How long does a water filter last?

Install new one at the beginning of the season. If you can camp year round then a year is good. If you see decreased water flow then it is time for a new one!

MitchF150 wrote:
My filter is only connected in line to a specific faucet on the sink. The rest of the system is just what's in the tank or city water connection.

I've changed it once in 14 years... ;)

Guess I'm about due now, since it's been about 7 years just to say I did it.. :)

Really, the only time we use that faucet is for the morning coffee, so we probably put a gallon or two thru it on a long weekend trip about 5-6 times a year..

Anyway, haven't gotten sick, or died yet! :) We always use our own water tank for water from home anyway, so no real worries... It's only a 30 gallon tank, so no big deal hauling it.

Good luck!

Mitch

Filters should not be stored wet or damp. Especially carbon filters. They trap the contaminates in tiny pores in the charcoal. Left damp these can become breeding grounds for bacteria.

We change our undersink filter every 6 months and our whole house filters (three stage; a paper sediment filter, carbon filter and ceramic filter) are not always in line and are drained and dried before being stored.

Depends on micron rating.
Depends on physical size.
Depends on the filter type and what it is designed to remove/reduce.
Depends on ambient temp.
Depends on whether or not it is NSF certified.
Depends on source water quality.
Depends on source water pressure and filter flow gpm rating.

If talking about a basic exterior disposable inline sediment filter, replace it when the flow rate gets too low or annually, whichever comes first. These filters can have a high/coarse micron rating down to a low/fine micron rating and may or may not have a replacement interval rating (in total gal.). Rv-ers have a unique challenge with water supply if you travel around a lot because water quality can vary substantially. Do a google on "RV water filters" for lots of info. Filtration can be quite complex if you want to address chemicals, biological material, taste & odor, and other bad stuff that can be in water.

We are full-time and on average change ours about every 3 months. We are usually on city water, but you will find that even city water varies as some areas have a lot of lime in the water. We have had a couple of times after using well water (at a forestry park) that there was a funny smell to the water and our shower and toilet flow was low. Checked the filter and there was "slime" in it. We got the bleach out and used it to purify our water system, the filter housing, the inside of our white water hose, the tank and all water lines. So - if you notice a smell or low pressure, check the filter.

Depends where you travel and what the water quality is like. I generally check mine every 6 months, BUT if I am in an area where I don't trust the water or I know it is high in iron (for example) it will need changing early. If in doubt carry spares and check when you want to. It only takes s short time.

My filter is only connected in line to a specific faucet on the sink. The rest of the system is just what's in the tank or city water connection.

I've changed it once in 14 years... ;)

Guess I'm about due now, since it's been about 7 years just to say I did it.. :)

Really, the only time we use that faucet is for the morning coffee, so we probably put a gallon or two thru it on a long weekend trip about 5-6 times a year..

Anyway, haven't gotten sick, or died yet! :) We always use our own water tank for water from home anyway, so no real worries... It's only a 30 gallon tank, so no big deal hauling it.

Good luck!

Mitch

The cartridges I buy say 10,000 gallons but it also depends on water quality.
I pulled into ta private CG one time and found the previous tenant had left me a used water filter laying on the picnic table along with a clear plastic cup full of water. They were both extremely rusty and the water was cloudy.
I thought that was a nice thing to do for a stranger.
We used out own water.

I know on mine it says to change every three months. That is based on 24/7 usage though. I change ours out once a year and it seems fine.

We typically change our yearly, however this year we had low flow in the shower all of a sudden on one trip, and found the filter to be totally clogged. It didn't make it through our camping season and we did have to change it. Hard water attacked it big time!

Thank you for the replies. We are spending 6 months in our RV with continuous use of the filter. So far we have been in the RV for 2 months, I am thinking after 3 months we should change the filter.