Water Quality

[becker]

We are planning a extended trip to Big Ben National Park in March 2014. I received a note from a friend who just came from there. They said "The resorts at Big Bend National Park have their own water wells and treatment plants which is fine for showers and dishwashing, however the RV hookups water have a very high mineral content. We do not drink or use the water for our coffee maker as the water minerals foul up the works including pressure regulators and filters. We also do not let our dogs drink this water."

We do not have a problem in our motorhome, and we do not want this to be the first time.

Can anyone who has experience at this location comment on this?

I appreciate your interest in this.

Thank you.

Becker

[Thunder_Mountai]

becker wrote:
Thank you all for the comments..... very good.

I think I will buy a house water filter from Lowes and hook it between the campground facet and my coach. This should work. Has anyone out there ever done this?

Thanks again.

becker

Filters will not work to reduce hardness. It will help with taste under some conditions.

We've stayed at Lajitas and Terlingua at Big Bend. At both places the water was so hard you could chew it. It was horrible for coffee and drinking. We instantly had white spots on everything. We also spend a lot of time in Utah and Arizona where the water can be moderately hard.

Using hard water for a few days will not hurt your RV systems. After 5 years of using hard water, we did have issues with a partially clogged kitchen faucet and deposits in our hot water heater.

To reduce hardness, you need a softener. We use a Flow Pur softener that works with box of table salt. Makes the hardest water drinkable. At $199 including shipping, it is not too expensive.

http://www.flowpur.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FP&Product_Code=RVM8000&Category_Code=RVWS

[jerseyjim]

Over the past 12 years of motorhome ownership, we've stayed in Florida for up to 2 months, and snowbird in Mesa AZ 4 months, 5 times. Running coast to coast and north to south, we've come across all kinds of "local water", as supplied by RV parks and campground. Some tasted different, yes...but we've never gotten sick. Ever.
As far as "hard" water....where our HOUSE is....the water is hard. So....whattayado?
Never had an external filter, softener kit, for the house or the motorhome. The first time I winterized the motorhome I, per instructions, removed the in-line filter under the sink and replaced it with the supplied pipe with fittings. Never put the filter back. Never had a problem with the motorhome piping, pump or anything else. Never had a problem with the house (water and piping).

IMHO, put your money in the gas tank and enjoy your travels.

[2gypsies1]

Here's a site with great water filtering information for RVs:

RV Water Filter Store

We've filled our fresh water holding tank at the Rio Grande Village campground with no side effects. We do use an incoming filter and a kitchen faucet filter.

[down_home]

A good filter will get most of the objectionable things including sulfur.
I've run three different filters on the line into the coach, with the first standard ten inch carbon block filter first to get most of the sediment, chlorine, lead, and other nasties. I still found the last in line ceramic filter got a whole lot of sulfur, in it down toward Florida and in La.
There are now several submicron ceramic filters, on the net, though not cheap. Use the whole house filter from Lowes is usually sufficient but then a sub micron ceramic/carbon block last filter gets just about everything. Too small a filter and it will load up fast, in some places like Michigan with dirt and bypass the muddy water into the coach.
Home Depot has an almost identical GE filter housing to the Whirlpool 10 inch cannister, but is not transparent, with a remote that lets you know when it is time to change the filter. Great, if you are staying somewhere for a while. Hardest problem is fittings. The junk from Lowes and Home Depot is plated too look like brass, zinc or threads aren't good or out of round etc. Had to go to a plumbing supply. The hose connector/adapter was junk, so I had to eliminate it and use a good quick connector set.

[wildmanbaker]

TechWriter wrote:

LewBob wrote:
Lots of interesting filter information here. I'm intrigued by the "little far-fetched" idea of magnets on the water hose to reduce scale buildup.

Before you buy those magnets, read this.

Wow! That was a lot of reading, but informative. Things never change.

[TechWriter]

LewBob wrote:
Lots of interesting filter information here. I'm intrigued by the "little far-fetched" idea of magnets on the water hose to reduce scale buildup.

Before you buy those magnets, read this.

[Bumpyroad]

LewBob wrote:
Lots of interesting filter information here. I'm intrigued by the "little far-fetched" idea of magnets on the water hose to reduce scale buildup.

that should work. I put magnets on my cars gas line and it doubled my mileage. should repay the $357.94 I paid for them by 2025.
bumpy

[LewBob]

Lots of interesting filter information here. I'm intrigued by the "little far-fetched" idea of magnets on the water hose to reduce scale buildup.

[TexasH]

becker wrote:
Thank you all for the comments..... very good.

I think I will buy a house water filter from Lowes and hook it between the campground facet and my coach. This should work. Has anyone out there ever done this?

Thanks again.

becker

Yep. Did that a couple of years ago when camping in Georgia and they had a problem with the water line and that red Georgia mud was seeping in the line. Worked fine to keep from dying everything red! Be sure to get fittings for "garden hose" hookup. Mine came with standard pipe thread fittings. The Lowes guy hooked me up with a couple of adapters that worked fine. I've still got and use the filter.

[becker]

Thank you all for the comments..... very good.

I think I will buy a house water filter from Lowes and hook it between the campground facet and my coach. This should work. Has anyone out there ever done this?

Thanks again.

becker

[wa8yxm]

Of course I have a true story for this thread.. But first some facts:

Yes, Mineral buildup OVER TIME will foul filters (Fairly quickly in some cases) and pressure regulators and check valves.. If that is you have check valves, However a good pressure regulator (Watts) is easily cleaned and re-built, Check valves likewise and you should be replacing filers far more often anyway.


That said: Your body is used to the water where YOU LIVE,, You go somewhere else and the water is different... This,, can have an effect on your body.

The true story: This is one of the reasons the main selling point on the Motor home I'm sitting in right now was the floor plan.. A bath and a half.. 2 holes, No waiting.

When we go somewhere different, the different water can make that 2nd hole reall nice.

[fla-gypsy]

sowego wrote:
Hooking up to and using hard water for a few days won't ruin your RV forever nor is it bad to drink for humans or pets.

X2, Been using and drinking it my entire 56 years down here in Florida.

[sowego]

Hooking up to and using hard water for a few days won't ruin your RV forever nor is it bad to drink for humans or pets.

[Bumpyroad]

I stayed at the campground on the West side of Big Bend at the junction of the road that goes to the beer drinking goat. other than initially hooking up to the wrong one of two sets of faucets I certainly had no problem with using the water. was only there a couple of days however.
bumpy