I am about to join my two waste water pipes, using a 'Y' connecter under the van floor, so that I will have just the one waste outlet at the van edge. ( I'm fed up with fiddling about with the two of them that Swift always seemed to place about 9 inches inboard.) Before I do it, I wondered if anyone knows of any reason if they should be left as individual - otherwise why would the manufacturer not make it so in the first place? The pipework can cope with the volume and by using a 'Y' connection, it will stop water from shooting up one of the other pipes? Am I missing something??
Waste Pipes
- Thread starter Rodone
- Start date
One potential problem would be water from the kitchen sink backing up into the shower. May be OK on a level pitch or one where the ground slopes away,but if the ground slopes towards the van you might not have enough fall in the waste.
Hello Clive,
Thanks. Good point. So long as the water hits the 'Y' piece and then has only a slight bend before it is 'outside', I would have thought that it will take the course of much less resistance. If the end of the pipe was blocked for any reason, or I was pitched on a steep slope with the high side of the van on the same side as the waste pipes, then I could see a problem. This must be why Swift keep the two systems seperated. I'll have to give it a bit more thought.... !
Thanks. Good point. So long as the water hits the 'Y' piece and then has only a slight bend before it is 'outside', I would have thought that it will take the course of much less resistance. If the end of the pipe was blocked for any reason, or I was pitched on a steep slope with the high side of the van on the same side as the waste pipes, then I could see a problem. This must be why Swift keep the two systems seperated. I'll have to give it a bit more thought.... !
I fell foul of the shower tray problem when I first started caravanning and fitted a Y piece too. Since we don't use the shower, we just connect the one pipe, the one for the sinks.
Don't do it if the single waste pipe blocks at the point of entry to the waste carrier, water will defiantly backup into the shower tray.
Do as legs says if you must, but I always put both pipes into the carrier, but I don't find it a problem.
Do as legs says if you must, but I always put both pipes into the carrier, but I don't find it a problem.
I am not quite sure why UK manufacturers seem to go for the 2 outlet idea. The EU van I own has all the waste pipes joining up together prior to exit from the van. Therefore only one waste outlet. They do use large bore pipe though, in my case 28 mm diameter and smooth inners. I have never had any problem as the pipe is underslung so there is always a drop from either sink or shower.
Having given it some thought, I think that I will keep to the two seperate outlets - but just move them right to the edge of the van. Thanks for your replies.
We were away over new year in temps down to -6 at night & the waste pipes froze solid overnight. Its a good job the sinks had their own pipe as otherwise all the washing up water would have ended up in the shower tray.
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