Reduced city water pressure

[annlaurie51]

Thanks to all who helped with my first post. I have another question re city water pressure. When we connect to the campground source, we get good pressure right when the faucet is turned on. It then reduces until it's quite low. The shower is not usable. If I turn on the water pump and use water from the on board tank, all is well. What would cause this. It's a new phenomenon which started after dewinterizing for the first time. Many thanks.

[Ramblin]

Does it do this at the CG spigot?

[deanjeep]

Common issue at many CG's. Just too many people hooked up to city water supply and the flow can't keep up. Usually more noticeable in the morning and evening when many are showering. The pressure will build up slightly with all faucets off but as soon as you turn one on you'll get a burst of pressure then it slows to almost nothing.

The same symptoms can occur if you have a clogged filter or one that does not have a high enough flow factor. Try removing any filters and see if it corrects the problem or not. If it does change the filter (remember to look for a high flow filter), if it doesn't, then you'll just have to deal with the issue at that CG.

[akadeadeye]

Yes, pretty common and filters are often the culprit. That and water pressure regulators set too low. Get one you can adjust. We always use the water pump when showering.

Don

[annlaurie51]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramblin Does it do this at the CG spigot?

The water pressure at the spigot did seem okay. It persisted at various campgrounds as well. Will continue to monitor it. Thanks.

[annlaurie51]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akadeadeye Yes, pretty common and filters are often the culprit. That and water pressure regulators set too low. Get one you can adjust. We always use the water pump when showering. Don

We checked the filters too. Sounds like we just turn the pump on to get the pressure we need. Thanks.

[wa8yxm]

This is fairly common, Many rigs come with a built in water pressure regulator, Normally A Sur-Flow which is a good unit but to be honest may be a bit.. er, anemic when it comes to passing water.

Those rigs that do not have one... You should put one in-line (At the hydrant if possible)

in addition many rigs have water filters which may further restrict the flow (Gets a bit complicated if you do) .

Water filters come in basically 4 flavors (types)

First is a brass or plastic cylinder, about 3/4 inch in diamater, has a male hose fitting on one end and a female one on the other end, This is the same size (Diamater) as the female hose fitting (usually) and it will act exactly as you describe 100% of the time.

Next is a "High Capacity" or High Volume unit, Looks almost exactly like the above save the Camco model has a set of Wings (like a wing nut) and other makes have a brightly colored grip on the female hose fitting,, These may be good enough for dishwashing but will likely annoy you in the shower.

The next is the Sur-Flo unit which is often factory installed as part of the city water inlet... Again, it's better, but not the best.

Finally we get to external, bell shaped regulators like the WATTS, The smallest Watts will act like this too, but if you have a larger one no problem, Watts units are NOT designed for RV use but may come packaged with male and female hose adapters (The parts that make the differnece) some have a pressure guage on them as well, all are adjustable (Save the SurFlo which is a Watts brand).

And as I said, filters, epically if in need of replacement, can reduce flow as well,

What I do: Normally I do one of the following.. Here in Upstate South Carolina where I winter pressures in the park have been known to exceed 100 PSI, I've seen the ends blown off hoses by the park pressure. This is truly "City" water by the way, not the park's fault. I put a Watts set to around 60 PSI on the hydrant, this protects my hose and filter, Then a Sur Flo in-line model (Identical to the inlet model save for some cosmetic stuff) to the rig. This goes AFTER the filter.. ALas, it still restricts a bit.

The other thing I do since the city has a nasty habit of over clorinating as well....

I fill my on-board tank and use the pump, no problems there. Refill as needed.

Side note: Was parked beside a very high end bus the other week in Ga. As the preacher/driver/musician pulled in after dark I grabbed lights to light up his life a bit during setup.. He gets to the point of re-filling his on board tank.. Taps a button and sits back.. Dang thing shuts off automatically don't you know.

My plans.. Fine tune the Watts a bit and use it more since the home made filter I made does not restrict the flow as much as factory made units do Still does a good job of filtering though (I use a LOT of cross secitonal area, Four times what some of them use, and the cross sectional area is what determines how much back pressure for any given type of filter... Mine is activated charcoal granuals, Instructions on making one on request.

[macadnphyl]

I'd try a new water pressure regulator, the symptoms fit a worn out old one.

[annlaurie51]

Many thanks to everyone who offered advice. We traced the problem back to a clogged inlet adapter we had added. When we pulled that off, we found it filled with junk -- probably from the hose we used to dewinterize. Cleaned it out and reinstalled, hooked a city water source back up, and voila -- great pressure again. Thanks all - you were brilliant!!!