Water Regulator Questions

[jimblacker]

I posted earlier about city H2O being hooked up with nothing happening.(1968 Ambassador) I took it to Camping World for an all around check. It turns out there is an internal Water Pressure Regulator that has shut down, blocking any flow of water.

Questions about this:

-Does the water storage tank also run through the regulator? (conflicting info received on this)

-Can I simply use the common external water pressure regulator, and bypass the internal, broken water regulator? I assume not if the storage tank also runs through the pressure regulator, and I assume yes, if only the city water runs through it. Is the bypass an easy job? (seems it would be)

-Is there a replacement part, original or not, that I can swap with the broken internal water pressure regulator?

Thanks! Jim

[vinstream]

So to be fair there are so many ways one could do a water system... I like to use a water pressure regulator at out side hook up point. I think the shurflo are the best made and like the over size threaded collar.

The old systems had many back flow valves so that city water would not fill your tanks through your water pump. I have discovered that these types of valves restrict water flow and tend to fail before all other valves in the system, in your case I believe thats what has failed?! If you have a new pump built in the last five years they all have back flow valves built into the pump so water can not back flow into your tanks.

So the simple way your system should look is your city water should "T" into your system after your water pump and before service to water heater and cold supply. Your tanks connect to your water pump with no one way valve. From your "T" fitting should be another "T" fitting to your connection to your water heater and your cold supply. Many put in a bypass system to your water heater at this point to winterize the system. Also note if you have a newer water heater it also has a check, one way, or directional valve internal so hot water can not go back into the cold supply side. Here is another place that older systems put in a check valve...

Hope that helps out your problem!

[jimblacker]

Thanks for the reply! If anyone knows of a good source in the Santa Barbara/Los Angeles area to fix something like this for a fair price, please let me know!

[Sardog]

The pressure regulator can be picked up at Home Depot. I used PEX and re ran the whole system and kept functioning like factory. It was even the same brand

[jimblacker]

Sardog, Excellent! This is what I needed to know! Thanks :-) Jim

[perryg114]

I bought a regulator like above for my trailer and it did not regulate the pressure properly. It would gradually leak up to the supply pressure. I went back and got the $70 one as opposed to the $35 one at Lowes and the more expensive one worked. Make sure you put a gage down stream of the regulator to make sure it is working. If it bleeds up to the supply pressure, it is just a flow restrictor which won't protect pipes. I don't know if the ones that go on the hose work or not. I would not trust it without testing it with the gage.

Perry

[Sardog]

I also added a pressure valve plumbed out the bottom of the Airstream just for potential spikes in pressure or regulator failure.

[Cyquest]

As a test today I hooked up my garden hose with just a check valve and a pressure overflow valve rated for I beleive 65 psi. Took the hose from it and hung it out service center at the rear. Lol . And watched as water pour out of the hose from the pressure overflow valve.