Water filter by pass valves

[BuckeyeChuck]

Does anyone know it there is a water filter bypass kit on the market?

[AVid]

I used a water heater by-pass kit on mine. If you go that route, make sure you get the kit with the 12" hose. Camco Bypass Kit

John

[slide5r4fun]

We bought this kit last year from Sears on-line, thanks to a tip from forum user, Twisty! We had already winterized our rig but plan to use it this year. Seems a lot more simple than adding valves.

Flow Pur RV Motorhome Water Filter Home Purifier Winterizing Device By-Pass Plate Kit - Automotive - RV & Camping Accessories - Specialty RV Accessories

[BuckeyeChuck]

Originally Posted by slide5r4fun

We bought this kit last year from Sears on-line, thanks to a tip from forum user, Twisty! We had already winterized our rig but plan to use it this year. Seems a lot more simple than adding valves.

Flow Pur RV Motorhome Water Filter Home Purifier Winterizing Device By-Pass Plate Kit - Automotive - RV & Camping Accessories - Specialty RV Accessories

How simple is that? Great idea.

[WatkinsGlenCamper]

I don't use the tank water for drinking nor ever use a "city" water hook-up. Always boondock it, using bottled water (or beer or soda) for drinking. My Micro-Lite 23LB came with an inline water filter. Today, when it came time to winterize the water lines, I thought I would by-pass the filter seeing I never drink water from the RV and I didn't want to waste any antifreeze filling the filter housing. Only problem was those Pex fittings and couplings. I don't have a Pex crimping tool (about $60.00 at Home Depot) so I had to figure out how to build a by-pass using hose clamps. The solution, I found, was that the filter has 1/2" male threaded fittings with a barbed end on the "in" and "out" sides where the Pex pipes are crimped on to.

Here's what I bought:

* Two 1/2" female swivel adapters (about $5.00 at Home Depot.) Here's a link:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite...0#.UkdntEBSAg1
* Two hose clamps ($1.50)
* One foot of RV water hose ($1.07)
* Teflon tape (I had a roll in the tool box...about $1.00)

Step 1:
* Relieved pressure from the water lines and removed the filter cartridge housing.

Step2:
* Unscrewed a male fitting from of one side of the filter with the Pex pipe still attached. The barbed fitting turned within the Pex pipe (but never leaked afterward.) On the opposite male fitting, to be on the safe side, I turned the complete filter head (minus the cartridge housing) while holding the male fitting with a crescent wrench to keep the seal of the Pex pipe and barb intact.

Step 3:
* Wrapped the threads of the 2 male fittings, I removed from the filter, with teflon tape (very cheap insurance against water leaks.) Then screwed the 1/2" female swivel adapters onto the two 1/2" male fittings and snug them hand tight.

Step 4:
* Placed two hose clamps on a small piece of RV water hose (about 5" or 6" long) then inserted each end of the hose on the barbs of the two female swivel adapters.

Step 5:
* Tighten the hose clamps.

Step 6:
* Attached the by-pass hose piece to the top of the water filter housing with two zip ties to help support that line run.

When I winterized today and pressurized the water lines, there was a small drip on one fitting. I tighten the hose clamp with a nut driver, and no more drip.

The one Pex crimp is still water tight even when the barb was turned around within the Pex pipe when removing the first male fitting from the filter. They are very strong connections and/or I was lucky. I think it was a bit of both.

They say a picture's worth a thousands words so I'm attaching a photo of my filter by-pass to better illustrate all the above.

[Ford Idaho]

Very good, you could remove the filter housing and save the weight.

[WatkinsGlenCamper]

I was thinking about removing the complete filter, but when and if I ever trade up, I'm thinking the next owner may want a filter system. With this set-up, it shouldn't be much of a job to get the filter in-line, working again.

[youroo]

Place a empty pop bottle inside the canister.Price 0$ Youroo!!

[WatkinsGlenCamper]

I'm aware of the pop bottle trick (filled with water or sand), but the filter, even though it looks easy to get to in the photo, is in an awkward and hard to get at spot. I'm 6'2" and have long arms, but I can just about (stretching for all I'm worth) get an arm in that area to get at the filter. I had a heck of a time just getting the filter cartridge housing loose with the "filter wench" the manufacturer provided. I didn't want to go through that same routine every year I winterize and that's why I decided to do a by-pass.

[sideout1961]

Originally Posted by slide5r4fun

We bought this kit last year from Sears on-line, thanks to a tip from forum user, Twisty! We had already winterized our rig but plan to use it this year. Seems a lot more simple than adding valves. Flow Pur RV Motorhome Water Filter Home Purifier Winterizing Device By-Pass Plate Kit - Automotive - RV & Camping Accessories - Specialty RV Accessories

i bought that last year and couldn't get it to stop leaking.