Prevent High Water Pressure From Ruining Your RV Plumbing

Some friends of ours returned one day to their camp site to find water running out from under the entrance door of their 5th wheel. I wish I had the picture to show you. RV plumbing is made up of plastic tubing that will only tolerate a certain amount of pressure until it ruptures. According to Murphy’s Laws of RVing, when a rupture occurs it’s usually in the most inconvenient and inaccessible place on your coach. The part to fix the leak costs less than $10.00 but the labor is somewhere around $400.00 if you’re lucky. There are some simple things you can do to prevent this kind of damage to your RV plumbing. Many RVs already have an internal water pressure valve installed near the city water entry point. Check you owners manual to see if you have this device already installed. If you don’t have one or aren’t sure, you can install your own water pressure regulator. You can purchase one at an RV store or you can make your own.Home Depot carries a ¾ inch adjustable water regulator. You will need to purchase garden hose adaptors to attach at each end of the regulator. Use a water pressure gauge to measure the pressure going into the coach and adjust it so you will achieve the best possible water pressure for your individual unit. (Note: Pressure adjustments will vary depending on the type of plumbing and fixtures you have in your coach.) Sometimes water pressure is affected by a plugged screen or a plugged water filter so be sure to check that these items are clear of debris when you adjust your regulator. Jim