First, some background. We bought a second hand Sterling in December with an en suite. Prior to that we started with a Swan Camper Trailer, then upgraded to a Jayco Freedom. Including four trips done in the Sterling we have travelled a total of 38,436-kilometres. So we are reasonably experienced in the travelling but not in using an en suite.
A short time ago I posted that our cassette was leaking at the slide control knob. Several people mentioned that the problem could be fixed by installing a new No.1 knob. I have to say at this point that the cassette had been used sparingly (for No.1s during the night) and was only half full when it was emptied. Hence the full warning light did not come on.
However, because it was an old cassette without wheels I opted to buy a new one with wheels and tow along handle. That was fitted for our last trip two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the warning light did not come on and the toilet overflowed.
Back home the reed switch was checked with a magnet - the light failed to come on. A check with the multi meter showed that the bulb was blown/dead so a new one was hard wired in place. The magnet check switched the light on. So that part was good.
The cassette was pushed home and buckets of water poured in until full - but the light did not come on. The float was checked and found to be swinging like a pendulum - it was pushed up over the 'rib' - which I presume to be the flange where the two halves are joined.
More buckets of water but the light again failed to light up when full.
At that point I thought to go back to the old cassette but a look inside found that the float was missing - not rattling around loose but not there! A new float was bought but so far have been unable to fit it - I can feel the place where it goes with just fingers but when holding the float base cannot find the socket.
By this time I was using language that would earn a couple of lines of stars from Cindy!
Anyway, does anybody have any idea as to why the light does not work?
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of May 2018 03:21:26 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
02:32 PM May 28, 2018
I have ripped all the totally unreliable electrics out of hours, including the pump and plumbed it directly to the normal van water supply.
Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers,
Peter
BAZZA44 said
03:05 PM May 28, 2018
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I have ripped all the totally unreliable electrics out of hours, including the pump and plumbed it directly to the normal van water supply. Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers, Peter
X2
Long Weekend said
03:18 PM May 28, 2018
Hi Peter,
Not sure of exactly what you mean by plumbing the system into the normal water tanks. The water in the cistern already comes from the normal water supply.
Anyway, while I was pouring bucket loads of water down the toilet I actually did use a torch to check the level in the cassette. Not sure I would like to do that after half a dozen No.2s though!
Possibly a mechanical counter to count the number of flushes would do the same job as a light - and that would work for free camping also.
Has anybody ever heard of a mechanical 'sheep' counter being used in caravan toilets?
Regards,
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of May 2018 03:19:56 PM
Santa said
04:21 PM May 28, 2018
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I have ripped all the totally unreliable electrics out of hours, including the pump and plumbed it directly to the normal van water supply. Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers, Peter
X3
Ron-D said
04:26 PM May 28, 2018
I dont think A full warning light is nesesaary ,every time you open the little door ,when its needed the level is obvious..
HandyWalter said
04:34 PM May 28, 2018
I am also confused about the direct plumbing. Mine uses water from my water tanks. I must admit I am not sure which pump pumps the water to the toilet but I presume its main pump for all my water needs. Perhaps some old vans with toilets had their own water supply. But I am sure all new ones dont.
Ron-D said
05:08 PM May 28, 2018
With ours when not on mains pressure ,turn on your 12 volt pump and it automatically pumps water from our storage tanks into the cassette,when on mains the pump is switched off ,and mains pressure takes over...
-- Edited by Ron-D on Monday 28th of May 2018 05:10:29 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:47 PM May 28, 2018
Many have "top tanks" and a separate pump for flushing water. Some have no "top tank" and get the flush water from the main van tank directly.
Either way, a "bottom tank" electrically activated level indicator light seems an overkill, especially as they all seem to be unreliable.
Cheers,
Peter
Ozzie_Traveller said
07:56 AM May 29, 2018
G'day all
We've had our MH for 15 yrs and in use for much of each year - so we have 2- cassettes, the toilet is used for everything and they last 3-4 days before needing emptying. Neither activates the red-light at 90% full ... we know from the noise and can easily glance down into the open cassette how it's going Like Peter, I have not bothered with trying to fix / reactivate little things like 'red lights' - rather I just enjoy my travels
ps - I have found it's cheaper to buy a complete new cassette than trying to buy multiple components [seals, knobs, etc.] and attempting a repair Phil
-- Edited by Ozzie_Traveller on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 07:57:14 AM
SouthernComfort said
03:58 PM May 29, 2018
When I used to rely on the light there were occasions when it would come on to tell me the thing was full at the least convenient time i.e. in the middle of the night - sods law!! If you don't' want a trip to the dump point at 3am, best to check the level before retiring. Easy to do. Even though my light works, I never wait for it. I would find the light indicator more useful if it triggered at 3/4 full to allow a margin for awkward times.
-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 04:00:20 PM
TheMonties said
02:15 PM May 30, 2018
Our first vans bog had its own built in flush tank, which I liked but the pump was prone to seizing if it stood dry and unused for a few months. Our second drew water from the main tanks which I wasnt a fan of, mostly due to the crapper flush being connected to a potable water source.
Good maintenance practice for any type of cassette though is a periodic Thorough clean and lubricate any seals with a light Silicone based grease, replace any seals at the First sign of leakage.
Thetford include (so they say) a lubricant in their flush tank additive to keep the tank seals pliable, wet and sealing, I call it the Stinky Pinky because of its colour, and you can buy it in a squirty bottle for the systems with main tank flush, I usually dilute it 50/50 with water, the wife says Im a tight arse but I know Im just thrifty :)
Im the same as the other respondents though with regard to black tank levels though, a snappy look down the hole around dinner time will let you know if theres enough room in there for the overnight bang and crash or whether a quick jolly over to the dump point is in order.
Two Very big things to remember though, is dont trust the electrical indicators on the bog, and be sure to tell youre partner When youve removed the cassette for emptying!
It wasnt so funny when I had to clean it up, but that experience is still good for a giggle on occasion.
Cheers!
Onedodger said
02:37 PM May 30, 2018
Santa wrote:
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I have ripped all the totally unreliable electrics out of hours, including the pump and plumbed it directly to the normal van water supply. Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers, Peter
X3
X4
Moonraker said
08:01 AM Jun 1, 2018
Onedodger wrote:
Santa wrote:
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I have ripped all the totally unreliable electrics out of hours, including the pump and plumbed it directly to the normal van water supply. Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers, Peter
X3
X4
X5, has the penny dropped yet!!!
dazz49 said
09:22 AM Jun 1, 2018
Maybe you could make up a dip stick for the cassette. Half .three quarter and full .
Cheers
Long Weekend said
12:29 PM Jun 1, 2018
Been off line for a couple of days.
The consensus seems to be to not rely on the warning light so I'll forget about making it work and simply empty the cassette every two days. (Before we bought our van talking to others about on board toilets they seemed to indicate that a cassette would last two people for three days.)
Anyway, when I checked the original cassette I found that the float was missing - not just loose but completely gone. So, apart from a blown bulb it wouldn't have given any warning anyway.
Murray
Santa said
12:38 PM Jun 1, 2018
Long Weekend wrote:
Been off line for a couple of days.
The consensus seems to be to not rely on the warning light so I'll forget about making it work and simply empty the cassette every two days. (Before we bought our van talking to others about on board toilets they seemed to indicate that a cassette would last two people for three days.)
Murray
Morning Murray,
Sounds like the way to go, 3 days sounds about the mark.
Our policy is to make use of a dump point whenever we pass one, a few minutes emptying out gives you peace of mind knowing you wont have to worry again for a few days.
Santa said
12:40 PM Jun 1, 2018
dazz49 wrote:
Maybe you could make up a dip stick for the cassette. Half .three quarter and full . Cheers
Guess you could call it a sh*t stick, Yuk.
-- Edited by Santa on Friday 1st of June 2018 12:42:28 PM
Tony Bev said
01:04 AM Jun 3, 2018
I read somewhere that one reason for the float, (which triggers the light), going out of whack, is that we vigorously give the cassette a shake, before emptying it
As everyone usage is different, we all get in a routine of empting the cassette, every so many number of days, and therefore not worrying about the light
First, some background. We bought a second hand Sterling in December with an en suite. Prior to that we started with a Swan Camper Trailer, then upgraded to a Jayco Freedom. Including four trips done in the Sterling we have travelled a total of 38,436-kilometres. So we are reasonably experienced in the travelling but not in using an en suite.
A short time ago I posted that our cassette was leaking at the slide control knob. Several people mentioned that the problem could be fixed by installing a new No.1 knob. I have to say at this point that the cassette had been used sparingly (for No.1s during the night) and was only half full when it was emptied. Hence the full warning light did not come on.
However, because it was an old cassette without wheels I opted to buy a new one with wheels and tow along handle. That was fitted for our last trip two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the warning light did not come on and the toilet overflowed.
Back home the reed switch was checked with a magnet - the light failed to come on. A check with the multi meter showed that the bulb was blown/dead so a new one was hard wired in place. The magnet check switched the light on. So that part was good.
The cassette was pushed home and buckets of water poured in until full - but the light did not come on. The float was checked and found to be swinging like a pendulum - it was pushed up over the 'rib' - which I presume to be the flange where the two halves are joined.
More buckets of water but the light again failed to light up when full.
At that point I thought to go back to the old cassette but a look inside found that the float was missing - not rattling around loose but not there! A new float was bought but so far have been unable to fit it - I can feel the place where it goes with just fingers but when holding the float base cannot find the socket.
By this time I was using language that would earn a couple of lines of stars from Cindy!
Anyway, does anybody have any idea as to why the light does not work?
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of May 2018 03:21:26 PM
Look in the hole, you can see the level of the fluid in the tank. Why is a light needed?
Cheers,
Peter
X2
Hi Peter,
Not sure of exactly what you mean by plumbing the system into the normal water tanks. The water in the cistern already comes from the normal water supply.
Anyway, while I was pouring bucket loads of water down the toilet I actually did use a torch to check the level in the cassette. Not sure I would like to do that after half a dozen No.2s though!
Possibly a mechanical counter to count the number of flushes would do the same job as a light - and that would work for free camping also.
Has anybody ever heard of a mechanical 'sheep' counter being used in caravan toilets?
Regards,
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of May 2018 03:19:56 PM
X3
I dont think A full warning light is nesesaary ,every time you open the little door ,when its needed the level is obvious..
With ours when not on mains pressure ,turn on your 12 volt pump and it automatically pumps water from our storage tanks into the cassette,when on mains the pump is switched off ,and mains pressure takes over...
-- Edited by Ron-D on Monday 28th of May 2018 05:10:29 PM
Either way, a "bottom tank" electrically activated level indicator light seems an overkill, especially as they all seem to be unreliable.
Cheers,
Peter
G'day all
We've had our MH for 15 yrs and in use for much of each year - so we have 2- cassettes, the toilet is used for everything and they last 3-4 days before needing emptying. Neither activates the red-light at 90% full ... we know from the noise and can easily glance down into the open cassette how it's going
Like Peter, I have not bothered with trying to fix / reactivate little things like 'red lights' - rather I just enjoy my travels
ps - I have found it's cheaper to buy a complete new cassette than trying to buy multiple components [seals, knobs, etc.] and attempting a repair
Phil
-- Edited by Ozzie_Traveller on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 07:57:14 AM
When I used to rely on the light there were occasions when it would come on to tell me the thing was full at the least convenient time i.e. in the middle of the night - sods law!! If you don't' want a trip to the dump point at 3am, best to check the level before retiring. Easy to do. Even though my light works, I never wait for it. I would find the light indicator more useful if it triggered at 3/4 full to allow a margin for awkward times.
-- Edited by SouthernComfort on Tuesday 29th of May 2018 04:00:20 PM
Good maintenance practice for any type of cassette though is a periodic Thorough clean and lubricate any seals with a light Silicone based grease, replace any seals at the First sign of leakage.
Thetford include (so they say) a lubricant in their flush tank additive to keep the tank seals pliable, wet and sealing, I call it the Stinky Pinky because of its colour, and you can buy it in a squirty bottle for the systems with main tank flush, I usually dilute it 50/50 with water, the wife says Im a tight arse but I know Im just thrifty :)
Im the same as the other respondents though with regard to black tank levels though, a snappy look down the hole around dinner time will let you know if theres enough room in there for the overnight bang and crash or whether a quick jolly over to the dump point is in order.
Two Very big things to remember though, is dont trust the electrical indicators on the bog, and be sure to tell youre partner When youve removed the cassette for emptying!
It wasnt so funny when I had to clean it up, but that experience is still good for a giggle on occasion.
Cheers!
X4
X5, has the penny dropped yet!!!
Been off line for a couple of days.
The consensus seems to be to not rely on the warning light so I'll forget about making it work and simply empty the cassette every two days. (Before we bought our van talking to others about on board toilets they seemed to indicate that a cassette would last two people for three days.)
Anyway, when I checked the original cassette I found that the float was missing - not just loose but completely gone. So, apart from a blown bulb it wouldn't have given any warning anyway.
Murray
Morning Murray,
Sounds like the way to go, 3 days sounds about the mark.
Our policy is to make use of a dump point whenever we pass one, a few minutes emptying out gives you peace of mind knowing you wont have to worry again for a few days.
Guess you could call it a sh*t stick, Yuk.
-- Edited by Santa on Friday 1st of June 2018 12:42:28 PM
As everyone usage is different, we all get in a routine of empting the cassette, every so many number of days, and therefore not worrying about the light