Fresh water supply plumbing

[Van]

Not wanting to drift the pump tread so I started this one. I am curious as to how ya'll are using your pumps. Full time, part time when city water hook up is available via pump bypass? How is yours plumbed?

[richard5933]

The bus is plumbed to run off city water, but to be honest the only time I ever use that is when I flush out the system to de-winterize. Otherwise, we run off the pump at all times. I like knowing that there is virtually no way for us to ever overfill our waste tank this way since I never fill the freshwater all the way to the top.

I installed the city water connection upstream from the pump, and there is a check valve between it and the pump to eliminate any back pressure on the pump and its plastic check valve. When I do connect to city water I attach through an adjustable pressure regulator to be sure I don't blow something. At home it's not an issue since our system peaks at 60 psi.

We have 90 gallons of fresh water and a 90-gallon waste tank. I fill the tank with softened water before leaving home, and we're good to go for 4-5 days before I have to worry about filling/dumping.

My other worry about running on city water is leaks. If a leak develops when city water is connected it will likely end up being a catastrophic failure damage wise unless you catch it. Our pump is wired with a pump controller and a switch at every point of use, and unless we're in the process of cooking or using the bathroom it's generally switched off.

Our entire plumbing system is plumbed with copper tubing, with the exceptions being the flex connection hoses at the sinks/toilet and the reinforced tubing near the pump. The reinforced silicon tubing near the pump was to reduce vibration transmission from the pump.

What's in the photo is pretty much what is there now, except I have a 1L accumulator tank in place of the smaller one.

Hope this is what you're looking for.

[luvrbus]

Van I have always used the auto fill valve on the fresh water tank when tied into city water the tank stays full and I use the pump never directly from city water supply,when you come down I have a good filter with a adjustable Watts pressure regulator you use on the connection point so you don't blow hoses and may have a extra auto fill valve   

[Van]

Richard that looks like a stout set up. Clifford thanks! I just wanted to get a feel for what every one is currently using. Having Done quite a few custom set ups for customers while @ B&B Under the tutelage of Gary Bennett whom I owe half of my left nut (the other half to Cliff) to for most of my conversion experience when I first started messing with Bus Conversions. I love to innovate designs as well as stream line applications and now I get to start redesign our coach's Plumbing to suit our needs. Our bus was purposely built by the Previous owners for weekend and regional use and only has a 40 gallon fresh tank and 40 Gray/black capacity. I'm wanting to do 100 for each. Now as far as the pump is concerned I could go with the Head hunter 110vac pump But I want to go the other direction wich is 12vac instead. Just thoughts rattling around in my head right now since the topic of pumps has been up for a bit. Thnx

[richard5933]

What ever pump you end up going with, try and leave yourself a way to substitute another one while on the road. These things tend to give out in the worst places from what I've seen.

Our first bus had another Shurflo model, and I replaced it with a 2088 model. Same basic footprint and connections.  As long as you use something with a common footprint and connections you'll always be able to get a temporary replacement anywhere.

If you go with something too exotic, you'll limit the ability to find a spare.

Thanks for the kind words about the plumbing in my bus. What Custom Coach lacked in the electrical department they made up for in plumbing. The only problems I had in the plumbing when I got it were places the previous owner didn't properly winterize or where plastic components in faucets failed from age. The basic copper plumbing is holding tight and still doing its job.

I do especially like the marine style water heater. It doesn't hold any more or heat any better than an RV model, but it has excellent insulation and the cube shape makes it easy to install in the middle of the bay like it is.

[silversport]

For me the "city water" hook up goes direct to two filters (one sediment, one carbon), plumbed the coach with PEX's. Installed a valve after filters to fill the 140 gal fresh water tank (closed system). The pump is a variable speed and there is no room (that I what to give up) for a accumulator tank. Three switches for the pump (kitchen, bathroom, driver "misters", we always leave the pump off until needed. Doing the system in Pex I do not worry about to high of water pressure

[luvrbus]

For me the "city water" hook up goes direct to two filters (one sediment, one carbon), plumbed the coach with PEX's. Installed a valve after filters to fill the 140 gal fresh water tank (closed system). The pump is a variable speed and there is no room (that I what to give up) for a accumulator tank. Three switches for the pump (kitchen, bathroom, driver "misters", we always leave the pump off until needed. Doing the system in Pex I do not worry about to high of water pressure

I never worry about high pressure inside the coach,RV parks the pressure is all over the map so I use a good regulator at the connection I woke up to many times with a busted water hose from high pressure,and with the hose reel I don't want that   

[dtcerrato]

Same here on the high pressure regulator it's mounted inside the hose connection port in a more permanent style.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Never had a need for a regulator,  filled water straight to the tank, turned hose off, then 12v pump thru 2 filters, shut off switch upstairs that we shut off any time we left the bus....easy simple system.

[richard5933]

Never had a need for a regulator,  filled water straight to the tank, turned hose off, then 12v pump thru 2 filters, shut off switch upstairs that we shut off any time we left the bus....easy simple system.

Interesting...you have your pump before the filters and then pump through them. Our filter is between the tank and the pump, hoping to prevent anything from getting to the pump.

Wonder which is better? Or, does it make much of a difference at all?

[luvrbus]

It all depends on your usage,we are setup with a washer and dryer, shower, 3 sinks,and a dishwasher,we pull into a RV park about once a week to do laundry.so I bypass the auto fill and water pump on the fresh water tank and use the parks water it more convenient that was for me so I regulate the pressure,I have a fill cap for the tank but have never used the auto fill takes care of that when using the parks water hook up   

[Jim Blackwood]

I haven't built the system yet but a couple of things... First off water quality, smell and taste varies widely and we have good water here at the home base. So I don't want hookup water contaminating my tank water until it's quality is proven.

Drinking water: I like a drinking water spigot located at the sink, with it's own filter. I realize some refrigerators do that but it's hard to fill an iced tea pitcher from there. Not hard or expensive to do. Plumbed to the pump so it is always drawing from the tank regardless of hookups.

Although filling from a hose will almost always be possible, in case it ever isn't I also have a 2" deck fill in case for instance I ever want to fill from a water company supply location or a spring. A hose can be slipped in there easily as well.

I want to be able to pressurize the system via the water source also, so the regulator and filter apply and check valves are a pretty good idea. One to protect the pump, and one to prevent outflow through the hose hookup.

Water heater will be propane/110v. I like being able to hear when the water is hot. Also with the element switched on it will heat twice as fast when the propane burner is used. Location will be under the kitchen sink.

Both copper and pex seem like good systems.

Jim

[luvrbus]

 Jim with your diesel fired heating system use that instead of propane and electricity those units will produce a lot of hot water in a hurry and cheap too

[Jim Blackwood]

Good idea, but there is a further advantage with a propane burner if you can get one of the older pilot light type ones. The pilot will keep the water warm enough for all the usual small uses like washing hands and the occasional dish so there's no delay with those usages in getting warm water and it only needs fired up for showers and such, saving a considerable amount of energy. That little pilot can burn for a long, long time on very little propane. Even useful to prevent freezing.

Jim

[Dave5Cs]

Regulator at fill then two filters Particulate and carbon then 2 T's with one going to ball shutoff and onto water system use and other side of first T to ball shutoff to pump and tank othe Tee to tank also and second pump and then ball shutoff and to engine room and split to rads for sprinklers both sides if ever need them. Above is 1/2" sharkbite pipe with pex fittings.
Separate system we carry 3, 5 gallon blue bottles that have a cap with a hole in the top of one where a tube goes into that bottle and can be changed very easy to another when one is empty. Comes out of bottle through another water pump on the ceiling of the bay above it across to the kitchen side up through the floor and cabinet and hooks to a faucet just for it. The pump goes on when you push the lever on it to fill drinking glass or cooking pot etc. 1'4" line on that. Have off on switches for all pumps plus auto on's when needed. Am in the process of changing all piping to pex.

Shower head had a shutoff on the hand held sprayer also.