Water Filter Cartridge Replacement

[SpeakEasy]

My TT came with a built-in, in-line WaterPur water filter. Apparently WaterPur is a brand connected with Forest River products? It's time to get a replacement cartridge. The ones bearing the "WaterPur" label are, of course, overpriced. There are off-brand alternatives being marketed at a lower price. One is Neo-Pure (clever name). Then there's Sprio-Pure. There are probably others. I don't doubt that the off-brand ones will fit, but do they contain comparable filtering elements? Does anyone have any experience with any off-brand replacement filters for these?

TIA

-Speak

[mdcamping]

SpeakEasy wrote:
OP here.

Thanks for all the insights and contributions to this thread.

After all is said and done, I've decided to just not get a filter cartridge this year. I'm just going to leave it out and go with unfiltered water. We don't drink the water from the system anyway (we use only bottled water for drinking when we're on the road). So for washing dishes, taking showers, and using the toilet we don't need filtered water. It will be interesting to see if the flow improves without a cartridge in the filter system.

-Speak

Just some informaton here

On our past trailer we didn't use any filter, (we use bottled water for coffee & drinking only) over time had an issue with sediment getting into the sink faucet mesh strainer. Had to take the faucet completely apart to clean out the sediment in the mesh. Major PITA

Mike

[SpeakEasy]

OP here.

Thanks for all the insights and contributions to this thread.

After all is said and done, I've decided to just not get a filter cartridge this year. I'm just going to leave it out and go with unfiltered water. We don't drink the water from the system anyway (we use only bottled water for drinking when we're on the road). So for washing dishes, taking showers, and using the toilet we don't need filtered water. It will be interesting to see if the flow improves without a cartridge in the filter system.

-Speak

[JimK-NY]

ArcticGabe wrote:
Just curious everyone's opinion on this... Is it better to put a carbon or charcoal filter right at the cold water line to the sink instead of filtering all of the water going to the coach? Does it make the filter last longer? Who needs good tasting toilet water?

Or good tasting rinse water for the dishes?

There are a couple of reasons to filter the water. First is removing sediment. You don't need or want charcoal or nanofilters for that. In fact the good thing will be that the chlorine remains in the water to help keep the RV water system sanitized. That is especially important if you fill and use your water tank.

Another reason to filter is to remove trace metals, contaminants and to improve the taste. We use a Brita or similar filter jug for this. The filters are highly effective and inexpensive.

[1320Fastback]

I buy the knock off 2 pack filters on Amazon and put a new one in at the beginning of each season in our FR trailer.

You can seriously see a flow difference in the shower with a used filter and a new one.

[ArcticGabe]

Just curious everyone's opinion on this... Is it better to put a carbon or charcoal filter right at the cold water line to the sink instead of filtering all of the water going to the coach? Does it make the filter last longer? Who needs good tasting toilet water?

[C_Schomer]

Just my contribution... I used a bunch of large commercial Everpure filters for ice machines... .5 micron/activated carbon. I can tell you .5mic/carbon filters are worth it for drinking water. FWIW, I've also done a bunch of other water filtration to solve specific problems in domestic and process systems and 5 mic. is really very entry level. 1 mic. or smaller was needed to fix any of the problems I saw.

[mdcamping]

dedmiston wrote:

SpeakEasy wrote:
I'm not really sure what a micron is. Is it a two-dimensional measurement? If so, then you're correct about 0.5 being 10 times better (smaller) than 5. But if a micron is a one-dimensional measurement, an opening has both length and width. So, assuming a square space, if the length of the space is 0.5 microns compared to a length of 5 microns, the difference in the 2-dimensional size of the opening is actually 100 times bigger with a 5 micron space than a 0.5 micron space.

It's more complicated than that.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.

I just use those replaceable blue inline Filters :B

Mike

[SpeakEasy]

To clear up my earlier comment...

A 0.5 micron filter is actually 100 times smaller than a 5 micron filter. Here's why:

A 2x2 square has 4 square units.
A 3x3 square has 9 square units.
A 4x4 square has 16 square units.
etc

So... 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.25 and 5 x 5 = 25

25 divided by 0.25 = 100.

-Speak

[Super_Dave]

SpeakEasy wrote:
Here’s the WaterPur one on Amazon. Price is $37.42.

Here’s an “off-brand.” Price is $35.92 for TWO of them!


Both claim to filter 10,000 gallons per year, but I don’t know if that matters. The cheaper one claims to allow a 1 gallon-per-minute flow. The WaterPur says it has a 2.5 gallon-per-minute flow. That suggests to me that the competitor has “better” filtration, but that it may stress the pump. The WaterPur one is 5 microns, according to the WaterPur website, but the competitor doesn’t give its pore size.

As to the suggestion of picking up a filter cartridge at a home center, I haven’t found the right size cartridge in those places. If the cartridge doesn’t fit tightly into the canister, with O-rings that seal it in, then water just bypasses the filter cartridge and you aren’t getting any benefit from it at all.

-Speak

The .5 micron filter that I looked up said that there was a 2.5 psi drop with that filter. Not really significant in my opinion.

[SpeakEasy]

Here’s the WaterPur one on Amazon. Price is $37.42.

Here’s an “off-brand.” Price is $35.92 for TWO of them!


Both claim to filter 10,000 gallons per year, but I don’t know if that matters. The cheaper one claims to allow a 1 gallon-per-minute flow. The WaterPur says it has a 2.5 gallon-per-minute flow. That suggests to me that the competitor has “better” filtration, but that it may stress the pump. The WaterPur one is 5 microns, according to the WaterPur website, but the competitor doesn’t give its pore size.

As to the suggestion of picking up a filter cartridge at a home center, I haven’t found the right size cartridge in those places. If the cartridge doesn’t fit tightly into the canister, with O-rings that seal it in, then water just bypasses the filter cartridge and you aren’t getting any benefit from it at all.

-Speak

[SpeakEasy]

markchengr wrote:
A micron is one millionth of a meter. The micron rating of a filter is the maximum size diameter particle which can can pass through it. So, a 5 micron filter allows particles 10 times as large to pass as does a .5 micron filter.

So you answered my question about what a micron is. Thank you!

But you ignored the rest of what I wrote.

That's OK. It happens.

-Speak

[Cummins12V98]

Shaking my head.

[dedmiston]

MFL wrote:
Well now...put this way, it is easy to understand!

Jerry

:B

I wish I could take credit for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If3SXJeZzMQ

[MFL]

dedmiston wrote:

SpeakEasy wrote:
I'm not really sure what a micron is. Is it a two-dimensional measurement? If so, then you're correct about 0.5 being 10 times better (smaller) than 5. But if a micron is a one-dimensional measurement, an opening has both length and width. So, assuming a square space, if the length of the space is 0.5 microns compared to a length of 5 microns, the difference in the 2-dimensional size of the opening is actually 100 times bigger with a 5 micron space than a 0.5 micron space.

It's more complicated than that.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.

Well now...put this way, it is easy to understand!

Jerry