My shower water pressure sucks less now. Why?

[MendocinoExplorer]

2016 Forest River Sonoma 220RBS travel trailer

When connected to the RVPark “shore water”, the water pressure in my shower is barely adequate. However, moving the shower head downwards to rinse “down there”, results in a water pressure that is totally inadequate to the task.

Today, I asked my DW to turn on the water pump while I was in the shower. Amazingly, the water pressure in the shower increased to acceptable level pressure! (Still sucks, but Much Less).

Who knew?

1) Why does this work this way?

2) is it common for some limitation in the trailer to limit water pressure to the shower head, despite being connected to RV Park water?

3) any suggestions for increasing the pressure, without turning the pump on?


Thanks in advance,

Rennie

[dbledan]

Remove the water saver restrictor from the shower head. You unscrew the head and remove the white washer (don't lose the black rubber one)

I love our oxygenics shower head.

I have found that some pressure regulators or even Y attachments can restrict the flow of water. I bought a quality adjustable regulator. I also put the regulator after the Wal-Mart inline water filter.

Usually you do not want the pump and city water on at the same time. It could cause the one way valve to fail and fill your tank up. It is fixable but means unhooking turning on the pump amd then hookimg back up. It could cause your FW tank to overflow as well. If you want to enable the pump put some water in the tank first and unhook city water. It is basically pumping air or water into the lines building pressure against the city water.

Enjoy your camper.

[MendocinoExplorer]

Thanks! Will try these.

[bikendan]

Also, check for construction debris blocking flow.

[grumpy0374]

Many are not aware that there is another water restrictor in many showers. Not in the shower head, but in the faucet itself.
If yours has a hose with the shower head attached, unscrew the hose from the faucet itself.
If you look up into the faucet where hose connects you will/may see an insert with a small hole. That small hole is where all the water is forced thru and restricts the flow. Remove the insert and flow will greatly improve.
If the faucet has a hole moulded into the faucet rather than an insert, simply drill the hole out with a large bit. Its plastic and takes only seconds.
Grumpy

[youroo]

Originally Posted by MendocinoExplorer

2016 Forest River Sonoma 220RBS travel trailer

When connected to the RVPark “shore water”, the water pressure in my shower is barely adequate. However, moving the shower head downwards to rinse “down there”, results in a water pressure that is totally inadequate to the task.

Today, I asked my DW to turn on the water pump while I was in the shower. Amazingly, the water pressure in the shower increased to acceptable level pressure! (Still sucks, but Much Less).

Who knew?

1) Why does this work this way?

2) is it common for some limitation in the trailer to limit water pressure to the shower head, despite being connected to RV Park water?

3) any suggestions for increasing the pressure, without turning the pump on?


Thanks in advance,

Rennie

Really need you to answer questions first! While on City water do you have Good pressure at both Sinks,Bath & Kitchen? Does the water flow/pressure increase when you turn on the Pump without City water at the Sinks? Youroo!!

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by grumpy0374

Many are not aware that there is another water restrictor in many showers. Not in the shower head, but in the faucet itself.
If yours has a hose with the shower head attached, unscrew the hose from the faucet itself.
If you look up into the faucet where hose connects you will/may see an insert with a small hole. That small hole is where all the water is forced thru and restricts the flow. Remove the insert and flow will greatly improve.
If the faucet has a hole moulded into the faucet rather than an insert, simply drill the hole out with a large bit. Its plastic and takes only seconds.
Grumpy

Yes, this. I drilled mine. If you have good pressure at other locations as youroo suggests, this restrictor removal is all you need.

[Larry-NC]

$9.00 spent at Lowe's will get you a nice little pressure gauge with garden hose threads which you can use to check pressure at the park pedestal.

As you describe the problem, not sure whether it's low pressure or a flow restriction. Some of the other responders have talked about removing restrictions in the shower head and valve. Also check the screen where your hose connects to the camper, and screens on both sides of the filter.

Don't forget to also test after taking off the filter, bypassing it to see if it's clogged.

Larry

[KenandCarol]

Originally Posted by dbledan

I love our oxygenics shower head.
.

X2. Took away all our shower water pressure issues and provides excellent showers.

[MillMitch]

Originally Posted by dbledan

Remove the water saver restrictor from the shower head. You unscrew the head and remove the white washer (don't lose the black rubber one)

I love our oxygenics shower head.

I have found that some pressure regulators or even Y attachments can restrict the flow of water. I bought a quality adjustable regulator. I also put the regulator after the Wal-Mart inline water filter.

Usually you do not want the pump and city water on at the same time. It could cause the one way valve to fail and fill your tank up. It is fixable but means unhooking turning on the pump amd then hookimg back up. It could cause your FW tank to overflow as well. If you want to enable the pump put some water in the tank first and unhook city water. It is basically pumping air or water into the lines building pressure against the city water.

Enjoy your camper.

This may not matter, but my Walmart inline water filter says low pressure filter on it - so I put mine downstream of the pressure regulator.

[dbledan]

Yea it may not last but I end up going through 2 a year anyway because I forget to put it in the fridge after a trip. If I had a more expensive filter it would be after the regulator. I usually do hoses after the regulator for the same reason.

[MendocinoExplorer]

OK. I promised an update on this, and although it’s been a while, I was able to do some more testing today on my water pressure/flow.

I purchased a brass, adjustable, water pressure regulator with analog dial. About $56. (Don’t laugh!)!

As my first test, I hooked up the water pressure regulator to the freshwater stanchion on the exterior of my house. This is “house water“, not garden water. Attached to the regulator was my fresh water hose that I keep in my trailer. For testing purposes only, at the far end of the fresh water hose, I put a garden hose shut off valve.

Then, I turned on the water pressure to the entire hose, and then read the pressure on the gauge. The maximum pressure shown on the gauge was 42 psi ( meaning, the pressure from my well). ( The adjustable water pressure regulator was factory reset to 45 psi ).

I referred to my Forest River Forums articles, and my Forest River Manual, and determined that a safe pressure for my travel trailer is up to 55 pounds per square inch.

All good so far.

Turned off the water, disconnected the garden shut off valve from my fresh water hose, and plugged my fresh water hose directly into the city water inlet on the side of my trailer. Note: there is no filter, no other regulator, no other adapter, no nothing between my fresh water hose and the city water input.

I removed the little white flow restrictors from the inside of the faucet in the shower, And while I was at it, in the kitchen sink.

Using city water only, I can turn the shower head upside down, and get about 1 1/2 inches of water “squirting upward“. When I do the same thing, with the city water connected and the water pump on, I get 14 inches of spray upward out of the shower head.

Water pressure in the kitchen sink is vastly improved when I turn on the water pump, while simultaneously connected to “city water“.

So, having eliminated:
• faulty pressure regulator
• a clogged water filter
• an adapter of any sort entering the city water on my trailer
• the little white flow restrictors,

it seems like this is an issue of “flow” instead of “pressure”.

It also seems like that the backflow preventer gizmo that keeps the freshwater tank from flowing backwards into the city water hose is working correctly. However, I suspect that the backflow preventer that I can see inside my city water orifice might be restricting the “flow”.

Certainly, an acceptable solution to my problem is to leave the battery-operated water pump turned on, even when I am connected to “city water“. Since my “backflow preventer“ seems to be working correctly, is there any problem with me using both systems to increase my water pressure/flow?

DW says I should adjust my expectations.

Feedback appreciated.

Rennie

[SailorSam20500]

I had some of the same issues. Read a post by another member who said they only use water from their fresh tank.
Now my method is to just run water into the FW tank and use that. This also keeps me from worrying about excess park water pressure messing up my plumbing. Pressure in the faucets and shower are wonderful, especially with the Oxygenics shower head.

[MendocinoExplorer]

Hi Sam,

I’ve heard about that showerhead before. I’ll have to give it a try maybe it will solve my problem.

Thanks for your reply!

[DougW]

Since your house pressure is within safe limits, have you tried to connect the trailer to the house without a regulator in the line?

Where we are camped now the pressure is about 40 PSI and the shower flow was terrible until I removed the regulator, now the water flow is great. Apparently the regulator is responsible for restricting the volume of water.

[MendocinoExplorer]

OK. Good suggestion! I’ll give that a try.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by MendocinoExplorer

OK. I promised an update on this, and although it’s been a while, I was able to do some more testing today on my water pressure/flow.

I purchased a brass, adjustable, water pressure regulator with analog dial. About $56. (Don’t laugh!)!

As my first test, I hooked up the water pressure regulator to the freshwater stanchion on the exterior of my house. This is “house water“, not garden water. Attached to the regulator was my fresh water hose that I keep in my trailer. For testing purposes only, at the far end of the fresh water hose, I put a garden hose shut off valve. I have not seen a flow restrictor in a kitchen faucet but then I've never stayed at a Holiday Inn either.

Then, I turned on the water pressure to the entire hose, and then read the pressure on the gauge. The maximum pressure shown on the gauge was 42 psi ( meaning, the pressure from my well). ( The adjustable water pressure regulator was factory reset to 45 psi ).

I referred to my Forest River Forums articles, and my Forest River Manual, and determined that a safe pressure for my travel trailer is up to 55 pounds per square inch.

All good so far.

Turned off the water, disconnected the garden shut off valve from my fresh water hose, and plugged my fresh water hose directly into the city water inlet on the side of my trailer. Note: there is no filter, no other regulator, no other adapter, no nothing between my fresh water hose and the city water input.

I removed the little white flow restrictors from the inside of the faucet in the shower, And while I was at it, in the kitchen sink.

Using city water only, I can turn the shower head upside down, and get about 1 1/2 inches of water “squirting upward“. When I do the same thing, with the city water connected and the water pump on, I get 14 inches of spray upward out of the shower head.

Water pressure in the kitchen sink is vastly improved when I turn on the water pump, while simultaneously connected to “city water“.

So, having eliminated:
• faulty pressure regulator
• a clogged water filter
• an adapter of any sort entering the city water on my trailer
• the little white flow restrictors,

it seems like this is an issue of “flow” instead of “pressure”.

It also seems like that the backflow preventer gizmo that keeps the freshwater tank from flowing backwards into the city water hose is working correctly. However, I suspect that the backflow preventer that I can see inside my city water orifice might be restricting the “flow”.

Certainly, an acceptable solution to my problem is to leave the battery-operated water pump turned on, even when I am connected to “city water“. Since my “backflow preventer“ seems to be working correctly, is there any problem with me using both systems to increase my water pressure/flow?

DW says I should adjust my expectations.

Feedback appreciated.

Rennie

No problem with using both but it is a band-aid approach. Should NOT be necessary. By little white plastic pieces of the aerators with the many holes. or the flow restrictors with the single small holes in the center.

My trailer is on a permanent sight. The only time I use the pump is to draw in the antifreeze to winterize. Once a year. I have full pressure everywhere.

You seem to have a restriction somewhere. or a diversion. Is your freshwater tank filling at the same time? Pump backflows have been known to stick and fill the freshwater tank. open your fresh water drain.

[MendocinoExplorer]

Originally Posted by cavie

No problem with using both but it is a band-aid approach. Should NOT be necessary. By little white plastic pieces of the aerators with the many holes. or the flow restrictors with the single small holes in the center.

My trailer is on a permanent sight. The only time I use the pump is to draw in the antifreeze to winterize. Once a year. I have full pressure everywhere.

You seem to have a restriction somewhere. or a diversion. Is your freshwater tank filling at the same time? Pump backflows have been known to stick and fill the freshwater tank. open your fresh water drain.

Not filling fresh water at same time.

Fresh water tank is not being filled. Same levels.

How would opening the fresh water drain help this problem?

[bubbles]

I'm with the shore water input port backflow preventer causing the issue. It is the only thing not in the equation when using the pump.

[MendocinoExplorer]

Ok. Thanks. I’ll see see if I can pry this out without damaging it. Let you know.