Why Does my RV Toilet Bubble When I Flush?
Using an RV is having a home away from home. It makes vacationing more fun, more relaxing and you do not have to spend a lot of money on expensive hotel rooms. You also get to use the facilities when you want and anywhere you are.
Why does my RV Toilet Bubble When I Flush? There are several sources for this situation. One of those sources could be that you need to stop and empty your black water holding tank. Once it gets full, its contents have no where to go but back into your toilet.
To find out other sources for this problem and their solutions, just continue to read our article. It guides you through the issue and helps you solve it with ease. One thing is for sure, you should have a better RV experience after reading this information.
RV Toilet Bubbles When Flushed
Your RV toilet may be bubbling due to your black water tank being filled. One way to tell if the holding tank is getting near full is to listen to the sound of your flush. The sound changes as the tank fills up.
When you hear the changes in sound, then you know it is getting close to full and you should start looking for a dumping station. The solution to this source of bubbling is emptying your black water tank.
Other issues that arise come when the black water holding tank vent cap is free of obstruction. There will be times when twigs, dust, dirt, pine needles and other debris, including the odd bird’s nest, get caught under the cap and clog it up. With no place to vent, the black water tank sends its gases back through your toilet.
Clean the cap and you should have solved your problem.
RV Toilet Burps When Flushed
Your mother always said that it was rude to burp in the presence of others. Unfortunately, your RV toilet system never had your mother as a parent. RV toilets will burp when someone tries to flush its contents down into the holding tank.
One of the sources for this situation is a clogged waste line that connects the RV toilet with its holding tank. Or there is some solid waste on the bottom of the tank that did not decompose properly. This pile could be blocking the operation of your toilet and it is not draining correctly.
One solution is to get your tank wand out and get it ready to flush your black water holding tank or the e=clogged water line. Make sure you have someone helping you. The second person needs to run the faucet so you do not fill your tank up and have it overflow on you.
Once you clear these messes, you may have to change the way you use the RV’s toilet. You may have to use less paper and more water to make sure solid waste does not pile up on you at the tank’s drain. Count to 3 or 6, depending on the situation then shut the flusher off.
One last source should be discussed before we end this section. Some RVs are equipped with a vacuum breaker. What this part does is a check valve monitor or an anti-siphon device. It makes sure that the water flows only one way.
If this part is malfunctioning, it may be allowing the water to go both ways. When the water returns towards the toilet then you may get bubbling or burping on your end of the system.
How to Unclog a Clogged RV Toilet Line
Getting a few tips on how to stop the bubbling issue is not wrong. Everyone needs help now and then and these few tips could help clear the issue quickly so you can get back to your vacationing fun.
- A holding tank wand- these can run several feet long and they give your water a lot of pressure. This pressure can help clear up clogs without you getting dirty
- Boiling water- you may not have thought that boiling water is a good drain clearing tool. It works and depending on the clog, it should not make any mess but clear it out before you know it.
- RV friendly chemicals- these septic unclogging chemicals can make short work of most clogs. They go to work fast finding the weak spot and help you flush it out so your line is clear once again
- The last resort- if you do not mind getting your hands dirty, then as a last resort, you can disconnect the drain and use your hands to clear the clog. Just make sure to use latex gloves and other protective equipment like goggles to protect your eyes from any flying dirt
- Fix your vacuum breaker- when this part goes down the best and only fix is to replace it with a good one. How often they break is anyone’s guess but when they do, you can see a lot of burping or bubbling in your RV toilet when you flush
How to Avoid Burping or Bubbling in Your RV Toilet
These situations can arise frequently when you do not practice good RV toilet habits. A couple of the sources mentioned above , like vacuum breaker malfunctioning and debris in the black water tank vent, that are beyond your control to stop.
The others are in your control and you may have to alter some bathroom habits to avoid having your toilet bubble up:
- Don’t flush the wrong paper down the toilet
- Don’t flush diapers down the toilet
- Don’t flush sanitary products down the toilet
- Watch the chemicals you flush down into the tank
- Flush your tank regularly when it gets close to being filled
Some Final Comments
A bubbling or burping RV toilet is not a difficult situation to solve. Just a little proper maintenance and you should be able to continue on your journey and have a good time.
Make sure to check your black water holding tank’s air vent on a regular basis as well. These checks will help it stay clear of debris and keep the toilet system working the way it should.
Also, watch what you flush down the toilet. These unapproved products could make it harder for your holding tank to drain properly and return the water to sender. The final thing to do is dump your tank before it gets full.
