Water Filtration

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Suggestions for freshwater filtration.

When we started out full-timing we did a long stint in the Texas oil fields.  Water was delivered "Potable" but not trusted.  We ran the water thru a 3-filter series, ending with a Daulton Sterasyl ceramic filter.  We lived off the fresh water tank exclusively.    

We ended up using an 80psi pump to have enough pressure to push thru the ceramic filter.

Flow was-

5Micron

1 Micron- charcoal

Booster Pump

Ceramic filter

Tank.

Then out of tank with the whole hose pump to the taps.

But it was a pain to remember to fill the tank every 2 days or so, or forgetting to turn the pump off to avoid overfilling the fresh water tank.

So fast forward to today with the new rig.   We know that several areas that we travel to have questionable water still.  High Sulphur content, Iron, etc.  So, I would like to adapt either my old set up and do an update, or do a whole house RO system. 

We/I have 1 issue with a RO system in that several minerals are removed and can't be replaced.  Primarily calcium.  For me Calcium is a biggie, as I already must take supplements for it.

The option is to add a UV light and water softener to my old system and install it. 

Flow would be-

5mic filter

Softener

1Mic

UV

Booster pump

Ceramic

Tank

But doing this I would like to add float switches in the tank to keep the tank 80-90% full.  Anyone see any difficulty adding this to our DRV. 

[Pat & Pete]

51 minutes ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Suggestions for freshwater filtration.

When we started out full-timing we did a long stint in the Texas oil fields.  Water was delivered "Potable" but not trusted.  We ran the water thru a 3-filter series, ending with a Daulton Sterasyl ceramic filter.  We lived off the fresh water tank exclusively.    

We ended up using an 80psi pump to have enough pressure to push thru the ceramic filter.

Flow was-

5Micron

1 Micron- charcoal

Booster Pump

Ceramic filter

Tank.

Then out of tank with the whole hose pump to the taps.

But it was a pain to remember to fill the tank every 2 days or so, or forgetting to turn the pump off to avoid overfilling the fresh water tank.

So fast forward to today with the new rig.   We know that several areas that we travel to have questionable water still.  High Sulphur content, Iron, etc.  So, I would like to adapt either my old set up and do an update, or do a whole house RO system. 

We/I have 1 issue with a RO system in that several minerals are removed and can't be replaced.  Primarily calcium.  For me Calcium is a biggie, as I already must take supplements for it.

The option is to add a UV light and water softener to my old system and install it. 

Flow would be-

5mic filter

Softener

1Mic

UV

Booster pump

Ceramic

Tank

But doing this I would like to add float switches in the tank to keep the tank 80-90% full.  Anyone see any difficulty adding this to our DRV. 

Are planning on pulling a trailer to house all that^ ?  

There has to be a simpler way . 

[Zulu]

2 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

I would like to adapt either my old set up and do an update, or do a whole house RO system. 

I vote for the former. A whole house RO system will mean a lonnnnnnng time filling your water tank.

I went with a UV filter with an undersink RO system -- my filtration system.

 

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

47 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

Are planning on pulling a trailer to house all that^ ?  

There has to be a simpler way . 

It fits in a milk crate plus the softener.  

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

11 minutes ago, Zulu said:

I vote for the former. A whole house RO system will mean a lonnnnnnng time filling your water tank.

I went with a UV filter with an undersink RO system -- my filtration system.

 

But if I'm running a 100gpd membrane, with float switches, and our fresh water tank is a 100 gallon, we would always have clean water available.  The Daulton Sterysal filter doesn't pass but 1.6-2.4 gallons a minute at 65psi so we would need to work off our tank still.  

[Fulltimer51]

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

Have you talked to these people?

[RV_]

All you need for all campgrounds and public water supplies in the US and Canada are a sediment filter up front, followed by a Charcoal filter to adsorb the chlorine taste along with a bunch of other chemicals it adsorbs.

Tap water and public well water supplies are tested and safe as far as I have seen and read. Heck most filtered water is just tap water filtered to take out the chlorine taste.

I prefer filtered tap water with a basic charcoal filter for taste. But I will drink unfiltered tap water from either public wells or municipal water supplies.

Here is an example on Amazon that gets you two canisters, two sediment and two charcoal filters for under 50 bucks. Scroll down to the combo here: https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-WFPF13003B-Universal-000-Gallon-Filtration/dp/B007VZ2O0Q/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1510606377&sr=8-6&keywords=filter+whole+house&dpID=41Nn7qeHteL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

To connect them together you will need a 3/4" X4" brass nipple like this: https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-17-9493-4-Inch-Brass-Nipple/dp/B008E334GC

That connects them to each other. To connect them to your fresh water hose you need a 3/4" to standard hose fitting, one male hose end and one female like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Nelson-50578-Male-Female-Fitting/dp/B0015ASX12/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510607464&sr=8-2&keywords=3+4+npt+to+garden+hose&dpID=51hWoDZIRjL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

and one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Nelson-Industrial-50571-Double-Male-Connecting/dp/B0015AOR8K/ref=pd_sim_86_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CGFPK62MC2Z4SV45BFZ5

Then some Teflon tape to seal the nipple connections to the housings and on each end of the brass nipple.

Or you can get a double canister with 1 sediment and one carbon block filter for under 50 bucks and then just add the 3/4 NPT to garden hose male and female adapters and you are set. I usually used a short 8 foot hose from the water inlet of my rig to my double filter system so I could place the housing under the rig to reduce the UV rays that hit the plastic and can weaken it over time.

I was a Medical Laboratory technologist in the Air Force and tested the base water as well as checked growth on agar plates for years. Do not use water from septic or above ground lake and rivers. That is the usual route of infection for folks with amoebic and bacterial infections. Tested water supplies include wells in RV parks tested as a public water supply, and municipal water supplies.

If you are going to Mexico then I can understand the extra filtration and UV radiation treatment of water. But in 7 years of full-timing in the US' lower 48, Alaska, and Canada, that is all we needed for taste and sediment filtration. Well worth the initial and small costs for standard 10" replacement filters. One stay we had, at SKP coop Park Sierra, they flushed the water supply filling it with sediment they stirred up. They did not warn me and I was stumped since I had just replaced my single inline filter and the water spigot worked. When I asked it as cleared up and I replaced my filter then all was well. THat was when I decided to go with w two filter replaceable filter system which was much cheaper in use than the inline filter housing systems like this: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camco-RV-TastePURE-KDF-Carbon-Water-Filter/717140.uts?productVariantId=1662244&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=BingPLA&WT.z_mc_id1=02985160&rid=20&gclid=COHdlKTCvNcCFReYxQIdGecKnA&gclsrc=ds

Those single in-line filters mean paying the full price for every filter change, as opposed to $3-6 for the sediment and carbon block replacement standard 10" filters.

Paying the big bucks for any more is fine if it makes you feel better. If it makes you take risks with water sources, that is your risk.

We only need filters for taste in the US and Canada.

Safe Drinking!

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Thanks Derek.  We already have the 3 housing filter setup from a past job we were on.  What we have noticed in the mid-west is campgrounds that are on their own wells have arsenic warnings on their check-in sheets.  While all the public consumable water be it city or a campground is supposed to be tested, many campgrounds don't test their well water.  The records are pencil whipped.  At one particular park, we have stayed at, the sulfur was terrible. When asked about it, the maintenance guy said: "Oh it's ok, nobody died yet".....  

Add in the mess in Flint, and other places and I'll filter my water....

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

7 hours ago, Fulltimer51 said:

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

Have you talked to these people?

Yup, I've bought a bunch of filters and hoses from them in the past.   It's where I got the Daulton Ceramic. 

[Dejae]

I prefer bottled spring water for drinking (I drink ALOT of water daily)or making my ice tea and ice.... but for washing dishes, showering, laundry (washer on board) we have a decent size sediment filter and a On The Go water softener, I believe it is 16,000 grains.

 

[Jim Seward]

Our 2000 coach came with the Nature Pure system which has worked well for us over the years.  Here's a link if interested:

http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/water_filters.htm

 

Good luck with your choice and safe travels....