Is a Water Filter Really Necessary?

[FORKLIFMAN]

//Have you forgotten all the news from Flint Michigan??? Still shows up periodically on our local news shows.


With that said, I have a filter setup on my home well to grab the sand that comes up. Before using the filter, my sprinkler system valves were failing to close due to embedded sand in the valve seals. So I also use one on my trailer.
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Al (aka SailorSam) //<<<copied the post

I totally agree with Sailor Sam, Flint MI. is why, we only drink bottled water . and we still use the filters. All the filters you can buy, are useless against water like Flint,MI, is getting supplied to the town!

[PoppySteve]

Originally Posted by Ruggybuggy

I'm not sure why a water filter is necessary. When getting potable water the source would most likely be municipal water which by law is safe. Even in area where the RV park may be from a well the source still has to be safe to drink by law. So why is a filter a good idea?

Mmmm popcorn good!

Giardia BAD.

I was exposed to it. You don't want it. Do what you can to not get it.

[Oaklevel]

Good bad or indifferent ................. No filter on our camper, no filter on our house well, in laws have no filter on their spring the feeds their house............

Need to have a filter ......... no............ but as many have said personal preference.........

[Ruggybuggy]

Originally Posted by TxTraveler08

With as many water systems in SO MANY areas, do you go to the water district and ask for a summary report on there treatment? In other words, you are putting YOUR health on faith of another person whom YOU do NOT know. So much easier to be safe than sick!

Common, it the water systems were that unsafe you would have thousands of sick people all over the country. Lawyers would have a field day!

I do believe using a filter to remove sediments would not be a bad idea.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by mikel68

Just wait until you have to clean out the valve behind the toilet on you hands an knees from hard water sediment build up. it'll happen. If you ever start notice your toilet not quite having the pressure/flow it used to...bam! no filter.

Filters don't fix "hard water." If it did, I wouldn't be spending money on a water softener.

[AbdRahim]

Fascinating discussion. I am on city water at home. water goes through several filters at home and at campground.

[Ruggybuggy]

Originally Posted by AbdRahim

Fascinating discussion. I am on city water at home. water goes through several filters at home and at campground.

Just curious but why do you filter your city water?

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Filters don't fix "hard water." If it did, I wouldn't be spending money on a water softener.

I have drank hard water most of my life. Moderately high in dissolved iron and calcium. The old timers from the 50s and earlier used to put a nail in apples over night for iron deficiencies.

My camper is on a seasonal site in a campground with its own pump taking water from the lake. For my camper I have a whole house 5 micron filter to catch the sand. I discard the filter in October and install a new one in April. There is just enough sand in the canister to see it but the filter medium is still white.

At home, 25 miles from the campground, I have 164 foot private well with a whole house filter and it takes 1 month for the filter to start turning brown. The house has a water softener.

It all comes down to the quality of the water supply.

[bedubya]

Originally Posted by Ruggybuggy

Just curious but why do you filter your city water?

We have city water and the city's documentation shows it is better than most. But for drinking, cooking and making coffee, I have a reverse osmosis system. It's just better.

[satdog01]

Will share lesson learned! While setting up rig in 98 degree weather, DW gave our fur baby a drink from campground water faucet. After hooking up at State owned campground discovered water had bad taste. Quick trip to Walmart for several gallons of water for coffee and tea, to supplement a case of bottled water. A week later fur baby was on a pill a day for three weeks to clear up UTI. $300 for pills and three test later, UTI cleared. Have since purchased a Brita system, but will drink out of bottle in rural areas. First time something like this has happened in over 40 years of camping. Only takes one event to change ones thinking. Will not chance us or the fur baby Pepper to that again. .

[Ruggybuggy]

Originally Posted by satdog01

Will share lesson learned! While setting up rig in 98 degree weather, DW gave our fur baby a drink from campground water faucet. After hooking up at State owned campground discovered water had bad taste. Quick trip to Walmart for several gallons of water for coffee and tea, to supplement a case of bottled water. A week later fur baby was on a pill a day for three weeks to clear up UTI. $300 for pills and three test later, UTI cleared. Have since purchased a Brita system, but will drink out of bottle in rural areas. First time something like this has happened in over 40 years of camping. Only takes one event to change ones thinking. Will not chance us or the fur baby Pepper to that again. .

Did you let the State owned park know of the problem and what was their response?

[satdog01]

State park was Davey Crocket and uses a resident camp host. Nice people, do not have anything to do with water condition. Was to pass it on to whom ever. They felt the area we were. Had had low usage and lines were not purged from winter shutdown. Date of campout was in June.

[Ruggybuggy]

Would a filtration system have stop bacteria from getting through? Wouldn't have other campers have got sick from drinking from the same faucet? Could you dog have drank from another source that you didn't know about.

[satdog01]

Not getting into water filter type discussion. Use the under counter filter on the rig, which does a good job against sand, debris etc. The big issue in this area is all water regardless of source has a fair amount of limestone in it. Have to soak faucet screens in Lime away about once a year to get the flow back. Have a system at home, but same system in rv would require a lot of space. As far as which filter is good for bacteria is above my pay grade, if a full timer would invest in one. We camp 4-5 days a month and filter system would take time and money I will not invest in, I can buy a lot of gallon jugs of water to avoid the $300 I just spent plus having fur baby off her dime from three weeks of pills! Plus have fresh water for coffee to boot!

[KEliasz]

I run the blue camco 20 micron filter at the water source after the pressure regulator. Then it goes through whole house 1. Micron filter. That's for Washington g and what not. For drinking water then goes through residential fridge with it's own 0.5 micron filter. By time I'm drinking it, it has gone through a carbon filter, carbon/KDF filter, and another carbon filter. I also sanitize whole system before going out on a trip. And I flush deposits from hot water heater after every trip. When rv is parked I drain, rinse and remove anode rod from HW heater.

[str8t six]

i use the blue camco filter for my trailer mainly to keep sediment out of the water heater and from clogging lines. we dont drink campground water and bring gallon jugs and beer for drinking.

[TheWolfPaq82]

Originally Posted by SailorSam20500

Have you forgotten all the news from Flint Michigan??? Still shows up periodically on our local news shows.


With that said, I have a filter setup on my home well to grab the sand that comes up. Before using the filter, my sprinkler system valves were failing to close due to embedded sand in the valve seals. So I also use one on my trailer.

Sand in your system ?? are you on Well ?? My "Rural Water" at our cabin is sediment free. Where would all the sand come from ?? Flint has a Lead problem. You'd need filters capable of removing Lead to be effective. Not sure if those canisters remove Lead as I've never used them.

[Ruggybuggy]

So from what has been said so far I get that filter users do it because they are trying to control sediment entering the RV and causing issues. Some believe that the filter system will eliminate possible ill effects from bacteria so they use it as a precautionary meathod to avoid becoming sick. Some use a filter only to make the water taste better and are not concerned about unsafe drinking water because it's not something that occurs in the US or Canada.

I believe that the water from municipal water sources and RV parks in rural area is very safe to drink and that by law it is required to be safe. I don't think deciding if the water is safe by judging if your dog got sick or if the pet doesn't like the water as a proper way to test water. If someone has actually sent in a sample of suspected water from a municipal or rural publically used source for testing and found contamination I would like them to share that info. I also don't believe sediment is a big concern unless you can actually see particales suspended in the water.

My common sense approach is going to be to use a filter if I'm concerned about taste or smell. If the water looks and tastes fine I'm going to trust my local water source. If it has an odour or taste I'll use a water filter to improve the taste but I would still be confident the water was safe.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Ruggybuggy

I'm not sure why a water filter is necessary. When getting potable water the source would most likely be municipal water which by law is safe. Even in area where the RV park may be from a well the source still has to be safe to drink by law. So why is a filter a good idea?

My question to you is this................What is your aversion to using a filter?

It can only protect you in the event the water has something in it that can harm you.

All you are out by buying a small blue Camco WF is $20 or so...........for me the peace of mind makes using the filter a No Brainer!

[Ruggybuggy]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

My question to you is this................What is your aversion to using a filter?

It can only protect you in the event the water has something in it that can harm you.

All you are out by buying a small blue Camco WF is $20 or so...........for me the peace of mind makes using the filter a No Brainer!

But what are you protecting against? That chances of you getting sick drinking treated water in the US and Canda are so astronomically small it shouldn't be a concern. If by some reason you happen to be a very unlucky RVer and connect to a source of water that contained bacteria the Camco inline filter isn't going to filter out bacteria. From my understanding a UV light is the proper way to kill bacteria.

We shouldn't just be doing what we think is right based on fear alone.