What type of plumbing is used in RVs?

PEX pipe
Modern RVs use PEX pipe or PEX tubing. It is cheaper and easier to install than metal tubing. PEX tubing comes in all colors, but red tubes are normally used for hot water, and blue ones for cold water. Manufacturers, looking to cut costs, usually use a white tube for both hot and cold water.

Is RV plumbing the same as house plumbing?

RV plumbing is not much different from a traditional home plumbing. Your RV plumbing allows you to shower, wash your dishes, and perform basic household clean up. Apart from the connectors, other elements in your RV plumbing, including the sinks, is the same as what we use in our homes.

How do RV water systems work?

An RV’s water system basically revolves around three separate holding tanks: potable water, black water, and gray water. It holds fresh, clean, drinkable water that is pumped through your RV’s faucets, shower, and toilet. Gray water is wastewater that’s drained from the kitchen and bathroom sinks as well as the shower.

Where does the water come from in an RV?

RVs have a pretty straight-forward plumbing system. Freshwater comes from either a direct campground faucet hook-up or the onboard fresh water holding tank. Water is heated by the water heater and sent to the faucets either by water pressure from the campground faucet or by the onboard water pump.

Are RV black water tanks vented?

The vent stack on your black tank is essentially a straight run of 1 1/2″ PVC that is attached to a hole on the top of the black tank and extends through the roof on the RV. There is, as you know, a removable cap on the top.

What size is RV plumbing?

In RVs, manufacturers typically use translucent non-colored PEX for all plumbing runs. Further, two sizes are used, 3/8-inch and ½-inch. These are the standard size because the outside diameter of the tubing is about 1/8-inch greater than the called-for size.

Can I put a house faucet in an RV?

You can install any faucet in a RV as long as you have adapters. The pipes in a sticks and bricks house are not the same size as the pipes in a RV. Use two adjustable wrenches to make the adapters fit as tight as possible. Keep your pan or bucket in place while you turn the water on to test the connections.

Can you poop in RV toilet?

Key Points: You CAN poop in an RV toilet, contrary to many opinions out there. Lots of water is very important when adding solid waste to your holding tanks.

Should you travel with water in your RV?

If you are, and there’s no water close to your boondocking location, you may have no choice but to travel with the water on board. On the other hand, if you’re headed for an RV resort with full hookups, or a campground with a “known” good water supply, you can skate in and fill up (or hook up) on arrival.

What length RV sewer hose should I get?

15 to 20 feet
Like we mentioned earlier, the ideal range for RV sewer hose lengths is 15 to 20 feet. At a minimum, you should target this range so that you have enough length to comfortably attach your RV’s waste tank to an external sewage system without putting a strain on the sewer hose.

How does the plumbing work in an RV?

The gray water tank gets filled with water that runs down the drain when you shower, do dishes or wash your hands. The gray and black water tanks will also each have an RV plumbing vent. This vent is a pipe that runs upward, from the top of your gray and black water tanks, to vent out the roof of your RV.

What are the parts of an RV water system?

The fresh water side includes your fresh water tank, 12v pump and city water inlet. These parts deliver water to all of your faucets and fixtures. There is a one-way valve built into the city water inlet and a one-way valve leading to the water pump. The waste water side includes your black and gray water tanks as well as all the drain piping.

Can a camper plumbing system be factory installed?

Camper plumbing systems are complex! And they often require more on-going maintenance than any other part of the RV. Luckily, there are a lot of system upgrades to make everything easier to manage. Some of these pieces of equipment come factory installed, and others have been highly recommended by experienced RV travelers.

Where to keep plumbing fittings in an RV?

It’s not a bad idea to keep a few of these fittings in your spare parts kit, along with a hunk of PEX tubing.