Water Filter Advise

Hi,
There are different types of water filtration systems from on-the-tap faucet filtration systems dispensers and pitchers using carbon filters, to those using reverse osmosis technique.
WATER FILTER REVIEWS AND INFORMATION

JBarca wrote:
Curious to know if you ever find out what it is.

No clue. I was hoping the guy at the testing lab would have had some solid ideas by looking at it. It does not look any sediment or particulate because the material has overgrown the S/S mesh on both sides equally.

If it's from the CG I think it was, the electrical system was old and in pretty sad shape. If the water system is as bad there, I can see something obnoxious being in the water. I recall the riser pipes to the faucets being iron pipe and if heavily corroded inside, that could explain it. Maybe 40-50 years ago when the place was built, they used iron pipe for distribution around the CG? Add to that poor or no chlorination, and it's a recipe for iron bacteria from what I've read. That stuff is apparently not easy to eradicate either. I guess it could possibly be inside your RV and the only way to get rid of it I believe is with chlorine.

One person I talked to suggested that the water cavitates at the water inlet because of the check valve and restriction and something in suspension can drop out. But then, the strainer on the hose at the CG faucet is 100% clean and I have an inline regulator there.

I'm going to try the test suggested by westend. It may very well be iron bacteria.

It would be nice to know what it is. I'd hate to have a filter plugged up or infested with whatever it is. If it is indeed iron bacteria, what should one do if you're at an older CG where the water system looks suspect? Does it perhaps happen more often than you might think? Going by this following link, you can't just install a simple filter to keep it out.iron & iron bacteria info. It says the bacteria can clog pipes and valves.

Some more info.: iron bacteria Says the bacteria can clog screens.

Geez, do I now need to look at a chlorine injection system? :(

Red, take your strainer and put it in a small bowl of vinegar. You can even add a small dose of salt. If it dissolves all of the rust colored material off the metal screen and there is no residue in the bowl, what you have is iron particulate. Iron bacteria, when it dies and aggregates is black. I would guess that you ran into a water system that is high in iron. That could be from the ground or even in the plumbing if steel pipe is used.

I don't see if this was asked here or not yet ...

Can you boil any of the the filter elements between uses without destroying them?

Curious to know if you ever find out what it is.

I took the filter screen in my photo above to a water testing lab today and talked to the manager. He could not tell what it was by looking at it and said of the few things it *could* possibly be is iron bacteria (not harmful to humans) or algae and the only way to know is by lab testing. Problem is, it needs to be fresh and still wet with the bacteria still in it. I took a few sampling bottles with me and will keep on eye on it this coming season and see if it shows up at any particular CG then I will take a sample into the lab by the next day. It would be interesting to know if it's coming from the CG we regularly use. The lab manager said if I can figure out which CG it's coming from to notify them so they can do something about it because it definitely shouldn't be like that.

Trlrboy wrote:
Take a look at my signature photolink and you will see an album of my water filter install. Took about an hour. First filter is 1 micron and the 2nd one is a carbon block. Zero taste at all, zero smell. Great products from the RV water filter store.

Hi Trlrboy,

Nice looking camp pictures you have! Thanks for sharing. Nice looking camper/truck too. I did get down to your water filter install. The 2 stage unit looks good and out in the open where you can service it.

The 1 micron 1st stage filter sounds small but maybe as I do use a 0.9 micron when the conditions allow. Do you by chance know which part number elements they gave you to use? Curious to look them up.

Thanks

John

Hi Red,

myredracer wrote:
It's interesting that the deposits are only on the 2nd strainer. Perhaps the screens are different metal? No odor but then it's been a few months now. I wonder if it's iron bacteria or something that feeds on iron? If it is iron bacteria, it's not a health risk at least. I wonder if it can be analyzed at a water testing lab?

Iron bacteria

I myself do not have experience on iron bacteria so don't know exactly. The screen washer you are showing looks like the standard stainless washer. While stainless can rot/corrode given the right conditions, I'm suspecting the screen itself is not rusting. It is more "something" on the screen. And yes, the right lab can test what it is.

That article on Legionnaires disease is definitely interesting and food for thought. It sounds like what you are saying is that it would be prudent for RV-ers in hotter areas of the US to regularly treat their holding tanks. When reading up on it a bit I learned that the Legionella bacteria is naturally occuring in some lakes and rivers and apparently even in potting soil. So I guess some folks *could* end up with the bacteria in their holding tanks and all you need is the right conditions for it too flourish?

Hotter climates have worse conditions then the more northern climates for elevated temperatures to grow out an infection, however climates that are damp a lot have other bad traits of mold. A good sound water program with routine system sanitize should occur regardless, however be more in-tune with the area you are camping in. Even here in the mid-west Ohio, inside the camper can hit 100F plus during a hot summer day in the sun.

The biggest thing is just realizing what can happen and what not to do. And practice good camper water management and the odds are then in your favor to not have a problem.

John

Take a look at my signature photolink and you will see an album of my water filter install. Took about an hour. First filter is 1 micron and the 2nd one is a carbon block. Zero taste at all, zero smell. Great products from the RV water filter store.

JBarca wrote:


That said, were you camping in an area that was high in iron? This is total speculation but there may be “something” stuck to the screen and then a high iron source came through and attached to the stuck something. Does it smell like iron or foul something? This one I do not know. I would for sure do a good sanitize of the camper come spring when you start using it again.

John

More interesting info. thank you. This is all a lot to digest and mull over and I'm going to print out this thread and some of the info. in the links to study. You could be correct about the filter I bought clogging up too quickly. A sediment pre-filter might be a good idea.

We normally weekend regularly in the same CG in Birch Bay, Wa. I am pretty certain that they are on a local municipal water system and we have not had any problems there. We spent 2 weeks on the west coast of Washington state last summer. I would have to guess that their water supply is either by an on-site well or maybe a community well(s) and if there was anywhere that the iron was high, I would say it was there. The CG had a swamp/wetland in it too. It's interesting that the deposits are only on the 2nd strainer. Perhaps the screens are different metal? No odor but then it's been a few months now. I wonder if it's iron bacteria or something that feeds on iron? If it is iron bacteria, it's not a health risk at least. I wonder if it can be analyzed at a water testing lab?

Iron bacteria

Our new 2014 KZ TT will be here very shortly (depending on the crappy weather in the east) and the old one is going back to the dealer so we won't have to do anything with the old system. :)

That article on Legionnaires disease is definitely interesting and food for thought. It sounds like what you are saying is that it would be prudent for RV-ers in hotter areas of the US to regularly treat their holding tanks. When reading up on it a bit I learned that the Legionella bacteria is naturally occuring in some lakes and rivers and apparently even in potting soil. So I guess some folks *could* end up with the bacteria in their holding tanks and all you need is the right conditions for it too flourish?