Your weekend mountain getaway has just started. Everything is going smoothly for a family adventure until you notice an awful smell coming from the bathroom. When you open the bathroom door, you notice some water on the floor. Oh no! Your RV toilet is leaking at the base! Is your weekend getaway ruined?
Don’t fret! Having a leaky RV toilet is common. Usually, it’s a cheap and easy fix. It might not be what you wanted to do on your Saturday afternoon, but it won’t take you away from your s’mores for very long. Let’s look at what causes an RV toilet to leak and steps to fix it.
Table of Contents
What Causes an RV Toilet to Leak?
RV toilets have 3 primary leak points, the ball seal, water valve or flange seal.
Most of the time, an RV toilet leaks at the base because a seal has worn out. If you keep your RV in storage a lot, the seals can wear out from lack of use. If you use your RV often, the seals simply wear out over time.
A leak could also be from the water valve that controls the water flow to the toilet. These valves can leak water into the toilet or sometimes around the base. Sometimes it’s the connections to these valves as well that can be the culprit.
Lastly and the worst reason for a leaking toilet is a crack, which means you have to replace the whole thing. But that is less common. Typically, you’ll have a flange, ball seal, or valve that you need to replace.
Pro Tip: Need to replace your entire toilet? Use this Practical Guide to the 6 RV Toilet Types to determine your best option.
How Do I Stop My RV Toilet From Leaking?
First, you have to figure out where the leak is coming from. Don’t just run out and buy a new toilet if all you need to do is replace a seal or valve. Notice when the leak occurs.
Is it only when flushing or when the toilet is full? Is the toilet bowl holding water? When you know the exact location of the leak, you can figure out the best way to fix it.
How Do I Fix a Leaking RV Toilet Base?
If you identify that the leak is coming from the base of the RV toilet, then you probably need to replace the lower flange seal. This seal goes between the toilet base and the floor.
You know that this is the leak’s location when the toilet only leaks after flushing. Thankfully, you can easily repair it, and it should only take an afternoon.
Make sure to purchase a new flange seal that matches your toilet model. RV toilets don’t use standard plumbing parts, so you’ll need to get an RV-specific repair kit. You can find them online at Amazon, Camping World, or an RV dealer.
To replace the seal the toilet will need to be removed, more on that in a bit.
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How Do You Fix a Drip That Is Not At The Base?
What if you notice the toilet is leaking higher up? This most likely indicates a valve leak or sometimes a ball seal leak. Usually, the first thing to do if you notice a leak higher up and usually from the back of the toilet is try tightening the hose fittings connecting the toilet. These are sometimes plastic threaded connections or held on with a hose clamp.
DIY Steps to Fix an RV Toilet Leak
You won’t need to take your RV to the dealership for a leaking toilet. You really don’t need to call an RV mobile tech either.
Anyone can replace the flange seal, water valve and sometimes a ball seal with a few instructions. So let’s take a look at how to fix a leaking RV toilet base yourself.
Step 1: Shut Off Water
You must shut off the water first. This ensures that you don’t have an even bigger mess to clean up. You don’t want water pouring in while you try to replace the seal.
Most RVs have a valve leading into the toilet you can simply turn off. If yours doesn’t, disconnect from your water source if you have hookups. Turn off the water pump if boondocking.
After the water is disconnected open all faucets and depress the toilet flush to relieve pressure and drain water. Because the toilet is lower than other water fixtures it usually will leak water even if the water has been disconneted.
Step 2: Drain and Disconnect Toilet Lines
After the water is disconnected open all faucets and depress the toilet flush to relieve pressure and drain water. Because the toilet is lower than other water fixtures it usually will leak water even if the water has been disconnected.
If the toilet continues to fill your water pump may be on, make sure that’s off too.
Once drained find the water connections to the toilet and disconnect them. They are usually on the side or back of the toilet. Have a towel nearby when doing this as the lines may still leak a bit.
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Step 3: Remove the Toilet from the Floor
You’ll need a good socket set to remove the toilet from the floor as two or three bolts hold it in place. A u-joint and long driver extension bar will make removing the hard-to-reach toilet flange bolts much easier. Sometimes the bolts have caps covering them.
Pro Tip: Every RVer needs a well-equipped tool kit. Check out what’s in ours: 36 Important Tools You Need In Your RV Tool Kit.
Once the bolts are loose the toilet should wobble a bit, remove them the rest of the way and lift the toilet straight up. Have some towels nearby when removing the toilet.
I recommend using a rag or aluminum foil to cover the drain hole after the toilet is removed. This keeps the smell down and prevents any tools from falling down the hole and into the black tank. You might also want to set the toilet bowl on a garbage bag to protect the bathroom floor.
Step 4: Replace the Seals or Valve
With the toilet removed now you can get at the three parts that most commonly leak.
Flange Seal
Next, find the flange seal, usually located around the drain hole. Sometimes the flange seal can get sticky, making it hard to remove. Check to see if it got stuck to the bottom of the toilet, and use a putty knife to help pry it loose.
Here is a video showing an easy way to get the seal to re-seat by installing it on the toilet first.
Clean the area well because you don’t want to insert a new flange seal with a lot of gunk and grime around the hole. You may not have as tight of a connection if debris gets in the way.
Water Valve
If your water valve is leaking it’s usually easiest to take the toilet outside because it may leak more when doing this procedure. It is sometimes possible to replace the valve with the toilet in place if you have room, but it’s usually advisable to replace the flang seal when doing any other work as well as it is a common failure point.
Find the valve on the toilet, usually located on the back or the side. Usually, there will be two or three screws holding it in place. Remove the screws and pull on the valve. It is usually set into the toilet with a thick gasket or clips that can be a tight fit.
Once the valve is removed reinstall the new one in its place then reinstall the toilet with a new flange seal as above.
Ball Seal
If your toilet doesn’t hold water, you might need to replace the ball seal. Thankfully, this is also a cheap and simple process that you can do yourself. Order a replacement ball seal that fits your model.
Ball seals differ the most in the replacement process but are usually the easiest. Many of them can actually be replaced with the toilet in place. Its best to do a search for your toilet type using the search term “{insert Toilet Type} Ball Seal Replacement”. There are many videos showing the different types and how to replace them.
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When you’re ready to fix the leak, turn off the water. Once back inside, hold down the pedal to open the drain.
Like mentioned above there are lots of different types of toilet ball valves but here are a few videos of the most common types.
Step 5: Put the RV Toilet Back in Place and Test for Leaks
If you covered the drain hole, remove the rag and set the toilet back on the bolts. Make sure to center it over the new flange seal and drain hole.
Once you’ve connected it correctly, sit on the toilet. This will help secure the connection and set it in place. Then tighten the bolts. Beware that overtightening can break the toilet. You want the bolts to be secure but not torqued down.
After the toilet is back in place, clean the threads on the water supply nozzle. Sometimes the old sealant won’t hold well after you disconnect it, so you might want to add a new sealant or Teflon tape for added protection.
Finally, turn the water back on and test the connections. Flush the RV toilet and check for any leaks around the base.
Is Fixing a Leaking RV Toilet on Your Own Worth It?
It’s not a matter of fixing or not fixing a leaking RV toilet. You have to repair the leak if you don’t want to clean up water every day, repair water damage, or deal with awful smells.
Fortunately, you can save money by doing it yourself. The process isn’t difficult and doesn’t take very long. It might be gross, but it’s worth it. Did you do it? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
We replaced our RV toilet with a composting toilet, so we never have to worry about leaks again. Find out the other benefits of this RV upgrade: What’s So Great About RV Composting Toilets?
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Mark
Friday 11th of August 2023
I have a Thetford AM 5 toilet that I have replaced the ball seal twice and it still will not hold water in the bowel. I am at wits end! I don't know what else to do. I tried using plumbers grease on the second seal replacement and it still is leaking. I guess I will have to change out the Toilet unless some one might have a better idea.
Mortons on the Move
Monday 18th of September 2023
Ugh, i know that problem. There is probably a warp in the plastic. Sometimes you can replace the entire ball mechanism.