No water pressure in Airstream

[Lexgirl]

Well, I am here again to ask for help. I lived in my Airstream all winter on my farm. I had to haul water during this time because I can not get the water pressure high enough to even consider turning on my new water heater. Difficult for a young girl in her 60s!!

The problem is-I have good pressure coming out of the spigot and hose. I hook it up and the water starts coming out of the kitchen sink very forceful and then goes down to a trickle. My bathroom sink is better, but nothing to brag about in the water stream world. No shower could possibly be taken since your body would dry before you got it all wet.

Does anyone know where my problem could be? Several years ago I had my water pipes replaced and a new water heater. Plus new toilet and bathroom sink fixtures. I have got to have water!

Help please!!

[noreen&sal]

To start with the easiest, check the faucet screens. Sal

[DKB_SATX]

Take the screens off the kitchen and bathroom sinks and see if they'll run for longer. If you're curious, run the water coming out through a sieve so you can see if you're collecting a bunch of crud. It's possible that the screens at the faucets and the small holes in the showerhead are plugging up with crud that's in the lines, then when you turn off the pressure the debris falls back to let the initial stream of water seem strong until the debris collects again.

That's the easiest-to-check possibility I can think of, but since it's all outlets behaving similarly, another possibility is an issue with the pressure regulator. If it's only allowing a restricted flow, with the taps off you're building up to the inlet pressure in the pipes and water heater (and accumulator if someone has added one). Then when you open a valve, you get a brief normal flow and then are restricted to how much can flow through the regulator.

[Aage]

By any chance, have you tried another hose? You are using one of the special white ones for water, right?

Failing that, check your water pressure check valve. It protects your trailer's plumbing from water pressure at too-high a level. It simply shuts down if it senses more than 50 psi (IIRC).

Easy way to test it is to reduce the water pressure from the tap; reduce the flow, in other words.

Failing that, it could be defective and not able to allow water to flow very much at all, if any.

In my trailer, it is in the rear "trunk", just near the city water inlet connection. Brass, about 3-4" long, inline with the water flow.

Let us know what you find there, young'un!

[Lexgirl]

Thank you. I took out a piece at the inlet source that had a square metal piece inside when I looked in it. I connected without that piece and there was no change. Should I disconnect ALL connections and look for crud?

[noreen&sal]

What we are saying is at the very end of your faucet there is a fitting that will un-screw. You might need a pliers. There is a screen in that tip that tends to plug up. Sal

[ventport]

At the end of the hose, right where it hooks up to the trailer, if you turn the water on does it flow out with lots of pressure? If OK, next look at where it connects to the trailer. A lot of trailers have a screen right there. See if that screen is clean, if one is there.

[Lexgirl]

Originally Posted by noreen&sal

What we are saying is at the very end of your faucet there is a fitting that will un-screw. You might need a pliers. There is a screen in that tip that tends to plug up. Sal

This is an old faucet on the sink and the fitting is missing.
Lexgirl

[Lexgirl]

Would having the fresh water tank empty be contributing to the problem?

[RangerJay]

Your first check is the faucet screens as others have already indicated.

If the screens on your faucets are clean and you determine these are not the issue then try putting enough water in your on-board tank to be able to use the on-board pump - if your pressure is fine then the problem is likely your regulator.

We had similar trouble with our own regulator a few years ago - it did not let sufficient water through when hooked up to city lines - but behaved exactly as you describe - lots of pressure at start - then quickly reduced to a dribble. Taking the regulator apart - giving it a cleaning - and putting it back together solved the problem.

Good luck,


Jay

[masseyfarm]

Have you got a filter in the system that may be plugged?

Dave

[Lexgirl]

I am trying to send pictures from my iPhone

[Lexgirl]

[Lexgirl]

These are the pics I took from outside

The white is the hook-up under the trailer. The black elbow is next in line. Nothing inside . The metal piece goes on next and is what the city water hose goes on. There I'd a little white thing-a-mi-jig inside this piece. Is this the regular?

[Bill M.]

I had a similar problem this week. Was hooked to campground water. Worked fine for a 2 days. Then it quit coming. I took the hose loose at the trailer and water was coming out of the hose just fine. Water in trailer worked with the pump. I fiddeled with the thing you showed in the picture. I hooked the hose back up and it worked fine for the rest of the trip (2 more days). Here is my guess. I think the water pressure dropped low enough so that it could not overcome the back pressure from the check valves. The little thing you show is a check valve, probably to keep the inlet closed during transport. There is another brass check valve in the line inside the trailer that holds the pressure in the line when the pump is working. I think you need to check your water pressure at the trailer. If you are using an additional pressure reducer at the hose try taking it off.
Ours is a center bath and the check valve and pressure regulator are underneath twin bed on the curb side. It is possible for a check valve or regulator to get stopped up. I would be sure I had good water pressure at the hose before I took the trailer plumbing apart.

[Lexgirl]

I do have good water pressure from the hose. It's when I hook it up and try to get water out of faucets is the problem. I have a double bed in rear. Where would my pressure gauge be located?

[Bill M.]

The pressure regulator will be located about 9 inches up the water line after it enters the trailer. I would get a flashlight and look in the storage compartment under the curb side where the hose connection is. There is no pressure gauge.

[Roadrunner]

This hasn't been suggested and I hope it is not the case...but do you have water running out from under your trailer when the external water source is turned on? Perhaps there is a leak in your system somewhere? If not, I would think it is the pressure valve like others have suggested.

Bob
Indiana, PA

TAC PA-5
WBCCI 4871

[Lexgirl]

Bill, do I need to take the panel off outside to be able to see the pressure regulator ?

[Lexgirl]

Roadrunner, does that valve look like a valve under a regular toilet and under the closet floor with the pump?