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Question What's your RV water pressure when pump is off?

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Neal

Staff member
RVF Administrator
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
11,477
Location
Midlothian, VA
RV Year
2017
RV Make
Newmar
RV Model
Ventana 4037
RV Length
40' 10"
Chassis
Freightliner XCR
Engine
Cummins 400 HP
TOW/TOAD
2017 Chevy Colorado
Fulltimer
No
I have a water pressure regulator aft of the city water reel in between the reel and the house filters. The regulator is preset at 40 psi and I've never touched it. I typically only see 20 psi at best on the regulator which is probably accurate, nothing shocking on water pressure where I've been but strong and steady. I always use the water pump but every now and then I'll see how the pressure is without the pump. Never good enough to want to have the water pump off.

What is your experience? Always use the water pump or do you use the city water pressure at times?
 
I keep mine at 50 psi, and do not use the pump when on city water.
 
I never see my regulator get over 20 so I have no option but to use the pump. I just replaced the regulator as well.
 
I have the adjustable water pressure and set it so it reads55psi. Occasionally at different parks I will see less but don’t bother to adjust and live with whatever the park is giving me. When extremely low I will put on the water pump.
 
Remember the set point is with water flowing through it. I've seen some people adjusting pressure when the flow is stopped.
 
Remember the set point is with water flowing through it. I've seen some people adjusting pressure when the flow is stopped.
That is known as "dynamic pressure," but I think it is relatively meaningless in a motorhome. Using a pressure regulator is primarily to keep "static pressure" (the pressure in the system when there is no flow) below the bursting point of the piping.

It seems to me that "flow" is a more useful measurement than "dynamic pressure." What we are most concerned with in our coaches is the amount of water (flow) that we are getting, not the "dynamic pressure."

What am I missing?

TJ
 
Last edited:
Okay, so I turned on the water at the city water spigot and noticed it's good pressure, something is just not right. I turned manual fill on and started screwing in the regulator screw to increase pressure and now, yes, I have good pressure in the coach without the need for the water pump. The regulator is supposed to come preset and maybe that is a static pressure set point but I want dynamic, i.e. water flowing. Between city water and regulator is just the hose which is rated at 150 psi I hear, behind the regulator are the coach lines which I want limited to 40-60 psi to keep connections intact. Case solved, all is good now.
 
We really do very little dry camping so are almost always hooked to some type of shore water source. I have a adjustable water regulator mounted in the wet bay that is between the hose reel out and the dual filters. It is set at 60psi and I never change it. Some parks have pressure as low as 35psi and some much higher than 60 but the Regulator regulates that to 60. Virtually never use the pump when hooked up to a shore source. I guess it’s just not that big of a deal for us.
 
Not all "pressure regulators" are created equal, @Neal. Many of them also severely restrict flow. It is not uncommon to find the flow rate on those regulators at or below 2 GPM. I don't know specifically about the Camco you are using, but I always suspect the lower-priced, made-in-China regulators.

We've always used some version of the Watts 263 for adjustable regulators and the Fairview 55 for a fixed regulator. Both are rated for flow in excess of 4 GPM.

While some folks think it is beneficial to have the regulator installed somewhere in the coach, I have always had the best results from a single pressure regulator installed directly at the park tap.

TJ
 

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