Exploring magnificent landscapes and spending alone time in nature can help you take your mind off things and relax. Going hiking or camping might not be something you’d like to do in this regard, which is why you’re better off caravanning. Going caravanning does not only help you bring the conveniences of your home, such as running water and electricity, in the wild, it also gives you flexibility.
You get to decide where to stay for the night no matter what the weather is like outside. You can carry everything you need with you without having to carry all that luggage on your back or drag it with you. But in order to afford having the convenience of running water in your caravan, you need to get to know RV plumbing.
How Does a Caravan Plumbing System Work?
While an RV pluming system does the same job as the one in your house it doesn’t work exactly the same. Although having running water seems basic, understanding how this system works isn’t. A proper caravan plumbing system comes in many sizes and variations but the most common one starts with water sitting under the chassis.
This water, stored in a tank, is brought up by a 12V pump up to certain areas in your caravan. Be it the sink, toilet, or shower. But you can’t mix drinking water with the one you get to shower with. This is what makes a caravan plumbing system a comprehensive one, which is why there are numerous parts to it.
Important Parts of a Caravan Plumbing System
Pump
You already know about the pump, the only component that makes water move through the system. Remember the pump needs to be turned on in order to bring water up to you. This is usually done with the help of a switch that triggers the pump to pressurise the plumbing system. You don’t need to turn the pump off whenever you’re not using it as it comes on only when you turn on a faucet. The water pump is the heart of every plumbing system including the one in your RV.
Heater
While hot water won’t be needed in the summer, on a cold day you’ll want to relax with a hot shower and without a water heater, you won’t be able to. When the pump sends out cold water there is another line coming from the tank that brings water to the heater. Then the heated water goes from the heater and to the basin or sink you want it coming from. A water heater has a metal rod inside its tank that helps fend off corrosion from the heater’s more important components as well as its body. This is a sacrificial rod that gets corroded the more the heater is being used. Instead of the heater getting damaged, the rod gets damaged and replaced which helps lower both maintenance and repair costs.
Black Water Tank
There are two water tanks you can have as part of your RV plumbing system, black and grey. A black water tank is one where all the waste from the toilet goes into. Although this tank is not something you’ll look forward to, it’s a crucial part of making your RV life more convenient. This is why you also want to keep your fresh water and waste tank hoses separate. Mixing them up is not something you’ll want to do so make sure to keep them clearly marked.
Grey Water Tank
A grey water tank, on the other hand, holds the water coming from the shower or kitchen sink. But unlike the sink in your household, this one shouldn’t be filled with food particles. Instead, you should first clean your plates from any small food particles that might get through and to the tank.
The drain in a caravan system is not as big as the one at home which is why it can get clogged rather quickly. Although, sometimes food can get in without you noticing make sure it doesn’t happen as often since it can become a problem.
Fixtures
The time you’ll enjoy most when building your caravan’s plumbing system is when it comes to shopping for fixtures. Just like those at home, the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower, and toilet are what you’ll need for a comprehensive system. Although all of these caravan plumbing accessories are quite smaller than regular household fixtures they are still able to do a great job at keeping your RV as convenient as your home.
Drains and Pipes
Without the use of drains and pipes, a plumbing system wouldn’t be a plumbing system. Water wouldn’t be able to go anywhere and you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your stay in the woods. But as mentioned above, drains and pipes used in an RV plumbing system are much smaller than those in your household. This is why you shouldn’t use the same cleaners you use at home to clean the drains. There are RV-safe cleaners that are not as harsh as household ones.
Water Pressure Regulator
Although an RV system is made to be used off the grid sometimes you’ll need to connect it to a city water system, When the time comes for this you’ll want to have a water pressure regulator. The regulator will ensure that the system of your caravan doesn’t get damaged by the excess water pressure of a city water system.
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