Water Filtration for Drinking Water?

[reubenray374]

On my previous Tiffin motorhome I installed a separate filter for drinking/cooking/coffee water in my kitchen. I don't understand the need for a filter for the toilet or shower. Where I stay at the water supply is city water so it is treated already.

Has anyone installed a filter at the kitchen area for just the drinking/cooking/coffee water? If so what did you install?

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by reubenray374

On my previous Tiffin motorhome I installed a separate filter for drinking/cooking/coffee water in my kitchen. I don't understand the need for a filter for the toilet or shower. Where I stay at the water supply is city water so it is treated already.
Has anyone installed a filter at the kitchen area for just the drinking/cooking/coffee water? If so what did you install?

Factory installed filters are usually plumbed whole house and therefore no remote extra filters needed. A separate filter may be used/needed when filling the fresh water holding tank. My biggest issue is the smell at various site locations and the whole house takes care of that.

[reubenray374]

My Vibe does not have a factory install filter system. If I was to fill up my fresh water tank at my home I would not run it through a filter. Filtering is being wasted on toilet water and shower water which is the biggest use of water. This is why I want to do something at the kitchen sink area. It will filter the city water connection and the fresh water tank water.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by reubenray374

My Vibe does not have a factory install filter system. If I was to fill up my fresh water tank at my home I would not run it through a filter. Filtering is being wasted on toilet water and shower water which is the biggest use of water. This is why I want to do something at the kitchen sink area. It will filter the city water connection and the fresh water tank water.

You can certainly install a filter at the sink. There have been past threads about doing so.

As far as "wasting" filtered water elsewhere... filter media is cheap and I choose to filter EVERYTHING that goes into my R/V whether it be from the city water connection or into the fresh tank.

You may not have issues when filling at home but what about elsewhere? I've been in a few campgrounds where sediment was an issue or a pipe had been broken/repaired and the filter saved that crap from going into our R/V.

To each their own.

[weirba]

Most municipal water is not very healthy, it might be deemed safe by public health, but that does not make it healthy.

We have been living fulltime in RV's for over 8 years and we have a rather elaborate water treatment system onboard, for both the whole coach and as well as drinking water.

For sediment and taste/odor I have a double 2.5 x 10" filter housing that the water goes through before it enters the coach. First cartridge is 1 micron sediment, 2nd is carbon block. The sediment is changed once a month and carbon block about every 3 months. It is amazing how filthy the sediment filter gets when hooked up to "pristine" municipal water!

For drinking/ice I have installed a RO system in the belly cavity of our basement storage, so it is out of the way. That system, has a 0.5 micron carbon block, RO membrane, UV sterilization and remineralization stages.

I get it down to about 2-3 TDS and remove all the birth control, toxins, VOC's, etc.

Glad to share pics, info on how we did it with anyone who may want assistance with doing something similar in their rig.

[reubenray374]

Originally Posted by weirba

Most municipal water is not very healthy, it might be deemed safe by public health, but that does not make it healthy.

We have been living fulltime in RV's for over 8 years and we have a rather elaborate water treatment system onboard, for both the whole coach and as well as drinking water.

For sediment and taste/odor I have a double 2.5 x 10" filter housing that the water goes through before it enters the coach. First cartridge is 1 micron sediment, 2nd is carbon block. The sediment is changed once a month and carbon block about every 3 months. It is amazing how filthy the sediment filter gets when hooked up to "pristine" municipal water!

For drinking/ice I have installed a RO system in the belly cavity of our basement storage, so it is out of the way. That system, has a 0.5 micron carbon block, RO membrane, UV sterilization and remineralization stages.

I get it down to about 2-3 TDS and remove all the birth control, toxins, VOC's, etc.

Glad to share pics, info on how we did it with anyone who may want assistance with doing something similar in their rig.

I don't have space for an elaborate system like this. Right now I have a in-line hose filter. I don't think this will do much.

[GolfingDave]

I like using the Beech Lane two filter system along with the standard blue one at the faucet. Probably not much more in price than a under sink type just for drinking water and easy install. Just have to find a good place to hang it. Remove when traveling.

Cartridge prices:cheap change out every 4-6 months with constant use. For the price of the filters it is no big deal filtering everything.

Outside so no water spillage inside when changing the filters.

Can use it for your fresh water tank. I usually just use my ShowerMiser but have a flow meter I observe. Everything is quick disconnect so easy to install it when I want to add some water to the tank.

I have a portable water softener too before the double filter. Bought the camper new and just want to keep any hard water deposits from forming over time.

If you just want drinking water how about a Brita? I have one even with the other filters but mainly so I always have a pitcher of cold water.

[weirba]

@golfingDave, I noticed your comment about having a portable water softener BEFORE your filters.

I used to do that as well, until I figured out that the softener basically becomes a sediment filter.

That was not until my first softener was no longer functioning properly after a year or so. The softener tank was essentially contaminated with foreign material, rust, etc. I could have replaced the resin, but I decided to toss it into a dumpster and start over. I am on softener #2 and have had it for a number of years now and still working great! The difference is I now have my filters upstream from the softener.

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by weirba

@golfingDave, I noticed your comment about having a portable water softener BEFORE your filters.

I used to do that as well, until I figured out that the softener basically becomes a sediment filter.

That was not until my first softener was no longer functioning properly after a year or so. The softener tank was essentially contaminated with foreign material, rust, etc. I could have replaced the resin, but I decided to toss it into a dumpster and start over. I am on softener #2 and have had it for a number of years now and still working great! The difference is I now have my filters upstream from the softener.

Were you using a blue filter at the faucet or before the original softener? I do have that. May have to rethink my strategy.

I have only been using it about nine months now. I did unscrew my top a couple of months ago and did not see anything peculiar. Will take another look in the near future. Getting time to regenerate it. Do that with the brine put in the upside down filter housing method.

[weirba]

@golfingDave, I am a cheap bastard, so no I don't use the vastly overpriced blue filters at the faucet. They are GAC, granulated activated charcoal, so they can be effective at helping remove taste/odor, but IMHO carbon block filters are much more effective way to go. Also, because they are GAC they are at best 20 micron, so not really going to stop much that would be in most municipal water systems. I think that is somewhat apparent based on the size, if they were filtering out any sediment they would plug up in less than a month.

I use a 1 micron sediment filter ($1.99 each) and a carbon block filter ($4.99 each) ahead of my softener. I change the sediment filter monthly and carbon filter every 3-4 months, depending DW's input.

So costs me $7 to change out the filter cartridges that do a far superior job than those expensive blue units.

[reubenray374]

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

I like using the Beech Lane two filter system along with the standard blue one at the faucet. Probably not much more in price than a under sink type just for drinking water and easy install. Just have to find a good place to hang it. Remove when traveling.

Cartridge prices:cheap change out every 4-6 months with constant use. For the price of the filters it is no big deal filtering everything.

Outside so no water spillage inside when changing the filters.

Can use it for your fresh water tank. I usually just use my ShowerMiser but have a flow meter I observe. Everything is quick disconnect so easy to install it when I want to add some water to the tank.

I have a portable water softener too before the double filter. Bought the camper new and just want to keep any hard water deposits from forming over time.

If you just want drinking water how about a Brita? I have one even with the other filters but mainly so I always have a pitcher of cold water.

I bought a Brita yesterday.

[Bob K4TAX]

We use one of those blue in-line filters. Replace it every year. Based on our camping activity.

In other words, the coffee is hot enough to kill most living harmful items, and the cocktail contains enough alcohol to do likewise. As to any smelly things, that could be me or could be the water.

Bob

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by weirba

@golfingDave, I am a cheap bastard, so no I don't use the vastly overpriced blue filters at the faucet. They are GAC, granulated activated charcoal, so they can be effective at helping remove taste/odor, but IMHO carbon block filters are much more effective way to go. Also, because they are GAC they are at best 20 micron, so not really going to stop much that would be in most municipal water systems. I think that is somewhat apparent based on the size, if they were filtering out any sediment they would plug up in less than a month.

I use a 1 micron sediment filter ($1.99 each) and a carbon block filter ($4.99 each) ahead of my softener. I change the sediment filter monthly and carbon filter every 3-4 months, depending DW's input.

So costs me $7 to change out the filter cartridges that do a far superior job than those expensive blue units.

I just basically use it as a sediment filter, just want something to keep major crap from migrating into my system, protect the softener. I think I am still on my first one and been living in it since last May roaming around. Figure I know when it is getting plugged when I start to lose pressure. I bought it a couple of days after getting the camper and it did not do anything for taste in my opinion, nasty tasting water.

May look into rigging up an inline sediment filter instead of getting a new blue one. Should not be too hard to rig something up that will hang from a faucet or just lay on the ground with a short piece of hose. A couple of dollars rather than $15 sounds good by me.

I do not care for the taste of softened water is the reason for the filters after the softener. Second one is a carbon filter. Believe mine are 5 and then a .5 carbon filter or close to it. Those I have changed out but only once so far. After my last softener generation.

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by weirba

@golfingDave, I am a cheap bastard, so no I don't use the vastly overpriced blue filters at the faucet. They are GAC, granulated activated charcoal, so they can be effective at helping remove taste/odor, but IMHO carbon block filters are much more effective way to go. Also, because they are GAC they are at best 20 micron, so not really going to stop much that would be in most municipal water systems. I think that is somewhat apparent based on the size, if they were filtering out any sediment they would plug up in less than a month.

I use a 1 micron sediment filter ($1.99 each) and a carbon block filter ($4.99 each) ahead of my softener. I change the sediment filter monthly and carbon filter every 3-4 months, depending DW's input.

So costs me $7 to change out the filter cartridges that do a far superior job than those expensive blue units.

Can you expand on your setup? The cheap basic filters at Home Depot start close to $10

Jim M.

[GolfingDave]

Originally Posted by jimmarako

Can you expand on your setup? The cheap basic filters at Home Depot start close to $10

Jim M.

I noticed those prices too. Very good price for filters. Wholesale maybe?

[yukongold]

Originally Posted by GolfingDave

I like using the Beech Lane two filter system . . .

Originally Posted by weirba

. . . IMHO carbon block filters are much more effective way to go.

Thanks to both of you for your comments. They have helped me make up my mind on what I want to do with my new fiver. We picked it up in mid-October last year just before we left on a 5 week (non-rv) trip so I didn't have time to explore before covering it for the winter.

I didn't see a water pump or filter out in the open so I am guessing they are hidden behind a panel behind the wet bay. I'll search for them once the fiver is uncovered. But - - just not seeing them easily reachable makes me want to bypass the filter (at least) and use an external setup. The Beech Lane two canister kit is exactly the type I was hoping to find. Since it is a standard 2.5 x 10 incher, I can use whichever filters I want. For me that can be any cheapo 5 micron carbon block sediment filter combined with a good quality 0.2 micron filter to fight cysts, bacteria, heavy metals, etc.. ClearSource and BluTech both offer them.
Thanks again.

[NavyLCDR]

That Beech Lane setup looks really good for the price!

[GolfingDave]

And thought I saw a very similar setup online with a white bracket even less just recently. I know I could not buy two filters and fabricate a bracket for what they were charging for the complete setup when I bought mine.

[BM Welder]

I have a triple filter setup and a water softener. For our drinking water we now use a Travel Berkey water filter instead of the RO that we had before.

[Camp20144]

Originally Posted by weirba

Most municipal water is not very healthy, it might be deemed safe by public health, but that does not make it healthy.

We have been living fulltime in RV's for over 8 years and we have a rather elaborate water treatment system onboard, for both the whole coach and as well as drinking water.

For sediment and taste/odor I have a double 2.5 x 10" filter housing that the water goes through before it enters the coach. First cartridge is 1 micron sediment, 2nd is carbon block. The sediment is changed once a month and carbon block about every 3 months. It is amazing how filthy the sediment filter gets when hooked up to "pristine" municipal water!

For drinking/ice I have installed a RO system in the belly cavity of our basement storage, so it is out of the way. That system, has a 0.5 micron carbon block, RO membrane, UV sterilization and remineralization stages.

I get it down to about 2-3 TDS and remove all the birth control, toxins, VOC's, etc.

Glad to share pics, info on how we did it with anyone who may want assistance with doing something similar in their rig.

Hi,
I’ve been using the blue filters on the outside spigot and not real happy with them - expense, tossing it or trying to save for another use etc. I’m interested in seeing pictures of your system. Also what brand filters/housings you are using.
Thank you