water filters

[machunt]

Whats everyone use for fresh water filtration? we use the standard wal malt single inline filter, seems to work ok, but has to be something better. for outdoor use.

[Bierp]

TechWriter wrote:

You'll be going through filters very fast. So weigh the cost of these filters against a standard-size filter that you can clean over and over again.

Fair enough.

For the RO 150, is the flow from that adequate to supply a kitchen sink? Conveniently absent from the vids I'm seeing are actual flow examples. I'm afraid I have no concept if 150 gallons/day produces enough flow to, say, wash a load of dishes? I see that there's a drinking water only kit that can be acquired. Not sure if that's the key to success or if it's unnecessary.

[TechWriter]

Bierp wrote:

I appreciate the feedback.

I'll definitely be going with the RO under the sink. As for the sediment canister replacing the Everpure system they gave me, what's the reasoning here? Is it because it is a crappy product, or because I'll go through them too quickly with a 700 gallon rating on a whole-house system, or will it hurt my pressure, or...?
.

You'll be going through filters very fast. So weigh the cost of these filters against a standard-size filter that you can clean over and over again.

[Bierp]

TechWriter wrote:

I would ditch your current system and do the following:

First, install a whole house, clear single canister sediment filter. This will at least keep the "rocks" out of your system. I suggest a clear filter housing because it's important to see what's going on with your filter. Opaque canisters or Inline filters don't let you see this:

Second, if you have room, install an under-the-sink Reverse Osmosis system for your drinking water.

I appreciate the feedback.

I'll definitely be going with the RO under the sink. As for the sediment canister replacing the Everpure system they gave me, what's the reasoning here? Is it because it is a crappy product, or because I'll go through them too quickly with a 700 gallon rating on a whole-house system, or will it hurt my pressure, or...?

Just curious. It was your rig that made me ask this in the first place, so I definitely appreciate your suggestions.

[WTP-GC]

WTP-GC wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
I have plenty of flow even with my WATTS regulator set to 60psi. Something is not right with your setup.

I wondered the same thing as well. I bought an expensive pressure regulator but the gauge never showed greater than 20 PSI on the hose, so I figured that its a faulty unit. So I went back to my old pressure regulator (non-adjustable style) and its preset to 40 PSI. I'm going to replace the expensive one and see if that makes any difference. Without the regulator, I have strong flow. I believe I read that the filter limits flow to 1 GPM.

Since this thread has come back to life a little, I figured I'd update even my own post.

I moved the basic pressure regulator to be "after" the filter. That appears to have solved my flow issue. Having it installed "before" the filter compounded the flow restriction issue that the filter itself naturally creates.

[jplante4]

Red Racer - that's quite a setup, but it looks like all you really needed was the 30 cent screen in the hose 🙂

I use the inline blue filter (there's a 2X version now ) and a Brita to make drinkable.

[TechWriter]

Bierp wrote:
We're about to go full time . . . I had the dealer install a whole house filter . . . They put in an Everpure EV925205 . . . the filters are only rated for 700 gallons. For a whole house system (including laundry and shower) that's going to go by pretty quickly when full-timing.

I expect I'll probably be looking at a more robust system in the near future, but I'd like feedback on the one they did put in.

I've been full timing for about 5 years and made sure my water filtration system could handle just about anything. But here are my suggestions for a "basic" full timing system:

I would ditch your current system and do the following:

First, install a whole house, clear single canister sediment filter. This will at least keep the "rocks" out of your system. I suggest a clear filter housing because it's important to see what's going on with your filter. Opaque canisters or Inline filters don't let you see this:



Second, if you have room, install an under-the-sink Reverse Osmosis system for your drinking water.

[MrWizard]

i only filter drinking and cooking water

i see no need to filter bath and toilet water

IF its a 'hard water' area, that makes showering laundry a pain
i'll move on

[Bierp]

We're about to go full time. This is an area where I haven't spent as much time doing research as I probably should have.

I love the 7 step filtration link above. I think that might be a bit more than I can take on right now, but I applaud the diligence.

I just got my new 5er. I had the dealer install a whole house filter, but I wasn't specific on that request. They put in an Everpure EV925205.

This is NSF certified 99.2% reduction of particles down to 0.5 microns. That sounds like a good start, but I see that the filters are only rated for 700 gallons. For a whole house system (including laundry and shower) that's going to go by pretty quickly when full-timing.

I expect I'll probably be looking at a more robust system in the near future, but I'd like feedback on the one they did put in. Would I benefit by adding a source, hose fitted filter? I have a Hydrolife HL-180 sitting next to me, unopened. Was going to add it to my last rig before we changed plans. On that unit we brought drinking water. I'd like to get a purification system on the new rig that is adequate wherever we go.

[webecreekin]

I generally don't use a filter at all. The local water has to be potable, so I just use what they have. If we are at a site where the water has an objectionable smell, we use water that we carry in jugs for coffee, tea, and such. We drink bottled water. I've never had an ice cube that was objectionable.

Now on the other hand, a water softener might come in handy to protect the washing machine and things.

[Lynnmor]

pnichols wrote:

Lynnmor wrote:
That is way too much bleach, 2-1/2 teaspoons for 40 gallons would be the EPA recommended amount.

My Itasca (Winnebago) motorhome's owners manual recommends about 6 oz. of chlorine to disinfect it's 45 gallons (includes the 6 gal. hot water heater) of onboard fresh water.

This chart recommends about the same: https://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/chlorine-dosage

So ... at the beginning of each trip I fill the fresh water tank including about 5-6 oz. of chlorine.

That chart is for disinfecting the vessel for two hours, then you dump it. We call that sanitizing here.

[pnichols]

Lynnmor wrote:
That is way too much bleach, 2-1/2 teaspoons for 40 gallons would be the EPA recommended amount.

My Itasca (Winnebago) motorhome's owners manual recommends about 6 oz. of chlorine to disinfect it's 45 gallons (includes the 6 gal. hot water heater) of onboard fresh water.

This chart recommends about the same: https://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/chlorine-dosage

So ... at the beginning of each trip I fill the fresh water tank including about 5-6 oz. of chlorine.

[Lynnmor]

pnichols wrote:

1. Dump 6 oz. of chlorine (for 40 gallons) into the refill hose before I screw it onto the hookup faucet so that the fresh water tank and whole system get sanitized with this chlorine every time I refill and eventually use - 40 gallons of water out of the fresh water tank.

That is way too much bleach, 2-1/2 teaspoons for 40 gallons would be the EPA recommended amount. I use a tablespoon at startup and then just 1 teaspoon when refilling with an unknown (gauges are just a guess) amount of water containing little or no chlorine.

[ken56]

Learned my lesson years ago to use a filter if not for anything else to reduce the sediment that accumulates in the water heater. First trailer I had, when winterizing and draining the heater there was a 1/4 inch of sediment on the bottom of the tank. I use the blue in-line filter now and have been satisfied with the results. We use bottled water though for drinking and making coffee.

[machunt]

Our 2 biggest concern,s are 1) water for coffee. and 2) we have a portable ice maker. we have noticed at a few campgrounds ice will have a bad taste to it.

[pnichols]

At campgrounds we NEVER use direct hookup water.

We use only from the RV's fresh water tank and just refill it periodically from the hookup faucet. Doing this, I can always treat the water that comes into the fresh water tank two ways:

1. Dump 6 oz. of chlorine (for 40 gallons) into the refill hose before I screw it onto the hookup faucet so that the fresh water tank and whole system get sanitized with this chlorine every time I refill and eventually use - 40 gallons of water out of the fresh water tank.

2. One the other end of of the refill hose just before it goes into the RV's refill outlet, I screw on one of the blue Camco filters shown in the links provided by other posters above.

(I usually do 1., above, only at home before each trip ... but could do it on trips whenever we refill with water.)

In addition to these two things ... we NEVER drink from the the RV's fresh water tank on RV trips. We drink bottled water, only, that we bring along on each RV trip.