bypass the water filter

[wiscoheel]

We have a Rockwood 8329. I am wondering if I disconnect the two nuts that connect to the water filter, do they match up so that I can bypass the water filter. It is a hastle to get at the water filter so have not checked on this before. This is our first year with the Rockwood. If they don't connect as is, then I would imagine that we could use a connector so that we can bypass the water filter. Do you happen to know the size of the connection? Half inch connectors??

[WFD]

I disconnected ours this spring. I needed an extra length of pex pipe, just a 6 inch piece or so, and used a couple Sea Tech elbows, that I got at an RV store and it was a simple fix. Hardest part was contorting my body so I could reach the plumbing. The Sea Tech connectors are great because they just squeeze together and can be taken apart in the future if need be. Shark Bite connectors will do the same thing for you. Our trailer was new and I bypassed the filter before we ever used it, given all the nightmare stories that have appeared here. We now use an exterior filter.

[chappiee67]

I used shark fittings to bypass mine after my trailer was flooded from the filter coming off on my very first outing in my 2015 832 bhiwks ... Very poor filter.


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[roanmountaincampers]

I took mine out by unscrewing the fittings from the filter housing. A plumber friend of mine told me they would turn in the Pex with no problems. I then bought a couple of fittings to attach to the originals so I could connect them with a piece of PVC. Took about 15 minutes to get rid of the filter and now use the Camco at the hydrant.

[wiscoheel]

Thanks for the suggestions. Looking into them. Is the water filter failure very common? I am considering it because some have mentioned this failure here. Right now we have no problem. So just wondering how extensive and expansive this failure is. What say FR bloggers?

[Mountndream]

I removed my filter less then a month ago. I used two 1/2 PEX connecter with the ratchet style crimps and a 5 foot piece of PEX. Multiple people recommend against using Shark bite because the constant road vibration could work them loose.

I think i spent 20 on parts and 20 on the PEX tool, but i will use it again so i think it was a good purchase. I have enough PEX and clamps left over that if I have an issue i can fix it on the fly

the hardest part i had was getting my big ole body in the storage space to get to the filter. I figure the money spent was cheap insurance to prevent flooding

[WFD]

A search on the topic will reveal a ton of posts where people have had problems with them...some have caused major headache in that they let go when people were away or in the middle of the night and by the time you realize it and get outside and shut the water...a lot of water has gushed...soem have had the entire floor get wet. Simply not worth it in my opinion when you know it is so common...why not just have it outside where it is much more accessible. The outdoor ones rarely seem to be a problem and if they do leak...well its outside.

Another factor often overlooked is the fact that with a filter inside and inline with the plumbing is that when you are home for a couple weeks between trips, it gets well over 100 degrees in the trailer and that filter is sitting in that heat growing who knows what! Instructions with my exterior filter recommend storing it in a fridge when not in use.

[jackhartjr]

It would be just as easy to purchase the plate that is used for winterizing the filter. It is simply a plate that goes at the top of the filter to keep it from filling up. Then if you change your mind and want to use the filter later you can!
I've not had a problem with my in house filter!
Jack

[Dorey]

I had some sulphur smell from my water pipes. I read a bunch and the solution was chlorine bleach circulated through water system to kill bacteria in the lines. I put bromine tablets from our hot tub into the inline water filter in my Rockwood and our water is perfect now. We remove it when we travel and hook back up when we get to our destination. We do not use a filter in it.

[clm3]

Late question for jackhartjr about this winterizing plate. Where do you find the plate you spoke of. Just got off WaterPur site and found nothing listed on the site about a winterizing plate for sale. They had wrenches, filters and the units. Maybe I just missed it so I'll recheck. Thanks for any info.

[Emptypockets]

All you have to do is unscrew from both sides of the filter housing - if there is any slack in the lines all you need is a 1/2 pipe nipple. The fittings you removed from the housing will thread right into the nipple.

[clm3]

That reply was helpful. If I understand correctly, if I unscrew the female ends of the inlet and outlet at the filter cannister, I can get a standard, galvanized, 1/2" nipple and they will screw onto the nipple, thus bypassing the filter altogether? That certainly sounds like a simple fix to get rid of the filter and make winterizing easy. Then use an exterior filter with the water hose. I'll look at it tomorrow. Thanks. Also 1/2" cpvc with 2 male fittings on the end.

[Emptypockets]

Originally Posted by clm3

That reply was helpful. If I understand correctly, if I unscrew the female ends of the inlet and outlet at the filter cannister, I can get a standard, galvanized, 1/2" nipple and they will screw onto the nipple, thus bypassing the filter altogether? That certainly sounds like a simple fix to get rid of the filter and make winterizing easy. Then use an exterior filter with the water hose. I'll look at it tomorrow. Thanks. Also 1/2" cpvc with 2 male fittings on the end.

As I said if your lines have enough slack in them they will pull together enough to use a 1/2 standard, galvanized nipple. That is all I needed to do to ours. Like you say an external filter works for us.

[Emptypockets]

Boy do I owe everyone an apology - when talking about joining the two female thread fittings together I said use a nipple instead of coupling. The only excuse I have is my almost 80 year old mind was playing with my memory!

[mTn_biKer65]

Originally Posted by Emptypockets

As I said if your lines have enough slack in them they will pull together enough to use a 1/2 standard, galvanized nipple. That is all I needed to do to ours. Like you say an external filter works for us.

This is similar to what I did when I wanted to winterize without filing the filter full of antifreeze. On each side of my filter was a short piece that already had a male thread and a female thread so I removed the filter as well as one of the short pieces which left me with a male and female end to assemble back together. Worked great for winterizing but for the permanent fix that came later I used 2 sharkbites connectors as well as a 6" piece of pipe.

[Witch Doctor]

I took also took mine out, for 1 the cost of the filter that it uses, 2 the filter if not screwed on right will vibrate loose all on it's own. That is when most of the flooding comes from. But to me why pay I think not a quote but 29.00 for a filter when you can just buy the Camco outside one ever year. Also I never thought of the summer with the heat growing bacteria in the unit, that's a very good point when not in use. They have a market there filter is the only one that will fit. Hence rip us off on the price. Or just replace the whole thing with a standard filter from Lowes or HD.

[Broadway Joe]

Do not use galvanized pipe or fittings in a water system. Plastic, copper brass or bronze only. You don't want rust in your water system.

[clm3]

Attn Emptypockets. No need for an apology. Now for the embarrassing part of my story. Today I had some time to remove about a ton of the "vital" equipment that was loaded in the front compartment so necessary for camping that I never seem to actually use. This allowed me to wedge my 67 year old body into my 2109S front compartment to get up close and personal with the water filter with a flashlight. As Gomer Pyle always said,"Surprise, Surprise"! I saw that there wasn't even a filter in the cannister. And then realized that the cannister was dry as a dinosaur bone even though I had used the water about 15 minutes before I got into the storage compartment. It appears that the previous owner has installed one of those famous diverter plates above the cannister and didn't use the filter at all. I'm not going to use the filter either and will leave it as is. Winterizing should be real easy with the red RV antifreeze. I even found 2 filters still wrapped and unused, along with a filter wrench in the compartment. Going to buy a exterior hose filter this week before we leave on Friday for our next camping trip. Oh well, nevermind. Thanks

[edt]

Where do I get one of these by pass kits?..


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