hot water woes

[kepko]

92 36ft ly
taking showers , water goes hot to cold to hot to cold,,,
seems ok at faucets but not steady warm in shower ????
why???
kevin

[Gene]

If you have a pressure compensating shower valve, the water pressure may not be strong enough to activate it when you turn the shower down while soaping up and the water can turn cold. It happens sometimes to me—when I turn it on full force it gets hot again. I just get out of the way of the shower until I'm ready to rinse, but it isn't pleasant. If it happens when the shower is going full force, the valve may be defective.

Gene

[dznf0g]

Leaving the shower on to your setting and installing a shower head shutoff valve cures it.

[perryg114]

Does this happen when using the pump or hooked to city water or both?

Perry

[Punch]

Could well be that you have an uncharged or underpressurised accumulator tank. In our '94 LY this is totally buried behind the kitchen sink. Little mention in the manual, but essential for maintaining flow in your water system. We had symptoms like yours, and rather than mess with the accumulator tank I bought one of these

Flojet R4525743A 4.5 GPM VSD Pump : Amazon.com : Automotive

Although more expensive than other pumps, this one provides constant pressure, and only pumps when that pressure is lowered, i.e. when you turn on a faucet. It made a world of difference to showering.

I just left the accumulator tank in place, as it does no harm to do so. The whole job of replacing the pump took under half an hour.

[Gene]

RV shower heads have a setting that reduces flow to save water. That may reduce pressure and does reduce flow. A pressure compensating valve has a part that moves back and forth between the inlets for cold and hot water as pressure in one pipe or the other goes up or down and it evens it out to keep temperature constant. I am guessing reduced pressure or flow at the outlet (shower head) is not enough to move that part properly and you get too much hot or cold water, though in our case it is almost always cold. When I replaced the shower head, the new one does not restrict flow as much and quick temp changes happen less often. You can install a shut off valve where the pipe comes out of the wall and turn it off entirely—something I only think of when I'm in the shower. As soon as I get out, it goes into forgettery.

Perhaps some Airstreams came from the factory with accumulator tanks, but ours didn't. It performs the same purpose as a pressure tank if you have a well pump or in a hot water heating system—to keep constant pressure in the system instead of pulsating pressure directly from the pump. It has a bladder in it where water pressure compresses air and then the air expands as pressure starts to drop and boosts the pressure until the pump turns on again. RV accumulators must do the same thing, though they are a lot smaller than those in well systems and a bit smaller than ones for hot water heat.

Gene

[Punch]

Originally Posted by Gene

Perhaps some Airstreams came from the factory with accumulator tanks, but ours didn't. .....

Gene

Gene, yours is a 2008, whereas we're talking early 90's. My belief is that all LY of that vintage had accumulator tanks. I didn't know I had one for 2 years, but then tried to solve the poor flow problem, and read the manual in detail. The problem is that Airstream for some unknown reason located this tank, that needs to be repressurised occasionally, where it is quite inaccessible: you have to take out all the drawers in the kitchen area.... ALL the drawers, and then would be operating with arms outstretched to do anything to the accumulator. Easier to ignore its existence and get a constant pressure pump, which is what later models like yours very likely already have. The test is, when you switch on the pump, does it keep on buzzing as long as it's switched on? If yes, then it's NOT a constant pressure pump. If on the other hand it buzzes for 20 seconds or so, then goes quiet until you run water, it IS a constant pressure pump.

[Gene]

Punch, you didn't get the arm stretcher that came with your model? Nice to learn I have a constant pressure pump; never knew that.

Gene

[Punch]

Originally Posted by Gene

Punch, you didn't get the arm stretcher that came with your model? Nice to learn I have a constant pressure pump; never knew that.

Gene

That must have been an option I didn't get, along with the double reversible elbow joint to turn the valve under the bathroom sink that shuts off the outside faucet.... some things AS did so well, others so DUMB.

[kepko]

thanks guys
i did have rv dealer put in new pump last year
coincidence ,,, had problem after???
turn on pump switch and it runs for 15 seconds and stops
didnt know about accumulator
like extrol tank on well ???
will try connecting to city water

thanks