How To Replace an RV Toilet Flange Seal

As an RV proprietor, there’s an opportunity you’ll want to interchange the seal across the base of your rest room in some unspecified time in the future. Why? Because over time and with use, this seal breaks down, inflicting leaks and waste system points. 

Replacing this rest room seal, referred to as a flange, is definitely a type of RV upkeep duties you are able to do your self. We’ll present you the way.

Why Replace an RV Toilet Flange Seal?

The most typical purpose you’ll substitute a bathroom flange is in the event you’re putting in a brand new rest room in your RV. Once the previous rest room is eliminated, it’s finest to put in a brand new ground flange seal at the moment. While you can theoretically place a brand new rest room on an previous flange seal, we don’t suggest it. 

Another purpose for changing the flange seal on an RV rest room is that you just’re affected by a leak that’s coming from the bottom of the bathroom. To determine that the flange seal is actually the perpetrator, nevertheless, you’ll want to start out by emptying your RV’s holding tanks.

Leaks across the base of an RV rest room can be attributable to an overflowing black water tank. That’s why it’s vital to empty the tank and check to see if leaking continues to be occurring earlier than figuring out that you just completely want to interchange the ground flange seal.

If your tanks are empty, a foul flange seal may trigger a leak round your rest room’s base when flushing. But in case your rest room bowl is solely not holding water, chances are you’ll want to interchange the flush ball seal. 

Fortunately, figuring out methods to function and keep an RV rest room will cut back the possibilities of having to interchange a flange seal. Somewhat rest room TLC goes a good distance, but when you understand your flange seal is on its means out, right here’s methods to take away and substitute it. 

How To Find An RV Toilet Flange Seal Replacement

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Before you do something, seek the advice of your RV proprietor’s guide for correct rest room removing and seal alternative procedures. This will even inform you the mannequin quantity you’ll use to discover a suitable alternative seal. 

When discovering a alternative seal, you have to use a seal made by the unique gear producer (OEM). This will often be a versatile wax-free seal made out of froth. 

Dometic and Thetford are the 2 hottest RV rest room producers. So listed here are a few hyperlinks to flange seal replacements for some rest room fashions from these manufacturers:

DO NOT USE A BEESWAX SEAL. Once they harden, wax gaskets can’t flex along with your RV, making them prone to crack and trigger leaks. 

With this course of, it’s additionally attainable that the flange itself is cracked and wishes alternative. It’s inconceivable to inform that earlier than you take away your rest room, nevertheless. So if you wish to be secure, purchase a flange seal and a brand new flange so that you’re prepared for a profitable RV rest room seal alternative when it’s time. 

What You’ll Need

In addition to your alternative seal, you’ll want these instruments and provides:

• Adjustable wrench
• Newspaper or previous towels
• Toilet cleansing brush
• Rubber gloves
• Paper towels or rags
• Flashlight

How To Remove Toilet Flange Seal From RV

The first half of this process requires eradicating the bathroom and the flange seal. Follow these steps to take action safely and effectively: 

Step 1: Empty Holding Tanks

We talked about this above, nevertheless it’s price repeating. You don’t wish to work on an RV rest room with a full black water holding tank under it until you wish to cope with disagreeable odors the entire time. 

Here’s a fast video in the event you’re uncertain of one of the best practices for emptying RV holding tanks.

Step 2: Prep the Space

It’s a good suggestion to put down towels on the ground of your RV lavatory earlier than eradicating your rest room. That means, you could have one thing to soak up any water that leaks and a secure place to set your rest room down while you take away it. 

Step 3: Clean the Toilet 

Now you possibly can put in your rubber gloves and clear your rest room bowl. Use a rest room bowl cleaner that’s particularly made for RVs. Make certain you open the ball valve and clear down in the direction of the bottom as a lot as attainable along with your rest room cleansing brush. 

Step 4: Drain and Disconnect

Turn off your RV water pump and disconnect from town water provide, if relevant. Then drain all of the water out of your rest room bowl by miserable the foot pedal fully. 

A water line provides clear water to your rest room’s flush mechanism behind the bathroom. You’ll have to unscrew this water line out of your rest room earlier than continuing. Be conscious that a little bit water might stay within the line. 

Keep an additional towel beneath to soak up any water that leaks. Once this line is eliminated, prop it up in order that gravity doesn’t trigger any additional leaking. 

Step 5: Remove The Toilet 

This step requires a number of subtasks. So let’s break them up: 

Remove the Shroud

Some RV bogs have a shroud across the base. This shroud will must be eliminated so that you can acquire entry to the 2 flange bolts holding the bathroom to the ground. 

Remove Bolt Caps

Bolt caps are small plastic caps that shield the heads of the flange bolts. These might be eliminated by hand. 

Remove Nuts

Use your wrench to loosen the nuts securing the flange bolts. Once loosened, it is best to be capable to spin them free by hand. If a nut doesn’t loosen or the whole bolt spins, you will have a cracked or damaged flange, which might require chopping the bolt to take away your rest room. 

Alternatively, attempt spraying WD-40 or one other penetrating oil on the nuts and letting them sit for a couple of minutes earlier than making an attempt to loosen them once more. If you assume you’ll want to chop the flange bolts to take away your rest room, we suggest contacting an RV service skilled earlier than continuing. 

Remove Toilet

Lift the bathroom up and off the flange seal till away from the bolts. You might have to softly rock the bathroom forwards and backwards to interrupt the previous seal. Then you possibly can flip it over and set it on the newspaper or towels. 

Inspect Bolts and Nuts

Check the situation of the flange bolts and nuts. If rusted, substitute them with chrome steel or yellow dichromate bolts made to your rest room’s mannequin. Consult your proprietor’s guide for half data. Or, in the event you’re putting in a wholly new rest room, it ought to include a brand new set of nuts and bolts. 

Step 6: Remove Old Flange Seal 

Now, take away the previous flange seal and throw it away. The seal might stay caught to the flange on the ground. Or, it might elevate off the flange and stay caught round the bathroom’s base. 

How To Replace An RV Toilet Flange Seal

Now that you just’ve disposed of your previous ground flange seal, listed here are the steps for putting in a brand new one and placing every little thing again collectively. 

Step 1: Clean The Flange and Toilet Base

Take this time to wash up the flange and the bottom of your rest room. Use an RV-friendly rest room cleansing resolution and paper towels to take away as a lot residue as attainable. 

Step 2: Inspect Flange and Black Tank

Once the flange is clear, examine it fastidiously to make sure it isn’t cracked. If it’s, you’ll want to interchange it as properly.

Shop flanges and different holding tank fittings at Camping World.

This can also be a very good time to seize your flashlight or headlamp and peek down your black water tank. Look for cracks, dislodged components, or the rest that is likely to be inflicting points.

If you eliminated your rest room and didn’t discover something unsuitable with the flange or the flange seal, that is the time to determine different points that might be inflicting leaks across the base of your rest room. 

You also can take this chance to make use of your rest room cleansing brush to wash down into that tank. When you’re happy that nothing seems out of the atypical, proceed. 

Step 3: Install a New Flange Seal

Open your flange seal alternative and browse the directions. They ought to confirm the facet with the lip that ought to be going through downwards. Align that facet with the flange and press it into place. 

Step 4: Replace the Toilet

This step additionally requires a number of of its personal steps, however it may be helpful to have a second set of arms that will help you put your rest room again on. Let’s break it down: 

Install Bolts

Make certain the bolts are in place in your flange. Some might must be rotated to correct alignment to forestall them from shifting as you put in the bathroom. 

Align Toilet with Bolts

Turn your rest room again over and align the holes within the base with the flange bolts. This is the place having a helper is useful. Set the bathroom straight down onto the bolts and gently press it down onto the brand new flange seal.

Inspect the bottom of the bathroom to make sure it’s flush with the ground. Run your fingers across the base to double-check. If the flange is pinched, the bathroom will sit crooked, and also you additionally danger damaging the alternative flange seal. If one thing doesn’t really feel proper, elevate the bathroom and realign. 

Install Nuts, Bolt Caps, and Shroud

Hand-tighten the flange nuts on each bolts so far as you possibly can. Then, use your wrench to tighten them alternately till they’re cosy and the bottom of your rest room is flush with the ground. Don’t tighten them an excessive amount of, as this will crack the flange or the bottom of your rest room. Once the nuts are cosy, substitute the bolt caps and the shroud across the base. 

Step 5: Reconnect the Water Line 

Your final step in reassembling an RV rest room is reconnecting the water line. This ought to hand tighten till cosy. 

Step 6: Test Your Work 

Before eradicating the towels, check to make sure your rest room is working usually once more. Turn on the water pump. Check behind the bathroom to make sure water isn’t leaking from the road on the again. 

Then, fill the bathroom bowl and flush it a number of instances. Check for leaks across the base and behind the bathroom. If you discover leaks at any level, flip off your water pump instantly and examine your work. If leaks persist, contact your nearest Camping World RV Service Center. 

Where To Dispose of an Old RV Toilet

To end this course of, you’ll have to eliminate your previous rest room and related components. While issues like flange seals and rusted bolts can largely go in your common trash or recycling, your rest room might require particular therapy relying in your municipal tips. 

Please don’t throw your previous RV rest room into the dumpster on the closest campground you will discover. Contact your native landfill or recycling heart to inquire about finest practices for disposing of an previous RV rest room in your space. 

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Have you changed the ground flange seal in your RV rest room earlier than? Let us know what labored, or didn’t work, within the feedback under! 

If you’re nonetheless studying the ins and outs of RV upkeep, take a look at our downloadable RV possession and upkeep booklet!