Water Filters

[Night Sailor]

I wasn't sure whether to list this topic here or in Full Timing, and searches on this topic don't seem to work well using the phone app.


I plan to add a water filter to my camper--several actually. The first will filter water going into my tanks. That is pretty straight forward. Next I want all my internal water to be filtered. In short I want to use my tanks like tap water and get tasty, healthy water.

I like Home Depot. They have a good selection of reasonably priced parts and materials. These parts are readily available. And I don't have to struggle to find replacement filters. I chose the GE brand based in the form factor and design but have not chosen the exact product yet.

Has anyone else added a water filter to their camper and if, do you have any recommendations or lessons learned?

[FTTRV]

I use a filter at the water faucet in the campground. Yearly I sanitize the water tank.
Chuck

[Gilda]

I only use a Brita filter in a pitcher. It provides plenty of drinking water. I don't feel the need to filter water for dish-washing.

[NASA42]

Night Sailor....

I use a Camco in-line hose filter that attaches to the city water inlet. It handles taste, sediment, odors, and bacteria. Wal-Mart sells it in the RV area of their stores for about $16 with a short extension , or about $26 for a two-pack. The filter is discarded after 3-4 months use. The water tank & lines are sanitized annually at the start of each season.

6 years with this approach have been quite satisfactory.

Frank

[Jared J]

Yep. Works great.

Ge gx1s01r

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by J.F.Y.

Night Sailor....

I use a Camco in-line hose filter that attaches to the city water inlet. It handles taste, sediment, odors, and bacteria. Wal-Mart sells it in the RV area of their stores for about $16 with a short extension , or about $26 for a two-pack. The filter is discarded after 3-4 months use. The water tank & lines are sanitized annually at the start of each season.

6 years with this approach have been quite satisfactory.

Frank

Frank,

You use this with pressurized city water? Or can you use it for filling your tanks?

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Jared J

Attachment 69054

Yep. Works great.

Ge gx1s01r

Jared, this looks like what I had in mind. Can you tell me what you have in there and what sort of filters you use?

[Jared J]

The part number for the housing is in the first post, the filter is a ge fxulc.

[NASA42]

Conrad......(in answer to your follow-up query).

Basically......

I use the "in line" filter when hooked to campsite (pressurized) water, and I can use it at the end of the hose to filter the water when I fill the fresh water tank.

At this point, Sharon and I have taken to using private campgrounds with full hookups (geezers that we are). Although I sanitize my fresh water tank and water lines at the start of each season, I then drain the fresh water tank for the season...... and don't haul around that extra weight. We keep a one-gallon plastic jug of water for "emergency" use of the facilities when on the road.

Frank

[Jared J]

I don't have it filtered going into my tanks, but I have 40 gallons and fill up before I leave with my own well water, so I know it's good.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Jared J

The part number for the housing is in the first post, the filter is a ge fxulc.

Is it just one big filter? There is so much going on in that photo. What is the rectangular

[NASA42]

Conrad....

This is the filter I use (picture copied from Wal-Mart online site)

Frank

[Jared J]

Yes, it's one big filter. The top rectangular piece is outdoor hot/cold water hookups, the bottom one is the city water hookup.

[sokhapkin]

What is the best way to connect filter and pressure regulator? It seems to me that it's better to connect filter to campground's faucet and then regulator after the filter, to protect the regulator from sediments. Any thoughts?

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by sokhapkin

What is the best way to connect filter and pressure regulator? It seems to me that it's better to connect filter to campground's faucet and then regulator after the filter, to protect the regulator from sediments. Any thoughts?

I do regulator to the faucet, then filter. Regulator threads are metal, much harder to cross-thread than the ones on the filter - so I just leave the two connected.

Charlie Y

[Night Sailor]

I have thought about this too. I would put the regulator at the end of the hose. It seems that a hot hose could bump up the pressure and defeat the purpose of a pressure regulator. I'd rather blow a hose than inside plumbing--I have blown a few hoses in the past, before putting those pressure release thingies on my faucets. They were required in my town when I lived in California--to prevent water waste as I recall.

Then again, I'd rather run off my own pump and tank.

[Jared J]

Regulators are cheap enough, I wouldn't worry about them. A filter like that is fine if you only use city water, but does nothing to prevent contaminating your system from your fresh water tanks.

[sokhapkin]

Why the filter does nothing? Fill up fresh the water tank through the filter. I expect you are not going to fill the tank with a river water using a bucket and a funnel...

[Night Sailor]

It is probably a good idea to always filter water going into a camper or boat. I just cleaned the tanks on my boat. There was some dirt and sand in there. It had to come from the city water. I won't put water into my boat again without a filter like Frank uses.

Jared is right about filtering as it comes out of the tank. Stuff could grow in there and filters not only remove sediment, but also heavy metals, growth, and organisms.

Some people might want to filter river water. Where I plan to go in northern Canada, I would like to be able to pump river or lake water through a filter system into my tanks. While not a high priority, it would allow me to be more free with my water use. Clean water is not a luxury but a necessity.

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by sokhapkin

Why the filter does nothing? Fill up fresh the water tank through the filter. I expect you are not going to fill the tank with a river water using a bucket and a funnel...

Most people on here drive with empty tanks. If they're filling their tanks where they're at, that means there isn't a hose there to use.

I have 40 gallons and fill them at home, so I don't worry.

As for cleaning the tanks, I have deck hatches on mine. I drain and dry my tanks with a towel every time I use them.