Water pressure

Baymare
Baymare Forum Participant Posts: 69
edited November 2022 in Caravans #1

Hi I have. 2001 coachman Amara the water pressure in the shower is a dribble and very poor at the bathroom sink.

It good at the kitchen. I have played around with the pressure switch and have it as good as I can get it.

The pump is a 14 litre per minute would replacing it with a higher related flow pump improve the flow.

I am not bothered about the shower as we never use and prefer on site amenities as there is more room.

Would just like a better flow of water at the bathroom sink.

Cheers

Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #2

    If you increase the pressure too much you run the risk of blowing the joints apart.

    Have you had a look at the pipe run? Yours wouldn’t be the first van built with kinks in the pipes or unnecessary loops and bends. It might pay to replumb it with a straighter run.

  • Robert
    Robert Forum Participant Posts: 61
    edited November 2022 #3

    hi I would look at pipework to bathroom area as you say it ok at sink is it same on hot & cold?

  • Baymare
    Baymare Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited November 2022 #4

    Hi looked at the pipe work what I can see appears ok.

    I realize working a submersible pump won't give you dynamice flow and I'm happy with it at the kitchen and I can work with the poor flow at the bathroom.

    I was just wondering if pump with 17-19 flow would help.and not do damage.

    I've done all the usual tracing of pipes and taking out filters.

    Thanks for the posts but I have noticed this appears to be a common problem in older vans like mine and you shouldn't expect miracles.

    Tks

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #5

    I don’t agree about it being a problem in older vans. I’ve had vans 10 years older than yours that haven’t shown these issues.

    I can’t advise about different pumps/flows I’m afraid as I know nothing about the fitments on your van. I can only again suggest getting underneath and replacing the pipes.

    Good luck.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #6

    I'm wondering if, given the age of the van, it's simply a blockage somewhere - either due to algae or limescale.  If you can't take the pipework apart to clean it out, try running a solution of vinegar / bicarb through the system and leaving it to stand for 24 hrs (recommended, anyway as a means of descaling the boiler). Changing the showerhead may also be a quick way of removing a limescale blockage there.

    As far as replacing pumps is concerned - when we took delivery of our van, I changed both pumps (internal and external) from Truma to Whale High Flows and the increase in pressure / flow rate was very noticeable - indeed our shower in the van is now almost as good as that at home.

  • Baymare
    Baymare Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited November 2022 #7

    Richardandros that sounds like a plan I'll get on the over the winter before the season starts again.

    Like I say we don't use the shower and I do have water in the bathroom sink.

    It maybe I am expecting too much from a small submersible pump.

    Thanks to all.

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #8
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  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #9
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #10

    Be intrigued no more, DD. It’s a well known solution - pardon the pun.

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,426 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #11

    I remember my mum telling me and (just checked) Mrs C's grandma telling her it's an effective combination.

    From memory from school it's all about the vinegar reacting with the baking soda to release carbon dioxide that makes it so effective?

    There's plenty of stuff from a simple google search to get the right optimal ratio of one to the other.

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #12
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #13

    It’s a fix that’s been used for generations, David, chemistry lessons or not. I hope R&R's suggestion works for Baymare. 👍🏻

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #14

    Wow, Corners, you are "modern man" after all🤣🤣🤣

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #15
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #16

    As I recall, it forms a frothy liquid. Remember, it’s baking soda, not washing soda we're talking about. Washing soda is abrasive while baking soda is very much less so - you’d not be able to eat/drink it if it was. Obviously the system should be rinsed well afterwards.

    I'm with R&R, worth a try.👍🏻

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #17
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  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,135 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #18

    You 'think' it could be an expensive mistake. Let’s leave it for Baymare to make his/her own decision shall we? 👍🏻

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #19
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  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #20

    Whoops - I, inadvertently, seemed to have stirred up a hornet's nest - for which I apologise.  I think I was getting mixed up and I think DD is correct - what he says, certainly seems logical.  Descaling the water system / boiler requires just vinegar - no bicarb - so a mild acidic solution.  I think I used 5 litres in our Truma Combi 6 system - but the quantities are in the Truma instruction booklet.

    Where the bicarb comes in - is using the mixture as a cleaning agent for other things and I recently used it for cleaning our Thetford toilet cassette. There is a video on You Tube giving the quantities to use and procedure to follow.  It certainly does work and it's the fizzing effect which seems to do the trick.

     Apologies againembarassed  Should have waited until I was properly awake!!

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited November 2022 #21

    If you waited that long, R&R,  the Hornets might have vacated their nest !!

    But never mind, just look at the fun some scribes have had  laughing

  • Unknown
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    edited November 2022 #22
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  • Baymare
    Baymare Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited November 2022 #23

    Update on water pressure after looking for kinks, leaks, filters I decided to swap over the wires on the pistol grip connections 

    Low and behold water pressure now thundering through the taps. The pump was running the opposite way and just delivering enough pressure.

    I now have enough pressure to run the shower. Pump wires were back to front.

     

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #24

     Well done Baymare - good to know you solved the problem - but who would have thought of that.  I certainly wouldn't have. 

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #25

    Well done Baymare - good to hear that you sorted the problem.  Who would have thought of that - I certainly wouldn't have!!smile

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #26

    Come to this a bit late but I use vinegar and bicarbonate soda to descale my kettle, it works.

    Another good tip for waste pipes is around 6 big bottles of a very cheap coke. Leave it the system for a few hours then flush out, works a treat.