RV Toilet filling up with water? Then without further ado, let’s get straight into it.
Key Takeaway:
The most common reason the RV toilet fills up with water is a defective water valve. Fixing or replacing it should solve the problem. However, other issues, like problems with the pedal or water pressure irregularities, can also cause the water to fill up in the toilet.
Read on as we share in detail the possible causes, fixes, and other related information about an RV toilet overflowing with water.
What Causes RV Toilet To Fill And Overflow?
| Signs | Possible Cause |
|---|---|
| The toilet overflows even though the foot pedal isn’t pressed, continually pouring water into the bowl. | A Defective Water Valve that doesn’t close after the flush, allowing continuous water flow. |
| The toilet overflows, but the foot pedal isn’t fully pressed due to stiffness. | The Foot Pedal is the root cause and needs fixing. |
| The toilet overflows without leaks, and all parts like the valve and foot pedals work fine. | Water Pressure Irregularities cause the overflow. |
#1. A Defective Water Valve
Like in our home toilets, the RV toilet fills with water to allow all the waste to be flushed down. The source from where this water enters the RV toilet bowl is from the water valve.
And from where does the water valve get the water? Unlike our home, there are no holding tanks with RVs. So the water is supplied through the freshwater tank of the camper or the city water connection.
If the water is constantly flowing and filling up the water bowl, the problem is most commonly with the valve.
Your RV toilet’s water valve could be stuck.
There are two things you can do with a valve. You can either fix the valve and get it to work normally. Or you can replace it completely. Read on ahead as we will share more about the fixes.
#2. Problems With The Pedals
Is the RV toilet pedal too tight to move? Then that could be the problem why water keeps on flowing.
The pedal is likely too stiff to move and maybe getting only halfway above. And that could be letting the systems remain open and letting the water flow continuously.
#3. Problems With Water Flow
Some RVers like to hook up their camp and use the city’s water resources. Well, this can be due to the ease of access you get, plus the assurance of enough water if you have guests in your RV or long-term stays.
After all, the RV water may not be enough to last long if you have less RV tank capacity. (If you’re interested, read our guide on how long 20-100 gallons of water lasts in an RV.)
But the problem with using the city water hookups is that they tend to have water pressure irregularities and fluctuations.
Sometimes, water pressure can spike, which could over-pressurize your toilet and other water outlets in the bathroom. If you’re facing water flow issues, it might be related to water leaking from under the RV shower pan.
How To Stop Toilet Bowl From Filling Up With Water?
To stop the toilet bowl from filling up with water, you first need to turn off the water supply. Next, you need to fix or replace the defective water valve, but if the problem is with other parts, you must apply the fix accordingly.
Read on to see the fixing of different problems related to this issue
#1. Fix The RV Toilet’s Water Valve
We already shared that the toilet’s water valve can be the most likely culprit causing the water overflow issue.
Something might have probably gotten trapped inside the valve, causing it to stick and slightly open.
So you need to locate where the water valve is present. It can vary depending on the brand or model of toilet you are using. Hence, you can refer to the manual.
You can generally find it at the back or side of the unit.
If you’re feeling adventurous you can disassemble your valve as much as possible. This way, you can better clean it if there is debris.
#2. Fix The RV Toilet Pedal
As a temporary and urgent fix, you can try to push the flush pedal upwards.
You may have to gently push the toilet pedal with your toes to ensure the water systems and outlets are shut off. However, be cautious and do not apply too much pressure as it could completely break.
So a better approach would be to fix the problem using proper tools and procedures.
#3. Install A Water Pressure Regulating System
You can get a water pressure regulator system to keep the water pressure in check.
You can watch this video that touches on the same type of subject as we are talking about here:
You can find some of the best water pressure regulators here (on Amazon).
Suppose the water keeps on overflowing in the toilet. But still, you don’t see any leaks in the valve? Then getting a water pressure regulator can help.
However, although you use a water pressure regulator system, sometimes the gauges can be off, leading to over-pressurization in the toilet and other bathroom outlets, like a shower or faucet.
So what’s the fix? Instead of relying on city water hookups, you can use available resources in your RV (like the gray water tank) to see if that fixes the problem!
How To Maintain My RV So It Doesn’t Overflow In The Future?
You can ensure that all the parts in your RV are adequately lubricated and cleaned. Regular RV lube maintenance can help in this regard.
There are no specific preventative measures for all the problems we stated in this post because most of the problems are related to the accessories malfunctioning or based on the scenarios.
However, one thing you can do for sure is to get the best quality toilet products installed. So research well before you are about to get a new RV toilet!
Since we are talking about toilets, it is important to highlight that RV-style toilets are usually not like our home toilets.
You can find porcelain RV toilets with many luxury RVs. However, those RVs promoted as being budget-friendly, and lightweight mainly has a plastic toilet. Yup, that may scare an average healthy person.
So we think you would also find this guide helpful: Porcelain Or Plastic RV Toilets: Which Are More Reliable?
Final Thoughts
In short, the RV toilet can get filled up with water for different reasons. But the most common and likely cause is the water valve. The water valve is what lets the water flow into the tank bowl. If that remains open, then as expected, the water will keep flowing.
However, if a water valve is not the cause, the problem can be with mechanical parts of the toilet like an RV pedal or fluctuations in the water flow. If you’re looking for more solutions related to RV issues, check out our guide on how to fix a dripping RV showerhead.
We have already shared the fix for each cause, and we hope you found this guide helpful.
For those looking for products to help with RV maintenance: