Posted 2016-12-05 7:21 PM (#168938) Subject: Newbie with LQ water questions
New User
Posts: 2
Location: Lucas tx
I bought a New 3 horse Exiss with a Sierra Interior last March. It came to me winterized. When we hooked it up to city water the first time we drained out all the anti -freeze. We took it on a few overnight camp trips to try out everything. I used the water heater, toliet and sink, shower and water heater all with no problems. When summer came we parked the trailer for a few months. We pulled it out a few weeks ago to go camping. When I got to the camp site I hooked up city water (we use a regulator) and the water flowed at first but seemed kind of gritty. The toliet filled with water, the sink and the outside water spickot worked as well. Then everything kind of sputtered as if the water was blocked from flowing to the sink, toliet, and outside water. Now ,when a valve is turned on you can hear the water come in but seems to stop as if it is blocked. I have been looking for a clogged filter or something that might be blocking the flow but I am not sure where to even look! Any ideas?
Posted 2016-12-06 11:28 PM (#168941 - in reply to #168938) Subject: RE: Newbie with LQ water questions
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Causes of Low Flow in RVs Size matters, particularly in regard to water flow through pipes and orifices, and the bigger the better. Anything that reduces size in a plumbing system creates a restriction to flow. Restrictions can occur at any point in your RV from the park's valve to your kitchen sink or shower, and they are cumulative. Several modest restrictions in your plumbing system can drastically reduce the flow at the shower head. So, let's start at the beginning of your water supply line and look at causes of restriction and fixes available.
It Starts With The Hose The hose you use to connect your RV to the water supply may be the first cause of flow restriction. Many RV water hoses are pretty cheap, and they are prone to kinking or collapsing. If your hose does that, you are suffering from a flow restriction. The solution here is to use a better hose that resists deformation.
Pressure Regulators Also Cut Flow We talked about pressure regulators earlier and think they are a wise investment. However, while protecting you from excess pressure, they may be seriously reducing your flow. Like many plumbing fittings, regulators inherently restrict flow, but some are worse than others. Generally speaking, the more expensive regulators can accommodate a much greater flow of water than the cheap ones. We sell a complete line of pressure regulators, including industrial-strength, high-flow, adjustable units.
Filters Can Reduce Flow Significantly Filters work by forcing water through very small orifices to strain out the contaminants. Fortunately, there are a huge number of "holes" in a filter, and the bigger the filter unit, the more "holes" it has, and the better the flow. So, to achieve better flow through a filter, use a bigger filter that has more filtration area. A small, in-line filter restricts flow more than a 10-inch standard canister, and the standard canister is more restrictive than ajumbo canister. So, if you are using filtration on all of the water used in your RV, you will want to go with the largest filtration system that will fit your needs to avoid flow restrictions. Another factor to consider with filters is that as they get plugged with contaminants, their flow rate decreases. If you find your flow rate dropping when you are using filters, it may be time to clean or replace them.
Posted 2016-12-07 4:56 PM (#168947 - in reply to #168938) Subject: RE: Newbie with LQ water questions
Regular
Posts: 88 Location: Washington
If you haven't already done so, put some water in your tank and check system operation. If it's working, find the city water inlet (from inside) and start tracing back out. You may have an inline filter. Look in your owners manual or call the dealer. That may be of some help. It's also possible that, as suggested in the other response, there may be a regulator failure. Some RV manufacturers install an onboard regulator to protect your system. It's mechanical and it can fail. If you end up needing to replace hose, it can be a pain as that stuff is installed often with all the access areas open to the world. There's not much working room to replace the hose clamps. Good luck.
Newbie with LQ water questions
Filters work by forcing water through very small orifices to strain out the
contaminants. Fortunately, there are a huge number of "holes" in a filter, and the bigger the filter unit, the more "holes" it has, and the better the flow. So, to achieve better flow through a filter, use a bigger filter that has more filtration area. A small, 
in your RV, you will want to go with the largest filtration system that will fit your needs to avoid flow restrictions. Another factor to consider with filters is that as they get plugged with contaminants, their flow rate decreases. If you find your flow rate dropping when you are using filters, it may be time to clean or replace them.