Lisa Rae

So I think I have fixed 99.9% of my issues. After cleaning the flow restrictors/pressure regulators that helped a lot but I decided to replace them with a hollow pipe (got it at Home Depot, I'm sure there were other ways to do this but this was simplest for me) so there is no restriction. I purchased an external pressure regulator and have that set to 55psi and will use that going forward. I also replaced the faucet head in the bathroom and I have great flow/pressure almost everywhere now. The one place I think the flow/pressure could be better still is the toile. I did try cleaning the filter/screen as was suggested in an earlier post, but I couldn't figure out how to get the filter/screen out so I poured vinegar down the tube and let it sit for a few hours but it didn't seem to help. It's good enough though. The bowl doesn't hold water for very long so have to look into that. The last thing I found which I am sure contributed to a lot of my problems was the anode rod was way overdue to be replaced and water heater was full of scale/buildup. I flushed out the hot water heater, which took a while for stuff to stop coming out and the water to be clear then put in the new anode rod and tested the system and everything is working like new again. So what I have learned from all of this is it's very important to use a water softener and/or flush the lines regularly to avoid buildup. As I said earlier, I do think the cleaning the flow restrictors/pressure regulators made the most difference, when on city water, but I think its best to just replace them. That's probably why they don't have them in the 2018 and newer units. Be sure to use an adjustable external regulator just to be sure. When using the internal water pump cleaning/replacing the screens on the faucets or the faucet head itself made the difference. I did start with the faucets before moving onto anything else and that's what you need to do when diagnosing this kind of problem and remember to confirm you have the same problem on city water and you do with the water pump. I hope this helps someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

@jd1923 & @Townesw I think i will remove the two pressure regulators from inside the camper (since OTT did in 2018) in favor of using an adjustable one on the hose going to the camper. I think that will be the best solution because I think a large part of my problem came from those getting clogged up. I'll try and replace them this weekend and test it, along with cleaning the filter/screen on the bottom of the toilet as @MAX Burner suggested.

@TowneswI am assuming you replaced the internal pressure regulator with a regular tubing/plumbing?

@MAX BurnerThank you for the picture, I did not know there was a screen there. Mine has a filter connected to that but I bet there is still a filter there I need to clean. I have done the filter/aerators in the faucets and so far I think what has made the biggest difference is cleaning the pressure regulators followed by replacing the aerator and or shower head.

@MAX Burner What did you do to increase the flow/pressure to the toilet? I'm not sure what you mean by the diffuser screens?

@William SJT I noticed the issue with the switch and push hard on it but that doesn't help. I did find however when the water pressure is lower it is harder to switch the spray and have it stay on the one you are trying to select.

@STEVEnBETTY I appreciate that info, I don't remember seeing a red piece when I took the faucet/shower head apart and soaked it all but I can give it another look. @jd1923 having worked in manufacturing with engineers, then becoming one myself, for over 30yrs I see both sides of it. I also know that some decisions are made by a purchasing person tasked with trying to save 10cents on a part or by someone with the shop floor experience to know what the engineer designed wont work in the real world. So there might not be one person who actually knows the "why". The engineer may not know his design was changed by the person with the shop floor knowledge or by the person saving a few cents on every fitting. Unfortunately these things happen, one of the best example was the Ford Pinto, the engineers designed a great car until the accountants decided to save $20 on every car and not put a bladder in the fuel tank to prevent fuel from leaking out in a crash. I have no direct knowledge that this kind of thing has happened in the plumbing system of the Oliver but with the inconsistencies you can see where it's possible multiple people with different agendas have been involved and no one knows someone else altered anything and why. It also could be whoever made those decisions is no longer with the company and no one know why it's done the way it is but since it works well for most customers they just keep doing it. Oliver is not a dumb company and they do listen to their customers about issues and how to improve things but at the end of the day they are still a business and they have to ultimately do what is best for the bottom line and the sustainability of the company. Some times that means make a change and other times it means don't make the change because the benefits don't outweigh the cost and in this case I'll bet they wouldn't by a long shot but I could be wrong.

@Geronimo John LMAO...I know you were joking but to clarify for others, the filter does not purify the water it just catches debris in the water so it doesn't get in the valve of the toilet and damage it or cause a blockage.

@jd1923 Thanks for the info. I didn't realize the regulators had the PSI on them, duh. I thought about replacing them but didn't know where to get them and they don't show a brand name to be able to look them up but if/when I replace them I will go with the higher PSI as you suggest. I will still use an external regulator also though. I didn't get a chance yet to do the timed test yet but I will get to it hopefully tomorrow. I was wondering if the length of the plumbing run to the bathroom is what is causing the pressure/flow to be low and the pump surge but I guess I won't know until I get this all fixed but technically the length of the run should effect it unless there are other issues. I don't think I am going to try and replace the fitting to get them to be true 1/2" just yet but might as a last resort. I am planning on doing the vanity mod as well since I already took it out. I'm going to drill into the ends of the clear bars about 1/2" deep and add LEDs (because everything is better with LEDs) and put a power switch in next to the water pump switch just to add some lighting for at night.

@mossemi I did figure out the thing on the toilet was a filter and cleaned it out, there was a lot of sediment in it but it was not clogged. I was going off this plumbing diagram which seemed to match the way my water lines go but I don't have an accumulator and this one does and the the one you posted doesn't so I will take another look at how my liens are run. The one you posted and this one however don't show the inline pressure regulators and backflow valves which I really think they should. I run bathroom sink faucet hose running without the head on in it and seems like a good flow but you can still see it's not steady and the you can hear the pump surging. Still don't know if that is normal. I will give your suggestion a try to try and get a baseline.

@Jason Fosterthanks for the link, I will try that. @RonbrinkI did that but have no frame of reference if the flow was good or not but I guess if the pump stays on constantly and doesn't surg that might tell me if the faucet/shower head is the problem. If it is that won't explain why the water flow to the toilet is low, but one thing at a time. Thanks!

@Jason FosterThank you for commenting and kinda confirming that's not normal. I have tried to find a kink but the hot and cold lines seem to be hidden on the street side from the basement to the sink but it doesn't mean there isn't a kink I just can't see it.

I've searched through the forums here and have seen this topic come up and either fizzle out with no answer/resolution posted or a resolution that I've tried and it has not fixed my problem. I'll start with some background on my situation. I purchased a 2008 Elite back in 2021 and had it for almost 2 years and loved it and never had a problem with it but just wanted more room so I purchased a 2016 Elite II in March of 2023. Ever since I got it I never felt the water pressure in the bathroom (whether on city water or using the fresh water tank with the pump) was that great for the sink and the toilet. It seemed to get worse as time went on and maybe it was my imagination but I felt the kitchen sink and outside faucet didn't have the same amount of pressure anyone. I did find a leak in the back of the outside faucet and just replaced the entire box and that fixed that issue but not the issue in the bathroom. In the basement storage area I found the water pressure regulator and back flow valves and took them out and soaked them in white vinegar for a few hours. This seemed to help the kitchen and outside faucet but not the bathroom. I would recommend everyone do this every couple of years because there was a fair amount of build up on these and they really weren't that hard to get to. So next I took the sprayer off the faucet and soaked the entire handle in white vinegar for a few hours and put it back on and there wasn't any improvement. With the sprayer disconnected from the hose water flowed from the hose ok but not great, but never having seen it flowing from there before under perfect conditions I don't know for sure. I double checked the toilet again and it was still slow to fill. I checked to make sure the valve was fully opened and there were no kinks in water line to it. I did finally notice there is water pressure regulator on the back of the toilet, I don't remember having one on my previous Oliver but I also never had a water problem with it so that night be why I don't remember it. Is/was this standard equipment on a 2016 or is it an addon by one of the previous owners? I have not tried to adjust it yet, not even sure it is adjustable hoping someone here can tell me. (excuse the mess, I didn't realize until just now how dirty the floor behind the toilet is) Next I tried filling the fresh water tank and using the water pump to be sure it wasn't just an issue with city water. Below is a video of the kitchen sink running and you can hear the pump running smoothly and then cut off when I turn the water off then it switches to the bathroom sink and you can see the water pulsing and hear the water pump surging, That pulsing/surging doesn't seem normal to me but I have no frame of reference, I'm hoping someone can tell if that's normal or not. OCVideo.732576672.863039.mp4 The next things I am planning to try are pulling the cartridge from the faucet and soaking it in white vinegar or just replacing it, and putting on a new faucet head just incase the original one was just too clogged for soaking it to help. Have I missed anything? Any suggestions on what I might try next.

Thank you to everyone who answered. I finally heard back from Suburban and part numbers 233514 and 233516 (one is an aluminum rod the other is magnesium) supersede all lower numbered parts. Now I guess the question is which is better aluminum or magnesium or does it really matter? I hope this info helps someone in the future.

In the water heater manual in the manual for my 2016 LEII it shows a part number for the anode rod for the SW6DE water heater as 231419. When I search for that number on line all that comes up is Suburban part numbers 233514 & 233516, do those part numbers from Suburban supersede all older part numbers?