Acquired and installed a variable pressure regulator as suggested on this forum. The RV parts guy most people seem to use where we are staying ordered me a Valterra. It was an extra $25 I guess, but beggars can't be choosers. and I could always sell it for scrap brass and get some of the added cost back. It's a big hunk of brass. The gauge reads all the way to 160 pounds. I don't see how that would ever come into play, but it is a nice big gauge and easy to read.I played with the pressure and found by backing off the available 80 pounds down to 60 pounds that, set a 60 pounds, I could run one faucet and the remaining available pressure was still 45. I know 45 pounds is the rule of thumb and I should back the pressure off a little more, but that does not make for a good shower. Since we are snowbirds, having a bare bones shower pressure for 6 months just doesn't cut it.Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Unscrew the shower hose at the base and you will find a plastic reducer. The hole in mine was about 1/16th inch in diameter. I drilled it a bit larger and my shower flow problem was solved.

lbrjet wrote:Unscrew the shower hose at the base and you will find a plastic reducer....Yep, according to the "National Energy Policy Act of 1992" in the USA all shower heads are limited to a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute flow. Of course some are less and that is a good thing if you are limited by the waste tanks.You can either remove or mod the restrictor to increase flow.

Just as an aside, the campground has city water. The campground contacted the city about the pressure and were told that it was possible to see 100 to 110 pounds of pressure at various times. I can't for the life of me figure out why they would do that.

andor get an Oxygenics shower head. 45 psi will be just fine.

City water pressure is determined by the height of the city water tank, aprox one PSI for two feet of height, some parks will have more pressure and some less, the whole idea is to maintain a reduced pressure in your rig so that some of the connectors do not blow.Where we are staying for the season we have variable pressures, arround 3 in the morning the pressure is about 120 PSI, then it drops when the natives take showers and start breakfast, the pressure drops to about 80PSI then goes up between 80PSI to 100PSI depending on what day it is, then it drops down in the afternoon when a lot more natives prepare dinner, wash dishes and thake evening showers and baths, then we see pressures of 50PSI to 80PSI then it climbs back up as the night progresses.Some fire hydrants will have 200PSI and above, I have had to turn spigots off on rigs that where left for the day and a fitting blew, they look like a water fall and I can imagine the damage inside, all prevented by having a pressure regulator, opening the valve a little will not regulate the pressure, there is static pressure and working pressure.Static pressure can not be prevented, that is what places the lines and fittings under a lot of strain, with a presuure regulator the moment that you open a valve the pressure drops and the fitting relaxes instead of continuing to be under pressure and eventually failing.Hoppe it helps alittlenavegator

Water Pressure Regulator - Follow Up | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 08, 2013
JRS & B wrote:
Old-Biscuit - I have not touched it since I first installed it. So I checked it this morning around 7:00 am. It seems to have settled in at 55 pounds. This is downstream of my water filter and no flow. I am not really concerned about the water filter since it has apparently tolerated high pressure for the past 6 years and never leaked.

The canister is probably rated for 100#

Static pressure is the way you set regulators vs while flowing.
55# isn't going to cause any problems.
Upgraded water pumps are 55#
JRS___B
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
peaches&cream - It is the kind that you unscrew the plastic cup and drop in a cartridge. I use the plain old fashion carbon type filter cartridge. Usually replace the cartridge every 2 or 3 months. I think they were around 2 for ten bucks at Lowe's.
peaches_cream
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
JRS & B wrote:
Old-Biscuit - I have not touched it since I first installed it. So I checked it this morning around 7:00 am. It seems to have settled in at 55 pounds. This is downstream of my water filter and no flow. I am not really concerned about the water filter since it has apparently tolerated high pressure for the past 6 years and never leaked.

If the water filter is 6 yrs. old, you might try changing it. They do clog over time.
JRS___B
Explorer
Dec 08, 2013
Old-Biscuit - I have not touched it since I first installed it. So I checked it this morning around 7:00 am. It seems to have settled in at 55 pounds. This is downstream of my water filter and no flow. I am not really concerned about the water filter since it has apparently tolerated high pressure for the past 6 years and never leaked.
JRS___B
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
I have tried the Oxygenics and the Delta version of the Oxygenics in our bricks and sticks house. I was not impressed with either. You can't get wet with oxygen. For my money, a good ordinary water pic unit is the best. If they act up after 3 years or so, throw them in junk and buy new ones.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Dec 07, 2013
You should set that regulator for 50# static pressure........water source valved in but no flow.
navegator
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
City water pressure is determined by the height of the city water tank, aprox one PSI for two feet of height, some parks will have more pressure and some less, the whole idea is to maintain a reduced pressure in your rig so that some of the connectors do not blow.

Where we are staying for the season we have variable pressures, arround 3 in the morning the pressure is about 120 PSI, then it drops when the natives take showers and start breakfast, the pressure drops to about 80PSI then goes up between 80PSI to 100PSI depending on what day it is, then it drops down in the afternoon when a lot more natives prepare dinner, wash dishes and thake evening showers and baths, then we see pressures of 50PSI to 80PSI then it climbs back up as the night progresses.

Some fire hydrants will have 200PSI and above, I have had to turn spigots off on rigs that where left for the day and a fitting blew, they look like a water fall and I can imagine the damage inside, all prevented by having a pressure regulator, opening the valve a little will not regulate the pressure, there is static pressure and working pressure.

Static pressure can not be prevented, that is what places the lines and fittings under a lot of strain, with a presuure regulator the moment that you open a valve the pressure drops and the fitting relaxes instead of continuing to be under pressure and eventually failing.

Hoppe it helps alittle

navegator
Dick_B
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
andor get an Oxygenics shower head. 45 psi will be just fine.
JRS___B
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
Just as an aside, the campground has city water. The campground contacted the city about the pressure and were told that it was possible to see 100 to 110 pounds of pressure at various times. I can't for the life of me figure out why they would do that.
beemerphile1
Explorer
Dec 07, 2013
lbrjet wrote:
Unscrew the shower hose at the base and you will find a plastic reducer....

Yep, according to the "National Energy Policy Act of 1992" in the USA all shower heads are limited to a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute flow. Of course some are less and that is a good thing if you are limited by the waste tanks.

You can either remove or mod the restrictor to increase flow.