Thetford 335 tank leak

[be1t0n]

We spent the weekend away at a festival. Before we went I bit the bullet and got a portable toilet for the van. It appears to have a bit of a leak in the construction of the waste tank. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[andyinluton]

That doesn't look like a leak, more like someone has spilt a bit of the Blue. If it was leaking from the seam the blue wouldn't creep up the grey plastic, a tiny drop of that stuff goes a surprisingly long way & stains everything.

If kept flat the tank would need to be full to brim for the liquid to reach that level.
If being carried, that end would be the uppermost part so wouldn't leak.

 

[be1t0n]

That’s from it being moved with liquid in it. It definitely wasn’t spilt fluid. There was actually fluid on the van floor in the morning despite it being filled outside

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

We spent the weekend away at a festival. Before we went I bit the bullet and got a portable toilet for the van. It appears to have a bit of a leak in the construction of the waste tank. Has anyone else had this issue?

View attachment 83785

In a word no.

We spent the weekend away at a festival. Before we went I bit the bullet and got a portable toilet for the van. It appears to have a bit of a leak in the construction of the waste tank. Has anyone else had this issue?

View attachment 83785

Quick question - are you only using the blue liquid in the waste tank or are you also putting it in the flushing water? (which you shouldn’t).
If you have put it in the top tank I’m just wondering whether some has spilled out of the filler cap (not an airtight seal) and then tracked along the seam in your photo?

 

[andyinluton]

Strange then, the white lower part is one moulding with no joints or fixings in it - I would have thought that any crack or hole would have a big blue stain round it & be immediately obvious. Its the only place it can be leaking if the water has the Blue in it.
Unless its been used to the point of being over full there won't be any fluid higher than the joint between the grey & white parts.

On ours the only place any fluid can leak out if the shutter is closed, is at the cap on top where you put the clean flush water in as that isn't a water tight seal. Even if yours had been tipped on end with the flush tank full, that should be clean fresh water not blue that leaked.

Can I ask some silly questions? not knowing if you've used one of these before.
1. Is this the first time you've used it - assuming it is:
2. how and where did you put the blue fluid in the tank
3. Where have you stored the free sample of blue fluid (if in the recess on the tank, thinking leaking lid on that)
4. Have you actually split the tank off the bottom of the toilet ( to see if the spout actually has a cap on it)
5. Are you 100% sure the emptying spout has its cap done up tight.
6. how much fluid have you got in the waste tank.
7. when getting it ready for use how much of what fluid have you put where.

 

[be1t0n]

In a word no.

Quick question - are you only using the blue liquid in the waste tank or are you also putting it in the flushing water? (which you shouldn’t).
If you have put it in the top tank I’m just wondering whether some has spilled out of the filler cap (not an airtight seal) and then tracked along the seam in your photo?

Just in waste tank. I believe this leak has happened whilst I put the fluid in the waste tank whilst it’s stood on its end.

 

[be1t0n]

Strange then, the white lower part is one moulding with no joints or fixings in it - I would have thought that any crack or hole would have a big blue stain round it & be immediately obvious. Its the only place it can be leaking if the water has the Blue in it.
Unless its been used to the point of being over full there won't be any fluid higher than the joint between the grey & white parts.

On ours the only place any fluid can leak out if the shutter is closed, is at the cap on top where you put the clean flush water in as that isn't a water tight seal. Even if yours had been tipped on end with the flush tank full, that should be clean fresh water not blue that leaked.

Can I ask some silly questions? not knowing if you've used one of these before.
1. Is this the first time you've used it - assuming it is:
2. how and where did you put the blue fluid in the tank
3. Where have you stored the free sample of blue fluid (if in the recess on the tank, thinking leaking lid on that)
4. Have you actually split the tank off the bottom of the toilet ( to see if the spout actually has a cap on it)
5. Are you 100% sure the emptying spout has its cap done up tight.
6. how much fluid have you got in the waste tank.
7. when getting it ready for use how much of what fluid have you put where.

1. Yes
2. Stood on end end poured into spout as per Thetford instructions.
3. no free sample came with it.
4. Yes. It’s been emptied twice.
5. Cap is back on firmly.
6. Pre-use - 1.5-2l
7. 1 measure of blue in waste. 1 measure of pink in flush

 

[andyinluton]

I

1. Yes
2. Stood on end end poured into spout as per Thetford instructions.
3. no free sample came with it.
4. Yes. It’s been emptied twice.
5. Cap is back on firmly.
6. Pre-use - 1.5-2l
7. 1 measure of blue in waste. 1 measure of pink in flush

I can't explain the overnight leak but would guess its the seam between the white & grey not sealed & its leaked when stood on end as you put the fluids in.

I wouldn't bother with anything more than a cupful of water pre use - you are going to fill it with fluid anyway & you loose 20% capacity putting 2 litres in before you start.

 

[Jodalo]

Have you confirmed that you have a leak in the waste tank or do you suspect a leak due to the blue staining? If it’s the latter, take off the flushing section and fill the lower section with clean water to test for a leak, having completely dried it first. Not teaching you to suck eggs though.

 

[be1t0n]

Have you confirmed that you have a leak in the waste tank or do you suspect a leak due to the blue staining? If it’s the latter, take off the flushing section and fill the lower section with clean water to test for a leak, having completely dried it first. Not teaching you to suck eggs though.

It’s been checked by wiping it down to clear any existing blue liquid on the outside of the housing and refilling. This picture was the second time it appeared to have happened

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Just in waste tank. I believe this leak has happened whilst I put the fluid in the waste tank whilst it’s stood on its end.

Hi @be1t0n We don’t stand ours on end when adding the blue (or now green) fluid. We just open the shutter and pour a couple of capfuls in.

 

[BeeBee]

Hi @be1t0n We don’t stand ours on end when adding the blue (or now green) fluid. We just open the shutter and pour a couple of capfuls in.

That’s what we do too… I obviously didn’t read the instructions and didn’t want to stand it on end when putting ‘blue plus water’ in.
We did have a leak in our ‘bottle of blue’ that lives in the garage, the bottom end corner cracked and some resultant spillage, messy and that blue is defo permanent stain !

 

[Jane Mountney]

We spent the weekend away at a festival. Before we went I bit the bullet and got a portable toilet for the van. It appears to have a bit of a leak in the construction of the waste tank. Has anyone else had this issue?

View attachment 83785

Please can you confirm whether you solved the problem. Mine is the same and it’s only been used 4 or 5 times. I’m not having any luck either finding a Thetford Dealer to take it to re warranty support.

 

[be1t0n]

Please can you confirm whether you solved the problem. Mine is the same and it’s only been used 4 or 5 times. I’m not having any luck either finding a Thetford Dealer to take it to re warranty support.

Mine was purchased via Amazon so it went back to them for a replacement. Haven’t actually used the new one yet though.

 

[BubbleBus]

Hi..I am also having problems with a warranty claim from thetford although slightly different problem in that my red line indicator doesn’t appear when full..I suspect the float (if indeed there is one). Bought from Jackson’s leisure but no local dealer (tried 3) is interested in helping and …[email protected]… is also not interested. Have been trying since 24 August 2021.
I suppose if you ignore problems for long enough then the 3 year warranty becomes invalid.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hi..I am also having problems with a warranty claim from thetford although slightly different problem in that my red line indicator doesn’t appear when full..I suspect the float (if indeed there is one). Bought from Jackson’s leisure but no local dealer (tried 3) is interested in helping and …[email protected]… is also not interested. Have been trying since 24 August 2021.
I suppose if you ignore problems for long enough then the 3 year warranty becomes invalid.

We had a long going issue where a manufacturer refused to honour the warranty ( in the end they offered 5% discount on a new one - item was £300!...so bit of an insult).

So in the end we purchased a new one from Amazon Prime, switched the faulty part, put the faulty item back in the box & returned it for a refund. The faulty part then became the manufacturers problem (Amazon will return to reseller, who will return to manufacturer. Often there is no physical return and the item will just be disposed of).

Ok - I agree that is not the best way to handle but it worked, and we only went down this route when we given the cold shoulder by the manufacturer despite the fact the the original item was still within warranty.

+ Twitter is sometimes a good way to get a quick reply from a manufacturer, just list all the facts in a polite public post and you will most likely get an instant reply / follow up - 'squeaky wheel gets the oil!.+

 

[bvddobb]

Have you driven your van with the porta potti in it? We have had a like issue, when driving the water flushes around in the tank, obviously, and with us the sealant ring of the ‘shutter’ and the sealant of the vent were not in good condition, after 8 years of use. It would leak a littlebit from there if we held the tank upside down.
We oiled the shutter ring and replaced the vent (€ 5 or thereabout) as per the Youtube videos we found on the Thetford site. Never leaked again since.

 

[Jane Mountney]

Hi..I am also having problems with a warranty claim from thetford although slightly different problem in that my red line indicator doesn’t appear when full..I suspect the float (if indeed there is one). Bought from Jackson’s leisure but no local dealer (tried 3) is interested in helping and …[email protected]… is also not interested. Have been trying since 24 August 2021.
I suppose if you ignore problems for long enough then the 3 year warranty becomes invalid.

I too have had difficulty trying to get in touch with a support dealer that can help. The best help I had was that I could buy the seals and do it myself. I’m not sure whether the problem I have is even to do with the seals. Mine too would be a warranty query - in theory!