Community Forums

schrederman · 04-15-2012, 04:25 PM

I have an external filter that I place between the spigot and the trailer. The past thing in the system is a pressure regulator... cost about 13 bucks.

My dealer says I need one with an adjustable feature and a guage, to the tune of about 85 bucks. He says the cheap ones can get sand in them and no longer regulate the pressure... and I could end up with popped pipes and fixtures... and the sky is falling... and...

Another dealer that sells lots of parts, tells me that he stopped taking peoples money for the expensive ones because they can fail in the same way, just as easily. He said they usually just stop passing water... ie. get plugged up.

In a past life I was an aircraft mechanic and a glider pilot. The aviation industry and most pilots I know preach one thing... Redundancy! So, I decided to use the following scenario. I'll use a cheap regulator at the spigot, then the hose, then the filter, then another regulator at the trailer entrance port. That way, BOTH regulators would have to fail for the pressure in the trailer to get dangerously high.

To qualify that diatribe, I'm a relative nooby to RVing. I've been out only 3 times... each for about a week... but I still have a lot to learn. Those of you that are more experienced... please chime in and tell me if this theory is flawed in some way.

Thanks in advance...

J & D in windy Amarillo

wildtoad · 04-15-2012, 04:48 PM

Not sure the second (redundant) regulator is either required or doing any good but I understand the pilot training. I have one of those brass regulators (with screen washer) between the spigot and the external blue inline filter. Hose hooked to the filter and then the mh. So far so good.

leadfoot3 · 04-15-2012, 04:55 PM

the cheap ones are only good up to about 100 psi......above that they don't work.

RickO · 04-15-2012, 05:08 PM

IMO, your dealer was pretty much correct. I think the knock on the "cheap ones" is that they aren't adjustable and are really more flow restrictors than regulators so one can experience low water pressure with them.

I use a Watts residential regulator attached to my water softener with gauges on both the inlet and outlet.

Best of luck.

Rick

docj · 04-15-2012, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickO

I use a Watts residential regulator attached to my water softener with gauges on both the inlet and outlet.

I just bought a Watts regulator after getting fed up with the low flow rates the inexpensive ones. My MH has a factory-installed pressure regulator, but I still like using an external one at the spigot to protect the hoses.

RickO · 04-15-2012, 05:37 PM

Good point about protecting the hoses docj. In my set up the hose from the spigot to the regulator is unprotected but a choice I made for the convenience of leaving the Watts attached to the water softener and not having to attach it to the spigot every time.

Rick

jlfbatonrg · 04-15-2012, 05:40 PM

You can easily regulate your water pressure and not have to worry about "dirt" getting in the filter by getting a Watts pressure regulator 25-75 psi ~$35.00 on eBay and setting it between the filter and the trailer. I've attached a PIC of our set up. Ours is in a Class A, and has never given us a problem for over 4 years and 38 states.

Jim