Couple questions about the water system.

[twinster2]

I have the following questions about the pressurized fresh water system on my 189FBR.

1. What is the purpose of the one way check valves leading into and out of the hot water tank. I have had older campers to did not have these check valves and the hot water system work fine without them.

2. What is the purpose of the RED and White plastic water lines? Is the RED specifically designed for higher temperatures or to simply differentiate the hot lines for cold lines?

3. I'm planning on putting in an Accumulator Tank to reduce cycle times and increase head pressure. The instructions indicate that it should be added after the pump, but it seems to me that it could be added anywhere on the cold water supply line after the pump and the same effect would be obtained. How say you?

Thanks Don

 

[profdant139]

I think the accumulator has to go after the pump -- it "insulates" the pump from small demands by feeding the faucet from the reservoir. When the accumulator tank gets empty enough, the pump kicks in to refill it.

The accumulator makes the pump quieter and also reduces the amount of power the pump uses, overall, by avoiding quick on and off cycles. My trailer is so small that we have the smallest accumulator that Shurflo makes -- I wish we had a bigger one.

 

[Ed Venture]

Don,

The check valves are designed to not back flow hot water into the cold feed line. I always thought it strange as well because really you only need it on the cold side on the bottom. The bad news is that when one of these fails the hot water pressure is significantly affected - I know from personal experience. Instead of replacing them both with the same cheap ones I put in one higher quality unit on the cold side and removed the one on the top. I have not had problems since.

As for red and white - they are just designations for hot and cold. In fact some PEX come in blue as well for cold. Any of them can handle high temps at pressure.

As for the accumulator I have done the same modification with great success. I don't have a picture of it to post, but I put mine first thing after the pump. I too used the smallest Sureflow unit. It has increased pressure and consistency as well as has quieted the pump. It has a standard valve on it to change the pressure but I've never messed with it and probably won't. I believe the bladder comes charged with nitrogen which is less likely to leak out given its density as a Nobel Gas.

Ed

 

[profdant139]

By the way, we have found that if you do a lot of traveling to and from high and low altitudes, the accumulator can lose pressure. I use a bike pump to repressurize it to 29 pounds -- I check it with a tire gauge. Be careful not to overpressurize -- the little diaphragm inside the unit can bust. (I did not make that mistake, one of the few I have avoided.)

The instructions that come with the accumulator describe this process.

You will know when the accumulator needs help -- the pump will run more often than it had been running.

I have to do this little chore two or three times a year, but we go from sea level to 9500 feet and back again six or seven times a year, which is a pretty extreme situation. Your mileage may vary!

 

[Ed Venture]

By the way, we have found that if you do a lot of traveling to and from high and low altitudes, the accumulator can lose pressure. I use a bike pump to repressurize it to 29 pounds -- I check it with a tire gauge. Be careful not to overpressurize -- the little diaphragm inside the unit can bust. (I did not make that mistake, one of the few I have avoided.)

The instructions that come with the accumulator describe this process.

You will know when the accumulator needs help -- the pump will run more often than it had been running.

I have to do this little chore two or three times a year, but we go from sea level to 9500 feet and back again six or seven times a year, which is a pretty extreme situation. Your mileage may vary!

Great point! I pretty much stay in Michigan, so I don't get that variability. I can totally see how the altitude change could cause problems.

Ed

 

[twinster2]

Thanks everyone for responding. It helped clear up some things.
Don