To Filter or Not to Filter, This is the question?

[garycarson]

I was outside the Flagstaff doing some honey do jobs when I noticed water running out the bottom of the camper. I quickly shut off the water supply and went into the bathroom to see what was leaking. The WaterPur filter canister blew the entire bottom out of it. Yes we do have the pressure reducer in place and it is working.

I removed the filter and threw it in the dumpster and am going with no filter inside, since it was a real pain in the neck to stand on my head every fall and try to unscrew it. I've drank water most my life without a filter, so I ask the boss, I mean the wife, do we reaaly need a filter and she says a filter is nice, although we drink bottled water (that's another sore spot). Anyway, to keep the wifey happy, I think I'll go with an external filter system that hooks to the campground water supply and you hook the hose to it.

While trying to do some research I've got more questions than answers.
1. Do I just need to filter sediment or remove bacteria or what?
2. Disposable or replacement filters.
3. It's just the wife and me so I'm sure these things have a life expectancy depending on water usage.
4. What make and models do you use in a price range where I won't have to go back to work.
5. Where do you buy yours from?

Thanks for your experience.

[Iwritecode]

I have two of these connected together with a small pipe:



Got them for under $20 at Farm and Fleet. Filters are under $10. Currently I have a carbon filter in one and a string-wound filter in the other.

The life of a filter is usually 2-3 months but that's based on constant usage. Your mileage may vary.

[dave961]

I buy one of these yearly and toss the old one. $15 on Amazon.

[garycarson]

Do you notice a difference in water pressure with these and do you need to continue to use a pressure reducer?

Thank you two for your response.

[Stlcaly]

Always use a pressure reducer. I use a Camco filter at the spigot and the reducer at the trailer. Watch walmart and Amazon for sales on the filters and store a few

[kentnjudy]

Public water systems have to meet bacteriological and chemical drinking water standards so you are really looking only at taste and odor control. You don't need that for flushing the toilet or taking a shower. I gave up long ago on "whole house" filters as just an extra annoyance. We use a pitcher filter for drinks. I'm sure some out there will disagree. That's OK but I am an environmental health professional and haven't had a waterborne disease since I left SA.

[Alexha]

Simple filters costing less than several hundred dollars can only reduce particulate matter like sand, and some odors (regardless of what else is claimed on the box) - and can be particularly helpful if your RV park uses a well. But these simple filters are ineffective against most biological and chemical contaminants occuring in some local RV water systems. The real problem you face from most RV park water systems connected to public water supplies is the possibility of back-flow (by syphoning) into the park water pipes from other campers during water pressure loss in the park such as distribution pipe failure or improper treatment procedures, assuming the park has its own treatment system.
Built-in black water tank wash-down systems in modern RV's would be considered "cross-connections" under most municipal residential plumbing codes and are strictly prohibited in homes and businesses because of the possibility of introducing biological contaminants into public fresh water supplies. So unless you are willing to spend hundreds (perhaps thousands) of dollars on a distilling or osmosis system for your RV, a simple particulate/ordor filter along with bottled drinking water is probably your most cost effective solution. Walmart sells water for around 25 cents per gallon in your reusable container (eliminates a lot of plastic waste) and this is exactly what we do.

[OldCoot]

We do seem to get a little paranoid these days about just about everything we touch. I don't know how our ancestors made it. Can't drink anything but bottled water that we have no idea where or how it is processed. I guess we'll just have to take our chances like my 98 yr old grandfather did until he passed on in 1978. If he had been able to drink city water instead of well water his entire life, he might of made it to 100

[Broadway Joe]

X2

[Long Leaf Piners]

Went through 2 camco small filters last season; traveling cross-country, never know about the water and was surprised when flow was suddenly halved one evening's stop.
Pulled filter--pert'near stopped with various heavy sludges.
Had another in storage, put it in, and later bought a dual filter "whole house" with mountings that uses the big filters and stands on its own outside the rig (oh, don't get me started on the little filter in the fifth-which we've since pulled and bypassed _
We bought the new outside dual system on a deal from one of the vendors at Goshen last fall. It's working great.
As for the filtering, OC, I just figure I don't want all that "goo" somewhere in the internal-or faucet-plumbing that I have to deal with later!

[jtownstumpjumper]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

We do seem to get a little paranoid these days about just about everything we touch. I don't know how our ancestors made it. Can't drink anything but bottled water that we have no idea where or how it is processed. I guess we'll just have to take our chances like my 98 yr old grandfather did until he passed on in 1978. If he had been able to drink city water instead of well water his entire life, he might of made it to 100

Lost my Grandpa at the age of 96.....I think it might have been cholesterol.....all those farm eggs and that fat bacon, biscuit, and churned butter, and lard every morning that my Grandma made him eat before he went and got on that John Deere everyday.

[Timex]

I didn't want to have to take half ofmy lower cabinets apart just to get to the water filter. So I took the filter out of the canister, screwed the empty canister back on and just use the in-line filter. Replace it every year or so. Get it at WM in a double pack for about $20(+/-).

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by jtownstumpjumper

Lost my Grandpa at the age of 96.....I think it might have been cholesterol.....all those farm eggs and that fat bacon, biscuit, and churned butter, and lard every morning that my Grandma made him eat before he went and got on that John Deere everyday.

He might of made 98 like mine if he had driven a Farmall. Grandpa wouldn't even let a JD on his property. His neighbor came over one day to help Grandpa plow and he ran him off. They'd been neighbors for over 30 yrs. Stayed friends, but GP just didn't like JD.

[jtownstumpjumper]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

He might of made 98 like mine if he had driven a Farmall. Grandpa wouldn't even let a JD on his property. His neighbor came over one day to help Grandpa plow and he ran him off. They'd been neighbors for over 30 yrs. Stayed friends, but GP just didn't like JD.

Don't want to steal this thread about water filters but.....OC, that's funny!!!!!

[twiggw]

All good information. I use one whole house in line filter with a taste (charcoal) filter. Never had a problem but a guy next to me picked up sand somewhere and he spent most of two days trying to flush it out of his system.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by twiggw

All good information. I use one whole house in line filter with a taste (charcoal) filter. Never had a problem but a guy next to me picked up sand somewhere and he spent most of two days trying to flush it out of his system.

I think that's about all they are good for, filtering out sand, debris, etc.

[Tom48]

Filter for places where I am unsure about the water supply. But a more important point, I would never put the pressure regulator at the trailer. Put it at the faucet so keep the extra pressure off my fresh water hose. I have seen hoses burst on warm days if park pressure is high so protect the hose as well as the coach

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Tom48

Filter for places where I am unsure about the water supply. But a more important point, I would never put the pressure regulator at the trailer. Put it at the faucet so keep the extra pressure off my fresh water hose. I have seen hoses burst on warm days if park pressure is high so protect the hose as well as the coach

My new hose is/was supposedly tested to 450#. I doubt it tho, but that's what it says.

[Tom48]

Well camping as much as you do you will find out. I just use the cheap little everyday white hoses. So we be careful.

[WFD]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

My new hose is/was supposedly tested to 450#. I doubt it tho, but that's what it says.

OC....I think that rating is metric, therefore kpa....so that would be more like 65psi!!! Hose made in China and they made a mistake quoting kpa instead of psi!