In-Line Charcoal Water Filter for Under Sink

[dgcarlson]

Hello again. I'd like to filter out the slight chlorine taste from the water supply in my Lance camper. I would like a fairly small in-line filter with a replaceable charcoal cartridge that I can insert between the tank and pump. Finding one on line has just resulted in getting one of those that you use when filling the tank from the outside -- which I already have. Before I make the same type of mistake again, who can recommend something that's designed to go under the sink?

Dave

[dgcarlson]

Yes, I finally decided that getting a charcoal filter for the entire water supply makes no sense. For now I have also added some bleach to the holding tank to prevent the bacteria. I plan to look into either a faucet filter or a separate spigot for drinking water, with a filter installed in that. Again thanks to all for your inciteful suggestions.
Dave

[All58Parks]

wintersun wrote:
Bottle water is the least safe to drink as it picks up the carcinogenic chemicals from the plastic and it is not inspected by any health department anywhere (which is why there have been large scale recalls from time to time).

I would also feel like a complete idiot buying water and paying more than I do per gallon than I am paying for diesel fuel for the truck's engine. Tap water is a lot safer to drink and the cost is next to nothing and most places it tastes a great deal better than anything I have drunk from a plastic bottle.

We use a Brita filter on the faucet for water we will be using in coffee or to drink. Filtering water that will be used to wash hands or dishes or for the shower or toilet makes absolutely no sense at all. With the filter used only for water that we will be drinking it lasts for a full camping season.

Filters pick up bacteria and it grows inside the filter. Not a good idea to rely on filtration alone to keep bacteria out of your drinking water as it does not work. There needs to be some agent that kills the bacteria if it is present. Don't rely on the gallons that can be filtered to decide when to change out the filter. It is likely to be unsafe long before that.

I add the equivalent of a teaspoon of liquid household bleach (which is already diluted to a 5% solution) for each 10 gallons of water we add to the holding tank to prevent the buildup of bacteria in the hot water tank and getting the sulpher smell. That is all it takes to prevent bacteria from growing in the fresh water tank regardless of how long it sits.

:h

Many of these statements do not correlate with my 15 years of professional training and experience as a water systems and filtration designer and installer.

[wintersun]

Bottle water is the least safe to drink as it picks up the carcinogenic chemicals from the plastic and it is not inspected by any health department anywhere (which is why there have been large scale recalls from time to time).

I would also feel like a complete idiot buying water and paying more than I do per gallon than I am paying for diesel fuel for the truck's engine. Tap water is a lot safer to drink and the cost is next to nothing and most places it tastes a great deal better than anything I have drunk from a plastic bottle.

We use a Brita filter on the faucet for water we will be using in coffee or to drink. Filtering water that will be used to wash hands or dishes or for the shower or toilet makes absolutely no sense at all. With the filter used only for water that we will be drinking it lasts for a full camping season.

Filters pick up bacteria and it grows inside the filter. Not a good idea to rely on filtration alone to keep bacteria out of your drinking water as it does not work. There needs to be some agent that kills the bacteria if it is present. Don't rely on the gallons that can be filtered to decide when to change out the filter. It is likely to be unsafe long before that.

I add the equivalent of a teaspoon of liquid household bleach (which is already diluted to a 5% solution) for each 10 gallons of water we add to the holding tank to prevent the buildup of bacteria in the hot water tank and getting the sulpher smell. That is all it takes to prevent bacteria from growing in the fresh water tank regardless of how long it sits.

[iwon415]

The older PUR models were crap. However they keep changing the design and I think the latest is the best. Snaps in and out and no more leaking or cracking.

[All58Parks]

Try the website www.filtersfast.com. They have great prices and good descriptions. You do not need an RV specific filter, a household one will do.

I installed a 2-1/2" x 10" carbon block filter on the inside of my exterior storage compartment, and all the water from the city water inlet passes through it on the way in. I also installed a valve that allows me to fill my fresh water tank through this same line, that way the water going into the tank uses the same filter as the water going directly to the faucets. Finally, I installed the same under-sink model mentioned above, for a final filtration of the drinking and cooking water. My final filter is 0.3 micron in size, which can be be effective against bacteria and cysts, but is still not a guarantee.

I build water and well systems for a living, and I'm not concerned about bacteria growing in the storage tank. I chlorinate and flush before each trip, and filter everything going into it.

One note on your original post, you mentioned putting a filter between the tank and pump. It would be best to put it immediately after the pump. Anytime you install a filter on the suction side of a pump, it can cause cavitation and starve the pump for water. There's no downside to moving it to the discharge side of the pump.

[bobndot]

I spoke to a food microbiology consultant about this a few years ago because i had the same concerns .
The things she rattled off to me are in this link that i found. I use it because it explains it better than i can write it.
You should test your water before you install a filter. The problem is with rvs, the water source changes all the time . I don't think any single stage is fine enough to filter everything out . Reverse Osmosis filters seem to be the way to go if you want protection.
Water purification and filtration , reverse osmosis .



what i do : try my best to keep my tank clean for washing and use reverse osmosis bottled water for drinking cooking. R/O water always says so on the label. I buy it at Target (singles and gallons).
A R/O filter system looks like it takes up more room than any straight single filter. For me, its just easier to buy the water i need for drinking .

[Just_Jeff]

Does it have to be an RV specific filter? Why not just get a standard under-the-sink home filter from Home Depot or Lowes? Mine came installed with one and it looks just like one I put into our previous home several years ago. That was in Florida where the water was pretty unpleasant, and the filter helped quite a bit.

[dgcarlson]

To Scott, who recommended the larger under sink filter -- what brand/model did you install? The RV online sites have absolutely terrible descriptions, and that's why I accidentally ended up with another of those filters you attach to the garden hose for outside water supply.
Dave

[msiminoff]

Hi Dave,
I have a small carbon block filter installed in the cabinet under the kitchen sink and a dispenser spout mounted in the countertop. It does an excellent job of removing chlorine taste/odor and particulates.





I'll add that I am diligent about sanitizing my fresh water tank and I pre-filter every drop of water that goes into it. However if I were ever to add water from a source where I wasn't confident in the water quality (can't imagine why I'd do that), I would not trust this filter to "purify" it.

Cheers,
-Mark

[ScottG]

Get a full size in-line filter housing and the filters are not only large and create near zero pressure drop, but they also don't cost much.

[JimK-NY]

Over the years I bought several of those Pur filters that attach to the faucet. Never again. The quality is horrible. Everything is plastic and the housing tends to split after the filters are changed a few times. I switched at home and in the camper to a simple Brita filter. The cartridge lasts for a long time and is very efficient.

[dgcarlson]

Thanks for the concise and simple suggestions. I was considering adding chlorine bleach to my fresh water supply tank to help prevent bacteria and that sulfur smell that sometimes builds up in the hot water tank. So in order to get that taste out of the fresh water I'm thinking the very best solution is that filter head on the sink faucet. Having some residual chlorine odor in the hot water delivered to the bathroom shower and sink should not be an issue. And I'm also presuming that the amount is so small that it should not affect the biology in the black water tank.

Appreciate your ideas, all!

Dave

[tomousecap]

Dick_B wrote:
The filter at the faucet only affects the water from that faucet. By filtering ALL of the water that goes into the FW tank the bathroom faucets and showers are also filtered. If you connect to the campground source the above is not valid.
We use bottled water for coffee and for drinking in lieu of a filter.

It is not recommended to use chlorine filtering ahead of the FW tank as it can encourage bacterial growth in the standing water. Always better to filter just before use..... 🙂

[Dick_B]

The filter at the faucet only affects the water from that faucet. By filtering ALL of the water that goes into the FW tank the bathroom faucets and showers are also filtered. If you connect to the campground source the above is not valid.
We use bottled water for coffee and for drinking in lieu of a filter.