water filter choices

[RuralPastor]

Last year, our first, we bought an in-line hose filter from Walmart for around 20 bucks. I was less than impressed with it's ability to kill the taste of nasty Illinois water (iron). It did little better for some of the over-chlorinated campgrounds across America. We generally drink bottled water and haul our cooking water in jugs. I doubt all you long-timers do that. I'm thinking about building a decent filter setup, but would like to know what you're using, and what works. Thanks for your help.

Mark

 

[jbeletti]

Mark,

Way's I've seen it done:

Single Filter Solution
Some will run a single whole-house style filter housing with an all-purpose cartridge or with a charcoal only filter

Double Filter Solution
Some will run two filters. Usually, the first filter will be for sediment (1 or 5 microns) and the second will be charcoal/everything else

Add Water Softener
Some will run a water softener in addition to 1 or more filters. Usually, the softener is added after the filters.


These are all my own observations/experiences. You should get some other replies here. Most curious to me is what are some variations on how/where to mount filters?
- In the UDC? (what if you run 2 filters?)
- Inside the storage compartment?
- Behind the utility wall?
- On the frame? (I did this last year)
- On a bracket on the side of the coach?
- In a holder, tote etc., on the ground?

Jim

 

[JohnDar]

Last year, our first, we bought an in-line hose filter from Walmart for around 20 bucks. I was less than impressed with it's ability to kill the taste of nasty Illinois water (iron). It did little better for some of the over-chlorinated campgrounds across America. We generally drink bottled water and haul our cooking water in jugs. I doubt all you long-timers do that. I'm thinking about building a decent filter setup, but would like to know what you're using, and what works. Thanks for your help.

Mark

Funny you should ask. Now you get the spiel, complete with 8x10 color glossies.

I made up a dual filter system comprised of a 1-micron RV-SED1sediment filter, followed by a 1-micron F1Pb carbon block filter. It's housed in a large tote and placed under the rig when in use. On the output side, I have a Watts N55BG regulator, along with a in-line water meter. I also have a 200 psi rated 50' water hose. All the materials came from The RV Water Filter Store. The tote holds the canisters while in use and spare items. In storage, the hose rolls up in there, as well, and it all goes into the basement.

The line from the filter box connects to my distribution manifold in the UDC. While in use, the cover goes back on the tote to keep the elements out.

View attachment 18254View attachment 18255

 

[RuralPastor]

Two questions: Do you use this filter setup when filling the freshwater tank also? And, do you drink the water from your freshwater tank? I was learning towards the two-filter setup. John, I really like your setup. Is it easy to change the filters, ie. removing the manifold from the bucket, or do you rotate it?
Thanks Jim and John for the help.

 

[JohnDar]

We start with a supply of purchased water bottles and refill them from the tap. When the furballs are in residence, which is most of the time, they drink the tap water, too. The CG well water tastes fine, as does the coffee made with it. Changing filters is not difficult, although you do have to disconnect the system. I remove it from the tote (not enough room to rotate) by disconnecting the supply hose and the regulator, then lifting the assembly out. I drain off the canisters a bit, and then remove them from the holders. Based on our water usage, the carbon filter lasts the summer (2500 gallon through-put life) and the sediment filters about half the summer. Since the sediment filters come in a two-pack, I change it about mid-summer when it's got a slight orange tint to it. I chose the filters for the rated gpm through-put, as well as the micron size.

I run the entire trailer, including the black tank flush, through the system. The manifold has a line to the city water inlet and the black tank flush. The third line is for utility and the gravity fill. The only thing I don't use it for is washing the trailer. For that, I have a gated wye on the pedestal to hook my wash hose to. Until late last summer, I did not put water in the fresh water tank. But now I'm going to fill it halfway just in case there's a power failure and we don't feel like hiking down to the restrooms in the middle of the night or in the rain.

 

[SilverRhino]

I have a very similar system to the one used by JohnDar......Actually his design is what I went off of to make mine. My design allows me to by pass the filters while using the tank flush or outside shower. We usually use a sediment filter followed by a charcoal filter......easily found at HD or other Big Box stores.

Good Luck!

Travel Safe!

 

[JohnDar]

Putting the bypass in mine is on the "Roundtoit" list. I'm considering dead-heading or valving the lines to the outside shower since I don't use it, it doesn't flow for "poop," and it's a potential trouble spot.

 

[RuralPastor]

I have a very similar system to the one used by JohnDar......Actually his design is what I went off of to make mine. My design allows me to by pass the filters while using the tank flush or outside shower. We usually use a sediment filter followed by a charcoal filter......easily found at HD or other Big Box stores.

Good Luck!



Travel Safe!

Randy,
That is impressive! Great idea to put in a bypass for backflushing and general clean up. Thanks to all for the inspiration.

 

[recumbent615]

I'm going the same route as John with my set up - the only difference is I am going with High Flow GE Whole house Filters - one for Sediment and one for Taste ( Charcoal ) I also have two Adjustable Regulators, since I do not have the High end hoses that John does. The First thing I do is test the Pressure and Flow of the Park - and Install the first regulator that is set at 80psi - then the hose to the filter set and finally a final regulator that is set to 50 psi before connecting to the rig. I've been doing this with one filter for years - but there have been times that "clean" is not good enough and I want it to taste good too. So this spring I will put it all together in a tub - my filers take one inch plumbing - so I will need to step it down. The advantage to the GE filters is if the Park has really poor pressure ( must be above 40 psi ) I can always switch one or both of them out of the mix. I would think twice before taking them both out of the equation - I would most likely switch to the on board tank and "trickle fill" the tank from my filter setup.

I believe that the Filters provide 4-6 G/M flow @ 40PSI.

I'll let you know after I build it later this spring.

Kevin

John I like your manifold set up. I assume that one is City water and the second is back flush for the Black tank, yes?

I was thinking of a similar setup but behind the UDC. I Was looking at taping the Current City connection and piping to two Valves - one for power fill of the FW tank and the second for Back Flush of the BW tank -

 

[JohnDar]

Kevin,
Yes, the top valve goes to the city water and the middle one goes to the tank flush. My plastic tank flush fitting broke some time ago so now it's a city water fitting with a brass check valve. The third valve (bottom) is my utility line for rinsing whatever. Like I mentioned earlier, though, I use a separate hose off a gated wye on the pedestal for washing the rig.

The 50ft hose is so I didn't have to mess with connecting shorter ones trying to reach a rear pedestal, and it came from RV Filter Store. Came in handy last summer at the Goshen Rally. Figured I might as well get a good one. The filter canisters are rated to 100 psi and the regulator is preset at 50, so even if there is a spike, the rig won't see it.

Been using this set up for three summers now, getting ready for the fourth (with new filters, of course).

 

[porthole]

Two questions: Do you use this filter setup when filling the freshwater tank also? And, do you drink the water from your freshwater tank? I was learning towards the two-filter setup. John, I really like your setup. Is it easy to change the filters, ie. removing the manifold from the bucket, or do you rotate it?

My setup - no pictures handy, when I take the cover off I'll post with the new gauges I found.

While in Hatteras 2 years ago I could not believe how awful the water tasted, or had bad I felt after giving it to the dogs (drinking water) for two days.
While there visiting friends, my buddy just happened to have a reverse osmosis system sitting in a box for his house. His wife, who worked for the county water department would not allow him to install it

So we got it.

I installed the RO and just did not care for the way these work with RV's.

I removed the volume tank and the RO membrane.
That left me with a 4 filter setup that I use with a water tap at the sink.

• 5 micron dirt a rust ist stage
• GAC Coconut shell carbon Filter 2nd stage
• CTO Carbon Block Filter 3rd stage
• Post inline GAC carbon Filter 4th stage, also known as a polishing filter.

Outside I use a whole house GE filter. My filter housing has the bypass valve built in. Basically the water gets filtered once going in with a general filter and then gets cleaned up for drinking, cooking and coffee.
My fresh water fill is through a internal manifold, so it also gets the sediment filter treatment.

I installed two 60 PSI stainless steel oil filled gauges, one on each side of the housing to monitor pressure drop. Also added one of these gauges on my Watts pressure reducer.
The gauges were motorcycle gauges I found on eBay for $18 each. Nice item for the price and it should last longer then the one season I got out of the CW piece of junk inline gauge.

I got 3 100 psi and 2 60 psi from this sellerhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/100-PSI-Liquid-Filled-Oil-Pressure-Gauge-for-Harley-/140419641149?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20b1a9af3dFrom the site I ordered the filters from:

Removes chlorine, taste and odour using Coconut Shell Carbon,
Fits all standard 10" X 2.5" Water Filter housings

1[SUP]st[/SUP] Stage	5 Micron Polypropylene Sediment Filter To remove larger particles & suspended matter such as dirt, silt, rust, sand, algae, sediment, scale particles, dirt and cloudiness from water. Replace every 6~12 months
2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Stage	GAC T33 Coconut Shell Carbon Filter Gives your water sweet taste & remove chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, bad taste & odours. Replace every 6~12 months or lasts 3,000 gallons
3rd Stage	CTO Carbon Block Filter To remove small particles and carbon fines may pass from second stage & to ensure 100% of chlorine removal. Replace every 6~12 months or lasts 3,000 gallons.
4[SUP]th[/SUP] Stage	Membrane - (This stage filter " membrane" is not Included in this package)
5[SUP]th[/SUP] Stage	Inline GAC Coconut Shell Carbon Filter Polishing GAC Post filter for a sweeter taste for the water and removes any taste or odour the water may have picked up while sitting in the tank. Replace every 6 months or lasts 1,500 gallons

 

[mlburst1]

Mark,

We use a very simple filter system and are usually satisfied with the water quality.

At the outside hydrant, we attach the inexpensive filter from Walmart (sediment filtration), then we have an inline single canister filter with a F1Pb filter element (http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/RCCarbonCartridge.htm#F1) and at the UDC entrance we have a fixed 45 PSI regulator.

Over the last two years, we have replaced filters on a 6 month cycle.

Mike

 

[edmaho]

I use a Hydro Life filter in the valves compartment. Two brass L connectors are used between the filter and the RV to hook it to the inlet connection for the RV. The incoming water hose is connected to the filter with a splitter with one side feeding the filter and the other side feeding the black water flush. This is connected to the flusher with a short hose and another L connector. It is activated only when flushing. The filter only feeds the RV and not the flusher.