Toilet flush lever

[g1g]

I forgot to ask this before but after my B sat all winter and when I went to use it I flushed the toilet I tried to pull the lever and it was hard to pull. It seemed to snap free but no flush. It actually felt like the plastic handle pulled a lever but the lever was froze and the plastic slipped off. It reset real easy though. As I let it back and try again the same thing happens time and time again. Finally it works and has since. Does anyone know what happened and how to prevent it?

[renrut]

When you drain the water, the seals (o-rings in specific) are left open to air and can dry up. This can cause them to stick. When you add water and it gets around the seals, it will allow it to slip again.

Putting RV antifreeze in the system can help prevent it from happening. It will keep liquid around the seals to prevent them from drying out.

I use to use antifreeze but the taste is hard to get out of the lines in the spring. When I stopped using antifreeze, the seals on the toilet started to leak a bit because they had dried out. Unfortunately, someone glued the toilet together so I can take it apart to replace any of the seals.

[g1g]

I did spray WD40 in the toilet on the flush valve and seals. I really don't know if that was the problem. Did I do the wrong thing?

[markopolo]

I read in a Thetford manual that they don't recommend using petroleum based lubricants. (no vaseline etc.) They suggest using a silicone spray lubricant.

It's great that it seemed to reset itself for you saves taking it apart!

Like renrut mentioned, I also leave a little RV antifreeze in the bowl over winter.

I probably should get some silicone spray.

[g1g]

Won't the rv antifreeze evaporate?

[markopolo]

I don't remember it evaporating. It's kind of damp up here in the winter.

I winterized about a month ago. I wiped up most of the pink stuff in the sinks but, last weekend, still had droplets in the kitchen sink.

[renrut]

I lived in the middle of the Canadian Prairies and use to use the antifreeze. It didn't evaporate out of the lines. They are generally sealed. The dry cold winters didn't effect the antifreeze I was using. Of course, I needed the extra cold type. -40 winter temperatures were quite normal.

The reason I stopped using thew antifreeze was the taste of the water. We use our storage tank for cooking and sometimes drinking. The antifreeze taste was hard to get out of the lines. It could have been the type of pipes in my RV but who knows. It might be something like using a garden hose for drinking water. Nice rubber flavour.