How to Remove On-Board Water Filter

[bob18]

Originally Posted by Long Leaf Piners

OUr filters were clogging quickly due to the wide range of water quality as we traveled this past summer. The inside canister had never had the filter put into place from the beginning; we used outside small filters...went through 3 this summer! I couldn't figure out a by-pass plug or plate. Old Timers said, when it comes to winterizing-take out the cartridge, put a plastic bottle in it and reconnect to lower the amount of antifreeze you need to put in. All too much trouble. So I opted to remove and replace with standard fitting from Lowes--without cutting any feed lines & worrying about additional leaks. Here's the finished layout. Took a couple of hours to get it all apart-easy to put back together. Now using the two-stage outside filters. (As for on-board tanks, I would still filter all water going into the tank with my externals--before pumping through the rig.)

Thanks so much for the pics and description of what you did! Looks great.

A quick question: Where you've removed the filter and installed the fitting, I see that you're using, on one side, the white braided hose (and PEX on the other side). Is that a hose clamp you're using on the white hose, or some sort of crimping ring?

I agree with an earlier comment here that replacing the white hose with PEX is the way to go, but that looks like a project that's a bit more involved than I want to take on at the moment. So ... I'm thinking that what I might do to remove my filter, is cut the three white braided lines (two incoming lines; one from the pump, one from external water; one being the out line) then join them with a simple plastic barbed T fitting secured with hose clamps.

But I'm a bit concerned about how tight and secure these connections would be. Any experience with barbed fittings and hose clamps on this white hose?

Thanks!

[Rcbstuff]

Ok I have a question. I have the same water filter. How do you remove the cannister?

[Black]

Originally Posted by Rcbstuff

Ok I have a question. I have the same water filter. How do you remove the cannister?

Unscrew it with the special tool supplied with the trailer.
Or if your lucky...you can unscrew it by hand if well located, mine is not.

[M&K Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Black

Unscrew it with the special tool supplied with the trailer.
Or if your lucky...you can unscrew it by hand if well located, mine is not.

You mean that special wrench is not for ripping the filter assembly off of the flimsy paneling it is screwed to? I was panning to remove it anyways! BTW I used two PEX to 1/2" female IPS fittings and a 3" piece of 1/2" PEX in place of the filter.

[WFD]

Bob18.....you are looking to do exactly what I did, and I experienced a leak afterwards...the white braided hose doesn't fit the braided tees real well and very hard to get a tight clamp...much better off using a Shark Bite onto the white braided hose...it seems to bite it really good..Shark Bites can be had at Home Depot....I used Sea Tech clamps instead...same idea, pretty much same cost, and the RV tech that gave me the advise recommended them and stocked them so I just bought them off of him. I have seen them at RV dealers as well in their plumbing repair parts section....
Working with the pex is really not that big a deal, and is pretty quick. JUst have the right pex cutting tool and the proper crimping tool for the rings.

[bob18]

WFD:
Thanks very much for your advice on the matter of fittings. That's exactly what I was wondering about and needing to know concerning the security of barbed fittings with the white braided hose. There's a Home Depot close by so I'll be able to get Shark Bite fittings and will use those instead.

Did you use a Shark Bite "T" fitting to join the three hoses? Also, if a T fitting is used, do you think I'd need a check valve on the line that runs down to the pump, or will the pump itself serve to prevent backflow into the FW tank?

Thanks again!

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by cub22908

I hear what you are saying but a LOT of people have had their canister unscrew itself. That would be like having a hose on full blast inside the RV. After reading numerous accounts of that happening I decided to just remove that possibility from happening. It certainly doesn't have to be done.

Most of the unscrewing incidents occur because the final "push up & twist" procedure was not done. We have owned our rig over a year and have not had a problem.

If you happen to attend the Forest River Rally in Goshen next August, put change filter on your maintenance form and the FR Techs will replace your filter for free

[Geri]

re hose clamps the screw type. We have them on dozens of hoses throughout the boat and RV. Both get bounce and vibrated. Just ensure that you use stainless, tho maybe less important on RV

[Gilm2113]

Sail2liv, can you provide the name and model number of the flow meter you use on your fresh water line?

[WFD]

Originally Posted by bob18

WFD:
Thanks very much for your advice on the matter of fittings. That's exactly what I was wondering about and needing to know concerning the security of barbed fittings with the white braided hose. There's a Home Depot close by so I'll be able to get Shark Bite fittings and will use those instead.

Did you use a Shark Bite "T" fitting to join the three hoses? Also, if a T fitting is used, do you think I'd need a check valve on the line that runs down to the pump, or will the pump itself serve to prevent backflow into the FW tank?

Thanks again!

Bob18...my set up was a bit different than yours...I dont have three hoses coming together...I simply had to remove the filter housing and add a piece of pex tubing to join it all together. When I had a leak from my white braided hose at the tee, I removed it on the tech's advice and threw in a piece of pex tubing.