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.

[TechWriter]

filters4water wrote:

First about RO: RO is high waste and really unnecessary for filtering potable water. I would recommend it for non potable water because of it's ability to remove tiny viruses and such. (there are better methods)

High water waste -- RV RO systems can be easily plumbed so that the waste water (aka brine) goes back into the water tank where it can be used for showers, dishes, etc, but not drinking,

RO for non-potable water -- Ever been to AZ? The "potable" water in some parts of the state reaches TDS levels of 700+. My under-the-sink RV RO system reduces that level to about 30, just like bottled water.

filters4water wrote:

We sell a compact 4 filter system $200***Link Removed***, easy to install and replacement filter set is only $49 annually.

Seriously? Your first posts on this forum are all about selling stuff from your store???

For everyone else, I suggest you check out the RVWaterFilterStore. They've been selling RV water systems and supplies for years.

[Cummins12V98]

Discount Water Filter Store online $9.99

CFB-Plus10 Pentek Replacement Water Filter Cartridge

[down_home]

The small 10 in blue filter for cannister at CW has good specs but 39.00 is high especially if you may have to toss it in a few days, such as RV Parks with wells in the Midwest another whole house or 10 inch filter for a prefilter with cheaper ordinary media helps that problem but buy several for replacements.
Since I had to re do our computer I lost links to store on line with the best filters. The ten inch whole house canister is about as large as practical in our coaches. Cartridges speced to get metals,poisons and nasties re not cheap but in the large whole houe size will perhaps last a season, especially if a prefilter for sediments is used. Sediments, Chlorine, Sulfur, iron and other metals and poisons with sediment fouling filters before the carbon block etc have a chance to load up, exception being sulfur and iron. So in order sediment,sulfur and iron get our filters early, then chlorine can get the carbon block, and then the metals and nasties.
Reminds me I have to order some cartridges before we head out.

[filters4water]

I run a water filtration business. We supply several hundred local businesses and maintain an online store. It's very interesting to read these posts. I want to toss my 2 cents into the conversation.

First about RO: RO is high waste and really unnecessary for filtering potable water. I would recommend it for non potable water because of it's ability to remove tiny viruses and such. (there are better methods)
Why did I decide to switch? I began finding large amounts of bioslime growing in reservoirs. I switched to UF and the reservoirs are always sparkling clean at service intervals.
If you have RO, it is very important to change the carbon pre-filter frequently. The chlorine in municipal water will damage RO membranes and the carbon pre-filter is the mechanism for removal.

Whole house canister filters are not very efficient for the RVer, too large and not very effective without at least 4 separate processes.

If minimizing filtration, use a sediment 5mic and activated carbon. This is the biggest bang. If you wish to go further, add a membrane to remove tiny particles (I like UF) and finish with a carbon block for taste and odor. The water will be clean and taste great.

We sell a compact 4 filter system $200***Link Removed***, easy to install and replacement filter set is only $49 annually.

My daughter created a set up for a vacation house. Same system as above that attaches to a hose and has a built in faucet....clever for filtering from hose bib and totally portable.

[filters4water]

Not a fan of RO for RV. My company had 200+ RO water dispensers in various offices. RO is high waste and really unnecessary for filtering potable water. I would recommend it for non potable water because of it's ability to remove tiny viruses and such. (there are better methods)
Why did I decide to switch? I began finding large amounts of bioslime growing in reservoirs. I switched to UF and the reservoirs are always sparkling clean at service intervals.
If you have RO, it is very important to change the carbon pre-filter frequently. The chlorine in municipal water will damage RO membranes and the carbon pre-filter is the mechanism for removal.

In fact activated carbon is hands down the cheapest most effective broad spectrum filter. I don't recommend faucet filters or pitcher filters, but they are better than nothing.

We sell a compact 4 filter system that is thorough. If starting with contaminated water, I would add a UV light to kill bio organisms. But don't think a UV light does filtering, it does not.

[RVchamp420]

TechWriter wrote:

RVchamp420 wrote:
I know most of you guys have problems with water pressure when trying to setup an under counter reverse osmosis water filter. Many of them require 40 psi or more pressure. My sink faucet only had 20 psi.

The pressure at your faucet is determined by the water pressure coming into your RV or your RV pump. If you're consistently at 20 psi, then something else is going on. BTW, how do you know it's 20 psi?

I've been to a lot of campgrounds and almost all of them could maintain 40 psi.

RVchamp420 wrote:

I used the filter system below.
https://www.wecofilters.com/gmq-50.html

The "screw-on filters" look proprietary -- that is, you have to buy them from the RO manufacturer. Not a good idea.

I used a pressure gauge at the faucet. Reading was 20 PSI. Anyways, even 40 PSI is not good enough for a ro system. You probably would route most of the water to the drain side of ro because of low pressure. Never had a problem finding replacement filters though. They are easy twist-on btw, not the screw type found on regular home ro systems. After installing the ro and turning on the pump, it was hard to read the gauge at ro water inlet as the gauge needle was vibrating, but the average stood around 62 PSI.

[yr2017]

R/O and UV

Fluoride is a poison that should not be added to drinking water. The propaganda supporting the addition of fluoride to 2/3 of the tap water in America is an insult to our intelligence. Canada is almost as bad as 40% of Canadians receive fluoride in their source water. Europe and Asia don’t fluoridate their water supplies and North America should pay attention.

All kinds of companies claim that their filters remove fluoride, but they rarely do. Until recently - June 2016, the only way to effectively remove fluoride was with a Reverse Osmosis “RO” system unless you were willing to deal with a cumbersome and expensive distillation system.

The word MICRON is used by the industry to describe the size of particles that a filter will elimante from water. There are two words to describe the fitration capability of a filter…one is ABSOLUTE….the other is NOMINAL.

* Absolute is a definition that means a filter will remove absolutely every particle above the stated micron size. In other words, an Absolute filter does what you assume it will do. For example, a 1 micron filter will remove anything larger than 1 micron.

* A nominal designation means that a filter will nominally remove particulate down to the stated size. What that means is that a 1 micron filter can remove particulate as small as 1 micron, but it is just as likely to allow particles that are 2-3 microns or even 5 microns pass through.

Unless you read the word ABSOLUTE when it comes to micron capability, assume the filter is referring to NOMINAL.

[down_home]

TechWriter wrote:

down home wrote:
You can still put a prefilter of 25 micron or smaller in a big ten inch canister filter housing such as sold t Home Depot or Lowes.

Some of your micron numbers are goofy. For example, you could drive a car through a 25 micron filter.

I suggest a 5 micron sediment filter as your first line of defense as this size filter can be washed off. Smaller sizes, like 1 micron, should not be washed.

Also, Home Depot and Lowes would not be my first choice for water filtration supplies. Try one of these: www.h2odistributors.com, www.freshwatersystems.com, and www.filtersfast.com.

I used the one from Lowes, essentially the same sans monitor for our well.They were close to home. It was carbon block and silver and a membrane on the outside. Don't know what they ahave now, that was 6 years ago.
The list on it says it gets rid of most things and sediments. Only a bit of sediment but it cleared it up and the calcium in suspension that adhears to the surface of any filter may gather some of the dissolved lime.
I've ended up with several filters in the bay for future use.
The blue one sold by CW which is very expensive 39.00 for the housing designed for it is 10 inch and may work in other housings but I've had it load up a little too quickly sometimes depending on water source.
I think it is 5 or either .5 micron and the list that it removes from water includes most nasties.
So the first housing if i decide I need a prefilter may only be one to catch sediment and let the main filter deal with any nasties.
in South Ga and La I had a good prefilter carbon block, I think. 5 micron and a ceramic primar both stop up from sediment sulfur iron magnesium. The ceramic looked brown and black and I could not clean it up. It really doe not have enough capacity.
The primary filled up and bypassed the stuff to the main filter.
The big ten inch housing will take the big 10 filter from Home Depot or Lowes or somewhere else that the best they had in stock was 25 micron with silver. It got all the chlorine sediment and lead, iron and so on.
I have some .9 micron and .5 micron and without a prefilter they can stop up pretty fast if there is anything in the water at all.
It all depends if you wash clothes and shower and so on every day and how good or bad the water is.
At a campground in Michigan I quizzed a neighbor about not using a filter. He said they only washed clothes in it and bathed. their laundry was lovely shade of yellow brown.
Those small straight blue filters. I used several of them.
When the campground is full there i lots of sediment in the water. It fills up the little filter and then every time you turn on the tap again it flushed sediment on through and the dirty water just keeps coming. I rigged on in front of big filter with clear canister and next morning after showering and laundry the day before and that morning that clear canister was a quarter full of dirt.

[TechWriter]

RVchamp420 wrote:
I know most of you guys have problems with water pressure when trying to setup an under counter reverse osmosis water filter. Many of them require 40 psi or more pressure. My sink faucet only had 20 psi.

The pressure at your faucet is determined by the water pressure coming into your RV or your RV pump. If you're consistently at 20 psi, then something else is going on. BTW, how do you know it's 20 psi?

I've been to a lot of campgrounds and almost all of them could maintain 40 psi.

RVchamp420 wrote:

I used the filter system below.
https://www.wecofilters.com/gmq-50.html

The "screw-on filters" look proprietary -- that is, you have to buy them from the RO manufacturer. Not a good idea.

[TechWriter]

down home wrote:
You can still put a prefilter of 25 micron or smaller in a big ten inch canister filter housing such as sold t Home Depot or Lowes.

Some of your micron numbers are goofy. For example, you could drive a car through a 25 micron filter.

I suggest a 5 micron sediment filter as your first line of defense as this size filter can be washed off. Smaller sizes, like 1 micron, should not be washed.

Also, Home Depot and Lowes would not be my first choice for water filtration supplies. Try one of these: www.h2odistributors.com, www.freshwatersystems.com, and www.filtersfast.com.

[RVchamp420]

TechWriter wrote:

Bierp wrote:

For the RO 150, is the flow from that adequate to supply a kitchen sink?

Oops! That RO 150 I linked to is not a good choice.

Here's a better choice -- ***Link Removed***. The Watts RO system has a holding tank which you'll need and a separate spigot for the RO water. Watts is a good brand and a 4-stage is just fine.

Watts ro looks good, but was there enough space to install it? The 3 gallon tank and the regular sized filters/membranes take up a lot of space. Also, what water pressure do you have and was that enough to run the filter?

[RVchamp420]

I know most of you guys have problems with water pressure when trying to setup an under counter reverse osmosis water filter. Many of them require 40 psi or more pressure. My sink faucet only had 20 psi.

Found this booster pump on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076XXY32R/


This pump works off the 12V battery. Pressure boosted up to 65 psi, which was ideal for my water filter.

I used the filter system below.
https://www.wecofilters.com/gmq-50.html



Compact and neatly fits under the sink of my rv along with some other stuff that I already stocked up there. Has a small 2 gallon tank and a drinking water faucet.

Right now, I'm filling up the tank manually by powering the pump when I need to. Back-flow is prevented by using a check valve installed on the 1/4" water line feeding the filter. I'm planing on automating this later on by installing a solenoid and high/low pressure switches. Will keep you guys updated.

[TechWriter]

Bierp wrote:

For the RO 150, is the flow from that adequate to supply a kitchen sink?

Oops! That RO 150 I linked to is not a good choice.

Here's a better choice -- Watts Premier 4-stage under-the-sink RO system. The Watts RO system has a holding tank which you'll need and a separate spigot for the RO water. Watts is a good brand and a 4-stage is just fine.

[down_home]

You can still put a prefilter of 25 micron or smaller in a big ten inch canister filter housing such as sold t Home Depot or Lowes. It will get most of the stuff and you smaller small micron filter in house will last a lot longer.
We have an under counter and change it evey year, for water ftn and ice maker. It
s a pain. We also have two filters one .05 micron and and thee other 5 microns I think an a third in reserve .09 micron ceramic that is a pain to clean. I carry cheaper sediment filters if I use both and the .5 micron in the bay.
In Michigan, nice campground Turkey town or something, The pre filter loaded up with in three days when the park filled up on the weekend. Once we got to Oklahoma had to the main filter. Good water there and didn't use prefilter. The mail filter took care of chlorine by itself and other stuff.