Mobile Home Plumbing Water Leaks Polybutylene Gray Pipe CPVC PB PEX Copper PVC Water Heater Repair Install Water Filters
Look at House Plumbing for information that applies to homes and mobile homes
Polybutylene Gray Pipe :
Mobile homes for many years were plumbed with a grey flexible pipe called polybutylene usually designated as PB. There has been a lot of controversy over this water line and even lawsuits. The biggest problem I have found is not the pipe, which over time and other factors can break down PB and cause water leaks, but the crimp type clamps that are used at tees, elbows or couplings. They will over time tend to spread open and cause leaks.There are no glues that work on PB. There are some easy fixes for this. There are snap on or compression type tees, elbows and couplings that will easily install in place of the tee, elbow or coupling that is leaking. These can be found at almost any DIY, hardware and mobile home supply stores. They will also adapt CPVC to PB to PEX or Copper, but will not work with PVC. They will also let you adapt between different sizes of water line. They work so well and are so simple to use you might be amazed. See example of a 1/2" "tee" below.
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Low Water Pressure :
Water coming out of the your faucets real slooooow? Take the aerator of the end of the faucet and check for obstructions. I find this problem especially where the home is on a well, but will also occur on a public water system. Take the aerator apart and clean it well. You will see that there is a piece in there that is uaually white in color with a lot of little holes in it, this is the flow restrictor.This piece is to cut down on water flow for conservation purposes. Some flow restrictors have a separate screen. I have seen some people leave the flow restrictor out and just put the screen back. I'm not sure if it is violation of federal law, like cutting a tag off a pillow. See example below.
Water Heater Repair Install Replace :
Yes, in some cases you can replace an electric mobile home water heater with a "regular" home type. Check your local codes. You will notice that the big difference is that the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet are on the sides as opposed to the home type that are on the top. Don not use PVC on the hot the water heater, CPVC only PVC will not stand up to hot water. This can be easily over come by extending the cold and hot line to reach to the top.You can use the couplings mentioned above to do this. If you have the "PB" pipe you can convert to CPVC and be done with it. This will require the purchase of some couplings, elbows and the proper pipe cleaner and glue for the CPVC. Be sure to read all instructions for the glue and the new water heater. It is a good idea to allow any glue to dry for the maximum amount of time that you can. Also be sure that the water heater is of the same voltage and current rating of the the circuit now in place or upgrade to match the new unit.Remember to turn off the water supply and power before you start. If there is no cutoff valve on the cold line at the water heater this would be the right time to install one.
Of course you can repair the old one if you can troubleshoot the problem. The problem I see most often is the bottom element burnt out, if you have a two element system. There are different types of element mountings. You may have to get the proper type of wrench to get it out. If the water heater is fairly old I would recommend replacing it. The other problem I see is the thermostat. These can be tricky to troubleshoot if your a rookie. If you don't replace the unit it would be a good time to flush out the old unit to clean out lime and etc. since you will need to drain it anyway to change the element. You do this by attaching a garden hose to the spigot at the bottom and running water through the water heater via the still attached cold water line until the out going water is clear. Below is an example of replacing the mobile home style water heater with a standard one. Be sure the electrical supply is adequate for the water heater. This one was changed from 20 to 30 amps 240 volts with #10 wire and a double pole 30 amp breaker.
Water Heater Leaks :
Remember to turn off the power!
In a mobile home the spots you might want to check if you see any signs of water are around the cold water inlet, the hot water outlet, and around the elements. If you do not see any leaks around these areas then you can only suspect that the internal tank has developed a leak in which case the water heater needs replacing. Be sure to repair any floor damage before installing a new water heater.
Whole house water leak detection :
One fast way to determine if you have any leaks in your mobile home is to make sure that all the water in the home is off, faucet etc. Then look at your water meter if you are connected to a water utility. There is usually a small hand on the meter. Watch this hand for any movement. If it moves there may be a leak. To find this small hand if it is not obvious have someone flush a toilet while you watch the meter. When the toilet fills up the hand should stop. If you are on a well watch the pressure gauge to see if the needle is dropping. If you don't a have gauge listen for the contact switch. If it clicks on and off occasionally with no water running in the house start checking for leaks.
Water Filters :
I have enjoyed the water filters I added to my mobile homes. I got a whole house water filter from a home improvement store and attached it to the supply line from my water meter. My previous home was on a well and the filter there did a great job of keeping sand out of the faucet aerators and washing machine screen filters in the supply hoses. I selected a convenient spot under the house since you will have to access it occasionally to replace the filter. Below is a picture of a filter similar to the one I installed. This one is made by Whirlpool. You can select different types of filters for your particular use. There are sediment types of filters that are measured in microns. The less the micron size the smaller the particles that it will filter. You can also get odor reducing and etc.Be sure to get the couplings and other hardware to complete the job. Whole house filter are not very expensive and can save you a lot problems down the road.
Questions or comments? Please feel free to contact me.
Mobile Home Plumbing Water Leaks Polybutylene Gray Pipe CPVC PB PEX Copper PVC Water Heater Repair Install Water Filters