Water Intake

Sep 2, 2015
6
0
4,510
Visit site
I would like to buy one of those intake regulators that automatically controls the amount of water pumped into the caravan. Can you inform me please of what to look for and how they work? Does it have to connect to the aquaroll first, or does it connect direct from the water tap? My caravan has a Truma water system.
 

Parksy

Moderator
Nov 12, 2009
11,904
2,399
40,935
Visit site
I'd recommend the type that fits into the Aqaroll, I have one and it works well with no problems.
If anything did go wrong and you weren't around all that would happen would be that the Aqaroll would overflow with no damage to the caravan.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JTQ
Oct 8, 2006
1,765
538
19,935
Visit site
The problem with the direct connection type is that it contains a pressure limiter - and if that goes wrong in any way you could end up with a very wet caravan floor (inside!) as the internal piping and taps are not designed to handle mains water pressure.

Get the Aquaroll version and if the valve sticks open the only thing that will happen is the container will overflow. Also as your Aquaroll will still be a little over half full you have a reserve if the water pressure drops or cuts off. If you are away in the Winter or early Spring you can put a boot over the Aquaroll which will prevent the water freezing even if the pipe does (been there, done that, etc etc.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: JTQ
Mar 14, 2005
17,557
3,051
50,935
Visit site
Hello Vancov

On the presumption you currently have a an external water barrel and a plug in submersible pump, then the pump manufacture may offer a direct connection hose, which goes from the sites tap to the water inlet where you would normally fit the pump. However its not as simple just using a hose and a pump connector.

Mains water pressure at a site tap can easily exceed 6Bar which is far too high for the pipework and water appliances fitted inside a caravan. To overcome this, the supplied connection hose has a pressure limiting valve fitted to it which limits the pressure to the caravan to less than 1.5Bar which is the maximum safe working pressure for the caravan. The pressure limiting valve is essential. Do not confuse it with a flow restricting valve which does not limit pressure.

Generally these systems do work, but very occasionally if they can go wrong then it will damage the caravan.

They will of course only work if there is enough water pressure and flow at the sites tap. On a large site the water pressure at any tap may go up and down a lot becasue other pitches are also using water. This might inconvenience you when trying to shower or some other activity.

Some caravanners also report they lower flow rates using the direct hose compared to using their pump.

I personally suggest you use the ball valve system suggested by Parksy and others, it really is much safer, and prevents damage to your caravan if it does go wrong.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vancov
May 28, 2020
8
2
15
Visit site
I would like to buy one of those intake regulators that automatically controls the amount of water pumped into the caravan. Can you inform me please of what to look for and how they work? Does it have to connect to the aquaroll first, or does it connect direct from the water tap? My caravan has a Truma water system.
When I get it I will take a pic and send it won’t be until Saturday
 
Jul 18, 2017
11,937
3,324
32,935
Visit site
I'd recommend the type that fits into the Aqaroll, I have one and it works well with no problems.
If anything did go wrong and you weren't around all that would happen would be that the Aqaroll would overflow with no damage to the caravan.
Are you sure? If a pipe comes loose in the caravan it will continue to pump water into the caravan so not different to direct mains. We use direct mains and we did get flooded out on a previous caravan however that was due to a poor pdf as the filter had not been connected correctly. If we were using the aquaroll unit, the same thing would have happened.
Water flooding1.jpg
 

Damian

Moderator
Mar 14, 2005
7,510
936
30,935
Visit site
Are you sure? If a pipe comes loose in the caravan it will continue to pump water into the caravan so not different to direct mains.

It depends whether or not your caravan system is operated by microswitches or a pressure switch.

If microswitched, no water will be pumped until a tap is opened to operate the aquaroll pump.

However, if a pressure switch system, then as soon as the pressure in the van pipework drops, the pump will run.
It is wise to switch the pump supply OFF when leaving the van for an extended period.

With a direct mains supply, should there be a problem with the reducer, then water will continue to be fed into the van, which I have seen on several occasions and it is not a pretty sight, and even worse when after time the furniture and cupboards start swelling and falling apart.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ProfJohnL
Nov 16, 2015
10,394
2,787
40,935
Visit site
After having a water pipe come loose in the van and the the water pump transferring all the water from the aqua roll into the caravan, whilst out one day, we now turn off the water pump when going out,
 
  • Like
Reactions: ProfJohnL
Jul 18, 2017
11,937
3,324
32,935
Visit site
It depends whether or not your caravan system is operated by microswitches or a pressure switch.

If microswitched, no water will be pumped until a tap is opened to operate the aquaroll pump.

However, if a pressure switch system, then as soon as the pressure in the van pipework drops, the pump will run.
It is wise to switch the pump supply OFF when leaving the van for an extended period.

With a direct mains supply, should there be a problem with the reducer, then water will continue to be fed into the van, which I have seen on several occasions and it is not a pretty sight, and even worse when after time the furniture and cupboards start swelling and falling apart.

Thanks. We have the Buccaneer with the Whale water inlet and ALDE system so not sure about microswitches. Your last paragraph is the one of the reasons why we rejected the caravan.
 
Jul 18, 2017
11,937
3,324
32,935
Visit site
Thanks. We have the Buccaneer with the Whale water inlet and ALDE system so not sure about microswitches. Your last paragraph is the one of the reasons why we rejected the caravan.
We were in the 2016 Buccaneer caravan when in the morning the pipe by the filter came loose, but only realised when the carpet got wet and noticed when OH went to use the toilet at the rear. On our first 2004 Lunar Lexon the hot water pipe got a pin hole in it somehow but again it was evening and we were in the caravan. We spotted the steam so not much damage. On our 2011 Lunar Delta the same with a pin hole in the hot water pipe by the boiler. A technician doing some other work picked it up, but this was still in the drip stage.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,131
50,935
Visit site
We were in the 2016 Buccaneer caravan when in the morning the pipe by the filter came loose, but only realised when the carpet got wet and noticed when OH went to use the toilet at the rear. On our first 2004 Lunar Lexon the hot water pipe got a pin hole in it somehow but again it was evening and we were in the caravan. We spotted the steam so not much damage. On our 2011 Lunar Delta the same with a pin hole in the hot water pipe by the boiler. A technician doing some other work picked it up, but this was still in the drip stage.
So the theme here is that despite centuries of aqua engineering some caravan companies have difficulty keeping relatively low pressure water where it should be. Think that when I get the van back home a systems inspection might be needed. As said above we always try to remember to turn of the pump when we go out of the van for a while.
 
Jan 19, 2002
1,471
409
19,435
Visit site
You can buy one like the link, either with flat hose or normal hose (food grade) and probably worth getting 10 mtr length, and to pack and store neatly I use a mains lead storage bag:
The float is screwed in to replace the side filler cap on the aquaroll (or other make) so as the water is used the float allows it to be refilled, just like a water tank ballcock at home.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jan 19, 2002
1,471
409
19,435
Visit site
There you go - apparently the name of a common plumbing device that is present in every household no longer passes censorship! Those asterisks were not mine in the above posting! Do I LOL or cry?
 
  • Sad
Reactions: DaveA1
Oct 17, 2010
1,212
443
19,435
Visit site
There you go - apparently the name of a common plumbing device that is present in every household no longer passes censorship! Those asterisks were not mine in the above posting! Do I LOL or cry?
I saw that. It was accepted in my post (Second one) no problem.
 

Damian

Moderator
Mar 14, 2005
7,510
936
30,935
Visit site
There you go - apparently the name of a common plumbing device that is present in every household no longer passes censorship! Those asterisks were not mine in the above posting! Do I LOL or cry?

It didn't pass the auto check as you had inserted a - between the two components of the word.
I have edited your post to the accepted version.
 
Last edited:

Parksy

Moderator
Nov 12, 2009
11,904
2,399
40,935
Visit site
I'd just started to look to see what happened but my son, daughter in law and granddaughter pulled up in front of our house for a socially distant chat.
If a moderator had edited the post it would have been shown below the post.
Automated Big Brother 😈
 
Jan 3, 2012
9,571
2,050
30,935
Visit site
We always carry 10 metre hose kit Caravan Mains Water Adaptor Aquaroll a mains water kit to fit a 40 ltr (Also take a extra 10metre hose just case) Hose Joiner male to male We always book Hardstanding Service Pitch .
 

Attachments

  • 1060.jpg
    1060.jpg
    42.2 KB · Views: 1
  • 1305.140.jpg
    1305.140.jpg
    2.9 KB · Views: 1
Jul 18, 2017
11,937
3,324
32,935
Visit site
Either way, the caravan will be flooded if the internal piping springs a leak.
I assume you mean if using either mains or aquaroll connection? Even if you were not using direct mains or the aquarioll adaptor, the caravan would still be flooded if internal piping sprung a leak however it would be limited to a maximum of 40 litres which is still a lot of water.
 
Sep 2, 2015
6
0
4,510
Visit site
Thanks everyone, and going by the majority of comments, I think the Aquaroll Mains Adaptor sounds like the best idea to me. There are 7.5 metre lengths advertised, so that would probably be more than sufficient. We always prefer a serviced pitch, so it would be good not to have to keep manually topping up the aquaroll.
 
Mar 14, 2005
17,557
3,051
50,935
Visit site
It is perfectly true if the internal pipe work springs a leak, then which ever water delivery system you use may cause you serious grief, but that has to be balanced against the likelihood, and for that you have to look at the possible causes of the leak.

Poor workmanship may apply to what ever delivery system, so there is no difference, but becasue submersible pumps that fit inside a water container cannot really produce more than about 1.5Bar even under fault conditions, they're not going to over pressure the caravan, unlike mains water hoses which can have a sustained pressure of 6Bar and with momentum pulse quite a bit above. It's therefore possible that a fault with the pressure reducer will allow high pressure water to the caravan, and that does have the potential to do damage.

I also repeat that any reduced pressure at the site tap (due to heavy demand elsewhere on site) will affect your flow of water to teh caravan. At least with the water barrel system you have your own local storage to iron out site variations, and your own pump which will in many cases deliver a better flow of water into the caravan. And you protect the caravan from even the remote possibility of over pressuring the caravans pipework and equipment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Vancov

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts