Please Help, Water Line Issues

[Nomadicchefs]

After a day at our new site, the lines under the kitchen sink are leaking at the faucet connections. When running water elsewhere, the leak will stop for several hours before returning full force. When I flush the toilet, it squeals in the kitchen lines. I do have a pressure regulator on the hose, but I can't think of any reason why these leaks have started all of a sudden. We've been fulltiming for 8 months now and have had no issues with the water lines. Is it possible the cinch clamps are just worn out? Or am I having pressure issues? There are no leaks anywhere else.

[gearhead]

Might try getting one of the brass, adjustable regulators that has a pressure gauge on it. You could see how much pressure you actually have.

[Nomadicchefs]

None of those are available in the area we are in. I got 2 brass camco regulators and put one at the city water connect and one right before my water filter. No leaks for a while, then it started again. Much slower but still leaking. I'm going to bite the bullet and call the mobile rv repair.

[ChuckS]

None of those are available in the area we are in. I got 2 brass camco regulators and put one at the city water connect and one right before my water filter. No leaks for a while, then it started again. Much slower but still leaking. I'm going to bite the bullet and call the mobile rv repair.



If the leaks are way up at the top of the faucet and it’s a standard RV style faucet the copper lines for hot and cold where they merge into the faucet fixture are prone to fail and leak. They are pressed in lines

We had one start leaking and had to disconnect below and cap lines till I could get to a Home Depot and buy a regular house fixture.

[Nomadicchefs]

If the leaks are way up at the top of the faucet and it’s a standard RV style faucet the copper lines for hot and cold where they merge into the faucet fixture are prone to fail and leak. They are pressed in lines

We had one start leaking and had to disconnect below and cap lines till I could get to a Home Depot and buy a regular house fixture.

Ours are plastic connections and plastic faucet bottoms.

[ChuckS]

Ours are plastic connections and plastic faucet bottoms.



Looking at your setup if it’s not leaking at the PEX crimps then I’d turn off water and bleed pressure by opening faucets

Then I’d remove each line up top and wrap a few turns of Teflon tape around each faucet threaded fitting and reinstall lines and turn water in and check for leaks

[Nomadicchefs]

I'll try that, thanks.

[LabRat]

I think it has to do with water pressure and possibly coupled with a loose fitting. The main clue is that the problem goes away when you use water which reduces the pressure. The regulator you are using maybe allowing the pressure in the lines to slowly creep up when there is now water usage. It is had to tell without a pressure gauge.

[Nomadicchefs]

I think it has to do with water pressure and possibly coupled with a loose fitting. The main clue is that the problem goes away when you use water which reduces the pressure. The regulator you are using maybe allowing the pressure in the lines to slowly creep up when there is now water usage. It is had to tell without a pressure gauge.
We had one and it broke, now all we have are the standard 40/50 psi regulator from camco. All the small spots here only offer the standard, no gauge or adjustable regulators anywhere. I have 2 on the line now. I will try the wrap and see how that works.

[sourdough]

If you are running the Camco little pressure regulators I doubt that you have a problem with them letting too much pressure in. The ones I used (several) made sure my pressure was way low. Without a gauge though you don't know.

[JRTJH]

Have you considered, as a temporary measure, to just use the onboard water pump rather than the city water connection? Just refill the fresh water tank as needed and eliminate the potential for leaks and water damage from them. Then, as you get time, troubleshoot until you find the fix, buy a better regulator and/or whatever the fix may be. In the mean time, with the onboard water pump, no leaks and no potential damage to the RV.

[ChuckS]

Also another suggestion... when you leave the RV get in the habit of turning off the city water and/or pump is using that ...

If you get into this routine you will never come back to a flooded RV

[Billiejoebob]

My 2007!Hideaway has no water pressure. Checked source & bought new hose, still no pressure. Suggestions

[ctbruce]

My 2007!Hideaway has no water pressure. Checked source & bought new hose, still no pressure. SuggestionsDid it before? Is this a new to you trailer or have you had it a while?

[Nomadicchefs]

We drove a ways and got an adjustable gauge. The pressure is at 40psi. The camper went an entire night and day with no leaks at the kitchen faucets, then after my husband took a shower, they began leaking again. I took them apart and put thread tape on them and am testing it now. I'd rather do it myself than pay $75 for the tech to come to the rv, plus labor over $100/hr.

[chuckster57]

If you take the pex line off you will see cone washers in the fitting. Often times they are the reason for your leak. They are about 20 cents and easy to replace. I don’t use Teflon tape, but have changed out too many washers to count.

[Nomadicchefs]

If you take the pex line off you will see cone washers in the fitting. Often times they are the reason for your leak. They are about 20 cents and easy to replace. I don’t use Teflon tape, but have changed out too many washers to count.
If this test fails, my next move will be the washers. I didn't notice them when I had the line apart, but I'll check if I have to take them apart again. Thanks

[art1046]

You can get a pressure gauge for standard hose and install after the RV pressure gauge to check psi entering RV.

[rdhouston]

Also another suggestion... when you leave the RV get in the habit of turning off the city water and/or pump is using that ...

If you get into this routine you will never come back to a flooded RV

I always do this and gas too.

[flybouy]

You may consider a gauge like this... https://www.amazon.com/LDR-020-9645-Pressure-4-Inch/dp/B004RSTCZA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526480126&sr=8-4&keywords=water+pressure+gauge
I use a hose "Y" connection with a gauge like this on one fitting. The red pointer sets to zero and when the water is turned on it will stay at the highest reading. I have found cg's where water pressure drops off during usage then on week days and during the night the pressure will increase dramatically. This often occurs where the cg has a well and the pump has insufficient flow to meet the demand. The cg will crank up the pressure to attempt to compensate. I have looked at this guage in the a.m. and found the pressure as much as doubled during the night.
When you connect your regulator you should adjust it by reducing the pressure (typically counter clockwise on the adjustment screw) until the pressure begins to drop, the crank it the opposite direction until the pressure stabilizes. If you continue to adjust it farther you will not a true regulation as the adjustment would be for a higher pressure than is currently available and it will increase if the line pressure increases.
Hope this makes sense and helps.

[Jerry Roberts]

I think it has to do with water pressure and possibly coupled with a loose fitting. The main clue is that the problem goes away when you use water which reduces the pressure. The regulator you are using maybe allowing the pressure in the lines to slowly creep up when there is now water usage. It is had to tell without a pressure gauge.

I had leaking under sink with adjustable water regulator and found the leak by letting the hot water heater pressure build up and that started the leak. If air gap in hot water heater was sufficient, no leak, but if not it would leak when pressure built up from the hot water. I fixed it by better securing the fitting, just tightened them.

[ron130fe]

I have two water leaks at the elbows on the hot/cold lines going to my bathroom sink they are the blue/red pex lines with the silver crimp band any ideas on how to tighten them?

[JRTJH]

Unless you have (or buy/borrow) a PEX crimping tool, chances are you can't successfully tighten those crimped bands. Probably easier and less costly would be to purchase a couple of Sharkbite elbows, cut out the leaking elbows and replace them with the Sharkbite connectors.

[travelin texans]

There are 2 types, one is a solid band, the other has a small square shaped notch sticking up, you can get the tools for Pex piping at most home improvement stores for which ever type band you have & try retightening them, worked for me.

[JRTJH]

The two types of crimps are shown here. Crimp rings are all I've ever seen as OEM on Keystone trailers. The Crimp bands are significantly more expensive (about $3 each vs 30 cents each) and Keystone (at least by reputation) is much too cheap to use the expensive type. And as TT said, there are specific tools for each which are not interchangeable.

[travelin texans]

The two types of crimps are shown here. Crimp rings are all I've ever seen as OEM on Keystone trailers. The Crimp bands are significantly more expensive (about $3 each vs 30 cents each) and Keystone (at least by reputation) is much too cheap to use the expensive type. And as TT said, there are specific tools for each which are not interchangeable.

The 2nd picture is the only type used on my 5er & the tool to crimp them fits every size used on my 5er. The "bands" in the 1st picture require a different tool with various sizes inserts to fit different size bands.

[RagingRobert]

I don't think the pressure has anything to do with it. Fittings can leak after a while with the travelling. Where is it leaking...at the crimp or the threaded part that screws onto the faucet? Probably just a bad connection. Pex tools are expensive. You'll need a crimp ring remover also. I would just cut the pipe next to the crimp ring and unscrew the fitting. Screw on the proper sharkbite fitting with some teflon tape to the faucet and push in the pex as JRTJH suggested. You should have some slack in the pipe to do this.

[Mrmiata]

Ahh.. memories of our first time out with our brand new TT :lol:

[Local150]

I think it has to do with water pressure and possibly coupled with a loose fitting. The main clue is that the problem goes away when you use water which reduces the pressure. The regulator you are using maybe allowing the pressure in the lines to slowly creep up when there is now water usage. It is had to tell without a pressure gauge.
I had a similar problem once and started with too much pressure,, after that even with a regulator I would only turn water on outside a turn or a little more,, then go in and check pressure, if it was enough would leave it alone,, if not give it another 1/4 turn and so on

[travelin texans]

[QUOTE=RagingRobert;310012]I don't think the pressure has anything to do with it. Fittings can leak after a while with the travelling. Where is it leaking...at the crimp or the threaded part that screws onto the faucet? Probably just a bad connection. Pex tools are expensive. You'll need a crimp ring remover also. I would just cut the pipe next to the crimp ring and unscrew the fitting. Screw on the proper sharkbite fitting with some teflon tape to the faucet and push in the pex as JRTJH suggested. You should have some slack in the pipe to do this.[/QUOTE

Most pex fittings have a cone washer in them that don't require Teflon tape & hand tighten only.
Also by only partially opening the faucet you are reducing the flow not the pressure which is what the cheapo so called water regulator they probably gave you with your rv does also. A good quality regulator is recommended.

[RagingRobert]

Danny...pretty sure the one side of the SHARK fitting that screws onto the faucet threads needs Teflon tape. I've never seen a Pex fitting with a washer in it...I'm talking elbows/couplings/tees (you said most fittings) those plastic ones that screw onto faucets yes they do. The water pressure has nothing to do with the leak IMO. A good connection will not leak regardless of the pressure unless it's extreme...then you'll want it to leak or it will probably burst.

[WNY Bullet]

Danny...pretty sure the one side of the SHARK fitting that screws onto the faucet threads needs Teflon tape. I've never seen a Pex fitting with a washer in it...I'm talking elbows/couplings/tees (you said most fittings) those plastic ones that screw onto faucets yes they do. The water pressure has nothing to do with the leak IMO. A good connection will not leak regardless of the pressure unless it's extreme...then you'll want it to leak or it will probably burst.

The fittings that screw onto the faucet itself, should have a rubber washers inside it, so they would not require to be Teflon taped.

[RagingRobert]

The Pex no tape....a female Sharkbite fitting you need tape

[chuckster57]

I’ve never used Teflon tape on shark bite fittings, just the cone washers.

[travelin texans]

If you're using a pex fitting with pipe threads on one end, yes use Teflon tape, but as I said pex fittings have the cone washer, no tape needed. Even the braided hoses to connect to water supply lines under the sink have the washer, no tape.