Push the button
Initially there was some concern over the longevity of these devices. Time will tell.
It was always our intention to use these valves for the gray and black water tanks. Adding one to the bath tub came later. Using the HydroSurge bathing system requires closing the tub drain for every bath to allow recirculation of wash water. The Forever Stainless Steel tub system came with a very nice ball valve for the drain. The valve was definitely commercial grade, but required a good bit of force to operate. Our installation made this worse since access to the drain valve would be partially obstructed by the counter next to the tub. Mark, from Forever, said the valve would free up over time with use, but I decided to use the electric valve.
The DrainMaster electric valve is designed for use with the 3" fittings normally used on RV waste tanks. DrainMaster sells a reducer for use with 1 1/2" pipes, which is what the tub drain uses.
Important Design Note - All three valves failed after a few months use. This was due to poor design on my part, and poor documentation from PhaseFour. The instructions say the unit may be installed, "in any position other than in housing down position." I installed all units in the horizontal plane. In other words, the drain pipe ran vertically with the valve mounted across it, the housing at the same level as the valve opening. This allows water and stuff to seep into the valve's motor housing causing failure.
What PhaseFour really meant to say was that the valve blade must be installed in the vertical plane, preferably with the housing above the valve opening. To their credit, the instructions include a diagram showing this, but no prohibition against horizontal mounting. They say their documentation has been updated and they have addressed the issue with their OEM vehicle manufacturers. To their credit, they replaced the failed units, but I did have to rework all the drains...
PhaseFour's staff was polite and helpful. They confirmed the valve may also be inserted in a drain line running at 45 degrees from horizontal, so long as the valve's motor housing is above the valve opening.
DrainMaster installation instructions (PDF)
