Hot water temp

[Dividends]

We received a lot of help on the refrigerator questions thanks to all but I have some more.
1)Driveway camping now that the water filters came in and fired up the water heater both electric and gas ,independently and together. The water gets very hot which is good just do not need it that hot or do I? Is there a way to lower the temp setting on this.

2) I have the auto level , but noticed that the water from the shower is not draining all the way, there is a small puddle towards the front or to the front of the trailer. Not sure if this is normal or after sitting for a month do I need to do another auto level just in case, (B) can you do an auto level with the slides out or is it better to bring them in ,level and then put them out?

3) I adjusted the water pressure to 40 psi inlet to trailer, little to no water flow from shower, like 1gpm, so readjusted to 45 psi. Not sure of the gpm but am able to rinse off the soap. Question is what is safe or min max water pressure on the cedar creeks. I know well water runs between 40 and 60 psi using pep in a home, thinking pep is pep or am I wrong.

Just a big thanks to all stay safe and well but mostly be happy.

[BehindBars]

1) I think RV water heaters get way too hot. I have an Atwood/Dometic water heater and I installed their adjustable thermostat to lower the temperature. If you have a Suburban or other brand water heater, I don’t know if they sell adjustable thermostats for them.

3) The water pump that came in my RV cycles between about 35 and 55 psi, so that seems to be the general pressure range intended by design.

[NJKris]

Suburban thermostat is not adjustable. You want the water to be very hot, so you mix cold water with it an stretch the normal 6 gallons of hot water out. I keep my water pressure regulator set to 50 lbs. 40 lbs like you found out doesn't cut it. I think you can safely go up to 60 psi, but the more pressure you keep on plumbing, the more likely something could leak or fail, so don't overdue it.


I have water that collects a bit on floor of tub too. Get a squeegee. Will keep things cleaner and humidity down in trailer a lot if you use it everytime you shower.

[Reverse_snowbird]

It sounds like your shower is your main complaint with both water temp and pressure. To help keep the temp the same while you're showering, you can use a shutoff valve attached to the shower head.
To get that high pressure 'feel', you can get a pressure boosting shower head for low flow showers. I don't have a recommendation because ours works well and I don't remember the brand.
As NJKris said, a squeegee works well for those pesky low spots in shower pans.

[DougW]

Auto level is not real precise. They also need to be calibrated sometimes. Use a level and see if the RV is indeed level, if not you should be able to manually adjust the leveling until it is level. If it just needs a little adjustment you can do that without pulling the slides in. Once it is level you can set the auto level to remember that position. I don’t recall just how to set the level memory but you should have a manual which will show you that or just do an internet search for the instructions.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird

It sounds like your shower is your main complaint with both water temp and pressure. To help keep the temp the same while you're showering, you can use a shutoff valve attached to the shower head.
To get that high pressure 'feel', you can get a pressure boosting shower head for low flow showers. I don't have a recommendation because ours works well and I don't remember the brand.
As NJKris said, a squeegee works well for those pesky low spots in shower pans.

Oxygenics shower head. Highly recommended.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

1) I think RV water heaters get way too hot.

I suppose this can be subjective, but they are designed to be hotter than a standard domestic tank-type water heater due to their small capacity. By having hotter water, you need to use less of it because you have to temper it down by mixing cold water to obtain your desired temperature at the fixture.

Residential code mandates the hot water temperature in the potable system must be 120 degrees to minimize the chance of scalding. Temperatures at showers are supposed to be limited to 110 degrees. All other fixtures get the 120 degree hot water. However, residential tank-type water heaters are much larger than RV water heaters and should be sized such that they supply the amount of hot water required for the number of bedrooms in a residence, but also considering if there are any large bathtubs that will require more hot water than the average bathtub.

RVs are a different story. They are not houses and they have very small water heater tanks. This is why the hot water is as hot as it is — as hot as it is supposed to be. I don’t think you should lower that temperature because you will end-up with less available hot water.

Bruce

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by nomad297

I suppose this can be subjective, but they are designed to be hotter than a standard domestic tank-type water heater due to their small capacity. By having hotter water, you need to use less of it because you have to temper it down by mixing cold water to obtain your desired temperature at the fixture.

Residential code mandates the hot water temperature in the potable system must be 120 degrees to minimize the chance of scalding. Temperatures at showers are supposed to be limited to 110 degrees. All other fixtures get the 120 degree hot water. However, residential tank-type water heaters are much larger than RV water heaters and should be sized such that they supply the amount of hot water required for the number of bedrooms in a residence, but also considering if there are any large bathtubs that will require more hot water than the average bathtub.

RVs are a different story. They are not houses and they have very small water heater tanks. This is why the hot water is as hot as it is — as hot as it is supposed to be. I don’t think you should lower that temperature because you will end-up with less available hot water.

Bruce

I agree with all your reasoning about water temperatures. But if residential water temperatures are limited to prevent scalding, why make it OK to be scalded in an RV?

I also know from experience that if you lower the RV hot water temperature too much, you will run out of hot water sooner because you’ll use more of it. However, we lowered our RV water heater temperature (via adjustable thermostat) to a more comfortable “residential” setting, and the wife and I can take consecutive showers and we don’t run out of hot water.

One of the first modifications I did to the new RV, even before we camped in it, was lower the hot water temperature.

[oxcamper]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Suburban thermostat is not adjustable. You want the water to be very hot, so you mix cold water with it an stretch the normal 6 gallons of hot water out. I keep my water pressure regulator set to 50 lbs. 40 lbs like you found out doesn't cut it. I think you can safely go up to 60 psi, but the more pressure you keep on plumbing, the more likely something could leak or fail, so don't overdue it.


I have water that collects a bit on floor of tub too. Get a squeegee. Will keep things cleaner and humidity down in trailer a lot if you use it everytime you shower.

The plastic tubing, fittings, and crimp clamps used in RVs (and even in homes) is not rated for over 55 psi. And with all the water miser stuff you find in faucets, shower heads, etc. that'll cut back on the pressures as well unless you remove them.

[nomad297]

Originally Posted by oxcamper

The plastic tubing, fittings, and crimp clamps used in RVs (and even in homes) is not rated for over 55 psi. And with all the water miser stuff you find in faucets, shower heads, etc. that'll cut back on the pressures as well unless you remove them.

I’m not being a jerk here, but everything you wrote is wrong. I don’t have the time to go into more detail right now, but I will later.

Bruce

[Jim34RL]

I think your Siverback model is using PEX tubing same as my Hathaway model is. If so, PEX tubing is rated for various working pressures, depending on the fluid temperature it is carrying. Such as if the fluid temp is 200F the working pressure is 80PSI, 180F is 100PSI and at 74F it is 160PSI. This is one of the reason some RV manufactures have switched to PEX tubing and fittings to insure less leaks in the water lines due to campground water pressures fluctuations.

On my trailer I use an adjustable water pressure regulator and a water pressure gauge. I adjust my water pressure at the campground shutoff spigot to 60PSI for the potable water use. This is to insure enough water pressure though out the trailer when it is being used in two different areas such as kitchen and shower.

Now if your trailer is equipped with a 12 gallon DSI water heater, such as the Suburban water heater in my Cedar Creek. The water temp is usually preset at 145F and is non-adjustable.

The way i have found to adjust the water temperature when in use is to adjust the hot/cold water mix at the faucets. This is to ensure the most comfortable water temps for my needs. I have been adjusting the water temps this way for the last 20 years. With all of my different trailers that I have owned, and no one has ever been scalded with the hot water.

[SailorSam20500]

With various folks posting what seem to be opinions on pex tubing specs, I looked for an authoritative source and found the following. No comment on how different pipe from other manufacturers can be, though I did see one site that said some of this information may be printed on the pipe.

What are the temperature and pressure ratings for Uponor PEX?

Uponor PEX is rated for the following temperatures and pressures:

· 200°F (93.3°C) at 80 psi (5.5 bar)
· 180°F (82.2°C) at 100 psi (6.9 bar)
· 120°F (49°C) at 130 psi (9 bar) (½" to 2" Uponor AquaPEX® white pipe only)
· 73.4°F (23°C) at 160 psi (11 bar)


What is the burst pressure of Uponor PEX pipe?

In accordance with ASTM F876, the minimum hydrostatic burst pressure for PEX pipe at 73.4°F (23°C) is 480 psi for ½" pipe and 475 psi for ¾" pipe and larger. Uponor PEX-a pipe undergoes extensive quality testing daily to ensure it exceeds the ASTM F876 industry standards for burst pressures and consistently tests to nearly double the burst pressure requirement.

[Dwilcox]

If I was concerned about the real possibility of scalding water I would add a tempering valve at the heater and dial it in to the temperature I want. In fact, lots of room at my heater so I might just do that because I can.