Water Pressure regulator

[RangerMan]

One of our hands wanted to take our old Holiday Rambler out last week and I told him the last time it was out the user said the water pressure was very low. I had it checked and indeed it was.

He changed the pressure regulator and then the pressure was fine. I didn't know those things went bad. Course, I've never spent much time thinking about it.

[NW Cat Owner]

Earlier this year mine died on me when it was below freezing and snowing. In Coos Bay, Oregon of all places. I've since replaced it.

[MVA]

Interesting timing of this thread.

So I have been concerned that I did not know if my my fixed outlet pressure regulators were functioning correctly or not. I have used in the past:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YJPC2K
I actually had two of these; found one attached to a faucet at a campground.

Just purchased last week an adjustable regulator with a pressure gauge;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4WBPVC5

Double checked the outlet pressure of the new regulator with a home water gauge; water outlet pressure on the new regulator is reading correctly. Also checked the outlet pressure of my two old fixed pressure regulators; one had completely failed high (no pressure regulation).

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by MVA

Interesting timing of this thread.

So I have been concerned that I did not know if my my fixed outlet pressure regulators were functioning correctly or not. I have used in the past:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YJPC2K
I actually had two of these; found one attached to a faucet at a campground.

Just purchased last week an adjustable regulator with a pressure gauge;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4WBPVC5

Double checked the outlet pressure of the new regulator with a home water gauge; water outlet pressure on the new regulator is reading correctly. Also checked the outlet pressure of my two old fixed pressure regulators; one had completely failed high (no pressure regulation).

Don't let the second one freeze - Freezing will kill it. Don't ask how I know!

[MVA]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Don't let the second one freeze - Freezing will kill it. Don't ask how I know!

Is that freezing concern while under water pressure or in storage?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by MVA

Is that freezing concern while under water pressure or in storage?

In my case I killed one while hooked up & under pressure. I'm now using a MaxFlow regulator.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've had one of these for 5-6 years. It works quite well. I've been at campgrounds where the natural water pressure is quite low, like below 40 PSI... in those cases, I remove it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7JZTYX

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I've had one of these for 5-6 years. It works quite well. I've been at campgrounds where the natural water pressure is quite low, like below 40 PSI... in those cases, I remove it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7JZTYX

Be cautious leaving the pressure regulator out. Some campgrounds can end up with large variations in pressure, particularly overnight.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Be cautious leaving the pressure regulator out. Some campgrounds can end up with large variations in pressure, particularly overnight.

sure enough. but was one private campground in Napa we were at for 3 days last summer, it just had 8 spaces, the pressure was only about 25-30 psi at the faucets even when everyone else was elsewhere. my regulator seems to like the input to be at least 5 psi higher than whatever the output is set for, so I was only getting about 20-25 PSI in the trailer. I did these measurements when the lodge this campground was behind was empty and closed.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

sure enough. but was one private campground in Napa we were at for 3 days last summer, it just had 8 spaces, the pressure was only about 25-30 psi at the faucets even when everyone else was elsewhere. my regulator seems to like the input to be at least 5 psi higher than whatever the output is set for, so I was only getting about 20-25 PSI in the trailer. I did these measurements when the lodge this campground was behind was empty and closed.

Okay, but when you camp don't you want to escape all the pressure?

[Fletch Dobbs]

Originally Posted by RangerMan

One of our hands wanted to take our old Holiday Rambler out last week and I told him the last time it was out the user said the water pressure was very low. I had it checked and indeed it was.

He changed the pressure regulator and then the pressure was fine. I didn't know those things went bad. Course, I've never spent much time thinking about it.

Do these things have a projected useful lifetime? Wondering since mine is as old as my 10 year old 21'...

[Don Flamenco]

Originally Posted by MVA

Is that freezing concern while under water pressure or in storage?

I killed mine just a few days ago. It was in the back of my TV and not in use. The overnight temp dropped to 23F. Afterward the gauge was stuck at 80 psi.

[Don Flamenco]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

In my case I killed one while hooked up & under pressure. I'm now using a MaxFlow regulator.

Not for use with potable water situations.

[sherminator]

I use my water tank and 12V pump exclusively, and turn the pump off when we're not in the trailer. The only thing I use the campground faucets for is filling the tank. I once walked by a small trailer that had water flowing out the door and floor / wall seams. Somebody had already turned the faucet off, so there must've been a lot of water in that trailer. I do not want to return to the trailer after a nice walk on the beach to find that.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Don Flamenco

Not for use with potable water situations.

hmm? said lead free brass, and I saw no mention of non-potable.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

hmm? said lead free brass, and I saw no mention of non-potable.

The lead-free brass mention seems to be a carefully worded reference to the hose fitting adaptors at each end of the valve unit.

The actual valve unit appears to be the Senninger PRLV, clearly intended for agricultural irrigation applications; on this Senninger specs page there's the statement "Not NSF certified" (search does not hit on the terms "potable" or "non-potable" at all).

The MaxFlow website offers minimal information (but conspicuously omits mention that the supply pressure must be at least 5PSI greater than the fixed ~47psi setpoint to achieve 'full flow' per the Senninger specs).

Is this a regulator you want to use for your drinking water / RV? You decide .... I'm not weighing-in on that here.

[John in Santa Cruz]

ok, didn't realize thats what it was. I have the metered gauge I posted earlier, not this one. and to be fair, I don't drink water from my trailer's tanks, I carry a 5G carboy of purified drinking water in the car, and use it to fill a 2G dispenser tank in the trailer. The trailers water supply is strictly for washing.