The KW1 Water Filter Myth

[HaroldPE]

This thread keeps going and going, and I'll keep it alive. I too, only use the RV house water for cooking (boiled) and washing. We drink from gallon RO supermarket water. But we do cook some with it.


I certainly had a laugh at this from the Water Pur website: "Ask yourself this question: “WHY IS AN RV MANUFACTURER PRODUCING 50,000 RV’S PER YEAR WILLING TO SPEND $500,000 PER YEAR MORE TO USE THE GENUINE WaterPur™ CCI-10-Ca INSTEAD OF THE “IMITATORS?” The answer is simple. To produce the finest RV’s available, you need to use the finest technology, the finest design, and the finest components."


So why would FR use this? We know it's not for the highest quality in this competitive market. Water Pur self-admits; FR pays WaterPur maybe $10 per unit (filter and housing), with what then we get charged $30 per filter. Same old Shick razor marketing ploy: sell the razor cheap/free, and stick them with the cost of blades.

[Antfort]

Hello,
Update: I just went to the site, and now they are $32 plus tax. Still free shipping.
Best,
Ant

[lgray]

Originally Posted by Antfort

Hello,
Update: I just went to the site, and now they are $32 plus tax. Still free shipping.
Best,
Ant

$20.00 to the manufacturer and $12.00 to Forest River?

Ever ask why Tiffin, Newmar and Winnebago don't sell out?

[Jay2504]

Like a lot of people, i removed my KW-1 filter housing and by-passed it with a PVC sleeve. Then I used Camco blue inline filters. This season, I happened to be out of new Blue filters and still had the new unused filter for the KW-1. So I put a couple of garden hose fittings on the and used it this year, both when filling the water tank and when using the “city water” connection. I honestly can’t believe the improvement in water taste and quality! (Even from the same water sources). Now here is the question, at winterization, should I just put the empty filter in the freezer or spring for a new one next year? From the outside it looks brand new and I know I haven’t used near it’s capicity. What does everyone here recommend? Jay

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Jay2504

Like a lot of people, i removed my KW-1 filter housing and by-passed it with a PVC sleeve. Then I used Camco blue inline filters. This season, I happened to be out of new Blue filters and still had the new unused filter for the KW-1. So I put a couple of garden hose fittings on the and used it this year, both when filling the water tank and when using the “city water” connection. I honestly can’t believe the improvement in water taste and quality! (Even from the same water sources). Now here is the question, at winterization, should I just put the empty filter in the freezer or spring for a new one next year? From the outside it looks brand new and I know I haven’t used near it’s capicity. What does everyone here recommend? Jay

I'd take the filter element out and put it in a Zip Lock bag, then put that in the freezer.


It appears that you've just busted the "Myth" about the KW-1 Filter "Myth".

As for how long the filter will last, run it until the flow starts to be reduced. If you're filtering relatively clean water the filter will last a lot longer than when filtering "cloudy" water.

As campers we run into all kinds of water sources. Some from Cities, Some from small "water districts" or community water sources, and some from wells. The farther away you get from a "regulated" water source like cities and water districts, the more chance of running water with more sediments (and other stuff) in it.

I still use my FR-1/KW-1 filter as it was installed and horrors, I even drink water filtered by it from my water tank. Can't tell the difference between my tap water and bottled water from the grocery store.

[NXR]

I found this site by accident: https://www.forestriverelectronics.c...gory-s/100.htm

It uses an FR logo but has scant other information. I did find a dead link that mentions Berkshire, though, and they do own FR.

Anybody ever heard of this site before? They have the KW1 for $30.

RAy

[NJKris]

I know other people have ordered from them before, that's it. Under the 'About Us' section of the home page, it simply has a contact email. Strange. Also, I noticed none of their water filters claim any micron ratings. Either they think the consumer is too stupid to know what that is, or there is no scientific rating. Gorilla dust!

[NXR]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I know other people have ordered from them before, that's it. Under the 'About Us' section of the home page, it simply has a contact email. Strange. Also, I noticed none of their water filters claim any micron ratings. Either they think the consumer is too stupid to know what that is, or there is no scientific rating. Gorilla dust!

Nah. Since it's the only filter that fits that housing the details do not matter.

I knew the Forest River Georgeton 5 Series GT5 Owners Guide app has a lot of detail about the water filter so I just dug more into it. Among other things it says:

"The WaterPur cartridge is made of activated carbon particles fused into a uniform block, providing micron filtration. Service life is greatly extended by a 15 micron polypropylene prefiltration medium and a layer of 5 micron polypropylene melt brown intermediate filtration medium

The WaterPur cartridge, which is the heart of The WaterPur system, has been tested to meet the material requirements of NSG Standards 42, 53 and 58. It has been tested to meet the performance requirements of NSF Standard 42 for Class 1 Chlorine Reduction and Standard 53 for Class 1 Turbidity and Cyst reduction."

Wow, impressive, right? BUT and there is always one or two "but's":

But nowhere does the owner's guide say "KW1".

And the super-but, there is a paperclip that reveals a PDF attachment. The attachment is for the WaterPur CCI-10CLW12 system, not the KW1.

http://www.waterpur.com/html/waterpur_filters.html

<sigh>

Ray

[NJKris]

Hahaha Ray, good catch! Their own website refers you to a different product for specs when you click on the 'beware of imitators, read more' link!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Hahaha Ray, good catch! Their own website refers you to a different product for specs when you click on the 'beware of imitators, read more' link!

The CCI-10CLW12T filter is essentially the same as the KW-1 with the exception of how the element is held in the canister. The KW-1 has a "spigot" that holds, and seals, the element in the housing base. Not a bad feature if you are changing filters in the usually cramped areas that RV manufacturers place their filters. Rather than "hoping" the filter element stays centered on a small protruding outlet hub, the KW-1 is firmly retained by the spigot and double O-Rings. The design also prevents bypassing in this area should the filter element become distorted by flow pressure as it gets plugged.

Considering that a filter element is a "Once a Year" replacement item I can't understand all the hubub over price. Difference is less than a buck a month.

Yes, it's almost always in a difficult place to service but once a year I can "do my stretching exercises


I do know that using the KW-1 Filter Elements since I bought my TT in 2017, water from both city water hookups AND my FW tank tastes just as good as water from my Refrigerator "tap" at home which is filtered too. No need for me to carry cases of bottled water.

[NJKris]

Considering that a filter element is a "Once a Year" replacement item I can't understand all the hubub over price.

I don't think it's the price itself as much as knowing you are getting ripped and paying 3 times as much as comparable filters that are not proprietary.

[itat]

Originally Posted by NJKris

I don't think it's the price itself as much as knowing you are getting ripped and paying 3 times as much as comparable filters that are not proprietary.

If you compare apples to apples, a comparable filter can't be had for 1/3 the price (US$10). Although not a direct replacement for the KW1, I use this one that's a direct replacement for the WaterPur CCI-10-Ca which I believe is the same filter media as their KW1 filter.

https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/A1209.htm

It's US$22. I don't full time so I only change it once a year, in the Spring before our first trip. Its really not that expensive for a high quality 0.5 micron filter that does so much more than just filter sand and grit.

[NJKris]

Just for fun I added that one to the cart. They wanted 8 dollars shipping, so back to 30 bucks for a filter element.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by itat

... Its really not that expensive for a high quality 0.5 micron filter that does so much more than just filter sand and grit.

How much do you notice the water flow decrease when you open two taps or flush the toilet while a tap is open? 0.5 microns is pretty small and the filter surface area cannot be that much larger than the KW1.

Ray

[RandK-M]

For me, not so much the actual money, but the principle of it and the quality. I like to change mine more than once per year depending on the water quality I've run through it at various places.

I'm not saying the KW1 is a bad filter, but it's nowhere near the as good as the price suggests. I used to have saltwater reef aquariums and spent a lot of time researching and using multi stage reverse osmosis filter units at my house to purify the water. The water I filtered from the tap absolutely could not have any copper or many other minerals when making my salt water There's nothing at all special about the KW1 except for the form factor to fit in the housing.

That's why I changed my housing to a quality Pentek 10" and can choose from a huge variety of filter cartridges that are as good or better, cost less, and can be purchased all over the place. Plus the Pentek housing has better, thicker plastic and is better quality overall.

[itat]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Just for fun I added that one to the cart. They wanted 8 dollars shipping, so back to 30 bucks for a filter element.

They have free shipping if you order $75 worth of products, so you can order 4 at a time unless you’re ordering something else, but even at $30 each that’s only once a year unless you’re a fulltimer. You don’t save much by buying a cheaper, lesser quality filter.

[itat]

Originally Posted by NXR

How much do you notice the water flow decrease when you open two taps or flush the toilet while a tap is open? 0.5 microns is pretty small and the filter surface area cannot be that much larger than the KW1.

Ray

I’m not sure because I always use the filter. I’m sure it does restrict flow a bit but all I can say is it’s not enough that it’s unacceptable for us.

[itat]

Originally Posted by RandK-M

For me, not so much the actual money, but the principle of it and the quality. I like to change mine more than once per year depending on the water quality I've run through it at various places.

I'm not saying the KW1 is a bad filter, but it's nowhere near the as good as the price suggests. I used to have saltwater reef aquariums and spent a lot of time researching and using multi stage reverse osmosis filter units at my house to purify the water. The water I filtered from the tap absolutely could not have any copper or many other minerals when making my salt water There's nothing at all special about the KW1 except for the form factor to fit in the housing.

That's why I changed my housing to a quality Pentek 10" and can choose from a huge variety of filter cartridges that are as good or better, cost less, and can be purchased all over the place. Plus the Pentek housing has better, thicker plastic and is better quality overall.

I also replaced the FR1 housing. I did that partly because of its reputation and being forced to use the KW1 but mostly because of where the factory installed it. I prefer to have it outside so I also wanted to have a solid coloured canister rather than clear.

[tonyrico]

I have a 2018 Rockwood Mini Lite. it has the KW1 filter that everyone on this forum is discussing, but my housing is model RCS. Nowhere in this thread has this model been mentioned. Is it prone to break like the one you guys have been kicking around? Any comments about the RCS housing. I've had the unit for two years and camp about 40 days +/- a year. But it will go up next year

[tonyrico]

Looking around I found Neo-Pure NP-KW1. Competitive 2 pack for $51.99 with free shipping on A. States it has a 5 micron rating. Anybody want to jump in on this and on the RCS housing I asked about earlier. For a lot of the posters it is a matter of principle paying extra bucks for the KW1, and I get it. But for me, $30 per year is less than one night at most campgrounds, so I'll bite. A further question from me is whether the RCS housing is any better than the FR1 housing.
If it's as junky as some wrote about the FR1 earlier then I will change the unit and filters with some you all mentioned. If better then I'll stay put and buy the competitors NP-KW1. I don't know when F.R. changed from the FR1, but my camper is almost 2 years old