I have a couple of days to catch up because I didn’t post yesterday. In San Diego, each day is so much like the last. The weather only has slight variations at this time of year, although today is supposed to be warmer than usual. Temperatures in the 80s are forecasted for the coast.

In San Diego, the ambient temperature depends on your proximity to the ocean (or bays). The ocean moderates the temperature. A few miles inland, you’re on a mesa and the temperature can be 10 degrees higher. Further inland in the valleys, the temperature swings to higher highs and lower lows.

Donna and I started our day yesterday with a bike ride. I showed her the way to Ocean Beach via the Sunset Cliffs Bridge. From there we rode to Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and back home along Mission Bay. It was a 20-mile loop.

One of my tasks on Thursday was to buy parts for a water pressure regulator.  RV parks can have excessively high water pressure. My guess is that they regulate high to meet the demand when the park is full. The high water pressure poses a risk to the RV plumbing. Most RVs are plumbed with PEX tubing nowadays, which is quite durable. However, high pressure can cause leaks at joints in the plumbing.

I had an RV-specific, adjustable water pressure regulator. This unit is marketed by Valterra, an RV accessory supplier. After a couple of months of full time use, it began to leak. There’s a joint in this unit that’s swaged together. The leak at this joint could not be repaired.

I decided to replace it with something more durable. I went to Home Depot and bought a double union Watts regulator which is designed for household use. To adapt it for RV use, I had to add fittings that matched hose hook-ups. This wasn’t too hard. Once I found the right parts, it was just a matter of putting it together.

The end result is a heavy-duty water pressure regulator. When I showed Donna my handiwork, she said it was heavy duty indeed. Her emphasis was on heavy. This regulator weighs a few pounds.

Heavy duty Watts water pressure regulator

I hooked the regulator onto the spigot at the RV park. I then screwed the water filter and hose onto the end of the regulator. When I turned the water on, water started spraying from the union behind the spigot! At that point, I realized the spigot was joined to the water pipe with a plastic union. It had a crack in it. The heavy regulator opened the crack.

I closed the valve on the spigot. With the valve closed, the water pressure behind the spigot increased and the spigot blew off of the water pipe! Oh no! I had a face full of spray. There was stream a of water gushing 10 feet into my neighbor’s site.

After a few seconds, I gathered my wits and closed the supply valve at the base of the water pipe. After seeing the spigot blow off the water pipe, I  thought, we have high water pressure here for sure.

I went to the park office to notify them of the issue. My clothes were soaked. The girl at the counter said, “May I help you…oh my, did you just run a marathon or something?”

I told her what happened. She said someone would be at my site shortly. Within 15 minutes, a park maintenance guy came out and fixed the problem. He had the right parts with him. This was not the first time he had to respond to a broken union on a water spigot here. This confirmed my suspicion of high water pressure.

Now I need to buy a short length of hose. My plan is to run a short hose to the regulator, thus relieving the weight from the spigot. I’ll find a way to support the regulator and water filter, then join it to the hose supplying our RV.

Thursday night, I went out to dinner with my daughter, Shauna. This is one of the great things about being mobile. I have the opportunity to hang out in  great places and see my family while I’m at it. Donna stayed home and worked on her book. She’s almost finished.

Shauna has a busy life. She’s going to school at Cal Western School of Law. She’s also working as an intern for a federal judge. Some days are 11-12 hour workdays for her. It was nice to go out and just relax over dinner.

Yesterday I rode my bike in the morning. Later, I took Donna to Ocean Beach on the scooter. She went to see her nephew in his school play. They performed Aladdin and he was cast as Jafar. I went to the bank and handled a couple of other errands before I picked her up.

Jafar and his mom

Last night, Donna prepared a rack of lamb with Moroccan spices she bought at the farmer’s market last week. I grilled eggplant and roasted a red pepper, too. Sometimes I eat like a king!

Rack of lamb, hot off the grill

Dinner, fit for a king

If you didn’t see my post about the seals at La Jolla Cove, it may be worth a read. It sparked some comments on Facebook. This is a controversial subject. I’m researching the history of the Children’s Pool established by Ellen Browning Scripps. This area is now overrun by seals, making the beach unfit for humans.

Today we’ll head over to the farmer’s market at Mission Bay High School and shop. Then I think we’ll go the Pacific Beach Fest and see what it’s all about.