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Old 08-14-2009, 03:01 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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pressurized water system

Hey, Do people with sinks and whatnot keep their water under pressure? Or just turn on a pump when flow is needed? I know that there are pumps that will turn themselves off at a certian PSI, thus keeping your lines at a constant PSI. Does anyone use these in their systems? I do not have a sink, but I am putting an icemaker in my fridge and need a water line run to it so I was thinking of pressurizing my entire water line system. Is there a specific type I should look for?

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Old 08-14-2009, 09:18 PM   #2
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Re: pressurized water system

If you are NOT going to use an outside source for water hook-up, then a Shurflo Demand Pump should take care of things, these things only run when the faucett is open and it detects loss of pressure, shuts itself off when pressure builds back up and holds...
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Old 08-17-2009, 08:27 PM   #3
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Re: pressurized water system

I've got a small SurFlow pump. It's got enough power to run one or two fixtures at a time, just don't go flushing the toilet while you're washing up and your wife is taking a shower. Yell out your intention, flush, stop, wash, stop. It's really no different than being hooked up to water with a cheapo pressure regulator.

You don't want to conserve too much water while taking a shower. Shutting water on and off is fine, but if you don't have enough water flowing the pump will cycle on and off. You'll have a very annoying constant pressure change. Just turn up the water a tiny bit, the pump will finally stay on continuously, and you'll have an enjoyable shower. It'd be nice to have a separate tank to even out any pressure changes, but for the added cost, complexity, and room it'd take up, just not worth it (to us).

Oh, and our fridge also has an ice maker, but due to it being on the opposite side of our plumbing, it's not hooked up. I don't think we've filled up any of the two ice trays we have since we were in Houston, and we left there the first of June (just before the big heat wave).
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Old 08-28-2009, 01:10 PM   #4
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Re: pressurized water system

I have setup similar to what a house with it's own well would have (just smaller scale):

1. Pressure activated pump (ShurFlo)
2. Pressure tank for pressurized storage

Most (or all) RV's go with #1 only. When you turn on the water the pump runs (or quickly cycles on and off if you aren't using much). I have a small 1 gallon pressure tank (got it at a farm & fleet store for ~$60) so my pump turns on less often and I get more volume until I use up the 1 gallon of reserve.

Here is what my water system looks like (during an upgrade earlier this year):



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Old 08-28-2009, 08:27 PM   #5
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Re: pressurized water system

Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty
In both our old family skoolies, dad installed a large galvanived tank (horizontally) under the bus, with the "pick-up" for the watersupply at the bottom of the tank. There was a schrader valve to pressurize the space at the top of the tank (above the water) with a bicycle pump. You had to re-pressurize the tank every day or two, depending on how much water was used, but it was mostly used for dishwashing & washing hands. No shower, no water heater, and a porta-pot toilet, water was only for the kitchen sink.

Smitty
That's how they did it in some old campers but as the tank filled from a garden hose the air inside was automatically pressurized as it filled. I actually have one of those old tanks but it wasn't very big. Before I installed the plastic tanks this year I had an old metal house pressure tank (not pressurized under the bus) but it was a little small and had issues with rust. It plugged up my pump with rust flakes.

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Old 08-28-2009, 08:30 PM   #6
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Re: pressurized water system

The tank in my Grumman was originally an air pressure system, but some PO installed a demand pump. Since the schrader valve is outside at the water tank inlet, I think I like the demand system better!
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