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Re: your stiff waste water tap. I'll post here as it might be of interest to other users with the same problem.
To answer your question directly, the advice I was given suggested there is no suitable lubricant for this type of nylon tap, since they either don't work at all or make matters a whole lot worse.
So when mine broke - I mended it, but carry a modified spare as well (the one in the photo).
The taps are often done up far too tightly when first installed. After a while the nylon stretches, weakens, then breaks at the base of the threaded part at the weakest point. As you have discovered, the tap also stiffens up after a while and requires more effort to turn it, which doesn't help a lot!!
(Perfectly good design, but wrong material. It would work well if made of brass, but would cost a bit extra!!!)
To fix mine I got a piece of thin walled, rigid plastic tube which was a good push fit inside the tap outlet (see photo) and used solvent plastic welding "glue" to fix it permanently in position. (Available from plumbers' merchants, B&Q etc..)
The tube I used is a grey, hard material and is sold as a conduit for electrical cables. It just happened to be exactly the right outside diameter (for once!!) and is thin walled so does not restrict the flow. I expect it's freely available from B&Q or the like, but I scrounged a bit from my neighbour so am not sure.
(Any suitably sized rigid(ish) tube would do, and if you are lucky enough to find a bit of brass tube to fit, that would be the ultimate!! Araldite would fix it in place, and fill any small gap if it was a slightly sloppy fit.)
This strengthens the tap enough to withstand a considerable amount of pressure, and it is unlikely to break again. (I am still using the broken/mended one.)
The waste water tap on my Nuevo started to stiffen up about a year ago and I successfully used Thetford Seal Lubricant.
Last week I snapped the lever, I hadn't noticed it had stiffened up again.
On tuesday I rang autosleepers and ordered a replacement,I had to buy three because they've got a minimum order policy of £5, cost me £9 including postage. They arrived wednesday morning and took me 10 minutes to fit. Excellent service and I've got two spares as well.
______________________________________________________________ David
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Joking aside Tel, yes I think it is. That's why I suggested to fix it when you choose, not when you have to!
The service manager at our dealer's says they break all the time, though I hadn't heard of the lever breaking off before (like David reported).
I wonder if a drum tap from a Home Brew shop would be a better bet, like
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or maybe even
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if you want to go for broke!
These work on a different principle and would be much less likely to seize up, though I suspect the flow rate would be reduced a bit.
This of course assumes they will fit, and I haven't checked so I don't know.
Not a huge problem, but irritating if it breaks while you are deep in "holiday mode".
Cheers
P.S. Any thoughts on why Messrs Autosleepers have changed the waste water tap on the new Nuevo for a vastly better metal ball valve jobby - but still use the cheap and nasty one we are discussing for the fresh water drain?