Price differences in water filters

[SHRED]

They are all over the map!

I am tried of hauling around bottled water and I am looking for a solution.
My first idea was a two stage filter like these but the price discrepancies are confusing.

$149.99

$59.99

I am also considering the cheap exterior blue Camco inline filter and something like this:

BRITA

Or better yet:

TRAVEL BERKEY

Thanks for any suggestions.

[dedmiston]

Too much vitriol for such a benign topic.

I deleted the flame war and closed it.

[Gdetrailer]

SHRED wrote:
I am most likely going with this:

UNDER SINK


WHOLE RV

Anytime something has "RV" in the name folks here seem to be willing to pay more than it is worth.

Instead, buy a off the shelf whole house filter look this..



Which can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes for about $50

They take a standard disposable cartridges that you can buy anywhere also. For sediment/dirt/sand removal you can use the spun yarn version which filters down to 5 Micron levels..



Those filters run about $3.00 each.

You can also buy pleated paper filter with charcoal for taste/odor removal..

You also do not need multiple filters in line, one should be sufficient.

For hose connection you can buy a hose bib to pipe thread adapter..

Like these..



All parts should be available at any Home Depot or Lowes..

I personally do not use any filters on my RV, I don't drink the water from the RV water system, just use that water for shower and toilet. I buy bottled water for drinking, ice and cooking purposes.. $1.00 per gallon jug available everywhere. That way I am not messing around with filters.

[SHRED]

I am most likely going with this:

UNDER SINK


WHOLE RV

[way2roll]

SHRED - seems you have a few threads going on the same topic.

First question - what do you want to filter? Chlorine, Chloramine, dissolved solids, fluoride, Gen X (Teflon), Bacteria etc.

An RO cares for all that, but as I mentioned in my other post they are not really practical for RV use. That was my plan, but water usage, waste water, PSI requirements, space and winterization lead me the conclusion that residential RO systems are not practical for RV's.

Usually 2 stage filters are the best approach. First stage is a particulate filter for water entering the RV. This can be in line in the hose. This really protects your plumbing more than anything. It's a sacrificial filter and easy and cheap to replace the cartridges. You can use an in line or whole house particulate and carbon block dual set up, better but not perfect.

Single in-line filters at the sink are usually carbon/charcoal and remove the smell and taste of chlorine. I haven't seen any claim that they actually remove the molecules completely, but enough to mitigate smell and taste. They won't remove Chloramine which is widely used as an alternative to Chlorine in many municipal systems. To remove chloramine you need catalytic carbon - very expensive unless you are using RO.

Finally, if you want pure drinking water that removes every contaminant and left with plain H20, you need RO. But again, under sink RO systems are not practical for RV use. To me, the Berkey was the perfect compromise. RO water without all the plumbing. The downside is filling it, moving it etc. But for an RV, it's a decent solution to good water.

The obvious difference in what you want to filter in your house vs an RV, is that the water supply for an RV changes every time you go somewhere different. Not all public systems are treated the same and contaminants and water quality will be different at every location. That's the primary reason for an RO alternative. It will remove everything, every time. Single, in line filters don't. But again, some people don't care. That's why I asked - what do you want to filter? How clean do you want your drinking and cooking water to be? There's an option for every level of filtration, from basic particulates to all contaminants, and everything in between.

[philh]

TechWriter wrote:

SHRED wrote:
We have an R/O unit at home so we are used to a more robust filtering than those. I might get the Travel Berkey for drinking water and the $25 filter for the tank.

Get an RO system for your RV for drinking water.

I'm not sure I want to give up space and deal with things like winterizing

[TechWriter]

SHRED wrote:
We have an R/O unit at home so we are used to a more robust filtering than those. I might get the Travel Berkey for drinking water and the $25 filter for the tank.

Get an RO system for your RV for drinking water.

[philh]

I have six WaterBricks that I carry home RO water with us when we camp.

[pigman1]

Wow, what an issue. We threw the filter inserts out the day we took delivery of the last 3 new Class A RV's. I take a cup of water out of a hose bib whenever we hook up or fill the tank up. Tastes OK, we use it, tastes bad we don't. ??????

[Ivylog]

Current rig has 2 filters...use a sediment filter in the first and charcoal in 2nd. EBay has good prices on the filters. Been drinking the water out of RV tanks for 50 years, many without any filter, and we are still here and in good health. Might spend $20/year on bottled water, mainly for guests with more refined tastes.

[wa8yxm]

I will give you my solutions A and B
All water into the RV went through a cheap home activated charcoal filter

I took some PVC pipe.. (I'd recommend 2" I used 3 and as a result did not have a pipe wrench that fit) and some reducers. The outlet end I cut a stainless steel drain cover to fit inside the largest reducer and glued it together (reduce down to male hose fitting) the other end a threaded adapter and then reducers to a female hose end. Cut down drain cover optional

Fill with Fliter floss.. (Fish isle at any store that has one) then regular not anti-algi) activated charcoal. then some more floss and assemble the female end.

Drinking water A: went through a BRITA pitcher B: When the Brita broke I replaced it with a PUR (the pitcher did not bounce well and PUR was what the Thrift I was voulenteering had in stock)

I still have the PUR and a PUR faucet filter as well

[Boomerweps]

Camco has one called the EVO1 or something like that. It uses one large house style filter. The inline ones are fine. But with the Evo, you can clean it out and use the filter cartridge you want. About $35 or so. Plus plastic or wire stand as desired. I place it near my water inlet and use a 10’ hose for connecting.

[bob213]

Last time I checked the Berkey (my choice) could not be shipped to California. Government hard at work to protect us from ourselves.
Hopefully that has changed and Berkey paid the money to certify what they already know.

[mr_andyj]

#1. using amazon for purchase is contributing to anti-American businesses. Choose your loyality...
ebay has the same products.

#2. Hands down - Berkey filter. It is the best.

There are "jerry can" filters that use the Berky filter and the jerry can is more robust than the "travel" can of the Berkey. The Berky travel can is not meant for travel, it is just smaller so easier to carry around, but in no way set up for travel, you have to secure it for travel somehow.

If I had a do-over I would use a jerry can with Berky filters.

The store water is always contaminated and sometimes just carbon filtered (for taste) tap water.

Those other filters will not filter as good as a Berky.

Lots of toxins in American tap water.

[SHRED]

midnightsadie wrote:
$25. inline filter with a charcoal filter works.

We have an R/O unit at home so we are used to a more robust filtering than those.
I might get the Travel Berkey for drinking water and the $25 filter for the tank.