Community Forums

AdirondackJa · 01-13-2013, 12:12 PM

Hi, We just traded for a 2011 Excel and are learning to love it already. One minor problem(?) is our shower head seems to be 90% stopped up. I read where soaking it in white vinegar will solve the problem. My lovely co-pilot is worried that vinegar might ruin the brass finish. Anyone had any experience pro or con? Thanks, AJ

Muddypaws · 01-13-2013, 12:17 PM

It probably has a flow limiter where the hose attaches to the faucet, as well as a particulate filter just before the spray attachment.

Use a drilll to make the hole in the flow limiter just a little bigger and replace the filter.

TXiceman · 01-13-2013, 12:19 PM

If the brass has a protective coating it will not hurt to soak it in a vinegar for a few hours. But if it is plugged, it is useless as it is.

To be plugged like that in such a new trailer, they must have had really hard water.

Ken

Afubar · 01-13-2013, 12:22 PM

Vinegar is a great cleaner, when mixed with baking soda it makes a great cleaner for the bath and shower.

Tell co-pilot all will be well. Or she can do a web search and the results should reassure her.

Kaye

lms1943 · 01-13-2013, 01:29 PM

CLR works well also

beaverfever · 01-13-2013, 01:29 PM

if she to to nervous use CLR available at most hardware stores. we used it on our brass shower head with good results.if pressure is still a problem try a oxygenic shower head they work !

beaverfever · 01-13-2013, 01:32 PM

sorry for the repeat lms1943 beat me while i was pounding keys

TXiceman · 01-13-2013, 01:39 PM

CLR is very harsh and much worse than vinegar. You can also find at Home Depot a product called Eliminate (look in the paint department). We have used Eliminate to get bad water/mineral deposits from anodized aluminum shower components.

With any thing you use, be sure it will not harm the shower finish.

But CLR is the product of last resort as for hazardous materials.

Ken

Pepper2 · 01-13-2013, 01:45 PM

Have heard that Lime-Away works. Check back of label or e-mail them to see if it's safe.

drfife · 01-13-2013, 01:49 PM

I replaced the shower head in my camper with an Oxygenics many years ago. Get a push button shut off valve instead of the twist valve it comes with. We liked it so much we moved it to our new Excel.

Oxygenics Shower Heads - BodySpa Commercial

AdirondackJa · 01-14-2013, 06:39 AM

Thanks to everyone for your very helpful replies. Will try the vinegar today, and then go from there with the other suggestions if the vinegar doesn't work. We like the color and style of the shower head that's in there so want to try and rescue it if we can.
The only other problem we have had is the furnace kept cutting on and off. We closed and covered a register that was nearly under the thermostat and it now seems to cycle fine. Anyone else ever have that problem?
Thanks again. AJ & Niki

dieselclacker · 01-14-2013, 08:17 AM

The heat register under the thermostat it seems is a pretty common thing in all types of RV's. I had the same problem in our motorhome, and fixed it the same as you.

wa8yxm · 01-15-2013, 01:56 PM

I can not say for sure (without testing) that viniger, which is 5% acid normally will damagae or won't damage.. But short story.

I fix TV systems on occasion (not the tv itself but the system) for fellow campers, Usually just one a year not counting my own.

Was helping a fellow RVer fix his Sat Tv system (Major job as it turned out, He really messed it up) and he said he had a plumbing problem too No water at kitchen faucet, but he demonstarted the filtered Drinking water tap worked fine.

The main faucet was a moen.. With a "pull out" "Telephone type shower" type arm.

I removed it from the hose.

Lots of flow there

his wife removed the flow restrictor.

Works great now.

AdirondackJa · 01-15-2013, 07:22 PM

I tried both with great results. The vinegar bath, over two 30 minute periods, pretty much unplugged the holes. I also removed the flow restricter and am now getting good results with all of the shower head settings.
Thanks again to everyone who posted.