Water Pur FR-1 Water Filter

[SYE]

I am posting this for a friend that couldnt.
Water Filter Update: WaterPur Model FR-1. When tightening the bottom canister to the upper housing, only tighten snugly until you feel or hear the catches "click" twice! Warning: Over-tightening will cause you to shear off the plastic catches that are molded into the upper housing rendering your water filter housing that is mounted onto your RV USELESS and it will have to be replaced! Contrary to the other style of RV water filters, including those sold by WaterPur, you CANNOT use this filtering system without the correct filter properly installed or the bottom canister will insert itself too far up in the housing shearing off those plastic tabs. The person I talked to is one of the engineers of this FR-1 and he thanked me for giving him this insight because they had no idea that WaterPur themselves were telling people to tighten down; "turn 180 degrees more after initial contact." This "catch-system" was designed to prevent water filters from coming loose while in transit.

[5erDriver]

Hi, could you please ask your friend where they got replacement filters. The sticker on the canister has a contact at forest river on there I know. The dealer where we got our unit says they have replacements that fit but are not waterpur brand. I looked at other filters at Home Depot and the like but nothing was the same and could find nowhere on the web that carried them. Even direct from waterpur. Just curious. Thanks

[SYE]

Originally Posted by 365saq owner

Hi, could you please ask your friend where they got replacement filters. The sticker on the canister has a contact at forest river on there I know. The dealer where we got our unit says they have replacements that fit but are not waterpur brand. I looked at other filters at Home Depot and the like but nothing was the same and could find nowhere on the web that carried them. Even direct from waterpur. Just curious. Thanks

I will ask him and let you know

[AquaMan]

Originally Posted by 365saq owner

Hi, could you please ask your friend where they got replacement filters. The sticker on the canister has a contact at forest river on there I know. The dealer where we got our unit says they have replacements that fit but are not waterpur brand. I looked at other filters at Home Depot and the like but nothing was the same and could find nowhere on the web that carried them. Even direct from waterpur. Just curious. Thanks

I get mine from Home Depot. Although Waterpur will tell you they will not fit, they are exactly the same size. I bought 2 filters for around $12. I think Waterpur wants around $40 for 1. It's a sediment and charcoal filter that has a good flow rate.

[SYE]

I just got off of the phone with Water Pur and they said that the only place to buy the filter is from Forest River. Aftermarkets will not work due to a gasket size. There should be a 800 number on the canister

[eshenderson]

Just got off the phone with my local FR dealer who tried to order the replacement cartridges (KW-1). FR does not list a part number for the dealers to order yet. He got on the horn with FR and was able to order 2. Retail is $29 plus. I am thinking about replacing the whole unit with a Home Depot or Lowes unit. This unit is made excusively for FR

[SYE]

That is what a lot of people are doing because of the availability of this filter

[NO3putt]

We get ours at Lowes, took in old and matched up the size, make sure you get the same interior size hole, more than have the cost of getting them from water pur.

[ebemis]

WOW....yesterday I removed this FR-1 water filter from my rig and am now feeling even better about having done so!

This weekend at about 3:15AM I was awoken by a knock from under our ROO 233S front bunk and subsequent rushing water. I drug myself outside thinking the water hose broke from the side of my rig and water was spraying from hose....not so, by the time I got back to the door I was mildly upset to find a growing puddle of water rapidly consuming the front half of my less than a year old rig!

Turns out, somehow and I have no idea how....the water filter cylinder (clear part) actually "opened" a 1/4 turn or so all on its own and was flushing water out itself right into to cabinet it was mounted in. After getting the water supply isolated and drying up as much as we could, I couldn't manage to get the cylinder to remount, as I would turn it to tighten, snug it up just fine, but when trying to add the extra small tweek to ensure it was tight, the cylinder would turn about 1/8 at best and then spring back on its own to the leaking point......

Went the rest of the weekend with no water supply and as soon as I got home I took this piece of junk out of my rig and simply spliced in a short section of PEX (with the proper joint and clamp rings) and did away with such a major high risk leaking device INSIDE my trailer.

Once I find the right external filter, I will simply use one outside before connecting to my rig. I understand limiting weight and cost, but question how anyone could consider an engineered solution of this sort that did NOT have some sort of water spill isolation included....even a simple plastic catch bin or bucket with a drain out the side or bottom would make SO MUCH MORE SENSE!

[SYE]

From what the guy from water pur showed me on this type of enclosure there is only 1 filter that works in this and you can only buy it from forest river. What happens when you use one that us a close fit , you over tighten it breaking off the plastic locking tabs letting the plastic part unscrew under pressure

[ebemis]

AHHH...I see said the blind man......

Straight from the manufacturer, this clear cylinder was SO TIGHT on my manifold that I ripped the entire unit off the wall (pulled out the screws) just trying to get it open so I could put the filter into it. I have a feeling whatever tab was or might have been in there must have gotten broken off at that time. Sure would have been nice for Forest River to have provided some sort of instructions with the unit other than just providing the wrench and filter ;-)

Needless to say, this would confirm that removing the entire unit from inside my rig was most likely a smart thing to do and minimize the risk of future leaks.

[l001952119]

Water Filtration

This will take you to the location for purchase of filters.

[ebemis]

BTW...Forest River was bang up on this issue and reached out to ensure I have a fully functional device. I respectfully declined because I do not want another similar device inside and will be just ducky with an external independent filter instead.

In case anyone is interested, the follow-up did include the following warning, this is directly quoted from my FR reply:

"My manager did want me to mention that we do have the FR1 housings tested at a 500psi level before this part goes to our production lines and if the lid is not properly tighten, the housing would perform as it did to you over the weekend. The canister needs to be ratcheted all the way to prevent issues like this from occurring. I myself cannot tighten the lid on the canister alone; it does require some force to secure. "

As I wrote earlier...the torque required to actually open this filter housing was extreme in my opinion (and I am not a weakling....I know about valve torque specs) and when I re-installed the housing with the filter in place, there was NO WAY any additional force could have been applied to tightening it...it was as secure as it possibly could be. I have a feeling the el'cheapo in-line pressure regulator I was using may have let a pressure excursion enter my rig causing the filter housing to pop itself open. I will be searching for a new (better) pressure regulator before my next outing that is for sure!

[JLeising]

Implication is you cannot take the filter element out to sanitize ??? Anyone who has removed filter element to sanitize has broken his filter housing?

[SYE]

Originally Posted by ebemis

BTW...Forest River was bang up on this issue and reached out to ensure I have a fully functional device. I respectfully declined because I do not want another similar device inside and will be just ducky with an external independent filter instead.

In case anyone is interested, the follow-up did include the following warning, this is directly quoted from my FR reply:

"My manager did want me to mention that we do have the FR1 housings tested at a 500psi level before this part goes to our production lines and if the lid is not properly tighten, the housing would perform as it did to you over the weekend. The canister needs to be ratcheted all the way to prevent issues like this from occurring. I myself cannot tighten the lid on the canister alone; it does require some force to secure. "

As I wrote earlier...the torque required to actually open this filter housing was extreme in my opinion (and I am not a weakling....I know about valve torque specs) and when I re-installed the housing with the filter in place, there was NO WAY any additional force could have been applied to tightening it...it was as secure as it possibly could be. I have a feeling the el'cheapo in-line pressure regulator I was using may have let a pressure excursion enter my rig causing the filter housing to pop itself open. I will be searching for a new (better) pressure regulator before my next outing that is for sure!

Did you relieve the pressure off of the filter assembly by bleeding of water at one of the faucets. After I take the pressure away mine screws off easy.

[ebemis]

I released pressure, and unfortunately there wasn't anything easy about getting it off at all...I am thinking perhaps something was just up with the unit installed to my rig...in either case it has been removed and I will use an external filter instead to avoid any possible leaks inside.