It has been a long time since I raised this problem so I thought it time to provide a bit of feedback to those who made suggested solutions.
IT'S FIXED ! ! !
I installed a one-way (non-return) valve on the inlet pipe that goes between the Shurflo 12V pump and the rest of the van.
I also bought and use a 50PSI pressure reducer from the Big Green Shed and use that at the tap end.
So now the pressure coming into the van is reduced to 50PSI before it gets to the van's pressure reducer ... and the pressure within the van's piping is now not able to 'return' to the Shurflo pressure reducer inlet.
It has now been about three months and there has not been even a tiny drip from the pressure reducer installed in the van.
Here are the items that solved the problem.
Cheers - and a big thanks for those who responded and provided suggestions - John
Radar said
07:54 AM Mar 25, 2019
Good news there Rocklizards.
We hooked up to mains pressure tap, the first time since about 100 odd nights of caravaning last year maybe June in Gosford so we could do the washing and I turned the tap on, water rush out from under the shower area. Great,
On close inspection and listening the water is dripping down the back of the shower cubical from near the mixer tap,
Tried to get it fixed in Gosford area, not good timimg as the repairers are busy on the lead up to Easter. Now down at Merimbula the some story and most have hail damage caravan filling their workshops to boot. I rang the manufactor of the caravan and they put me in tounche with a dealer over at Wagga Wagga. So today we a leaving the coast for Wagga.
Ron-D said
09:29 AM Mar 25, 2019
rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
An update.
At the previous location, connected to mains pressure, the Shurflo was dripping each day for three days ... I nipped up the screws and it made a bit of difference, the drips only produced about a teaspoon in the bowl I have fixed to the floor under the Shurflo.
Now at a different venue, connected to mains pressure, and the Shurflo has not dripped a single drop in three days.
The expression WTF comes readily to mind ... and just adds to the frustration I suffer with this product.
I am thankful for the advice/opinions offered and I am fairly certain I will be bypassing the Shurflo, getting a pressure reducer to connect directly to the van park tap and then a dedicated, secure, inlet to the van's plumbing.
Cheers - John
With most vans where you connect your inlet hose water they have a 350kpa valve all Rvs should have them fitted standard putting two of them in a row serves no purpose,unless the stock one is faulty..
rockylizard said
09:57 AM Mar 25, 2019
rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
I am currently using the FOURTH of these units over the past ten years and admit I am at my wit's and patience's end.
The originally installed one lasted less than a year before leaking and was replaced under warranty by the dealer.
A further two have been replaced by the dealer when the van is in for service and this last one was replaced by me about a year ago.
They ALL have leaked in the same place and at the same 'dripping' rate. The 'dripping rate' can be slowed by re-tightening the screws BUT the unit is made of three pieces ... the external unit that accepts the hose for mains pressure, a 'middle' bit that seems to be the actual reducer, and the 'inside van' bit that connects to the internal plumbing of the van. There is no 'gasket' between these three pieces and they are hard plastic against hard plastic - very smooth but nothing to 'absorb' any 'inconsistencies'. As the 'parts' are all hard plastic, I am reluctant to apply too much pressure to the philipps head screw in case it splits/cracks the body.
The previous one I pulled apart and used sealant as 'gaskets' on all the joins but that did not seem to work either. It was OK for a while but the 'dripping' leak reappeared.
This is the offending item.
My question is whether anyone else has this unit fitted to their van and whether those who have one, are experiencing a different story to mine ... or whether there was a solution found (a replacement part?) that negates any leaking/dripping water.
Cheers - John
Ron-D wrote:
rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
An update.
At the previous location, connected to mains pressure, the Shurflo was dripping each day for three days ... I nipped up the screws and it made a bit of difference, the drips only produced about a teaspoon in the bowl I have fixed to the floor under the Shurflo.
Now at a different venue, connected to mains pressure, and the Shurflo has not dripped a single drop in three days.
The expression WTF comes readily to mind ... and just adds to the frustration I suffer with this product.
I am thankful for the advice/opinions offered and I am fairly certain I will be bypassing the Shurflo, getting a pressure reducer to connect directly to the van park tap and then a dedicated, secure, inlet to the van's plumbing.
Cheers - John
With most vans where you connect your inlet hose water they have a 350kpa valve all Rvs should have them fitted standard(that's been then damned problem) putting two of them in a row serves no purpose,unless the stock one is faulty..
Gday...
Your comment is completely logical Ron. However, if you read my original post (above) you will see that the recurring problem was that "350kpa" valve (the Shurflo Pressure Reducer) fitted standard to the van. The original Shurflo, and the three replacements that have been installed over the past 10 years, leaked intermittently, and there was no rhyme or reason that I could find.
Now that I have the pressure reducer on the 'van park' tap, no matter what happens the pressure coming to the Shurflo from the external tap cannot be greater than 50psi ... which is below the 60psi the Shurflo is supposed to reduce the incoming water pressure to.
Indeed, it would also leak intermittently when the mains pressure hose was not connected and I was only using internal water from the tanks. So I figured that the 12v pump was putting pressure into the piping of the van ... and that pressure was 'backing up' to the Shurflo.
I installed the 'non-return/one way' valve just before the Shurflo - between that and the 12v pump - and now FINALLY I have not had a single drip from the Shurflo.
So now the 60psi Shurflo Pressure Reducer only has to accept 50psi from the external source, and is isolated from any pressure produced by the 12v pump that the piping within the van may have.
Cheers - John
Ron-D said
05:23 PM Mar 26, 2019
Looks like you have it worked out John ,my 350 kpa valve failed originally,due to very bad installation work on the van,so I fitted a new one to the van ,its the first thing the hose connects to now,same sort of setup as yours except mines bolted to the van.
rockylizard said
08:59 PM Mar 26, 2019
Ron-D wrote:
Looks like you have it worked out John ,my 350 kpa valve failed originally,due to very bad installation work on the van,so I fitted a new one to the van ,its the first thing the hose connects to now,same sort of setup as yours except mines bolted to the van.
Gday...
This is the pressure reducer that is STILL bolted to the van and the hose still connects to it to allow mains water into the van.
I just added a 50psi pressure reducer to the tap outlet - to ENSURE that no more than 50psi can arrive at the above fitting.
I have also now installed the black non-return/one way valve to the internal pipes of the van AFTER the pressure reducer - pictured above that is STILL bolted to the van wall for connection of the mains pressure hose.
There is now no way more than 50psi can arrive at the inlet side of the pictured valve above and there is no way any pressure can be applied in reverse from within the van to the pictured valve above.
Gday...
It has been a long time since I raised this problem so I thought it time to provide a bit of feedback to those who made suggested solutions.
IT'S FIXED ! ! !
I installed a one-way (non-return) valve on the inlet pipe that goes between the Shurflo 12V pump and the rest of the van.
I also bought and use a 50PSI pressure reducer from the Big Green Shed and use that at the tap end.
So now the pressure coming into the van is reduced to 50PSI before it gets to the van's pressure reducer ... and the pressure within the van's piping is now not able to 'return' to the Shurflo pressure reducer inlet.
It has now been about three months and there has not been even a tiny drip from the pressure reducer installed in the van.
Here are the items that solved the problem.
Cheers - and a big thanks for those who responded and provided suggestions - John
Good news there Rocklizards.
We hooked up to mains pressure tap, the first time since about 100 odd nights of caravaning last year maybe June in Gosford so we could do the washing and I turned the tap on, water rush out from under the shower area. Great,
On close inspection and listening the water is dripping down the back of the shower cubical from near the mixer tap,
Tried to get it fixed in Gosford area, not good timimg as the repairers are busy on the lead up to Easter. Now down at Merimbula the some story and most have hail damage caravan filling their workshops to boot. I rang the manufactor of the caravan and they put me in tounche with a dealer over at Wagga Wagga. So today we a leaving the coast for Wagga.
With most vans where you connect your inlet hose water they have a 350kpa valve all Rvs should have them fitted standard putting two of them in a row serves no purpose,unless the stock one is faulty..
Ron-D wrote:
Gday...
Your comment is completely logical Ron. However, if you read my original post (above) you will see that the recurring problem was that "350kpa" valve (the Shurflo Pressure Reducer) fitted standard to the van. The original Shurflo, and the three replacements that have been installed over the past 10 years, leaked intermittently, and there was no rhyme or reason that I could find.
Now that I have the pressure reducer on the 'van park' tap, no matter what happens the pressure coming to the Shurflo from the external tap cannot be greater than 50psi ... which is below the 60psi the Shurflo is supposed to reduce the incoming water pressure to.
Indeed, it would also leak intermittently when the mains pressure hose was not connected and I was only using internal water from the tanks. So I figured that the 12v pump was putting pressure into the piping of the van ... and that pressure was 'backing up' to the Shurflo.
I installed the 'non-return/one way' valve just before the Shurflo - between that and the 12v pump - and now FINALLY I have not had a single drip from the Shurflo.
So now the 60psi Shurflo Pressure Reducer only has to accept 50psi from the external source, and is isolated from any pressure produced by the 12v pump that the piping within the van may have.
Cheers - John
Looks like you have it worked out John ,my 350 kpa valve failed originally,due to very bad installation work on the van,so I fitted a new one to the van ,its the first thing the hose connects to now,same sort of setup as yours except mines bolted to the van.
Gday...
This is the pressure reducer that is STILL bolted to the van and the hose still connects to it to allow mains water into the van.
I just added a 50psi pressure reducer to the tap outlet - to ENSURE that no more than 50psi can arrive at the above fitting.
I have also now installed the black non-return/one way valve to the internal pipes of the van AFTER the pressure reducer - pictured above that is STILL bolted to the van wall for connection of the mains pressure hose.
There is now no way more than 50psi can arrive at the inlet side of the pictured valve above and there is no way any pressure can be applied in reverse from within the van to the pictured valve above.
It only took me a decade to get it sorted
Cheers - John