Water Pressure Regulators - Revisited - RV-Dreams Community Forum

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Water Pressure Regulators - Revisited

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron and Richard,

Yep. We bought ours from the exact same place. Looking at the different ones again, we got the one that is $89.95.

Sadly, I was somewhat tempted to get the one that was wholly stainless steel, but $179.95 just seemed to be a bit steep in price. Especially if one considers that one may leave the thing behind when breaking camp to travel.

I plan on making sure that 1.) the water is turned off, 2.) the regulator is unhooked and immediately put in the basement, 3.) the hose is then unhooked and coiled up. I've heard of too many already that have driven off and left an expensive regulator for the next camper.

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 14th of February 2012 03:06:42 PM

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I believe 40 psi should be enough pressure to get water to your sink and shower. If you need to turn on your pump to get enough pressure from your city water something must be clogging the pipes.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron,

Our fifth wheel is just about year old and when we hooked on one of those 45psi "regulators," it dropped our pressure a lot as well. While ours is good enough to not need the pump, it is a lot lower. Of course, the place we are at has their own pump and the pressure is really high.

We ordered, and recently received, one of the Watts 263A models. In our case, we ordered a model with both hose fittings installed, stainless steel parts within, and a 2" stainless steel gauge for about $20 more than what you stated.

As yet, I've not installed ours yet (possibly this weekend, depending on temperatures) and I can then give you a better "review" of the Watts. I'm currently at work, so when I get home this evening, I'll post a link to the company from which we bought ours. They had several of the Watts 263A's with and without stainless steel parts.

Once I get ours installed, I'll write a "review" on my blog, hopefully with a comparison of our water pressure both with the 45psi "regulator" and the Watts.

Terry

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Ron:

If you hadn’t found it, here is Howard’s PhD dissertation on water pressure regulators and related water items. Really good job. Maybe this will give you some perspective.

http://rv-dreams.typepad.com/rvdreams_journal/2010/05/rv-water-pressure-regulators-related-matters.html

Bill

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks, Terry. I just rechecked the photo on the rvwaterfilters.com site I was looking at and it does appear that hose fittings are on each side of the unit. I'll bet you bought it from the same site. They offer the same unit with stainless parts and an oil-filled SS gauge for $89.99.

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

Try this link Ron. I'll be ordering the stainless steel one from here.

http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/PressureRegulators.htm

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Bill for the reminder of Howard's excellent piece on water regulators. Textbook stuff! Looks like he's favoring the the same unit I'm looking at.

Terry, I agree that the model with the SS parts and upgraded gauge is probably the best deal. You're right that the $175.00 one would be a bit hard to take if left hooked to a campground hose bib! No doubt it will happen to me sometime so I'll buy the cheaper one, knowing I'll have to replace it at some point because I was forgetful or distracted (or just plain stupid)!

Dick, not sure which one you are planning on buying but I think the all SS one is over kill. All of the parts inside these things are replaceable so if you need to rebuild it it would be a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a $180 off the bat.

I was curious why I was getting a lot better flow with the pump vs. city hookup so I looked at the specs on the pump. It's a Shurflow with a flow rate of 2.8 gpm @ 45 psi. Per Howard's treatise referenced by Bill, it's probably the low flow rate that is killing the city water intake with the old $10.00 regulator.

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron - I was looking at the $79.95 SS unit

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

RVPAINTER wrote:
Ron - I was looking at the $79.95 SS unit

Assuming you mean the unit with the SS inside parts, it's probably a good buy. I'm not sure of the value of an SS oil-filled gauge.

RVPAINTER · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, the SS inside parts. To start us off I got a regulator for newer RV's at camping world pre set to 55 PSI. I'll order the SS so it will arrive by the time we return from Elkhart.

Think I'll put a sticker on my dash -

DON'T FORGET THE PSI REGULATOR - RAISE THE LEVELERS :>)

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

RVPAINTER wrote:
Yes, the SS inside parts. To start us off I got a regulator for newer RV's at camping world pre set to 55 PSI. I'll order the SS so it will arrive by the time we return from Elkhart.

Think I'll put a sticker on my dash -

DON'T FORGET THE PSI REGULATOR - RAISE THE LEVELERS :>)

I have one on my dash that says "TV ANTENNA DOWN?". So far so good.

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Make sure you get the oil filled or you will be replacing the guage the first time it freezes.

I set mine at 60 psi. If you have PEX plumbing lines that is no issue at all.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks, Jack.

I've been debating back and forth between 60 psi or 65 psi as a pressure setting. Ours has the PEX fittings. But, even 60 psi will be better than the present 45 psi that we have.

Terry

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jack Mayer wrote:
Make sure you get the oil filled or you will be replacing the guage the first time it freezes.

I set mine at 60 psi. If you have PEX plumbing lines that is no issue at all.

Thanks for the recommendations, Jack. Not sure what type of plumbing lines & fittings Winnebago uses but I suspect it's also PEX.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

At 60 PSI the piping will be fine it would be some of the clamps I would be worried about. Probably not all of the connections in the system are PEX, there may be a few that are spring clamp or hose clamp (radiator type). I would look at as many fittings as I could find to see just exactly what type they were. I would make sure hose clamps were tight and replace the spring clamps with ss hose clamps. it is possible to flood the basement of a 5ver. With all of the movement of the unit things tend to get loose. Be sure and check the in/out of the water heater as well as all of the other fittings there.

Flyone

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Setting the pressure is of no great importance unless the orifice is large enough to pass enough water to do whatever you want to do. Consider the difference in a piece of 1/4 inch tubing at 40 psi and a 1 inch PVC pipe at 40 psi. One of them gets you damp, the other gets you WET. Set the controlled pressure at 40 or 60 does not make a lot of difference if flow doesn't meet your need. The little brass pressure regulators are a spring and needle valve, with an orifice downstream of the needle valve. The orifice is what restricts FLOW, the spring and valve control PRESSURE. The Watts regulators are a diaphragm and spring operated valve.

What we need is flow. I have a Watts that is settable and mine is presently set at 45 psi, but it has a 3/8 inch orifice. So far my wife hasn't complained (except when I open a faucet while she is in the shower).

Of course, I also don't take a chance of leaving my regulator on a campground hose bib. I mounted mine upstream of my whole house filter in a little utility closet. The hose is under campground pressure.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

What 53 Merc says is correct, what comes out of the shower head is a combination of volume and pressure. If you have the pressure but the volume of water is not there adding more pressure will not help. Spend the extra few bucks and get the higher flow rate, you'll stand a better chance of geting the shower that you are lookig for. More volume of water, add a little more pressure (never over 60 psi) from your adjustable PR and you are good to go.

Flyone

HemiMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

-- Edited by HemiMan on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 07:50:29 AM

HemiMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

-- Edited by HemiMan on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 07:50:55 AM

HemiMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

-- Edited by HemiMan on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 07:51:51 AM

HemiMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

-- Edited by HemiMan on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 07:51:28 AM

HemiMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

-- Edited by HemiMan on Tuesday 21st of February 2012 07:52:06 AM

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

HemiMan wrote:
I just received the Watts 263A water regulator you guys have all been talking about. When I turn on the water and set the regulator at 60PSI the pressure goes down right away to about 40 psi when I run any water such as at the outside sprayer. Should I set the regulator at 60psi with no water running or run some water and then set it at 60 psi?

-- Edited by HemiMan on Saturday 18th of February 2012 03:45:38 PM

HemiMan, the gauge is meant to read static pressure - the pressure that builds up in the line with no water running at all. If you get a chance, read through Howard's excellent journal entry that Bill & Linda referenced above. It explains all of the confusing ins and outs of water regulators.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

HemiMan, I'll be interested in your results when you hook up the new unit. Like you, we've suffered for years with the WalMart Camco cheapie, not knowing there was a better alternative.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Awesome review, HemiMan! Hope our results are as good as yours! Sounds like money well spent.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We stay many places where the water pressure is below the 45psi we have our Watts set for, like where we are now where it is about 40psi. In those places we leave the water pump turned on to supplement the pressure and fill the water tank every few days. We have been in a couple campgrounds where the water pressure was 20psi, so we filled our water tank often and it took 45 minutes. All I am saying is don't get used to high water pressure since you are not going to get it everywhere. They make replacement shower heads that work well with lower pressure, you also should buy one of those.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill that brings up an interesting point. I was wondering if I would want an additional gauge to put ahead of the pressure regulator just to determine the campground water line pressure. Actually you would know right away if it was lower than 60 psi just by looking at the gauge on the regulator. Even if you have the regulator set for 60 psi the gauge will read the line pressure if it's lower than 60, right?

Jim Dean · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ron, instead of purchasing an addition gauge, attach the regulator then attach a Y connector and close the valves on the Y and open the spigot. This will give you the pressure reading for that spigot. Remember, if you have inline filter(s) it will affect the water flow.
Bill mentioned replacing the shower heads. I ordered an Oxygenic Body Spa from Amazon and it should be here later this week. The reviews were really good. I can give an update after installation and use.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

The gage on the regulator is what I use for my numbers.
Multiple friends are happy with the Oxygenic that Jim Dean mentioned and it is probably the best for low water pressure. We bought a WaterPik shower head and it works well, including dry camping wih the our standard Shurflo water pump. Our biggest irritant with low water pressure is now our kitchen faucet.

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jim Dean wrote:
Ron, instead of purchasing an addition gauge, attach the regulator then attach a Y connector and close the valves on the Y and open the spigot. This will give you the pressure reading for that spigot. Remember, if you have inline filter(s) it will affect the water flow.
Bill mentioned replacing the shower heads. I ordered an Oxygenic Body Spa from Amazon and it should be here later this week. The reviews were really good. I can give an update after installation and use.

Thanks for the tip on the Y connector. We do carry one with us so I'll give it a try next time.

We've had the Oxygenics shower head in place for quite a while now and it's awesome. That said though, it really does require a bit more pressure to get the full effect and hence the reason we've been turning our pump on to get a decent spray. Hopefully the increased flow rate and pressure with the new Watts will negate the need for the pump use. Just keep in mind that the Oxygenics does not have a shutoff valve built in. We bought an inline slide shutoff from Home Depot that goes between the shower valve and the sprayer hose and that works very well.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

For what it may be worth, I've installed the Watts 263A on our water system and have posted a review on my blog. Our experience is different from HemiMan's review because it appears that our water pressure circumstances before the change to the Watts was a lot better.

In fact, we had to put on a quick fix because the water pressure in the mobile home park where we are is so high. The quick fix regulator is preset at 45 psi. We've increased our pressure (as of last check of the gauge) to 56 psi and we have a noticeable difference.

With the 45 psi device, our gpm rate was something like 56 seconds to run a gallon of water. After the changeover to the Watts, it is now about 40 seconds to run a gallon of water. (All that based on the time it took to fill a 1 pint measuring cup.)

My blog entry does have some pictures of the before and after devices as well as some links to videos showing the flow of the water at the kitchen sink, the bathroom sink, and the commode at the two different pressures.

So, if you are really bored or like looking at that sort of thing, my blog entry is at:

Review of Watts 263A Water Pressure Regulator

Terry

dream reachers · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have a gauge with a hose connection I use to check water pressure before I hookup. I add a regulator before the hose if the pressure is over 60. My reg is set at 55#. Less chance to burst an outdoor hose as well as protect the coach. I have not left a regulator yet but it is possible. I also use Y connection with valves in case I want to add a utility hose.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Installed the watts 263 w/ guage today.. big improvement over the one that come with the rv for water pressure.. Almost 60 psi now.. Now I can see what it is too..

Pretty expensive .. but seems worth it.. if no one steals it off my water line..lol

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steve, I tighten mine down with a crescent wrench. Not saying you can't get it but you'll need to bring tools. LOL.

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

el Rojo and Pam wrote:
Steve, I tighten mine down with a crescent wrench. Not saying you can't get it but you'll need to bring tools. LOL.

True.. lol

Neil and Connie · RV-Dreams Family Member

RVPAINTER wrote:
Try this link Ron. I'll be ordering the stainless steel one from here.

http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/PressureRegulators.htm

Yeah, make sure you get the stainless model…or else pay the extra 10 bucks and get the cap screws and adjustment screw that are stainless. The non stainless rusts and then it's hard to adjust.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Once again, an old thread has been revived. Be careful when commenting to not address a comment that was made a long time ago. Some of the people in this thread may not even be active participants any longer.

Terry

RVRon · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, since this topic has been bumped back to life I thought I'd give an update on the Watts 263A regulator. We've had it now for 2.5 years and for the most part it's been reliable, but it hasn't been without problems. Only a few months after we bought it the unit would not maintain pressure. Taking it apart and examining the valve seat with a magnifying glass it appeared that there was a defect in the casting of the brass that was allowing water to bypass the setting. I contacted The RV Water Filter Store and after a little discussion they honored the 1 year warranty and shipped me a new unit (only the body... I had to transfer all the removable parts). The transplant operation was successful and the unit worked well for over 2 years.

Last week I once again noticed that the unit was not holding pressure. I keep it set around 60 psi and it may have failed much earlier but would not have been evident if the source water pressure was below that setting. We had been moving frequently for the last few months and it's possible we simply had not encountered higher pressure systems. Yesterday though, the pressure didn't stop at 60 psi and climbed steadily to 85... evidently the line pressure. Turning the adjustment bolt I found that I could adjust for either no pressure at all or 85 psi... nothing in between. Time to take it apart and look for a problem.

I dug around in my computer files and found the Watts 263A Regulator Maintenance and Repair pdf that I had saved. Following the instructions I disassembled the unit and cleaned everything thoroughly with white vinegar to remove any deposits that could be keeping the valve from seating. No luck... it still wouldn't hold the pressure. The next step in the instructions is to resurface the brass valve seat with very fine (400-500 grit) sandpaper or emery cloth. That required a trip to the hardware store of course. Once I had the sandpaper, I followed the instructions to cut a small strip of the sandpaper about the width of a pencil and around 4" long. The strip is then held on both sides of the pencil, over the eraser. Twisting the pencil between my fingers with the sandpaper in contact with the valve seat I soon saw that the brass was getting shinier and was revealing an area of erosion that was probably causing the problem. It took about an hour of sanding with over a dozen strips of sandpaper but I finally got it ground down such that I couldn't see the imperfection under a magnifying glass and using a bright flashlight. The unit was reassembled and tested and viola, it now holds 60 psi once again.

So, I guess my rating would be that this is a very good unit but not without potential problems requiring maintenance. The brass is evidently soft enough that it is subject to erosion from whatever is in the water (good reason to use a filter!). Even though my repairs were successful I think I'm going to order the rebuild kit. For $19.95 it would be worth having on hand for the next time. Of course that assumes that I can remember where I put it when I need it. How things get lost in an RV is amazing but that's a subject for another story...

The Junkman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Makes you wonder if I should have just bought the cheap one at camping world that has a gauge... and just toss it when it goes.. and buy another... and still be a head of it..

Alie and Jims Carrilite · RV-Dreams Family Member

If you camp in areas with high mineral content then you'll be replacing or rebuilding any of the regulators unless you filter all the water first. All different ways to look at it. I rebuild ours every 16 months or so. Sometimes it needs it, sometimes it doesn't.