Water Treatment

[freestoneangler]

For our more local/regional travels around home here in Montana, I simply use the Camco cartridges on the incoming water at RV sites.  They have worked well so far - recognizing they are limited in overall protection.  My question here is aimed more towards knowing that water down in Arizona is highly saline requiring most all to use RO systems (our friends have one in their Yuma park model).  We're preparing for our first winter season in AZ and pretty sure we'll need something more than the Camco filter - particularly for drinking water, ice cubes and coffee.  TT's being space challenged, I'd like to hear what system you use.  Thanks

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

RV water Filter store https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/ is a good place to start.  I'd start with a water softner and a good filter set up.   

[theeyres]

Quote

 

x2 on RV Water Filter Store. We had some unique needs and they suggested a two stage system that was connected by a short hose from the water spigot, then a longer hose to trailer.  It took no space in the fiver and now our trailer because it sat/sits outside by the spigot. The RV Water Filter Store gives it to you straight.

[BigTexRex]

For water filtration, I get some items from the RV Water Filter Store. I use a one micron filter before it hits an On The Go water softener for the whole house. Then it is further filtered, for drinking water, with the under-sink Premier Watts three stage system. This works for extremely hard and dirty water situations.

There are so many variations to water filtration that have to be balanced with flow and pressure. 

[Jack Mayer]

Here is a link to a document on my personal water system. Probably more than you are looking for, but you can do any part of it.

For just drinking water it is hard to beat a Berkey. There is a valid point to be made about removal of minerals from drinking water (which RO does). The Berkey provides you a balanced, drinkable water. But it does nothing for the rest of your coach system.

[freestoneangler]

Great system Jack.  My challenge will be trying to find space in our TT.  Looks like the space where the water pump is currently located will be my best option, but without modifying the shelf will not accommodate this or most other salt tanks/water softener that offer much in the way of capacity.  It's likely I won't have this figured out and installed before our upcoming season... hopefully the Arizona RV parks water isn't too awful.

[MrSeas]

Arizona=hard water.

[Twotoes]

I may be the only one that had a problem with the RV Water Store. I purchased a double canister, two filters, three hoses and a $100 Watts pressure regulator from Rick.  The Watts pressure regulator has never worked. I returned it, paying the shipping, for warranty service. Rick called me for my credit card to charge the return shipping, about $5. This is after I spent about $350 buying things from him. When I got it backed it still didn't work correctly. I had to resend it to him again on my dime for more repairs which at first he wanted now to bill me for the repair on a month old part. Well when he shipped it back to me the second time again charging me for the shipping again it still didn't work. So I paid for the original shipping, the shipping back to him for the first repair, the shipping back to me, the shipping back to him for the second repair and the third shipping to me and the $100 pressure regulator still doesn't work. This is very Poor Customer Service. 

[BigTexRex]

2 hours ago, Twotoes said:

I may be the only one that had a problem with the RV Water Store. I purchased a double canister, two filters, three hoses and a $100 Watts pressure regulator from Rick.  The Watts pressure regulator has never worked. I returned it, paying the shipping, for warranty service. Rick called me for my credit card to charge the return shipping, about $5. This is after I spent about $350 buying things from him. When I got it backed it still didn't work correctly. I had to resend it to him again on my dime for more repairs which at first he wanted now to bill me for the repair on a month old part. Well when he shipped it back to me the second time again charging me for the shipping again it still didn't work. So I paid for the original shipping, the shipping back to him for the first repair, the shipping back to me, the shipping back to him for the second repair and the third shipping to me and the $100 pressure regulator still doesn't work. This is very Poor Customer Service. 

Which Watts pressure regulator did you purchase?

 

[Twotoes]

The Watts for about $100. 

[Kirk W]

I purchased our Watts pressure regulator at Lowe's or Home Depot, but can't recall which. One thing about the Watts products is that you can rebuild them when needed as parts are readily available. 

[Pat & Pete]

15 minutes ago, Kirk Wood said:

I purchased our Watts pressure regulator at Lowe's or Home Depot, but can't recall which. One thing about the Watts products is that you can rebuild them when needed as parts are readily available. 

OR , they can be taken apart and cleaned , if needed .

We have a Watts regulator that I bought at a garage sale for a few bucks about 9 - 10 years ago . It was nicely tarnished , as brass does , and had a spider living inside . Took it home and apart , cleaned everything before putting it back together . Flawless function ever since .

Their beauty is in the extremely simple design .

Like : ( only ours isn't as shiny  )

[BigTexRex]

10 hours ago, Twotoes said:

The Watts for about $100. 

I had that one and was unhappy with it because I could not get it to adjust properly until I found out that it was because low pressure parks (40 psi and below) did not have the conditions I wanted to create a max pressure limit and made it difficult to know which way to turn to adjust the pressure up or down...it didn't seem to have any effect. I was in a park that had 80 psi plus which made it very easy to adjust...it's now adjusted for a max of 60 psi and works great.  I would suggest you upgrade to the stainless adjustment bolt because it makes adjustment so much easier. If I remember correctly, turning it clockwise increases pressure and counterclockwise decreases pressure.

[freestoneangler]

On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 7:07 AM, Pat & Pete said:

OR , they can be taken apart and cleaned , if needed .

We have a Watts regulator that I bought at a garage sale for a few bucks about 9 - 10 years ago . It was nicely tarnished , as brass does , and had a spider living inside . Took it home and apart , cleaned everything before putting it back together . Flawless function ever since .

Their beauty is in the extremely simple design .

Like : ( only ours isn't as shiny  )

Are you guys using these in addition to a preset pressure control at the incoming water connection?  The one I purchased limits pressure  coming into the RV at 40 psi.  Are the suggested water filter/treatment systems needing further pressure reduction?

[Pat & Pete]

7 minutes ago, freestoneangler said:

Are you guys using these in addition to a preset pressure control at the incoming water connection?  The one I purchased limits pressure  coming into the RV at 40 psi.  Are the suggested water filter/treatment systems needing further pressure reduction?

No . We place ours at the supply point , prior to any connection to the MH , and it's the only regulation . As far as I know , all the mentioned filters / treatment systems are designed for 60 pounds , and likely much more . 

[freestoneangler]

On ‎10‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 11:13 PM, BigTexRex said:

For water filtration, I get some items from the RV Water Filter Store. I use a one micron filter before it hits an On The Go water softener for the whole house. Then it is further filtered, for drinking water, with the under-sink Premier Watts three stage system. This works for extremely hard and dirty water situations.

There are so many variations to water filtration that have to be balanced with flow and pressure. 

This set-up looks like it might fit in the area under the kitchen sink where the water pump is currently located.  I presume you installed a separate drinking water faucet at the kitchen sink?  Which of the "On the Go" softeners did you choose and does the advertised volume/softening cycle seem to be about right?  Did you just use a T-connection out of the OTG unit; one into the Premier Watts and then out to the whole house?

[freestoneangler]

6 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

No . We place ours at the supply point , prior to any connection to the MH , and it's the only regulation . As far as I know , all the mentioned filters / treatment systems are designed for 60 pounds , and likely much more . 

We were told that we should limit line pressure to 40 psi, so I opted for the preset style.  What do you typically set your valve to and what situations require adjustment? Our shower seems a little on the weak side but flow in kitchen and bath sinks seem fine. As near as I can tell, our RV has PEX throughout. I don't know what it is rated to handle; though 40 psi seems low. 

[Pat & Pete]

42 minutes ago, freestoneangler said:

We were told that we should limit line pressure to 40 psi, so I opted for the preset style.  What do you typically set your valve to and what situations require adjustment? Our shower seems a little on the weak side but flow in kitchen and bath sinks seem fine. As near as I can tell, our RV has PEX throughout. I don't know what it is rated to handle; though 40 psi seems low. 

I have ours set at 55 pounds . I haven't needed to adjust that setting as everything above 55 is regulated and anything below doesn't require regulation .

As for the rating for Pex ,

PEX Tubing Pressure Ratings
200°F at 80 psi .... 180°F at 100 psi ... 74°F at 160 psi

Being as we only heat water to about 140° , I'd say Pex would be good to about 122 PSI . And , of course , cold water , the PSI is over 160 . That's a lot higher than any pressures I've run into in almost 8 years of full timing .

 I've only had one leak problem and that was the plastic check valve at the water heater . It had cracked , so I replaced it with a brass valve . No more leaks . And , our shower puts out a decent stream .

[Yarome]

IMO, filtration systems often get over thunk a lot and really depends on where you travel, what type of camping you do when you get there and your rigs available space to dedicate to filtration.

In most Southern states, and using a potable positive pressure water source, a water softener tank is pretty much a "must have" if you're drinking it or not. In those cases, you can probably get by with a pressure regulator, a basic single pre-filter at your source, then pass it through your water softener and call it good.

You might add an additional filter at your sink if you intend to use tank/source water for drinking/coffee/cooking/etc. As mentioned, you'll never go wrong with a berkey, but they do take up quite a lot of space and the smaller models may not be able to meet your daily needs.

Better filtration systems can be had, but in most standard CG situations I would consider the above to be more than adequate. Inexpensive, space saving and simple.

As for me, I use a variety of configurations as needed. In the PNW, using a potable positive pressure source, all I use is a pressure regulator and a single stage filter directly into my tanks... that I drink from. The water is soft, clean, and delicous. Why ruin a good thing? 

[Assuming that your tank and water systems are "active" and properly maintained/sanitized on a regular basis.]

In other areas I will pass it through an on the go 8000 grain water softener... and I drink directly from my FW tank.

If the "potable" water is questionable (well water) or if I'm taking on "non-potable" then I use a water fixer filtration/UV system and add in the water softener tank if need be. Taking on static "non potable" I throw everything at it. A course sediment filter, dedicated pump, water fixer and then water softener as needed... and I drink from my tank.

That's regarless of where I am. The only variables being softener or not and the size of the 2nd stage filter I use (1mic vs a .5mic).

I can appreciate the limited amount of space available to permanently mount a full filtration system in a TT. I don't even try. The added advantage to a portable filtration system is that you can toss it in your TV and fill bladders/containers to later transfer to your FW tank.

As a side bar from that... toss in a portable on demand LP water heater and an oxygenetics shower head and you now have a lake/riverside ulimited hot water shower. 

[BigTexRex]

12 hours ago, freestoneangler said:

This set-up looks like it might fit in the area under the kitchen sink where the water pump is currently located.  I presume you installed a separate drinking water faucet at the kitchen sink?  Which of the "On the Go" softeners did you choose and does the advertised volume/softening cycle seem to be about right?  Did you just use a T-connection out of the OTG unit; one into the Premier Watts and then out to the whole house?

Yes, the Premier is an under-the-sink system--it takes up very little room. The separate drinking faucet was easy to install in our kitchen sink because the original faucet had a separate handle, so when I replaced the RV faucet with one that had a handle attached I used the extra hole for the filter system. 

I go through the regeneration cycle for the On-the-Go system once a month or if I notice that we're starting to get spots on the dishes or in the shower.

Everything goes through the 1-micron and the OTG system then additional filtering for drinking water...so, no T-connection.

[BigTexRex]

13 hours ago, freestoneangler said:

Are you guys using these in addition to a preset pressure control at the incoming water connection?  The one I purchased limits pressure  coming into the RV at 40 psi.  Are the suggested water filter/treatment systems needing further pressure reduction?

Modern RVs (using PEX) usually have a limit of 80 to 100 psi, but I wouldn't trust pressures that high.  60 psi (if you can get somewhere that supplies it that high) provides a nice pressure and flow.