Best Practices

[ChiefJohn]

Chris,
I use the old standby, Johnson Paste Wax on all my shop equipment. I normally apply a liberal coating several times a year and leave a film on the surface.

I inherited some rather old blacksmith tools that were rusted from years hanging in a barn. I used electrolysis to clean. Then heated the iron with a propane torch and coated with paraffin. These tools are as rust free as the day they came out of the electrolysis solution. I used a 12v battery charger for the 'juice'. This method does not damage the metal and is less labor intensive than some abrasion methods.

[Workshop]

Chief, I use the Johnson paste wax on the table surfaces of the table and band saw. Battery charger, sounds painfull.

Here is one of three drawings I have been working on for 12 Volt Power.

Moved this to the Post: "Portable Generators".

[Curtis Brown]

As a follow-on to the posts by LarryGodby and rockingtom, I have posted a description and pictures of my water pressure regulator built with around an household water pressure regulator. It can be found on my web site at: City Water Connection system

[LarryGodby]

Curt,

That is a great write up of what happens to your water pressure.

I might be wrong but I still think the best place to hang the regulator is close to the rig. My reasoning is, if I hang the regulator close to the park faucet then I have maybe 10 feet of water hose that will heat up in the sun and increase static pressure.

If I hang the regulator close to the rig maybe just the fittings and 90 degree elbow could heat up due to the sun.

What are your thoughts on looking at it this way?

[Curtis Brown]

Larry,

Thanks for the comments.

First let me say that I am neither a hydraulic engineer or physicist, just a layman observer.

I am sure you are right about the heat causing the water in the hose to expand. However, I do not believe it is enough expansion to cause any serious increase in volume and pressure. Also, a lot of the increase in volume will be handled by a moderate expansion of the hose therefore moderating the increase in pressure. It might be an interesting test to put a pressure tester in the line and see what the pressure is when cold and then again after the hose has heated up.

The only problem with putting the hose before the pressure regulator is that, especially for fulltimers, the hose will soon develop internal leaks and you will notice bulging especially at the fittings on the ends.

There are several advantages to putting the pressure regulator at (or even inside) the trailer. Firstly, it makes it very hard to forget it when packing up to move. Secondly, if you put it inside the trailer connected to the house side of the city water connection it becomes impossible to forget and also much more protected from freezing.

Given my unwillingness to consider the hose an expendable and current lack of desire to make changes in the basement of the trailer I choose to put it at the faucet. If at some later date I decide to further reduce constriction by replacing the city water connection/check valve combination with one that has no check valve and installing an household style check valve, I may decide to put the whole check valve - pressure control unit in the basement.

BTW, being a M.A.S.H. fan, I love your sig.

[rockintom]

Thanks for the water pressure regulator subject. I do much of the same as you, but we have a water softener and I put my "Y"s on the inlet and outlet on the softener.

I do have my regulator painted flat black to deter theft. I've had 2 taken so far. So far the flat black is working. In the original copper color it attracts eyes and "looks" expense (it is!). I also have a pressure gauge infront and behind the regulator, so I can anally keep an eye on it.

As for the water regulator positioning, I put mine on the faucet and use the best water hoses I can find. I have monitored pressure right as it goes into the rig under super high ambients and found pressure to only be moderately higher that at the regulator (at the faucet). Larry and I have had discussion on this and I don't think it really worth it. I think we are both right!!!! Another words, it don't make that much difference. I was just taught by some old time RVers to put it on the faucet. Are we all happy? Tom

[ChiefJohn]

Curtis,
Thanks again for sharing this information -- easy for someone like me to understand, you included pictures!

[LarryGodby]

Curt,

You bring up an interesting point I hadn't thought of; that is to install it inside. It could be done with hard piping, I will have to think about that, maybe that might be a project for Chris when he has nothing to do.

Tom,

Did you see 5 or 10 lbs of pressure increase, I just noticed that when we hit a 100 out here and the sun was baking the roadside that my hose was growing and I thought it might affect the pressure.

One more thing, do people turn off the water when they leave. It just might be me being anal but I try to turn it off.

[Workshop]

Larry,

My wife has her index finger pointed at a dozen things in the yard or on the house for me to do now that spring is here. She has tolerated me up to now because it kept me off the street and she knew where to find me.

But starting to worry that my Excel allowance might be cut off if I don't start showing progress somewhere else.

I'm glad that the discussion on water regulators is going on, as I'm learning things. Remember there is a lot I can learn from everyone else. I can use AutoCad, if I can leave the drawing alone, and learned how to post pictures but there is still a lot I need to learn. Until I got the Excel, a CW regulator is all I thought I needed, now there's the Progressive, and Autoformers and what else????? Maybe its the Forum that makes one thing different.

But thanks for the discussion on the water regulator Curt, I know there was a lot of work that went into it.

Chris

[rockintom]

Chris,

Success is he** ain't it.

BTW....you do appear to be an expensive kinda guy to have around the house. Top knotch all the way! Who's making the decisions in your house???? Yeah, me too.

[rockintom]

Larry,
Your right the pressure does raise about that much in the high ambients. No big deal with a good hose though.

We shut our water off if going to be gone over 3 hrs. Just a precaution. I also turn off the electric water heater also.

We've see the result of the broken fresh hose/connector inside a trailer and I don't like to come home to surprises like that!! It ain't purty. Tom

[Workshop]

This is how I measured my Pin box, extention and plate for level. Mine was very level by the figures I obtained.

Don't understand the torch cut, the holes in the box and extention are so perfect they look drilled.

Still haven't painted the Pin box yet!

Hope something helped.
Chris

[Workshop]

I updated the Water System for 'Current Models' to include the Atwood GE16EXT which Atwood introduced in '05-06. As several members have this heater, decided a update was justified.

Hope something helped.
Chris

[Bruce and Jenna]

Suggestion on the Water System diagram.

For valves B and G, clarify which to open one to open and which one to close for each operation. For example, to fill the tank, open B and close G.

No doubt, you can figure out why I think of this.