Water Hook-Up - Part 1...We have Running Water!!

We are so excited to get this part done!  I probably say that about all of the steps along the way but having running water is such a wonderful thing!  We have been getting by with a pitcher of cold water in the fridge for drinking and a 7 gallon jug on the porch for anything else.  It's been okay but filling and carrying that jug is a pain.

First thing we had to do was order our water storage tank.  We looked at some of the cheaper water tanks online but none fit our specs.  Most people buy their tank and build a space around it.  We had a specific space in mind and needed a tank that would fit our dimensions, so we ordered a custom tank.  It was a bit more expensive but was worth it for us.  We ordered our tank from Plastic-Mart.  They were really helpful and also custom fit our inlet and outlet water holes where we wanted them.   http://www.plastic-mart.com/category/33/rv-water-tanks


We then had to get some water filters, a pump with strainer and accumulator.  The filters we bought at Home Depot.  The other stuff we ordered on Amazon.  Here's some links to the specific items so you can check out the specs and prices. 

Pump = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E5UVXJ8/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2PM1IS2Z68BF4

Strainer = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V2W0GE/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Accumulator = http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N9VF6Q/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


We wanted to have the option to use our storage tank OR hook up to a pressurized water line or hose.  This meant we had to have a way to shut off the tank and pump system and bypass it completely.  The hubby drew up a schematic of how he wanted the system to work.  This kept us from missing any steps when we were installing the system.    

The top drawing is our drinking water system.  The bottom drawing is our shower system.  It will be a closed loop system that recycles 10 gallons of water for showers.  We'll be working on that pretty soon!

 

Now, on to installation! :D

We supported the tank on a piece of 3/4 inch plywood.  Once we had it in place, we started figuring out where the filters would mount, as well as the pump and accumulator. 

We strapped our tank in place.  We used some left over roofing metal and a piece or heavy rubber mat under it to protect the tank.  We built a small shelf to mount the pump to.

 We ran our fill line into the tank at the top.  This line goes outside to a garden hose hook up.  There is a shut off valve right above the fill hole to bypass the tank and one on the line above to open the pressurized line hook up.




 

The line running through the floor is a drain line.  This is in case we need to drain the tank.  It runs under the trailer and is fitted with a cap that can be removed when draining the tank.  The line not connected is our main water line.  Both have shut off valves for maintenance and draining. 

We mounted the pump and accumulator in place, ran the main water line from the tank into the strainer, then into the pump.  From the pump it goes into the accumulator. From the accumulator it goes to the filter.  There is a shut off valve so you can bypass this stage when hooked up to a pressurized hose.  This allows the pressurized hose to connect straight to the filter.  Getting confusing yet???

The water line leaves the filter and connects with our sink water lines.  This system runs both the bathroom sink and the kitchen sink.  It's one line from this point into the water heaters.  Once it branches off from there, it becomes a hot and a cold line to each sink. 

The drinking water filter is a 5 micron carbon filter.

We also have a second fill hole with a cap on it.  We took a standard cap and drilled some holes in it to allow air to escape the tank.  We can remove this cap and fill the tank with a jug if needed. 









And there you have it.  Our drinking water system is running!  Albeit, cold water only as we don't have our propane system hooked up just yet. 

Bathroom sink running!! 

Kitchen sink running!! 









It seems confusing but it's really not.  A good drawn diagram will help you set everything up.  That way you can visualize where each line needs to go.  You can then decide what kind of fittings you will need for each step.  This really cuts down on trips to the hardware store for another fitting or two later in the day!  We hope this was helpful to anyone trying to figure out how to hook up their water system.  Thanks for reading and let us know what you think!  :)