Dripping shower head

Inigomontoya · 07-03-2018, 08:55 AM

I have a Cougar 29FKS. When I take a shower and use the button on the shower head to stop the water flow it does not stop the water flow completely. The shower head keeps dripping water until I turn it off at the valves. Is this normal?
Thanks for any help.

zuley · 07-03-2018, 09:29 AM

Very seldom use our shower in the trailer but on the ocassions in which we have the water does not leak when the button is engaged in the off position. Just a thought here. That button is a slide valve of sorts. I'm wonder if you sprayed a little WD40 on the slide and worked it back and forth if it would lube the seal and stop the leak.

buvens · 07-03-2018, 09:49 AM

Ours always leaked a little when you shut it off there.
Then you get a little cold shot when you turn it back on

SC Dreamer · 07-03-2018, 10:02 AM

It could be like the button on mine....makes no difference if you press it one way or the other!

DVPete · 07-03-2018, 11:09 AM

Both my inside and outside shower heads leak. Then I get the cold shot of water when I turn it back on. I still have the cheap ones that the camper came with. Someday I'll upgrade. I'm sure there's something better out there.

DocP · 07-03-2018, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buvens

Ours always leaked a little when you shut it off there.
Then you get a little cold shot when you turn it back on

I've always used the Oxygenics shower heads in my campers. All of them have had a slow drip when the button is pushed (and get the cold shot when turned back on).

Old Mustanger · 07-03-2018, 06:42 PM

It's kind of funny I read somewhere that the drip is supposed to keep the water flowing just enough to prevent the cold shot...never worked for me.

**sourdough** · 07-03-2018, 07:29 PM

What's this "cold shot"?

I don't turn mine off (unless off grid) so I don't experience "that". Not to say that I didn't spend many years having that "wake up call", I just don't mess with it now unless in certain situations.

**flybouy** · 07-04-2018, 04:31 AM

The slow drip is normal. The valve on the shower head isn't exactly the quality valve used in a nuclear reactor.

ctbruce · 07-04-2018, 05:53 AM

1. It's normal.
2. The cold blast is ungodly, turn the head away from you.
3. There is a fix: https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/how...our-rv-shower/

FlyingAroundRV · 07-04-2018, 06:04 AM

Ours is the same: Leaks and the cold blast. The link posted bt ctBruce really describes what's going on, very well.
After reading that, I realize that the shutoff is backfilling the HWS with cold water! Not a brilliant idea.

**JRTJH** · 07-04-2018, 07:06 AM

This is another example of how "trailer owners" change the names of things through the years. The actual name of the valve on our shower head is a "trickle valve" (not a shut-off valve). It is there to protect the hose/shower head from forgetful owners. Years ago there was a "true shutoff valve" installed in "upgrade trailers" (no valve in most standard build trailers). Owners would turn on the faucet, shower, turn the water off at the showerhead valve and get out of the shower, leaving the hose pressurized. They would leave the trailer (freshly showered and smelling good) only to return to a flooded trailer and find the "light duty hose" had split and flooded the bathroom, possibly the entire trailer.

So, manufacturers came up with a means to "protect the forgetful". The "invented a leaking shutoff valve" and called it a "trickle valve"..... That made it difficult (but not impossible for the stupid) to forget to turn off the faucet. It solved the problem of flooded bathrooms but not the problem of the cold blast of water when turning the valve back on. There is a modification to prevent that, but it entails 3 winterization valves on the rear of the water heater, something most owners just don't find worth the effort, so they complain of "leaking shutoff valves" and "cold water when the leaking valve is turned back on......

Like Paul Harvey, "now you know the rest of the story".......

And for those who want to change out their trickle valve, I'd suggest that you not do that, unless you're the type that never, EVER forgets to turn off the faucet.......

DVPete · 07-04-2018, 12:51 PM

Not sure if his cross flow/back flow theory holds water. At first it sounds great until you realize that we do indeed have a check valve in the hot water line at the outlet side of the hot water heater. That's what allows us to have only one winterization valve that redirects flow, bypassing the hot water heater. His set up may not have that check valve but I think you'll find that many of us do.

I'll have to look for this pressure reducing valve in the hot water side before the HW heater that he talks about his unit having in the comment section. I've haven't heard of that but I learn things in this forum all the time. Even if there is one, the check valve at the HW heater outlet will stop the back flow. Doesn't matter where it is, at the heater or at the shower valve. After the HW heater it is a solid system so there is no where for back flow to go except to cause the pipes to expand.

Why didn't the addition of a check valve at the shower valve fix his problem? The check valve in the system is actually part of the problem. It is a spring loaded check valve. Once the trickle valve is shut off, the entire hot and cold water system will equalize pressure. The cold side gets a straight shot for flow to the shower head because there are no additional restrictions in the line but the hot side has to be able to push past the spring in the check valve which it won't do because it is easier for the water to go through the cold side because it doesn't have the check valve so you only get cold water flowing from the faucet to the shower head. The hot water is trapped behind the check valve.

That's why changing your winterization bypass valve set up to a 3 valve set up may fix the problem. That modification allows you to remove the check valve from the HW heater. There is a separate inlet and outlet valve to isolate the HW heater and a bypass valve to allow flow for winterization.

Javi · 07-04-2018, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DVPete

That's why changing your winterization bypass valve set up to a 3 valve set up may fix the problem. That modification allows you to remove the check valve from the HW heater. There is a separate inlet and outlet valve to isolate the HW heater and a bypass valve to allow flow for winterization.

Oh.. it fixes it... I do it to all my trailers as soon as I bring them home.. old fashion I know... but it never fails...

**flybouy** · 07-05-2018, 03:55 AM

Interesting thoughts and I struggle in thinking how going back to extra valves fixs the issue. Water cannot compress so the system, if devoid of air, is always in stabelization. I always thought the simplest and easiest remedy was to point te shower hea away when turning it back on. I also practice this method when initialy turning the water on.

Javi · 07-05-2018, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

Interesting thoughts and I struggle in thinking how going back to extra valves fixs the issue. Water cannot compress so the system, if devoid of air, is always in stabelization. I always thought the simplest and easiest remedy was to point te shower hea away when turning it back on. I also practice this method when initialy turning the water on.

There are some things in life that it is better to just accept, rather than worry about why...

Dave W · 07-05-2018, 04:36 AM

Ours leaked ---- and on every RV we have ever owned. That is until it gets replaced with a good (read more expensive) version. On this 5er, the shut off valve popped out and I just replaced with a similar new one. A few ounces of water wont make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of life in the shower. Also, we usually don't bother with the valve unless we don't have a sewer hookup. The shower head only passes 1.5 gpm at 50 psig and with mixing with cold and having a 10 gallon HW heater neither of us take more then 2-3 minutes and wont run out of hot water.

johnlewis · 07-08-2018, 05:46 PM

Our Oxygenics shower head leaks when I close the valve, but when I turn the shower head back on, the "cold shot" is virtually non existant. I think the leak in the valve is designed to minimize the "cold shot" when the water is turned back on.

hankaye · 07-08-2018, 07:10 PM

Inigomontoya, Howdy;

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inigomontoya

I have a Cougar 29FKS. When I take a shower and use the button on the shower head to stop the water flow it does not stop the water flow completely. The shower head keeps dripping water until I turn it off at the valves. Is this normal?
Thanks for any help.

The leak is designed into the shower. Where the hose connects to the mixer unit
(where the knobs are), there is what's called a "vacuum-breaker valve". It allows the
hose to drain completely after you turn off the water at the knobs. It also helps
drain those water lines when you store the unit for the winter thus saving
some water from freezing in the supply lines ... Be happy it dribbles.
Here's a photo of one of them sneaky critters it's the black thing at top center some
are white;
https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...kle_X-YNN53VBN

hankaye

PS How's the hunt for the man with 6 fingers going?

Inigomontoya · 07-16-2021, 06:21 AM

Hankaye,
I just checked my post from 2018. I have a 2008 Cougar 29FKS. How is the hunt for a less complicated life going? I have been looking since 1948.

Inigomontoya

PS Still looking for the 6 fingered man!

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