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JaycoAngel's avatar
JaycoAngel
Explorer
Aug 19, 2019

Water softener

We purchased a water softener and a separate carbon water filter for outside our unit. Which hooks up to the water source first?
  • I use a sediment filter prior to the softener then a carbon filter after. My set up has the carbon filter in the RV, after the water pump and shore connection.
  • I always used a particulate filter followed by carbon then the softener. The particulate filter needed changed most often but it was also the cheapest.
  • JaycoAngel wrote:
    We purchased a water softener and a separate carbon water filter for outside our unit. Which hooks up to the water source first?

    Generally, you put a sediment filter first to keep the rocks out. It sounds like you're using the carbon filter as a sediment filter.

    Are you using one of those inline Camco filters? If so, they're a combo sediment/carbon filter.
  • FIRST AND ALWAYS FIRST!

    Comes a cleanable stainless wire mesh strainer element

    NEXT inline is a one-micron filter such as a ROTOPLAS cartridge filter.

    Then the R/O unit

    Next the UV or O3 sterilization

    And finally the charcoal.

    A charcoal filter is a harbor of bacteria

    And O3 sterilization is by far the preferred method of sterilization.
  • I would suggest the opposite.

    From personal experience I can tell you that if you put the carbon filter first it will plug up prematurely.

    8+ years full time I have experienced the nasty hard water full of calcium, iron and sulphur in Northern Arizona to water pumped from a creek in Washington taught me a lot about dealing with water quality issues.

    I would suggest that you reach out to Jesse at Waterfixers in Oregon. He is a sharp guy and can point you in the right direction.

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