WARNING: Fresh water filter doesn't filter tank water

[LannyCox]

It may come as a surprise to a few that the bottled water industry is completely unregulated as regards purity and quality. In fact, here in North Texas the Nestles Brand bottled water makes no bones about it. On the label it says: Source - Dallas Public Water Supply!

[ActionJackson]

In 24 years of camping and using the FW tank for drinking and cooking, we have had ZERO health issues. We chlorinate the tank occasionally and are good to go..
Not sure how I have survived without super-duper water purifiers, along with no TPMS tire monitors and hi-tech electricity monitors for all of these years. Having too much fun just camping, I guess.

[Desertsquid]

My understanding is that if you connect to city water no water goes into your fresh water tank. If you are using water from your holding tank then you have to use the pump to get water. When we sanitize our unit we run that water thru all the line by opening up each faucet until we smell bleach.

[Johntgif]

I grew up drinking water from a garden hose or a small stream in the woods.
I have passed the "70" age and my young doctor keeps telling me to keep doing what you are doing.

I say don't get paranoid and not enjoy the simple life and the pleasures of camping.
When God gets ready to call you HOME, water will not matter.

My thoughts and

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Johntgif

I grew up drinking water from a garden hose or a small stream in the woods.
I have passed the "70" age and my young doctor keeps telling me to keep doing what you are doing.

I say don't get paranoid and not enjoy the simple life and the pleasures of camping.
When God gets ready to call you HOME, water will not matter.

My thoughts and

You mentioned "young doctor."

I'm 75 and have outlived most of my Doctors. I have a grandson as old as both my surgeon and cardiologist.

What's sad is many of my old doctors passed away from illnesses they kept warning me about.

[EscapePod]

I did a lot of research on this subject because we have a well system at home and love our pure water. I wanted the same quality in the RV. When you hookup to every RV park's drinking supply along the way, it's like sleeping with $5 hookers... you know you're going to catch something! When in Acadia, Maine 2 years ago, I had just put fresh "white" filter in the system. In 1 day, it was black. After 2 days, I took it off and it was an oily sludge I would never want to drink! I touched it and couldn't get it off my hands with soap! I brought it to the office and they just shrugged their shoulders and said that was normal! My BS detector exploded on that one! So for those of you who don't filter, God help you.

In my system, I have 2 whole house filters housings I mounted on a stand I made that plug into the external water source. First, a 5 micron ribbed filter (whirlpool or equivalent), then a 1 micron carbon filter (improves taste and kills the chlorination I can't stand the taste of after being on well water (real water we call it)). From there, I mounted and installed an 8GPM UV unit to kill microorganisms BEFORE they enter the RV system. (UV unit needs 115V- if available, I use an extension cord from power pedestal) My connections use CPVC construction and where hoses are used, I use quick connects for easy setup with drinking water quality brass or preferably stainless fittings. If you protect your input system, then you can drink the water. Internal connections on RV use PEX, so no reason not to and feel safe once you have the water safely inside.

So in block diagram...

Water source => 5 micron whole house => 1 micron charcoal whole house => UV filter => tank fill or city water hookup. Drinking water comes from RV home fridge that has it's own filter that filters tank water so it's a belt and suspenders approach, but no way to eliminate the filter anyway. Ice cubes also come from that source.

I bleach treat the system every year rather than bother testing it. It costs less than 50 cents in bleach. I remove the filters, put the bleach in the second filter housing and flood the tank. Take it for a ride to slop it around the tank, open the valves to load the bleach in the fixtures. then drain it and flush it the next day using filtered water, of course. Finally, i refill it and let it sit. If it's going to be a month or more before I camp, i'll drain it and refill, more to put cool water from the ground into the system.

Hope I helped someone. I can post pictures of the install as well if that would help anyone.

Good luck.

[nrkmann]

Use a tablespoon of liquid laundry bleach for every tank of fresh water and you will have potable water. After 48 hours most of the clorine should gave gassified. Might give a little burp upon first opening the tap.

The EPA requires clorine in tap water up to four PPM. You can do the calculations if you must.

See: https://chlorine.americanchemistry.c...nkingWaterFAQ/

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by Magnatudes

My water filter in an Isata 3 is connected directly to the incoming city water hose connection. Therefore, it only filters city water coming into the coach. It does not filter the water coming out of the tank. In my opinion, this is the wrong location for the filter. It should be located where the common feed, tank or city water, supply the coach. If there is bacteria in the tank, it will not be filtered. So, be careful using tank water! Bad design and a health risk.

Most systems have the ability of filling the tank from a city hook up. So the tank does, can, be filtered......but........ Filters do not take out organisms.... So you need to drain/fill your tank weekly to keep it fresh......

[EscapePod]

Originally Posted by frankraney

Most systems have the ability of filling the tank from a city hook up. So the tank does, can, be filtered......but........ Filters do not take out organisms.... So you need to drain/fill your tank weekly to keep it fresh......

For just the reasons you cite, that's why I prefilter and UV BEFORE any water goes into the tank or direct supply. Then there's no need for the gymnastics of emptying or filling every week and you have a high level of trust your water is pure. In fact, it's the same quality as "purified" water is in bottles as it's going through the same procedure.

Also, if your system is clean and you don't introduce anything, it's the same as your home. If you go away for a week there, do you drain your home system?

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by EscapePod

For just the reasons you cite, that's why I prefilter and UV BEFORE any water goes into the tank or direct supply. Then there's no need for the gymnastics of emptying or filling every week and you have a high level of trust your water is pure. In fact, it's the same quality as "purified" water is in bottles as it's going through the same procedure.

Also, if your system is clean and you don't introduce anything, it's the same as your home. If you go away for a week there, do you drain your home system?

Your home water system is a closed/sealed system with no source of air/oxygen. Your RV's fresh water tank is not a closed/sealed system, there is always some air in the tank and "stuff" can get into the tank via the vent, which pulls outside air in as you use the water, so when you have water + air + warm ambient temps you will get growth unless you have something in the water to keep it sanitized and prevent such growth. This isn't something that is going to happen over the course of a few days, but it won't stay clean indefinitely.

You cannot compare the RV's holding tank to your home water system because of this. What you're doing is a good idea if you use enough water to cycle it out frequently, but it will go bad if left in there for too long.

[frankraney]

Originally Posted by EscapePod

For just the reasons you cite, that's why I prefilter and UV BEFORE any water goes into the tank or direct supply. Then there's no need for the gymnastics of emptying or filling every week and you have a high level of trust your water is pure. In fact, it's the same quality as "purified" water is in bottles as it's going through the same procedure.

Also, if your system is clean and you don't introduce anything, it's the same as your home. If you go away for a week there, do you drain your home system?

The filter filters the water to your tank......an RV system is not like your house...... Your house (typically) does not have a holding tank. But I do run the water for awhile before filling my glass......back to the RV..... You should drain and re-steralise your system a couple times a year..... And more if it suits a lot. Even if you filter it, if you let it sit for awhile, it will start to grow stuff you don't want to drink...... Your manual will tell you this....

[EscapePod]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

Your home water system is a closed/sealed system with no source of air/oxygen. Your RV's fresh water tank is not a closed/sealed system, there is always some air in the tank and "stuff" can get into the tank via the vent, which pulls outside air in as you use the water, so when you have water + air + warm ambient temps you will get growth unless you have something in the water to keep it sanitized and prevent such growth. This isn't something that is going to happen over the course of a few days, but it won't stay clean indefinitely.

You cannot compare the RV's holding tank to your home water system because of this. What you're doing is a good idea if you use enough water to cycle it out frequently, but it will go bad if left in there for too long.

Diesel, I agree; you are technically correct in what you say if you use city water. However, in a practical sense, it's not like you're leaving it wide open and there's a constant and free and constant exchange of air. So let's get down in the weeds. The only air that enters the system is the air that replaces the water that has left the tank. It's the same air you're breathing. I take it you don't have well water, which was my basis of comparison. The well has an exchange of air as it's level rises and falls with the hydric level of the ground water, which is akin to the tank. And yes, both can be potential exposure areas. In practical terms, if it were a big issue, there would be a lot of sick campers out there, and that's just not the case.

I like leaving my tank full if sitting, so it's not full of air, which I feel, minimizes that exposure. And like I stated, I do cycle it out if sitting more than a month, I do drain and replace. More bacteria and more dangerous bacteria, is introduced through the water than you will get through the tank breathing as little as it does. That's why I use a UV system. Since the nature of my RV is part time, without the UV system, I would probably not drink the water after what I've witnessed in the various parks. That would negate having the home fridge with ice maker and on-the-door water system. And if i would have to give up the convenience of crushed ice with my bourbon, I'd have to give up camping!

Then again, if you fill your tank with city water at home, it's chlorinated and should also inhibit things that would want to make a home. That's probably "safer" probability wise than what I feel us well water users (which many campers are if using park water) need to do. Also, not all bacteria is bad for you. The 3 most common harmful bacteria found in wells you are guarding against are E.coli, Salmonella and Giardia. None of which should be in the air you or you're tank are breathing. UV kills them all, including 1 celled animals that might be lurking in park water.

[ENE]

I flush & sanitize my fresh water tank twice a year with bleach. I also have a water filter at the outside spigot. I need drink the fresh water until I pour it into a portable filter system.
We use bottle water for drinking and the filter water is used for cooking.

[DieselDrax]

Originally Posted by EscapePod

Diesel, I agree; you are technically correct in what you say if you use city water. However, in a practical sense, it's not like you're leaving it wide open and there's a constant and free and constant exchange of air. So let's get down in the weeds. The only air that enters the system is the air that replaces the water that has left the tank. It's the same air you're breathing. I take it you don't have well water, which was my basis of comparison. The well has an exchange of air as it's level rises and falls with the hydric level of the ground water, which is akin to the tank. And yes, both can be potential exposure areas. In practical terms, if it were a big issue, there would be a lot of sick campers out there, and that's just not the case.



I like leaving my tank full if sitting, so it's not full of air, which I feel, minimizes that exposure. And like I stated, I do cycle it out if sitting more than a month, I do drain and replace. More bacteria and more dangerous bacteria, is introduced through the water than you will get through the tank breathing as little as it does. That's why I use a UV system. Since the nature of my RV is part time, without the UV system, I would probably not drink the water after what I've witnessed in the various parks. That would negate having the home fridge with ice maker and on-the-door water system. And if i would have to give up the convenience of crushed ice with my bourbon, I'd have to give up camping!



Then again, if you fill your tank with city water at home, it's chlorinated and should also inhibit things that would want to make a home. That's probably "safer" probability wise than what I feel us well water users (which many campers are if using park water) need to do. Also, not all bacteria is bad for you. The 3 most common harmful bacteria found in wells you are guarding against are E.coli, Salmonella and Giardia. None of which should be in the air you or you're tank are breathing. UV kills them all, including 1 celled animals that might be lurking in park water.

You forgot a key “ingredient” that I mentioned; warm temps.

Also, air doesn’t displace the water that is removed unless it’s excessive (well level drops or dries up), wells are like underwater lakes and rivers where the water is replenished and is almost always flowing.

Well water and other underground water sources are very cool with constant temps. The cool temps don’t promote the growth of algae and such, whereas the fresh water tanks and the water within are exposed to warm temps during the summer which promote growth. So you are still comparing apples and oranges.

No matter how pure and clean the water when it goes into your FW tank, over time it will grow stuff unless kept fresh using chemicals. It is not the same as water from a well, which as I mentioned is kept cool but is also not stagnant.

[ENE]

How do you use UV to sanitize your fresh water?

[SeaDog]

this thread very much reminds me of the black tank dump thread might be time for it to be put to rest.

[Magnatudes]

Originally Posted by DieselDrax

Your home water system is a closed/sealed system with no source of air/oxygen. Your RV's fresh water tank is not a closed/sealed system, there is always some air in the tank and "stuff" can get into the tank via the vent, which pulls outside air in as you use the water, so when you have water + air + warm ambient temps you will get growth unless you have something in the water to keep it sanitized and prevent such growth. This isn't something that is going to happen over the course of a few days, but it won't stay clean indefinitely.

You cannot compare the RV's holding tank to your home water system because of this. What you're doing is a good idea if you use enough water to cycle it out frequently, but it will go bad if left in there for too long.

Very well said!
Also, how does one easily get bleach (chlorine) into the tank when you only have a city water connection with a check valve. (same issue with winterization)

Bottled water may not be super pure but it's in a sealed container. Use it in ice trays for your bourbon.

[FFred]

Having an outside filter for the campsite water can be dangerous if the filter housing is clear.


Sunshine is food for green stuff that can grow in clear filters or clear hose.

[ENE]

I pour a half of cup of bleach into the water hose and then connect the hose to the trailers fresh water connection. Turn on water, then open valve to fill fresh water tank. There are procedures on Youtube that can give you more details.

[RKBob]

I guess what I really learned from this is to use more bourbon and up my budget for hookers...!