Community Forums

Workshop · 12-19-2011, 07:18 AM

Our last trip was to Fort Clinch SP. When we were packin' it up to leave...I noticed a small amount of water on top of one of the totes.

Have had this problem several times in the past but have never determined the source or when it would occure.

I didn't have time to troubleshoot the problem before we left...so opened up a panel in the bath closet where I thought the water was coming from and took a couple of pictures.

As the photo shows, it is leaking...ever so small, from the connection on the blue water line for the shower. It runs down the line and drips through the opening and onto the tote.

Have had the Beast hooked up to the house system, well with a 40-60 psi pump/tank, now for over a week and haven't had a problem. Have determined that my problem with the 'drip' has to do with water pressure. We didn't use a pressure regulator on the last trip, and not using it at home presently, and haven't had a problem. Believe my system isn't high enought to cause the problem. Since I can't remember what I did last week most of the time...will say that not running a regulator in the past is what caused the problem as well.

It has been discussed before on the Forum but since Rockin' was talking 'water' in his last post, thought I would bring the subject back out so others would remember to use a regulator and not be lazy like I was.

workhorse

cutrell01 · 12-19-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workshop

Our last trip was to Fort Clinch SP. When we were packin' it up to leave...I noticed a small amount of water on top of one of the totes.

Have had this problem several times in the past but have never determined the source or when it would occure.

I didn't have time to troubleshoot the problem before we left...so opened up a panel in the bath closet where I thought the water was coming from and took a couple of pictures.

As the photo shows, it is leaking...ever so small, from the connection on the blue water line for the shower. It runs down the line and drips through the opening and onto the tote.

Have had the Beast hooked up to the house system, well with a 40-60 psi pump/tank, now for over a week and haven't had a problem. Have determined that my problem with the 'drip' has to do with water pressure. We didn't use a pressure regulator on the last trip, and not using it at home presently, and haven't had a problem. Believe my system isn't high enought to cause the problem. Since I can't remember what I did last week most of the time...will say that not running a regulator in the past is what caused the problem as well.

It has been discussed before on the Forum but since Rockin' was talking 'water' in his last post, thought I would bring the subject back out so others would remember to use a regulator and not be lazy like I was.

workhorse

I always use a pressure regulator on the facet side no matter where I am with the RV. Leak may be from the threaded connection. I'm sure you have tighten the connection, but if not, you might try that or put a little plumbers tape around the threads.

rockintom · 12-19-2011, 08:48 AM

work....based on my experience with the old style clamped pex lines......the pex itself is good to about 125 lbs. pressure....but the connections seem to leak (drip) at the clamped area about 75-80 lbs. at most connections. I will always use my water regulator on an unknown source due to fluctuation in pressure. Only after I've proved it to maintain a consistent pressure will I remove the regulator. Worked for me..... rockin'

Thank goodness they now use the machined crimped clamping system......they don't leak often.....

wa8yxm · 12-19-2011, 04:47 PM

Symptom: When in a park with unknown pressure you had a leak
Symptom: When on a well with 40-60 PSI max pressure You do not have a leak
Fact: You do not use a pressure regulator.

Suspect: High pressure in park

Recommendation: See fact, USE A PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Minimum regulato if you do NOT have a shower is a HIGH VOLUME or HIGH CAPACITY in-line from any RV store, these are 3/4" Brass or plastic cylinders, about 3-4 inches long, the good ones have either Wings (Camco) to help you tighten the female connection or a bright color grip on the female connection.. The low-capacity ones do not have this.

If you do have a shower, Go with one of the bell shaped WATTS units from Lowes or Home Depot.. These can sometimes be found at RV dealers bundled with hose adapters, or even pre-assembled.. But at Lowes/Home Depot, you get the needed adapters in a different isle.

MakinSmoke · 12-19-2011, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Symptom: When in a park with unknown pressure you had a leak
Symptom: When on a well with 40-60 PSI max pressure You do not have a leak
Fact: You do not use a pressure regulator.

Suspect: High pressure in park

Recommendation: See fact, USE A PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Minimum regulato if you do NOT have a shower is a HIGH VOLUME or HIGH CAPACITY in-line from any RV store, these are 3/4" Brass or plastic cylinders, about 3-4 inches long, the good ones have either Wings (Camco) to help you tighten the female connection or a bright color grip on the female connection.. The low-capacity ones do not have this.

If you do have a shower, Go with one of the bell shaped WATTS units from Lowes or Home Depot.. These can sometimes be found at RV dealers bundled with hose adapters, or even pre-assembled.. But at Lowes/Home Depot, you get the needed adapters in a different isle.

Wow, these Damon owners are really smart aren't they?

Workshop · 12-20-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cutrell01

I always use a pressure regulator on the facet side no matter where I am with the RV. Leak may be from the threaded connection. I'm sure you have tighten the connection, but if not, you might try that or put a little plumbers tape around the threads.

Thanks for your input...I do use a regulator 99% of the time...just not this time and before I made my filter/regulator box I used a common inline one sold by CW without much issue.

I did check the connection and it was tight....to find a leak that's not very visible, I will dry off the area and using a tissue, place it in the area I suspect to be leaking. It's soft enough to attact moisture quickly and indicated the problem was at the connection of the fitting and the tubing.

As I suspected, the problem was the result of to high a pressure and being to lazy to use the regulator on that trip.

workhorse

Workshop · 12-20-2011, 08:00 AM

I did the post as a light hearted one and one just to say that you should use your regulator when you connect to someone else's water supply. I also mentioned that I was to LAZY that day to use mine which was the purpose of the post.

I also mentioned that I wasn't using it the past week at home and didn't have a problem....guess that could imply that I just don't use one at all, which isn't true. I connected it this way as a means of 'troubleshooting' the system to determine if the fitting leaked all the time...even at low pressure...or just in the higher range. This would determine how I would deal with the problem.

As it hasn't leaked at home with the 40-60 psi that our well system provides....it's as I had determined and one caused by high pressure that weekend. I will most likely do nothing to the fitting in the near future and store the info away for reference if the problem occurs in the future with the regulator installed.

I have been using this filter/regulator setup for some time now and it has worked well. Or until the DW almost closed the slide with it still installed one time.... Have ordered a new Watts 263A and after I determined I have made all the drawers I want to replace or it gets cold....will determine a location within the basement to install the filter permanently and deal with the regulator separately. Until then will use this setup in the future.

Don't be lazy.....

workhorse

wa8yxm · 12-20-2011, 08:26 AM

Now that I understand..... One of the things I bought when this rig was brand new was a Hughes Autoformer.. I can't tell you how many times it's been needed (Frankly because I don't know) but I do recall the 1st time.

I was in a park down near texas... The park was like around 10% full and the line voltage was under 100. Of course, Since I was just overnighting..... I had not plugged it in.

(When I got back home I did the install, so now it is ALWAYS plugged in)

In fact.. I use this same argument as the reason I do not like the all-in-one brake systems like Brake Buddy or Even brake,, Too easy to just "Forget it" on a short trip.

Bruce and Jenna · 12-20-2011, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Symptom: When in a park with unknown pressure you had a leak
Symptom: When on a well with 40-60 PSI max pressure You do not have a leak
Fact: You do not use a pressure regulator.

Suspect: High pressure in park

Recommendation: See fact, USE A PRESSURE REGULATOR.

Wait a minute! What are we talking about again?

Oh yeah. Work has a leak in his plumbing.

Aaah, fergit it. He's too young to understand.

Workshop · 12-20-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce and Jenna

Wait a minute! What are we talking about again?
Oh yeah. Work has a leak in his plumbing.

Aaah, fergit it. He's too young to understand.

What....the Beast is only 11 model years old now....

__but have noticed a difference in the plumbing operation in the summer that is different once it turns cold outside. Can't prove it, but think the holding tanks change capacity also....

Wait a minute! What are we talking about again? The Beast!

workhorse

Bruce and Jenna · 12-21-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Workshop

What....the Beast is only 11 model years old now....

__but have noticed a difference in the plumbing operation in the summer that is different once it turns cold outside. Can't prove it, but think the holding tanks change capacity also....

Wait a minute! What are we talking about again? The Beast!

workhorse

Awww, that's a cute name for it.

Alex0905 · 12-27-2011, 08:46 AM

Hi Workshop,
I can't seem to find a water regulator that will still give me a good flow rate and my water pressure always drops too much. I have a 2009 36tke. Any ideas on what regulator I could buy?
Thanks,
Alex

Workshop · 12-27-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex0905

Hi Workshop,
I can't seem to find a water regulator that will still give me a good flow rate and my water pressure always drops too much. I have a 2009 36tke. Any ideas on what regulator I could buy?
Thanks,
Alex

I will be ordering a Watts 263A after the first of the year, got a new camera from Santa and somehow he left the regulator off his list of must have and fun things to receive....

Its adjustable, covers the input pressure range I might have to deal with and has a flow of 4-4.5 gpm.

I don't worry about having a high flow rate and usually have my pressure adjusted between 40-45 psi as it enters the unit. The flow at that pressure has been good for us and as we spend half our time in state parks without full hookups....and helps us conserve water useage and thus what we have to empty, with the blue tote without hookups.

When you mention....gives me a good flow rate and my water pressure always drops too much. Do you mean, you set your pressure and then the pressure drops when you use water in the unit.

MakinSmoke · 12-27-2011, 02:40 PM

I have a Watts that I built using parts from Home Depot. I got the idea from here. I could have spent a LOT more money on the gauge but prolly not much more on the regulator itself. The regulator is adjustable and I set it a 55psi one time when we were in a park that had that much water pressure and I leave it there all the time. Where ever we are, IF the water pressure is 55psi, we get that much or anything available up to that amount.
On our own lot here on Cudjoe Key, the water pressure is never above 35psi so I don't use the regulator (which I think helps a little with the flow rate) Not sure about that.