Shurflo City Water inlet: 50 PSI vs 65 PSI

[Pierps]

Hi all,

I have a leaking city water inlet/pressure regulator unit on my 2018 Globetrotter 27FB. I've confirmed by removing the closet cabinet panels to see the back of the connection. It is definitely the cause.

The parts book calls for the following replacement part:

"601392-06 City water hook-up w/regulator, 50 PSI, Chrome"

The 50 PSI part is throwing me off. Pentair (the manufacturer) only shows a 65 PSI unit for sale, and reading through past threads, folks often provide links to the 65 PSI units as the replacement. I can't find a 50 PSI unit outside of the airstream-specific suppliers.

We're currently snowbirding in Palm Springs, and I don't want to wait for a part to ship to us. Hoping to find it locally today.

So my question is: Can I get away with the standard 65 PSI unit? Or am I going to blow out my plumbing? Is the 50 PSI vs 65 PSI just some kind of labeling thing? Or is there a secret 50 PSI unit that Pentair makes only for airstreams? If I get the 65 PSI unit, should I get an external pressure regulator? Thanks!!

[Pierps]

Also- any tips on how to dry out the inside of the wall?

I'm from Seattle, where mold is always top of mind. We're heading back to Seattle in a week. There are drips of water coming out of the underbelly of the trailer, and I see wet insulation around the inlet. So I imagine that the insulation is soaked inside the wall.

I'm not sure how long it has been leaking. Will it just dry out on its own? or do I need to figure out some way to blow warm air into the cavity?

[AlbertF]

I'm not seeing any responses from more knowledgeable people than myself, so I'll wade in with my thought process.

40 to 60 psi seems to be considered normal household water pressure. A regulator set to 65 therefore allows normal pressure plus a very small margin - and prevents damage caused by excessive water pressure, e.g. 80 psi or more.

Pex piping is rated for well above 100 psi, even with very hot water. (In my experience, leaks happen at the fittings; if they stay dry, all is well.)

Airstream seems very conservative, ordering inlets with regulators set to 50 psi. That's good, but the likelihood of having a problem because you chose to install at 65 psi unit is extremely small. If I was in your position and wanted to replace it this afternoon, I'd buy what is available locally.

I carry an external regulator too. We once stayed in a park on the Oregon coast with 100 psi pressure, and I wanted redundancy.

[Pierps]

Gotcha- thanks for your input. I'm having trouble even finding the 65 PSI part locally, but I'll keep trying.

[NO NOIZE]

Many Forum members have found the Shurflow Chinese Regulator prone to failure over and over. Some have eliminated it and use only an external regulator.

This thread has some good ideas and images.
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html"]https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html"]https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html

When mine leaked, the insulation in the walls dried on it's own in just a few days by leaving the area open.

Best of luck with your repair.

[aftermath]

Pierps, I believe this is one of those, “don’t over think” things. I replaced mine with the 65 and am not worried at all. If they are a main supplier for Airstream then I am sure they checked all of this ahead and, 15 pounds isn’t going to cause any trouble.
As far as drying it out you can always pull it over to Spokane and leave it for a day or so. I will gladly watch it for you.

[Pierps]

Update- I was able to find Shurflo replacement part locally, and it took all of 3 minutes to replace... except that shurflo doesn't include the gasket with the part (aka, a part that customers will need literally 100 percent of the time they are buying a replacement inlet/regulator) , and the local supplier didn't carry it. So I had to carefully cut the old one off of the broken part to get by until I can order a proper gasket from airstream.

Originally Posted by NO NOIZE

Many Forum members have found the Shurflow Chinese Regulator prone to failure over and over. Some have eliminated it and use only an external regulator.

This thread has some good ideas and images.
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html"]https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html"]https://www.airforums.com/forums/f443/city-water-connection-mod-to-avoid-cracking-freeze-damage-208266.html

When mine leaked, the insulation in the walls dried on it's own in just a few days by leaving the area open.

Best of luck with your repair.

Thanks a ton for this! this improvement makes total sense. As soon as I saw the leak, I disconnected the city water and reverted to the water pump, and discovered that the water pump also pressurizes the plumbing back up to the city water pressure regulator. So it did nothing to stop the leaking. I then started thinking about some kind of one way valve or backflow preventer to keep this from happening again, because I too saw banter online about these valves being really unreliable. But a simple valve and flex hose makes sense.

Every time a cheap part fails on my trailer, I try to figure out how to upgrade the part so it doesn't keep happening. I'm like an old man yelling at the sky here, but it continues to really irritate me how Airstream uses cheap low quality RV industry parts for things like this. This part has a very obvious pattern of premature failure. So how about airstream pays attention and finds higher quality parts? It's so annoying. Cumulatively, if airstream had just put decent parts on my trailer, it may have cost $1k more new, but that wouldn't be noticeable as a %... and it would save me so many headaches with senseless repairs like this.

At this moment I'm just looking for a quick field fix, but I'm going to start researching a high quality, non-plastic inlet alternative. I'm completely fine using an external regulator. We'll see.

Originally Posted by aftermath

Pierps, I believe this is one of those, “don’t over think” things. I replaced mine with the 65 and am not worried at all. If they are a main supplier for Airstream then I am sure they checked all of this ahead and, 15 pounds isn’t going to cause any trouble.
As far as drying it out you can always pull it over to Spokane and leave it for a day or so. I will gladly watch it for you.

Yeah, fair. I'm just a belt and suspenders guy. So many things keep breaking on this trailer, that I have no appetite for pushing my luck. So I bought the 65 psi unit and just added a pressure regulator on my hose. maybe unnecessary though.

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by AlbertF

Airstream seems very conservative, ordering inlets with regulators set to 50 psi. That's good, but the likelihood of having a problem because you chose to install at 65 psi unit is extremely small. If I was in your position and wanted to replace it this afternoon, I'd buy what is available locally.

Actually that 50 psi model Airstream uses seems to be a really bad idea with the on-demand water heaters that barely get enough pressure to work, often needing the pump on also to help.

[Mollysdad]

I actually wish mine did not have a built in regulator. Seems they are more problems than they're worth, and I always use a dial regulator at the hose barb to protect not only the plumbing, but also the hose. I set it to 40 psi. Probably conservative, but works for me.

[Buckless]

I once had pipes to blow off when our well points were stiking and pressure went over 100psi. So 100psi is when I had problems. Our normal pressure is 45psi

[JCWDCW]

Completely agree with those who say 65 pisg is not an issue

[uncle_bob]

Hi

If you have a trailer with an Alde system, it has a relief valve that triggers at 60 to 70 pounds. Putting a 65 pound inlet regulator on this sort of trailer *and* pulling up to a campground with high pressure water results in a giant puddle quickly forming under the trailer. I have empirical evidence to support this

On all of these devices, the number you see is never exact. It also is not a precise instrument. As the inlet water pressure changes, the output of the "regulator" changes as well. Just what all those numbers are .... who knows ...

Bob

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by Pierps

Hi all,

I have a leaking city water inlet/pressure regulator unit on my 2018 Globetrotter 27FB. I've confirmed by removing the closet cabinet panels to see the back of the connection. It is definitely the cause.

The parts book calls for the following replacement part:

"601392-06 City water hook-up w/regulator, 50 PSI, Chrome"

The 50 PSI part is throwing me off. Pentair (the manufacturer) only shows a 65 PSI unit for sale, and reading through past threads, folks often provide links to the 65 PSI units as the replacement. I can't find a 50 PSI unit outside of the airstream-specific suppliers.

We're currently snowbirding in Palm Springs, and I don't want to wait for a part to ship to us. Hoping to find it locally today.

So my question is: Can I get away with the standard 65 PSI unit? Or am I going to blow out my plumbing? Is the 50 PSI vs 65 PSI just some kind of labeling thing? Or is there a secret 50 PSI unit that Pentair makes only for airstreams? If I get the 65 PSI unit, should I get an external pressure regulator? Thanks!!

You don't need to worry about this at all.
The regulator does not increase pressure.
Most if not all municipal water systems are designed to work at 50 PSI as a standard at the consumer end.
At some RV Parks where they are on their own well and pump are also at 50 PSI .
Generally you can safely assume that the water pressures will be at 50 PSI or less . It costs more to make it work at a higher pressure.
I have installed many miles of water mains from the largest to the smallest diameter and booster stations in Chicago and the metropolitan area for over 40 years.
BTW I never use a regulator, waste of money and effort.

[greghoro]

I replaced mine and sourced it from Home Depot. They didn't stock it but it was shipped to the store quite quickly.

The gasket is not available individually from Airstream, it is part of a kit, a sheet that has many gaskets. Download the parts manual from the Airstream site for your trailer and do a search for GASKET KIT. The part number for my trailer is 365336 and was less than $10 when I purchased at HQ in 2022. I bet no dealer stocks this part but can be purchased online at Woodland Airstream.

Tip on renewing screw holes in body panel. Use a small C clamp with flat surfaces on both the anvil and the screw pad to press the screw hole flat. This usually closes the hole enough to provide a solid grip as if it were new.





Greg

[Knotflying]

Personally, I would not use the higher rated part. Use your VIN to cross reference your part. I just went through this with my 2019 Tommy 27 FB (Globetrotter) this week. I saw the same leak from the same location on my current trip.

I called a dealership to order, and they gave me two options for the Globetrotter. I gave them my VIN, they came back with 50 psi. Not sure why the difference but hey it’s the part that came with it. Interesting to note that this same part failed on my Tommy 2 years ago, then replaced by a “5 Rivet dealership” in PDX under warranty.

After running into another problem on this same trip, same day no less created by a botched rivet job at the aforementioned dealership (long story) I took our Tommy to a local Airstream dealership where I am now to fix the rivet work and while I was there to take care of the City Water connection. Curious about the failed part psi rating, I asked the service rep to ensure the tech took note of the psi on the failed part, wait for it…you got it, 65 psi. I am so baffled by what appears to be inadequate training or quality control at some Airstream dealerships. Then I see what is going on at Boeing and just have to sigh.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

You don't need to worry about this at all.
The regulator does not increase pressure.
Most if not all municipal water systems are designed to work at 50 PSI as a standard at the consumer end.
At some RV Parks where they are on their own well and pump are also at 50 PSI .
Generally you can safely assume that the water pressures will be at 50 PSI or less . It costs more to make it work at a higher pressure.
I have installed many miles of water mains from the largest to the smallest diameter and booster stations in Chicago and the metropolitan area for over 40 years.
BTW I never use a regulator, waste of money and effort.

Hi

Like everything else, you don't need to worry about it until you do

We have been in a lot of campgrounds what have their own water supply. They are either to far from municipal water or they don't want to pay the hookup fee. They run a well, a pump and who knows what else to get the water to you.

One example (and of course it's the worst of the bunch):

Head into the washroom, turn on the water in the sink. It hits the bottom of the wash basin, jets across the room, and soaks the far wall. This assumes of course that you aren't standing I the wrong place .

Yup, that's *way* more than 50 PSI in those pipes. Maybe they *really* like a strong shower. You wonder: is the whole system at this crazy pressure?

Chat with the folks running the place: "Yup, the pressure is a bit high. They made a mistake on the water system. They'll be back to fix it soon". Do a bit of digging, the new system is at least a year or two old .... soon seems to be a very relative term

Ask the next question on the list: How high does the pressure get? "We don't usually see it over 150 psi". YIKES !!!!!!! (yes, that probably should be in a much larger font .... ).

Yes, that's the worst one we've seen. Hopefully the State of Virginia has fixed the problem by now.

We have seen other campgrounds that try to "solve" the issue of small pipes by cranking the pressure up. When everybody is "doing stuff" there isn't much water. Come back when folks are out and about, *wow* is there a lot of pressure.

Fun

Bob

[aftermath]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

You don't need to worry about this at all.
The regulator does not increase pressure.
Most if not all municipal water systems are designed to work at 50 PSI as a standard at the consumer end.
At some RV Parks where they are on their own well and pump are also at 50 PSI .
Generally you can safely assume that the water pressures will be at 50 PSI or less …..

A gross over generalization, to be kind. If I remember my last visit to Florida, it is a relatively flat state. This might make sense there but not where I live. I live in Spokane, WA and a good part of the residential area is built on hillsides. I live in an older part of town and when they laid out the water system they did it in sections. I live at the low end of a section and my water pressure is just over 100 pounds. My neighbor below me is at the top of his section and the water pressure at his house is more like 60 pounds. I hook my hose up to my Airstream and open the faucet. I am glad I have a pressure reducer built into my trailer.

[Pierps]

Yeah, I got the 65 PSI unit to get me by for now, and I added a 45 PSI regulator outside at the hose bib. When I get home, I'll order the 50PSI unit (and a spare) and slap it on...

It's really no extra work to use the external regular, so I don't really see a downside for having the protection.

Thanks everybody for your input!

[rodsterinfl]

I just replaced my OEM one last summer and I checked with Shur Flo who said we make one unit in white black or chrome 65PSI. I had to replace mine when I went to a park with super high water pressure (3X normal) I always use an external regulator and that time I arrived in the dark in did not put it on- oops. I wasn't alone either. There were 2 other Airstreams dripping water out the bottom. Use a hose regulator too and you will not have to be concerned with the quality level of the one mounted on the trailer.

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by aftermath

A gross over generalization, to be kind. If I remember my last visit to Florida, it is a relatively flat state. This might make sense there but not where I live. I live in Spokane, WA and a good part of the residential area is built on hillsides. I live in an older part of town and when they laid out the water system they did it in sections. I live at the low end of a section and my water pressure is just over 100 pounds. My neighbor below me is at the top of his section and the water pressure at his house is more like 60 pounds. I hook my hose up to my Airstream and open the faucet. I am glad I have a pressure reducer built into my trailer.

What I posted was not generalization.
I have with my own Company Installed many miles of watermains of all sizes and related infrastructure in the City of Chicago and its metropolitan area over 40 years. My sons are still at it I retired 10 years ago.
These were all municipal and governmental projects .
Watermains are designed to operate at 50 PSI. We would test the newly installed lines at 150 PSI with specially made Test Pumps .
I have been visiting RV camp sites of all types including once in remote places with their own systems and more often than not the line pressure was less than 50 psi. Privet water systems serving the public also have to be inspected and approved by the County or municipality they are located in.
With that said, if you are so inclined please continue with using whatever preventative measures in your travels you so desire.