How often to change out Flow-Pur #8 Carbon Water Filter Cartridges?

[johnschnee]

It's entirely possible that I've missed this question previously posted on this site, but I'm curious as to how frequently I need to change out my Flow-Pur #8 Carbon Block Filter Cartridges? It's just "she who must be OBEYED" & I camping in a 35' Fleetwood Bounder about 5-6 months per year, staying at what I believe are campsites with pretty reliable water sources (mostly Thousand Trails, Encore & U.S. military campgrounds).

 

I have heard some mention that they only change out filters when they notice the water flow is slowing down, but also have heard some say they change out after a set length of time spent camping, but I can't recall specifics...

 

Any wisdom shared is GREATLY appreciated!!! THANKS!!

[SCClockDr]

We half time & I swap ours out seasonally. We use a carbon block as primary, a premium carbon block under the kitchen sink, & Brita to produce our drinking water. I fill our water tank unfiltered to preserve the chlorination and use it for drinking post Brita.

[AFchap]

I use a cabin filter under the gallery sink for drinking & ice maker & change it once a year ... same schedule as when we were fulltiming. I use a 1 micron sediment filter outside, and change it about every 3 months unless it blocks up sooner.

[budeneighe]

No one answer will work correctly for everyone because there are things in various water supplies that are not health items but are hard on the filtration systems. Also, not all carbon block filters a made the same way. They can, under the right circumstances, build up bacteria in them, which can eventually cause contaminations on the house side of the filter. Many filters mention this and have several different ways to try to address it.

 

Another issue is the difference in the water if one moves around versus always being supplied with the same water when not traveling for months at a time.

 

The filter manufacturer usually has specific recommendations for each filter and they do vary even between different models from the same company.

 

I am thrifty and try to stretch my $$ but not to a point of personal risk. At the most, I go a year between changes but the maker recommends 6 months. I have had a few times in different locations where I was starting to notice a bit of an odor and immediately changed it. Flow is not much of an indicator of anything but granular clogging from particulates. It does not indicate anything about the quality of the water coming out of the filter.

 

But this is just what I am comfortable with .

[Kirk W]

Agree pretty much with everyone else. The issue is not one of time so much as it is the volume of water passed through the filter and the quality of that water. If you happen to use a lot of well water, you will likely plug it with sediment well before the amount of use that you get with most city water supplies. I used a high quality carbon block filter for all of our water and I typically replaced it about every 3 to 6 months, depending upon the water source we used most.

 

Another issue that has not been mentioned is that if the filter is stored with water inside, it has a fairly good possibility of growing algae or bacteria in it. I recommend that your water filter be hung up to allow all water to drain out of and for it to dry out inside before long term storage.

[Newt]

For storage, I have heard of putting the filter in the freezer, after draining.

 

Newt

[johnschnee]

WOW! Thanks to you all for the GREAT information: I understand that the "change-out interval" can vary greatly depending on one's lifestyle & the quality of water sources. As we go along I'm sure we'll settle into a pattern - probably seasonal, as described above - that we can live with comfortably. THANKS!