Sink Not Draining

[JuanVecino2023]

Searching (via Google for this forum), yielded a few threads on this.

Upgrading parts on earlier vans, which doesn’t apply as it’s a 24 plate Ocean.

Kinks in pipe.hose under sink - I checked with the cutlery drawer out. All looks fine.

It’s been slow previously, which I know is normal.

It’s now been sitting on level ground for 4 hours with half a sinkful of water which won’t drain.

I’ve checked the control panel, waste water is mostly empty. Though I can’t detect any grey water draining when I open the valve in the LH cupboard.

It’s only had a tank and a half of fresh water run through it to date. Half of which was flushing the FW tank after standing for a few weeks.

Any suggestions welcome!

 

[Hawthorn37]

The control panel won’t show intermediate levels for your grey water, it’s either empty or full, although the ‘empty’ symbol does look like there should be some in! The ’full’ state is driven by a simple level switch.

Have you been able to drain the grey tank previously? If not, be aware the grey tank capacity is less than the fresh tank. Do you know that the grey tank is empty? It’s feasible that the full level switch could be failed, or the wiring become disconnected (snap in connectors are used).

We‘ve not experienced your problem, but it wonder if the grey tank could be pressure locked due to debris blocking the outlet pipe (which just hangs down under the van)? Might work a poke around? (Edit - that’s a rubbish idea! It should be draining with the outlet valve shut ).

Have you tried an old fashioned sink plunger?!

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Think a sink plunger may be an option. As there is no u-benc as such to unscrew.

I haven’t delved into the user manual yet. But it’s an odd one. We’ve only washed up about 8 times from new.

 

[mattpartridge]

Think a sink plunger may be an option. As there is no u-benc as such to unscrew.

I haven’t delved into the user manual yet. But it’s an odd one. We’ve only washed up about 8 times from new.

Have you opened the valve to drain the waste water tank? In the T5 it's on the bottom left of the cupboard under the hob, guess the T6.1 will be the same, try moving it through 90 degrees from the position it is in now. The sink won't drain if the waste tank is full and the gate valve is closed

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Have you opened the valve to drain the waste water tank? In the T5 it's on the bottom left of the cupboard under the hob, guess the T6.1 will be the same, try moving it through 90 degrees from the position it is in now. The sink won't drain if the waste tank is full and the gate valve is closed

Yes, I’ve had that open.

Haven’t checked the situation this morning.

 

[WelshGas]

Have you opened the valve to drain the waste water tank? In the T5 it's on the bottom left of the cupboard under the hob, guess the T6.1 will be the same, try moving it through 90 degrees from the position it is in now. The sink won't drain if the waste tank is full and the gate valve is closed

The Waste tank has a overflow pipe from the top of the waste tank to below the drain tap, so the sink should still empty, but slowly, if the tank is full and drain tap open. BUT, if the outflow is blocked, then neither drain tap or overflow will work.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

The Waste tank has a overflow pipe from the top of the waste tank to below the drain tap, so the sink should still empty, but slowly, if the tank is full and drain tap open. BUT, if the outflow is blocked, then neither drain tap or overflow will work.
View attachment 121486

I'm not at the van right now - I can envisage the front section of the diagram, back of the RH cupboard.

Is the access to the latter in the LH cupboard above & behind the valve to empty the waste water? Or further back?

Sink still half full this morning and waste not draining.

 

[WelshGas]

I'm not at the van right now - I can envisage the front section of the diagram, back of the RH cupboard.

Is the access to the latter in the LH cupboard above & behind the valve to empty the waste water? Or further back?

Sink still half full this morning and waste not draining.

Yes.
Check drain pipe from sink to waste tank for any kinks.
If waste tank full then sink should drain via overflow.
Check waste tank drain tap is open. When turning handle does the valve turn?
Check the pipe outlet underneath the vehicle. If not obstructed then push a garden hose up it turn on hose.

The only way I can see that the sink does not empty is a blockage between sink and waste tank.
Or, if waste tank drain open and/or waste tank full then a blockage of the actual drain outlet.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Yes.
Check drain pipe from sink to waste tank for any kinks.
If waste tank full then sink should drain via overflow.
Check waste tank drain tap is open. When turning handle does the valve turn?
Check the pipe outlet underneath the vehicle. If not obstructed then push a garden hose up it turn on hose.

The only way I can see that the sink does not empty is a blockage between sink and waste tank.
Or, if waste tank drain open and/or waste tank full then a blockage of the actual drain outlet.

That sounds about right. Is the waste water tank the same size, or larger than FW capacity?

 

[barney108vwcali]

Fresh water tank 30 litres, grey waste water 28 litres

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Fresh water tank 30 litres, grey waste water 28 litres

That makes sense. If FW fully drained into WW and WW not draining, its backing up into sink.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Think a sink plunger may be an option. As there is no u-benc as such to unscrew.

I haven’t delved into the user manual yet. But it’s an odd one. We’ve only washed up about 8 times from new.

I just thought if there’s a little blockage, you might just shift it. As a first go, try to emulate a plunger with your cupped hand.

 

[Hawthorn37]

That makes sense. If FW fully drained into WW and WW not draining, its backing up into sink.

I’d try the simple stuff, then go back to the dealer with the issue, as it’s a brand new van. There might be a valve or fitting wrongly assembled.

 

[wildslammer22]

Searching (via Google for this forum), yielded a few threads on this.

Upgrading parts on earlier vans, which doesn’t apply as it’s a 24 plate Ocean.

Kinks in pipe.hose under sink - I checked with the cutlery drawer out. All looks fine.

It’s been slow previously, which I know is normal.

It’s now been sitting on level ground for 4 hours with half a sinkful of water which won’t drain.

I’ve checked the control panel, waste water is mostly empty. Though I can’t detect any grey water draining when I open the valve in the LH cupboard.

It’s only had a tank and a half of fresh water run through it to date. Half of which was flushing the FW tank after standing for a few weeks.

Any suggestions welcome!

Sounds like one of those Easter chicks might be causing a blockage… Hope you get it sorted, these teething problems can’t be helping your buyers remorse

 

[PerkyCalifornia]

I’ve had the same problem over the last week and was at the stage of taking panels off, which I didn’t really want to do, so today, I tried all of the suggestions made in similar threads in the following sequence and, hey presto, it worked and finally, I have an unblocked sink:

Turned outlet in LH cupboard under hobs to closed (12 o’clock).

Poured 1 litre of drain unblocker into sink avoiding basin (through a funnel into plug hole) - Waited for an hour.

Put 5 heaped tea spoons of bicarbonate soda onto plug hole.

Poured a couple of kettles of boiling water into plug hole.

Opened the outlet to on position (9 o’clock).

Set garden hose to jet and blasted up the underside outlet pipe.

Took three to four blasts with the hose but it did the job and I’m running free again !!

To finish, i did a thorough flush of the system, once with the outlet off, to fill the tank with fresh water, and then with the outlet open.

I filled the sink four times in total to ensure the drain unblocker was flushed.

I’ll probably do another flush tomorrow for good measure.

Hope this helps as I was at the stage of minor concern as I discounted the notion of a kink but nothing else was working previous to the above.

NB I don’t know if it’s just me and the missus but we were a little confused with the lever saying on/off as we were not sure if the waste tank or the sink was on or off