to buy a new complete dual fitting just to get the needed 1-1/2 ABS portion that interfaced the 1-1/2 blade valve side facing the grey tank. The hardest part of that repair is removing the ABS cracked fitting and then getting the new ABS pieces exactly aligned so the existing blade valve body is perfectly mated to the new ABS pipe pieces ......since ABS glue sets in seconds. If you have this Lasalle Bristol system then I am not sure if you can buy just the ABS interface piece to the blade valve. Also the Lasalle blade valves are not compatible with Valterra or Camco blade valves in my experience, so I carry spare Lasalle units since they are typically harder to find.

Thanks Javelin,
Yes that's exactly where mine froze and cracked. I hadn't looked close enough to see the branding. The Bristol double unit is on its way from Etrailer for $29. Not bad, and I needed a new cap anyway.[emoji4]

[ComputerChips]

Originally Posted by javelin

My first year of “careful” winterizing of our 2013 ACE 30.1 resulted in a cracked grey water 1-1/2” ABS fitting close to the gate valve body the following Spring. I now leave the grey drain blade valve open and the sewer drain fitting cap off (with small catch tray below) in the Fall after doing the pink winterization process ......never have had a freezing problem since. The black tank blade valve remains closed all Winter with some pink in that tank ......lots of room for freeze expansion there, so never had an issue. Our coach uses the Lasalle Bristol dual rotating black and grey fitting union and I had to buy a new complete dual fitting just to get the needed 1-1/2 ABS portion that interfaced the 1-1/2 blade valve side facing the grey tank. The hardest part of that repair is removing the ABS cracked fitting and then getting the new ABS pieces exactly aligned so the existing blade valve body is perfectly mated to the new ABS pipe pieces ......since ABS glue sets in seconds. If you have this Lasalle Bristol system then I am not sure if you can buy just the ABS interface piece to the blade valve. Also the Lasalle blade valves are not compatible with Valterra or Camco blade valves in my experience, so I carry spare Lasalle units since they are typically harder to find.

Thanks Javelin, that's exactly where mine froze and cracked. I hadn't looked closely enough to catch the brand of it. I found it at Etrailer for $29. It's in the mail now.

[javelin]

Well at least you will have spare blade valves with the new dual fitting. As I said the hardest part for me (this was years ago) was making sure the four ABS flange bolt holes line up on either side of the 1-1/2 blade valve holes.....and I found that after cutting off the cracked flange I had to cut more of the ABS pipe away and use an ABS coupling to get the new flange to fit where it needed to be next to and parallel to the blade valve. It is so tight (little pipe movement also) I could not bolt the flanges to the blade valve first and then glue it back onto the grey water ABS pipe.....I had to leave the blade valve out to get enough working space to re-glue the new flange in place.....so final flange length and bolt hole orientation are critical to reinserting the blade valve without leaks. Not sure if there is such a thing as a 1-1/2 ABS threaded union (like in gas fitting) instead of having to ABS glue things back together. If there is it might make this repair easier. You have a few seconds of fitting manipulation until the glue sets.....and if you are not correct then it is another redo.....and worst case another new flange required. Practise your procedure dry fitting first. Good luck.

[ComputerChips]

If you are familiar with plumbing lingo it appears that the flange has a female 11/2" fitting or "slip" I think they call it. On mine there is a 1 1/2" street sweep ell. Kind of a long elbow that is male on one end and female on the other. So it appears that the street ell is glued into the flange. That's why I need to replace that side of the valve, because I don't think I could get the cracked part out of the existing flange in order to glue a new part in place.

[ComputerChips]

Oh BTW I think they make couplings without the stop inside for tight situations like that, you can slide it all the way on to one pipe, then glue both pipes and quickly slide the coupling back into position joining both ends together. I've never needed to use one but I have come across them in the plumbing isle.

[javelin]

Wish you told me about sliding ABS couplings 4 years ago or so....I would have more hair now. It would have made a big difference for me since my install has some straight runs, although short.



Looks like you may have some fun trying to repair what basically looks like an elbow right from the grey tank entrance/access point to your grey gate valve flange.

[ComputerChips]

I don't like doing plumbing but I have had to do it on accassions. One trick I learned is to work with unglued sections. When you get part A twisted to the correct angle to meet part B you can make reference marks on the pipe and the fitting it glues to with a marker and then glue the two parts together lining up the marks. Other times you can glue and hold in position while the glue sets. Sometimes you can use a small level to orient a fitting to a level position until it sets.
We shall see. I don't think this will be too bad. The pipe passes through the wet bay and then its fee air for a door or two as it turns up into the tank. I should be able to re assemble that part last since you can get to it pretty well underneath.

[gnach]

Originally Posted by javelin

...snip... I carry spare Lasalle units since they are typically harder to find.

Thanks javelin! Great advice! And on two separate threads. Lord, I love this forum.