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Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192490] Fri, 07 December 2012 11:20 Go to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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How hard is it supposed to be to pull the drain handle on the recirculating toilet? I tugged on the one in the Sequoia until I thought I was going to break the plastic.
Is there a release somewhere, or is it corroded shut?

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192514 is a reply to message #192490] Fri, 07 December 2012 18:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
1275gtsport is currently offline  1275gtsport   Canada
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on the one in our 77 Palm Beach it is not much harder then a heavy drawer in a dresser. should slide rather easy. there is no release that I know of.

Adam Raeburn
Rothesay, NB
1976 Austin Mini
1977 GMC Palm Beach
---------------------------------------------------
Once you replace everything that is attached to something else. It will all be fixed.

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192517 is a reply to message #192490] Fri, 07 December 2012 18:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Matt Colie is currently offline  Matt Colie   United States
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A Hamilto wrote on Fri, 07 December 2012 12:20

How hard is it supposed to be to pull the drain handle on the recirculating toilet? I tugged on the one in the Sequoia until I thought I was going to break the plastic.
Is there a release somewhere, or is it corroded shut?

No, there is nothing holding the valve closed. It is substantially the same valve and the black tank dump valve and should not be that difficult. The stem is stainless, but cheezy stainless and it will corrode, but it isn't supposed to be wet. It will not be if the valve is working right. It is more likely the rubber seal that has gone bad and is stuck to the blade of the valve. If the valve has been leaking (very difficult to detect), it can fill the valve body with - well - let's just say stuff and then it all goes to stuff in fine style.

What we used to do....
Keep pushing and pulling as much as you dare and sometimes you can break it loose. It is possible to pull the stem out of the valve blade.

Good Luck Guy

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192521 is a reply to message #192517] Fri, 07 December 2012 19:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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Matt Colie wrote on Fri, 07 December 2012 18:19

No, there is nothing holding the valve closed. It is substantially the same valve and the black tank dump valve and should not be that difficult. The stem is stainless, but cheezy stainless and it will corrode, but it isn't supposed to be wet. It will not be if the valve is working right. It is more likely the rubber seal that has gone bad and is stuck to the blade of the valve. If the valve has been leaking (very difficult to detect), it can fill the valve body with - well - let's just say stuff and then it all goes to stuff in fine style.

What we used to do....
Keep pushing and pulling as much as you dare and sometimes you can break it loose. It is possible to pull the stem out of the valve blade.

Good Luck Guy

Matt
For now I just put some RV antifreeze in it to keep it from freezing until I get around to pulling it up and fixing it proper. I pushed the flush button to mix the antifreeze and noticed that it hasn't been used since "charged" (the water was clear blue until I added the antifreeze, now it is kind of purple). It shouldn't be that icky to take it out and unstick the valve when I have time and the weather is good.

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192573 is a reply to message #192521] Sat, 08 December 2012 17:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Matt Colie is currently offline  Matt Colie   United States
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A Hamilto wrote on Fri, 07 December 2012 20:36

For now I just put some RV antifreeze in it to keep it from freezing until I get around to pulling it up and fixing it proper. I pushed the flush button to mix the antifreeze and noticed that it hasn't been used since "charged" (the water was clear blue until I added the antifreeze, now it is kind of purple). It shouldn't be that icky to take it out and unstick the valve when I have time and the weather is good.

Did you use the Thetford deodorant or some other supplier's?
I did not work on E-magic much, but I do recall that the was an issue with something then on the market that caused the rubber seal to swell. That was only about 40 years ago and the memory has not been well archived. That could be most of your problem.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192575 is a reply to message #192490] Sat, 08 December 2012 18:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gbarrow2 is currently offline  gbarrow2   United States
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A Ham,
Not disagreeing with what others reported but I found that it seemed to require a bit of downward pressure on the handle as I pulled it out to get it to release. Might have been only my imagination but I used it like that foe 9 years.
Kinda like the reverse of the drawers in the coach which must be lifted before pulling out.

I liked the ricirc toilet and never had problems with it. My wife, who has much better vision, hearing and olfactory sensitivity than I, hated it.
I replaced it last year with an new Dometic china toilet. Now we're both happy campers. The new toilet is simpler, cleaner and less odorous.

Gene Barrow
Lake Almanor, Ca.
1976 Palm Beach

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192576 is a reply to message #192573] Sat, 08 December 2012 18:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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Matt Colie wrote on Sat, 08 December 2012 17:51

Did you use the Thetford deodorant or some other supplier's?
I did not work on E-magic much, but I do recall that the was an issue with something then on the market that caused the rubber seal to swell. That was only about 40 years ago and the memory has not been well archived. That could be most of your problem.

Matt
Never used anything. Whatever is in it was put there by a PO. I just bought it around the end of September and haven't used it yet.

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192577 is a reply to message #192575] Sat, 08 December 2012 18:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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gbarrow wrote on Sat, 08 December 2012 18:01

A Ham,
Not disagreeing with what others reported but I found that it seemed to require a bit of downward pressure on the handle as I pulled it out to get it to release. ...
I will try that. Just pulling on it puts a lot of upward pressure on it. Maybe downward pressure will loosen it a little.

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192581 is a reply to message #192577] Sat, 08 December 2012 19:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gbarrow2 is currently offline  gbarrow2   United States
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Caution:
Don't dump it unless you know how much stuff is already down in the black tank.
If it's too near full the unpleasantness comes back up through the shower drain.
I only made that mistake ONCE; early on in my AquaMagic career.

Gene Barrow
Lake Almanor, Ca.
1976 Palm Beach

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Re: Electra Magic Toilet Drain Question [message #192584 is a reply to message #192581] Sat, 08 December 2012 19:42 Go to previous message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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Registered: April 2011
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gbarrow wrote on Sat, 08 December 2012 19:15

Caution:
Don't dump it unless you know how much stuff is already down in the black tank.
If it's too near full the unpleasantness comes back up through the shower drain.
I only made that mistake ONCE; early on in my AquaMagic career.
Good point. I am pretty sure the black tank is almost empty, but will make sure before moving the drain handle.
A PO removed the gauge panel for monitoring the fresh water tank, propane tank, black tank and the house battery and did a beautiful job of enclosing the space into a cabinet. Not sure if any of the wiring is still in place. So I will have to determine the black tank level by other means.

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