City Water Lines

[dewild25]

I have a slight leak in the tube connecting the city water inlet to the T-fitting on the discharge side of my pump. I wanted to replace that 20" hose but I cannot seem to find the right one. It has 1/2" FIP fittings on both sides but the actual hose diameter looks like it is bigger than 1/2". It looks closer to 3/4" from the outside. Now I realize the outside diameter is not the actual diameter. I went to Menards and they have a household faucet line that has 1/2" FIP on both ends but the outside diameter of the hose is almost half the size of the original line in my camper. I have looked all over the internet and cannot find anything. Does any one have any suggestions or know where I can get this hose. I have a picture attached. Any help would be great!

[Big 417]

Might have to buy from RV parts store. Some hardware stores sell bulk vinyl tube in various sizes. It's usually clear with a mesh weave reinforcement.

[dewild25]

I checked with one RV place and they said they didn’t have it. The inner diameter is definitely bigger than 1/2 inch so I will see what I can find.

[kksfish]

Originally Posted by dewild25

I checked with one RV place and they said they didn’t have it. The inner diameter is definitely bigger than 1/2 inch so I will see what I can find.

If the fittings on both ends are definitely 1/2” would it really matter if you just replaced the flex hose with some Type-A PEX? The PEX fittings are in my opinion more reliable and less likely to leak again in the future and the PEX is pretty flexible....Sharkbite also makes a reliable fitting as well and doesn’t require special tool to install.
I keep several different fittings and some pipe in the rig for repairs!, you never know when leaks will occur

[MarkEHansen]

Also, did you connect the city water supply using a good quality pressure regulator? The high pressure in some city water supplies may cause leaks in the trailer plumbing which might not otherwise be seen. If the leak is permanent (failure in the line or connector) is it possible it is due to a connection without a pressure regulator?

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by dewild25

I checked with one RV place and they said they didn’t have it. The inner diameter is definitely bigger than 1/2 inch so I will see what I can find.

Was that a measurement of the I.d. or an "eyeball" guess? Also where is it leaking? Those type hoses rarely fail. Typically the fitting may leak or the hose gets damaged and "wears thru" from vibration or coming in contact with a very sharp object.

[LewisB]

Maybe I'm crazy but several years ago I had to replace this line on an older trailer. What I found then is that they are the same line as used in a normal kitchen faucet and they are readily available in several lengths from your local hardware store. As I recall, I used the Stainless steel braided version since it was sort of "buried" inside the trailer and not easy to access...(crazy?)
https://www.amazon.com/Vataler-Conne...387421&sr=8-12

I wouldn't worry about the the outside diameter if you are thinking "capacity". The entire trailer has small enough piping that this one short hose on the supply side is probably not going to significantly impact flow rates.

But I would worry about supply pressure and make sure to use a true pressure regulator (not one of the cheap flow restricters commonly sold as a regulator). Something like:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[dewild25]

They do make household faucet supply lines like these but the inside diameter is definately smaller. I talked to an RV parts dealer and they said the pressure from the smaller diameter should be fine but the amount of flow could be affected. So I have not tested it yet. I installed it and now need to hook up my water hose from home and see what kind of volume i am getting out of the shower.

[LewisB]

Cool! Let us know how it works out. Thanks.

[dewild25]

I have tested it and it appears that the difference in flow is insignificant. I filled a bucket using the pump and then using the city water and it took roughly 3 seconds longer to fill using the new hose. So I think I am good to go!