Water Pressure Regulator - Anyone Upgraded fittings to handle a few more psi?

[RockwoodTexan]

I have both a 40 and a 55 psi water pressure regulator. I think the mfg calls for me to use the 40. I went up to 55 just to see how it'd handle it. It worked ok for several months but when I hooked up to a site for 3 weeks with constant pressure, a leak developed where the kitchen faucet joins the water line.

What I've observed so far is that a few joints/connections like the one with the kitchen faucet simply needed to be tightened a bit more, nothing extreme, but a little more. I reverted back to the 40 also.

So my question, has anyone upgraded the fittings to make them more tolerate of high pressure? My other question, is there a way to increase the flow in the shower? I think my main quest is for a little more pressure from the shower.

Thanks in advance for both the criticism and the help.

[Bama Rambler]

Your RV should easily handle 55 psig. I think you probably had a leak and just associated it with the increase in pressure.

As for flow in the shower, have you removed the flow restrictor in the mixing valve or shower head?

[robo44]

I tried everything with the stock shower head and replaced with all the ones you see in the forums and YouTube with zero success. 3 different brands/models...they did nothing

Until I found ecocamel
it is pricey but this is the only showerhead that I was able to install that gave excellent pressure while used n our RV.


https://www.ecocamel-showerheads.com...RoC4nIQAvD_BwE

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

Your RV should easily handle 55 psig. I think you probably had a leak and just associated it with the increase in pressure.

As for flow in the shower, have you removed the flow restrictor in the mixing valve or shower head?

I was not aware that there is a flow restrictor in one or both of those. How do you remove it?

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by robo44

I tried everything with the stock shower head and replaced with all the ones you see in the forums and YouTube with zero success. 3 different brands/models...they did nothing

Until I found ecocamel
it is pricey but this is the only showerhead that I was able to install that gave excellent pressure while used n our RV.


https://www.ecocamel-showerheads.com...RoC4nIQAvD_BwE

Will those connect, meaning are the thread sizes the same as std RV shower head/handles?

[robo44]

Originally Posted by RockwoodTexan

Will those connect, meaning are the thread sizes the same as std RV shower head/handles?

Yes there is a link on the top that states RV Owners
Jetstorm Handheld RV is the name and they seem to be 50% off! that is what I bought and installed on my RV

[Bama Rambler]

Originally Posted by RockwoodTexan

I was not aware that there is a flow restrictor in one or both of those. How do you remove it?

Unscrew the hose and look at the valve nozzle. See if there's a small plastic disc with a small hole in it. If it is, remove it. It will pry out. Some of them have a very small pathway molded into the valve itself, in those you have to replace the mixing valve.

If it's not at the valve end then there may be one in the shower head. take the hose off the shower head and see if there's a restriction in the shower head connection.

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by robo44

Yes there is a link on the top that states RV Owners
Jetstorm Handheld RV is the name and they seem to be 50% off! that is what I bought and installed on my RV

Thanks!

[NJKris]

I keep my pressure regulator set to 50 psi since last year. It was a bit lower before that. Also just installed the Oxygenics BodySpa shower. What a huge difference. So nice to take a shower that doesn't feel like a watering can. The longer hose is very helpful too. It's nice having an adjustable pressure regulator with gauge.

[5picker]

As Bama Rambler said, 55 PSI in a R/V is nothing to worry about if all the lines were properly crimped to begin with.

Unfortunately, many connections from the factory are made in advance of the actual build. The workers assemble various lines and connections ahead of time and will pull a set of plumbing lines in (as an assembled part) while the R/V goes down the line. That way they only need to make connections at each end of the line set instead of each individual connection point. It's all about speed on the line.

Often times these assemblies get twisted and racked into position as the workers hurry to get things accomplished, thereby, loosening the connections. Couple that with cheap plastic fittings and no QC on the assembly procedures and you have a recipe for leaks.

On top of that, your plumbing system is subject to much higher static pressures (over what your regulator is set) once the water heater comes up to temperature and if the air pocket in the top of the water heater tank gets depleted. I did a test over this past snowbird stay in FL and regularly seen pressures near 100 PSI in the plumbing. The hot water expands in the plumbing and has no where to go because regulations in most states now require a anti-siphon/backflow device at the pedestal hose bib that blocks the expansion. You may even see your city water hose expand! Granted this usually doesn't happen on a weekend stay but it typically took about 7 days for the air pocket to deplete enough that the pressures started to spike. Some folks here have mentioned it can go as high as 150 PSI!

[NJKris]

Wow. Yet another good reason to shut the water off at the bib when you are away for any length of time.

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Wow. Yet another good reason to shut the water off at the bib when you are away for any length of time.

Indeed!

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by 5picker

On top of that, your plumbing system is subject to much higher static pressures (over what your regulator is set) once the water heater comes up to temperature and if the air pocket in the top of the water heater tank gets depleted. I did a test over this past snowbird stay in FL and regularly seen pressures near 100 PSI in the plumbing. The hot water expands in the plumbing and has no where to go because regulations in most states now require a anti-siphon/backflow device at the pedestal hose bib that blocks the expansion. You may even see your city water hose expand! Granted this usually doesn't happen on a weekend stay but it typically took about 7 days for the air pocket to deplete enough that the pressures started to spike. Some folks here have mentioned it can go as high as 150 PSI!

This is probably it. It was the hot water line, not the cold. Thanks for this insight!

[5picker]

Originally Posted by RockwoodTexan

This is probably it. It was the hot water line, not the cold. Thanks for this insight!

It could have been it but keep in mind, when the water in the water heater expands, the pressure rise isn't just on the hot side, it's on BOTH sides, hot and cold.

As the water expands in the water heater it pushes back on both the (cold) inlet and (hot) outlet.

Here you can see the beginning of my pressure increases...

And yes... ALWAYS turn off your water supply if you are away for any length of time!

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I keep my pressure regulator set to 50 psi since last year. It was a bit lower before that. Also just installed the Oxygenics BodySpa shower. What a huge difference. So nice to take a shower that doesn't feel like a watering can. The longer hose is very helpful too. It's nice having an adjustable pressure regulator with gauge.

X2 on Oxygenics.

[jkoenig24]

X3 on Oxygenics.

[dmctlc]

On my previous DP I had water flow problems and tried everything I could think of, from using another regulator to not using one to checking it at home, etc... even started to use the onboard water pump to boost it. Finally took the water filter out that was replaced by the dealer as one of the things to do before I bought it. He replaced it, I was told, with the original. Well ran it without the filter and pressure was super. Check the part number specs out on the filter to find out it had a flow rate of 1gpm. Thats right 1 gpm. Replaced it with a different one with a much higher flow rate and water pressure was super from then on out. Told the SM at the dealership and he said it's what is recommended.

[RockwoodTexan]

Originally Posted by dmctlc

On my previous DP I had water flow problems and tried everything I could think of, from using another regulator to not using one to checking it at home, etc... even started to use the onboard water pump to boost it. Finally took the water filter out that was replaced by the dealer as one of the things to do before I bought it. He replaced it, I was told, with the original. Well ran it without the filter and pressure was super. Check the part number specs out on the filter to find out it had a flow rate of 1gpm. Thats right 1 gpm. Replaced it with a different one wuth a much higher flow rate and water pressure was super from then on out. Told the SM at the dealership and he said it's what is recommended.

What the heck? I guess I need to check my on-board filter to see what it's flow rate is.

[DouglasReid]

We were having water pressure and water temp fluctuation issues with our shower for a while. The temp was the Girard Gen 1 WH cold not keep up with the full flow.

A friend on the forum has the same model camper and he recommended the Oxygenics original shower head. It worked like a charm. Yes it restricts the water flow somewhat but the spray has plenty of pressure and our temperature fluctuations are a thing of the past.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by RockwoodTexan

What the heck? I guess I need to check my on-board filter to see what it's flow rate is.

There is a trade off with filtration. The finer the filter, the lower the flow rate. That is when filter is new. As filter gets dirtier, flow rate reduces even more. This, apart from ridiculous cost of OEM proprietary filter elements, is why I only used a blue torpedo sediment filter. The water at parks is already certified potable, so I just use this filter to minimize any chlorine from city water, and any sediment/sand particles from well systems. I keep the canister empty, but have the filter incase I run across a cruddy water supply, I can always pop it in and have double filtration.