CG water pressure vs. water pump

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by Baldicon

Please let us know what you find out. I'm having similar problem. Our old TT had better flow in the same campground compared to our new Montana. Also tried to find out the safe pressure range but didn't have any luck.

For those of you who couldn't find the information on the correct psi for your unit, we heard back from Keystone re: the recommended psi for the 5er and it is 45 psi.

We are awaiting a new regulator that will allow us to set the pressure and will see if that helps and let you all know.

[Baldicon]

Thanks

[dieselguy]

I've had 3 Montana's since 2000 with water pressure regulators set between 55 - 60# … never a leak issue. Have you tried shifting the lever for city / gravity in the convenience center several times to see if something has come loose or lodged in it? It's easy to remove the big plastic panel behind all your valving to see if there is a kink in the supply line somewhere.

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

I've had 3 Montana's since 2000 with water pressure regulators set between 55 - 60# … never a leak issue. Have you tried shifting the lever for city / gravity in the convenience center several times to see if something has come loose or lodged in it? It's easy to remove the big plastic panel behind all your valving to see if there is a kink in the supply line somewhere.

We removed the lever for the city water and connected it to the spigot from the campground and water came through full force. We have also removed the panel behind the valves and can find no kinks.

[dieselguy]

These are just wild thoughts on my part. I've heard of some units with a backflow preventer in the city water connection. If you have one … can you look into the city water hose connector and see if it is all there? If part of the disk is gone … it could have gotten stuck anywhere. Can you remove the PEX line that goes from the city water selector valve behind the convenience center and rig up a hose connection directly to that PEX tube? I don't quite understand "removing the lever".

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

These are just wild thoughts on my part. I've heard of some units with a backflow preventer in the city water connection. If you have one … can you look into the city water hose connector and see if it is all there? If part of the disk is gone … it could have gotten stuck anywhere. Can you remove the PEX line that goes from the city water selector valve behind the convenience center and rig up a hose connection directly to that PEX tube? I don't quite understand "removing the lever".

Sorry about the confusion with "lever". This is why I try not to talk technical stuff. We removed the intake thingy where you connect the hose in the service center. There is a photo above that mikendebbie posted above that shows the bit I'm talking about. We didn't see anything that looked broken inside that bit and rigging something up to the PEX tube is really beyond our expertise.
I really do appreciate everyone's help though but I think we will take the chicken's way out and call someone. We are halfway through our summer trip and can live with using the pump until we can get the city water fixed.
Again, thanks everyone for being there to offer help.

[jeffba]

Aw shoot we have failed you

[Baldicon]

Originally Posted by rslopez65

Sorry about the confusion with "lever". This is why I try not to talk technical stuff. We removed the intake thingy where you connect the hose in the service center. There is a photo above that mikendebbie posted above that shows the bit I'm talking about. We didn't see anything that looked broken inside that bit and rigging something up to the PEX tube is really beyond our expertise.
I really do appreciate everyone's help though but I think we will take the chicken's way out and call someone. We are halfway through our summer trip and can live with using the pump until we can get the city water fixed.
Again, thanks everyone for being there to offer help.

Please come back and let us know what you eventually find out. Good luck.

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by jeffba

Aw shoot we have failed you

Not failed just above my pay grade.

Originally Posted by Baldicon

Please come back and let us know what you eventually find out. Good luck.

Promise to do that. I will let you know how the new pressure regulator affects the pressure next week when it gets here. Amazon's two day shipping is only going to take six days so it won't be here until Monday.

[Montana Man]

Many people don't understand the difference between pressure and flow, but you need to in order to solve your problem. "Flow" is a measure of volume of water delivered in a period of time. The poor shower is caused by low flow, as are most other RV water supply problems. "Pressure" is a measure of the force of the water, and it is measured when no water is flowing ("static" pressure). It is true that for a given plumbing system, the higher the pressure, the better the flow. However, there is a practical limit to increasing pressure to improve flow.

Save the receipt for regulators bought at CW or like places.

Everything you want to know and don't want to know about rv water issues can be found at rvwaterfilterstore.com.

[caroldee2735]

I have great pressure at bathroom sink , not so good at kitchen sink. I have replaced the faucet end ( ?) , keep the screens cleaned . Anybody else have same problem?
Have a 2015 3160rl

[dieselguy]

If you have a pull out faucet head … I've seen a time or two where the flex hose under the sink that has the weight on it is kinked near the weight. Once kinked … it won't be fixable. Also … some of those faucet heads with the stream or spray feature have a reducer between the flex hose and head … pitch it unless it is the sealing washer as well.

[Carl n Susan]

Originally Posted by caroldee2735

I have great pressure at bathroom sink , not so good at kitchen sink. I have replaced the faucet end ( ?) , keep the screens cleaned . Anybody else have same problem?
Have a 2015 3160rl

Check the filter screen and the faucet hose where it connects to the supply line under the sink.

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by dieselguy

If you have a pull out faucet head … I've seen a time or two where the flex hose under the sink that has the weight on it is kinked near the weight. Once kinked … it won't be fixable. Also … some of those faucet heads with the stream or spray feature have a reducer between the flex hose and head … pitch it unless it is the sealing washer as well.

Originally Posted by carl n susan

Check the filter screen and the faucet hose where it connects to the supply line under the sink.

Great suggestions and we have done that and found no kinks and no crud. My original questions still stands though. If the water pressure and flow are fine using the pump how can there be a problem with anything at the faucets themselves. When that pump is on the pressure is excellent; when using city water, the pressure is non-existent. If low-flow valves are causing a problem wouldn't it show up when using the pump too. We have changed the pressure regulator, removed the water filter and found the water pressure at the CG to be fine. No kinks in the lines we can see anywhere. A new water regulator is supposed to be delivered today and we will see if that will solve the problem. We may need more than 45 psi to deliver a decent stream of water to the unit.

[caroldee2735]

Carl n Susan: I checked the filter under sink where two lines connected. That fixed the problem, it had a few pieces of ? in there. I don’t know how I was getting any water at all. Thank you

[BuilderBob]

Originally Posted by rslopez65

Great suggestions and we have done that and found no kinks and no crud. My original questions still stands though. If the water pressure and flow are fine using the pump how can there be a problem with anything at the faucets themselves. When that pump is on the pressure is excellent; when using city water, the pressure is non-existent. If low-flow valves are causing a problem wouldn't it show up when using the pump too. We have changed the pressure regulator, removed the water filter and found the water pressure at the CG to be fine. No kinks in the lines we can see anywhere. A new water regulator is supposed to be delivered today and we will see if that will solve the problem. We may need more than 45 psi to deliver a decent stream of water to the unit.

Ray & Sue Does the hole 5er have no water pressure or jest the faucets? If it is the hole 5er than I would say the problem is before the water pump at the water connection in the convenience center or behind it you could have a block in the water supply line we have seen that before or the water connection it self has a valve in it and yes they go bad to! if you have good pressure with the pump than the problem is there not at the faucets! you need to pull the back wall off and look at the water supply lines coming in to the 5er from the city supply at the 5er.

[rslopez65]

Originally Posted by BuilderBob

if you have good pressure with the pump than the problem is there not at the faucets! you need to pull the back wall off and look at the water supply lines coming in to the 5er from the city supply at the 5er.

We pulled the back wall off and could find no problem. No kinks, no gunk. I do agree that there is a problem somewhere between the city water connection and the pump though.

[BuilderBob]

Did you hook up the water line and try running it I have seen the water connection at the 5er go bad. They have a valve in them that get stuck!

[dieselguy]

Ray / Susan … as I read thru your posts, you have good water flow via your onboard pump, yet issues when hooked to city water. A water pressure regulator will not solve your problem although it is good practice to have one on the line coming from the campground spigot. All a pressure regulator does is regulate to a set pressure … it will not make more pressure or flow than the campground provides. Say the regulator is set at 50 psi … It will keep your set pressure if the campground pressure is dangerously high at say 90 psi. It will not raise the campground pressure to 50 psi if the campground pressure is say 30 psi. I'd guess that somewhere between the city water connection in the convenience center and where that line hooks in to your fivers main water line has issues. If I misinterpret what you are thinking … apologies.

[rslopez65]

Thanks dieseguy. You hit the nail on the head. We have always used a pressure regulator but decided, since they do fail quite often, to get a better quality one. I think you have pinpointed the problem exactly. Now if only we could find it.