Fresh water usage on an RV

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
C

Clint62

Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2014
Posts
9
Hello folks! I just posted on the newcomers forum, but this looks like where I need to be with these two questions.

Firstly, when you hook up to city water with the hose, do you need to run your water pump, or is the pressure from the hose sufficient enough to drive the water through the vehicle's piping?  I do have the pressure reducer that goes between the hose in the RV.

Secondly, if you decide to use the freshwater tank instead, how do you know when it's full when filling it?  Do you just keep filling it through the port until it bubbles out, or is there usually an overflow point somewhere that squirts so you know that it's full?

I guess I do have a third area to ask about... Does the water heater automatically fill up once it senses there's water in the camper, or is that something that needs to be filled by me?

I'm sorry if these seem like basic questions, but I went from a tent to a 24 foot pull behind trailer, and I feel slightly intimidated :). The guy who I bought it from was only doing another guy a favor, so I have no training from the prior owner.

Thanks in advance
Clint
 
When on city water you do not need to run your pump.  The pump is only needed when drawing water from the fresh water tank.

If you have access to the tank, you can often see just how full it is.  If not, and you're filling through a gravity fill port, then just fill it until it overflows.  If filling via a city water fill valve, I recommend opening the gravity fill port to relieve the air pressure as the vent tubes are often too small to handle the job.

The water heater will fill any time there is water pressure in the system, either from city water or the pump.  Be sure it's filled before turning either the gas or electric heating elements.  You can check this by opening a hot water faucet until water comes out.  Also, it the water heater has a winterizing bypass valve system, be sure it's in the operating position.
 
Welcome to the forum Ned.
What Ned said. Just be sure you have water in the hot water heater before you turn it on or it will burn up.
Bill
 
Enjoy the new camper.  You'll be amazed how quick you'll pick up all the little nuances to doing this.  Any other questions, just ask.  :)
 
WILDEBILL308 said:
Just be sure you have water in the hot water heater before you turn it on
Click to expand...

It' not a hot water heater. It's a cold water heater. If you already have hot water, you wouldn't need the heater. LOL  ;D :p :-\ Just kidding!!!
 
Rene T said:
It' not a hot water heater. It's a cold water heater. If you already have hot water, you wouldn't need the heater. LOL  ;D :p :-\ Just kidding!!!
Click to expand...
Call it what you want but I KNOW what you will be calling it if it doesn't work. ;) :)
Bill
 
    As a newbe I always found the best way to learn was to look at what I was trying to do, try to logic it through, then open the door go out and find senior RVrs and ask them to show me.  Most of us love to chat, and are pleased to help.

Ed
 
Just a suggestion on the water heater. I drain mine if I will not being using it more than a week. Most camp water systems are not the greatest and the water in the tank will become stale. You can do this by removing the plug at the bottom and pulling the relive valve on the top open. Take care the water stays hot for a long time. Make sure you fill the tank before using as was suggested. If you are using your water tank make sure you fill the water heater when you fill the tank. If not you have a 6 to 10 gallon loss of tank level depending on you heater and you may run short on water.
 
There are a couple of campgrounds we frequent that are on private wells.  The water is safe, but it has a high sulfur content.  If I forget to drain the cold water heater  ;) after we get back, it smells like rotten eggs next time I open a faucet.

 
Frizlefrak said:
There are a couple of campgrounds we frequent that are on private wells.  The water is safe, but it has a high sulfur content.  If I forget to drain the cold water heater  ;) after we get back, it smells like rotten eggs next time I open a faucet.
Click to expand...
Yea what he said  :)
 
I always place a water pressure regulator on the water hose when hooked up to the RV park water system.  There are times, especially when hooked to a municipal supply that the water pressure can be very high.  I hooked up to one in Kansas last month that would shoot water out the hose 100 ft.  Without the regulator it could have damaged our water system.
 
Ok, heres another dumb question.  Do you fill your freshwater tank before you go somewhere, or fill it once on site?  We are going to a site about 25mi away that has elec hookup only.  I'm not sure if theres a community hose or not at this site.  Is there usually a freshwater supply in the vicinity of the dump station?  This is a state park.
 
BigLarry said:
I always place a water pressure regulator on the water hose when hooked up to the RV park water system.  There are times, especially when hooked to a municipal supply that the water pressure can be very high.  I hooked up to one in Kansas last month that would shoot water out the hose 100 ft.  Without the regulator it could have damaged our water system.
Click to expand...

Yup, we have a pressure regulator :)
 
We leave home with a full fresh water tank and empty waste tanks.  You'll get all kinds of answers to your question.  Some people think they'll get better gas mileage with all empty tanks but most of us agree that's negligible.  We've actually "loaned" water to people who traveled with empty water tanks and then got to a destination that had no water.  When we have our rallies at Quartzsite in January the BLM has been known to run out of water.  There are places to go in town but everyone else will be there too, so it's best to come prepared.  Also you never know what might happen along the way.  If you get stuck somewhere because of a breakdown (they don't happen often but they do happen occasionally) you want to be self-sufficient, especially in desert areas where water isn't all that plentiful.  Remember the Boy Scout motto:  Be Prepared.

By the way, in my opinion, the only truly logical reason for not carrying fresh water is if you're running at the top of your weight rating and it becomes a safety issue.  Even then, you should carry some water just to drink and flush while enroute.

Yes, most dump stations have fresh water in the vicinity.  There are a few remote places where there is no water available.  It's strictly carry in your own.  The state park web site generally says what is available.

ArdraF
 
ArdraF said:
Yes, most dump stations have fresh water in the vicinity.
Click to expand...

Be very careful if you're using a water hose near a dump station. Usually, they'll be a sign indicating that the water is non-potable. In other words, not safe for drinking. If it's right next to the dump site, that's for flushing your sewer hose after dumping not for filling your fresh water tank.  If there's any question, ask the management.
 
Most campgrounds have a sine up or have it in the paperwork you get when you sign in that you need to use a pressure regulator and any damage is not their responsibility.
Bill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,143 (members: 24, guests: 1,119)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,985
Posts
1,388,662
Members
137,734
Latest member
[email protected] Ke
Back
Top Bottom