Shower Slow To Drain

ConsumerMan · Senior Member

Shower Slow To Drain

BaldEd · Veteran Member

Not enough info. Does you shower drain into a grey water tank? What sort of water trap do you have fitted beneath the shower tray? An S-trap? A Hepvo trap? No trap? Does your grey tank have a working breather tube fitted to its top?

As an aside my new Jayco came with a grey tank and breather tube factory fitted BUT a push-in plug in the internal wall of the manifold at the top of the grey tank had never been pushed-in prior to the breather tube being attached to the manifold - hence my grey tank never breathed and the grey tank was slow to fill and drain. I only discovered that when I removed the grey tank for re-positioning to better balance the caravan weight. Now the shower, sink and basin drain rapidly into the grey tank and it empties quickly.

ConsumerMan · Senior Member

I dont have any more info. I do know there is no grey water tank, but I have no idea about water traps, S-traps or Hepvo trap. Sorry I asked a newbie question. Ill just return the caravan to the dealer and ask them to sort it.

Rob Driver · Guru

ConsumerMan wrote:
I dont have any more info. I do know there is no grey water tank, but I have no idea about water traps, S-traps or Hepvo trap. Sorry I asked a newbie question. Ill just return the caravan to the dealer and ask them to sort it.

I have had my shower slow to drain and found that at a fitting on the outlet side of the shower there was a build up of hair and soap.

Now I know it wasnt my hair because when I look in the mirror I dont see any hair. biggrin

I pulled the fitting apart by undoing the clamp and with a piece of stiff wire (coat hanger) I hooked the hair out and now it flows fine.

Good luck with it

Regards

Rob

rgren2 · Guru

Give a plumbers plunger a go, should clear any gunk through it.

Possum3 · Guru

Sometimes piping on drain systems allows a build up of dry flakey (scale) - Cap over the outlet and fill drain lines with high concentrate chlorine bleach leave for a few hours, then flush - lines will be like new again.

Note:- most drains a slowed by putting on a hose to outlet - simple physics, extra air to displace with low flow water.

Bobdown · Guru

Common problem with the sullage hose attached, no blockage really just a simple air lock, usually the drain you use most.
Try running at bit of water down the kitchen sink at same time, just to clear the air.
My hand basin in ensuite does the same thing, yet shower and kitchen fine, but then works ok with no sullage hose attached,
maybe the way the pipes are connected to each other, one doesn't seem to breathe as good.

Cheers Bob

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Could be hair in pipes ? Run some pipe cleaner through system . I run or boil HOT water every now and then with degreaser to clear pipes . Fill sink half full and plunge hand over outlet to pulse water down drain ?

Fester55 · Veteran Member

I had the same problem and it was probably caused by this hepvo.com/hepvo-waterless-valve/ which had been installed horizontally not allowing for drop.

I kept filling the tray and using a plunger. It took me a few goes but eventually I felt something give way and all is good now. I was surprised by the amount of gunk that kept back flowing when I was using the plunger.

Hope this helps.

Knight · Senior Member

Might be a bloody green frog?

lol

ConsumerMan · Senior Member

Thanks to most for your suggestions, I will try them all. The van is new with only 20 sleeps so far, so was hoping it is not a hair and gunk problem already.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

That's the problem then CM. Only 20 sleeps, you need 21 to come of age and it will work well.

Keep Safe on the roads and out there (Especially the festive seasons, but enjoy)

-- Edited by Dougwe on Sunday 22nd of December 2019 12:36:51 PM

BAZZA44 · Senior Member

A Hepvo valve can be installed horizontally with a fall of about 3 to 4 mm, but the ribs must be down.

Barry

Treecrest · Veteran Member

Don't use the plumbers plunger as that turned my Hepvo valve inside out. My problem was a buildup of hair in the fitting I connected the drain hose to.

Bello · Veteran Member

I had the same problem, fixed when I fitted a air hole pipe to the tank to allow the flow to also push the air out.

Bello

mischief · Veteran Member

but he said he doesn't have a tank..

KevinC · Senior Member

If your shower waste pipe sags at all, water stays in the low places and air stays in the high places and the system flows very slowly. Kitchen sinks and vanities rarely have this problem because of the height advantage, If you have any sagging pipes running from your shower, try to raise them so the water flows down as smoothly as possible. I'm thinking there won't be a blockage this early in the van's life. If your van is a Jayco, then a sagging pipe is normal and the dealer may not be able to recognize it. Spend time on your back under the van and I'm sure you'll find the problem.

KFT · Guru

I think the majority of these problems are caused by the pipes and hoses being too small. Our van has 40mm waste plumbing and I use a 50mm drain hose. We have no issues whatsoever and our van is 9 yo and used often.

Happy new year everyone.

Frank

blissonwheels · Senior Member

Gooday,

Try leaving one of the levers on the Camlok Fitting not closed, this will allow a little air into the pipe and it should flow smoothly, I sometimes have the same problem and that overcomes it.

BT50 Dave · Member

Hi,

I solved this issue in our Aspire 555 by separating the two outlets i.e. the shower has its own outlet, everything else goes into the second outlet. I then have a 'waste bucket' that the shower outlet drains into with the grey water hose hooked to that. A normal shower for 2 people won't fill the bucket but then it has all night to drain out via the grey water hose. I have a cap for the outlet so it becomes leak proof and doubles up as the carrier for our water hose when we are on the move.

Hope this helps.

Dave