Which Simple Inline Water Filters?

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Looking for advice on which Faucet to hose initial water filter you use (sediment I guess?), to keep any main crud out of your pipework to FW tank.   Also we have transported water in containers separately for drinking and cooking for years.  This was after disconnecting the old under sink Shurflo Waterguard RV10 during winterising over 15 years plus ago, and would like to replace with something similar that would fit the holder and pipework (looks like a fridge/freezer filter line size wise).

Appreciate any and all suggestions recommendations and what you use.    Because we don't stay hooked up we are looking for something simple and easy to install and use effortlessly without thinking about it once in place so to speak.

Thanks as always for sharing guys. 

[Kirk W]

It is difficult to guess what you have, but Amazon has a selection of under sink filters and cartridges. We always used water from our potable water tank or the city connection for all of our purposes while fulltime (still do now part-time) and I used one of the whole house design filters. They have an array of different filter cartridges available and what I used depended on where we were and the water quality there. Some people use one of the two cartridge systems, keeping a sediment filter in one and a more complete filter in the second one.                         

A good place to learn more about water filters and to get high quality ones is the RV Water Filter Store online. Both Lowe's stores and Home Depot stores also carry a selection of housings and cartridges. 

[TXiceman]

Been full time for 8 years now and use a couple of whole house type filter like Kirk posted.  First is a 5 or 10 micron wound string sediment filter and then a 5 or 10 micron Carbon block filter.  This is followed up with an On-the-Go Double water softener.  We always use the campground water through this set up to the whole trailer.  Generally change the filters every 2 to 3 months and recharge the softener every 2 to 4 weeks depending on the water where we are.  Never had any issues with the water with this system.

Ken

 

[Pat & Pete]

I went to Menards and bought a simple whole house filter 'system' and mounted it in our 'water bay' .

It takes a 10 inch filter . I use 5 micron carbon filters , changed every few months , depending on water supply .

Price hasn't changed much since I bought about 12 years ago . 

I buy filters in a 10 pack , so never without . All water goes through the filter before going into the coach . 

Seems to do a very nice job at a reasonable cost .

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-filtration-softeners/whole-house-filtration-systems-accessories/omnifilter-10-whole-house-water-filter-system-housing/ob1-s-05/p-1444450663963-c-8685.htm?tid=1852328511907072239&ipos=17

[whj469]

Seams to me if you use an under the sink filter that it would only filter the water out of that sink? We don't drink or cook with water from our water tank. Our filter is out near where the city water comes in so it filters all water. We still don't drink that water our tank.

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Thanks everyone always good and sage advice forthcoming here😊  

whj469, for simplicity we were thinking of a higher micron initial external connect to hose from faucet and also, then replacing the old under sink Shurflo waterguard RV10 one with something more readily available but same size fittings for the pipework that would improve taste and be of maybe 5 microns or better.   No currently we don't drink  from our tank, just dishes and showers but we'd like to eliminate carrying extra containers for drinking and cooking, as we have been doing for the past several years.

[Kirk W]

5 hours ago, FULLTIMEWANABE said:

No currently we don't drink  from our tank, just dishes and showers but we'd like to eliminate carrying extra containers for drinking and cooking, as we have been doing for the past several years.

Some people are very sensitive to water from other areas, while others of us are fortunate enough to not be. With the range of modern water filters available it is possible to have safe water for the entire RV system that most people would be able to drink. One thing that some people choose to do is to use filters on all water coming into the RV and one of the more expensive and complete filters on the under-sink filter. The majority of bottled drinking water from stores today is actually filtered water, much like what comes from the systems available for your RV. If you sanitize your RV water system on a regular basis and and use a quality filtering system, you should be able to have similar water from the RV faucets.

 

[travelinbob]

Our RV came with a filter in the cargo bay behind sliding doors. I use the cheap carbon filter to filter out the rocks in he water. At the kitchen sink I tapped into the cold water supply line and added another filter housing with a quality filter for taste along with a chrome gooseneck faucet on the countertop. Hardest part of this job was drilling hole through the granite countertop.

When we bought our exit plan home in 2019 it already had a gooseneck filter at the kitchen sink and a GE filter under the sink. Its a 2 filter system in parallel and the water is fantastic. Best I've had, even better than the RV.  Filters last 6 months and are sort of reasonably priced.   I highly recommend the GE filter system. It tastes almost as good as Dansani bottled water.

[Ray,IN]

20 hours ago, Pat & Pete said:

I went to Menards and bought a simple whole house filter 'system' and mounted it in our 'water bay' .

It takes a 10 inch filter . I use 5 micron carbon filters , changed every few months , depending on water supply .

Price hasn't changed much since I bought about 12 years ago . 

I buy filters in a 10 pack , so never without . All water goes through the filter before going into the coach . 

Seems to do a very nice job at a reasonable cost .

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-filtration-softeners/whole-house-filtration-systems-accessories/omnifilter-10-whole-house-water-filter-system-housing/ob1-s-05/p-1444450663963-c-8685.htm?tid=1852328511907072239&ipos=17

The issue with using carbon filters at the CG spigot is water quality or lack thereof. Carbon filters remove all chlorine from city water, leaving your RV fresh water system vulnerable to bacteria and virus growth at all times.

I  only use a carbon filter under the kitchen sink to filter chlorine and bad stuff out of drinking, cooking water and the ice maker.

[sandsys]

One thing I learned by accident: the tighter the filter to the hose, the longer it takes to fill your tank. I normally didn't notice this but, one time, I had been boondocking so I was at a park just long enough to dump and fill for free while the owner waited nearby. I was unhappy with how long that fill took.

Linda

[mptjelgin]

1 hour ago, sandsys said:

One thing I learned by accident: the tighter the filter to the hose, the longer it takes to fill your tank. I normally didn't notice this but, one time, I had been boondocking so I was at a park just long enough to dump and fill for free while the owner waited nearby. I was unhappy with how long that fill took.

Linda

This makes no sense. There is no correlation between how tight the filter is on the hose and how long a fill takes.

There are many other variables that do make a difference, like water pressure, clogging of the filter, length/diameter of hoses, restrictions, etc.  I have been at places where the water pressure/volume was so low that it took 3 - 4 times as long to fill the tank as at a "normal" hydrant.

[Pat & Pete]

17 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

The issue with using carbon filters at the CG spigot is water quality or lack thereof. Carbon filters remove all chlorine from city water, leaving your RV fresh water system vulnerable to bacteria and virus growth at all times.

I  only use a carbon filter under the kitchen sink to filter chlorine and bad stuff out of drinking, cooking water and the ice maker.

I guess it's the 5% of chlorine left that we smell occasionally . 

We do bleach the system once or twice a year , just because ...

Anyway , we've used the carbon filter 'system' for 11 years without a problem . ;)

[TXiceman]

5 minutes ago, Pat & Pete said:

I guess it's the 5% of chlorine left that we smell occasionally . 

We do bleach the system once or twice a year , just because ...

Anyway , we've used the carbon filter 'system' for 11 years without a problem .

We have been using the carbon filter for about 8  years now and no issues.  If I have to fill the fresh water tank, I generally take the carbon filter our of service to allow some chlorine to remain in the water.  The fresh water tank is sanitized about 3 times per year.  We are in the trailer full time and some areas have horrible water.

We are not users of bottled water due to the pollution factor of the bottles.  We do keep some bottled water onboard for emergency use.  As noted above,  nearly all of the bottled water is simply filtered local water and no more.  I can filter my own water for much less than the expensive and wasteful bottled water.

Ken

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Thanks  as always folks.   As routine we do sanitise our tanks at least once/twice a year depending on usage/sitting around unused and climate.   Have always used a pressure regulator for system protection.

We are ideally looking for a less robust filtration at the faucet to hose end (just to remove any bugs, leaves etc to avoid blocking pipework), and has been pointed out keeping some chlorine present in the FW tank that feeds to.   Maybe a cleanable small mesh one???  Then, our next option, was hoping to do away with our carrying containers for drinking and cooking water (we don't use bottled water but 3 stage reverse osmosis filtered from our acreage we carry or the water fill stations enroute).   We'd basically like to find a reasonable, easily accessible replacement for the Shurflo waterguard RV10 original installed under the sink to give us cooking and drinking water.   We really don't want to get into changing out hoses/fittings etc, or installing a 3 or 4 cartridge system, so as mentioned initially it needs to fit about the size pipework of what you see at the back of fridge/freezer ice makers, and it fits into a holder underneath the kitchen sink.   

Anyone with this type of set up thanks for sharing make and models you might be using and typically how often you are changing them out.   So appreciated.

This is what we currently have but seems a little steep on price, or maybe I'm just out of touch on these, and wondering if there's an alternative for the drinking water side:   https://www.amazon.ca/SHURflo-RV-210GH-Waterguard-line-Filter/dp/B0000AXV3T 

 

  

Edited June 26, 2021 by FULLTIMEWANABE

[sandsys]

3 hours ago, FULLTIMEWANABE said:

We are ideally looking for a less robust filtration at the faucet to hose end (just to remove any bugs, leaves etc to avoid blocking pipework),

If you simply turn on the faucet for a moment before you hook up your hose you should have none of that happening.

Linda

[Kirk W]

It looks like these Aqua Crest filters would probably fit in place of the one you have. At 2 for $43 they are way less expensive. If you explore Amazon in line filters you will find quite a range of filters that would probably work. There are also some at the RV Water Filter Store that look as though they would work. 

On the water supply hose, I would at least use one of the sediment filters to prevent things like rust or very fine sand that sometimes comes from well water from entering the system. I once saw an RV with a potable water tank that had at least 1/4" layer of fine sand in the bottom from long term use on a well at his owned RV lot. 

[FULLTIMEWANABE]

Thanks Linda, as Kirk pointed out and we can contest to having our own well here, it's amazing what can come through from a well.   Good point Kirk on the sediment filter for sand, didn't think about that but should have!    I'll keep researching but the Aqua Crest Filters seem to be only at 20 microns, wouldn't I need something around 5 to ensure quality drinking water?  

Just a thought and just by reading I know nothing much about water filtration other than our whole house system I had installed 18 years ago that cost $10K back then, and now requires extortionate priced filters today ($600 every 6 months, when used to last several years!),  thinking our well water has changed somewhat or the system is tiring deeper than we can clean easily and we've rebed, albeit we have the system serviced regularly as well doing ourselves in-between.

Again thank you, and anyone else cares to share I'll keep an eye, as well get googling lots more.  LOL

[Kirk W]

I had not noticed that it is 20 micron and that doesn't seem good, but there are several others that are also 20 micron. Here is one from the RV Water Filter Store that is only 1 micron and is still half the cost of what you had, if it will work. Here is another ShurFlow that is somewhat less expensive and should work. I seem to find all sorts of cartridge filters for the canisters that are 5 micron or less but few inline type. I am suspecting that may be due to the limited flow of that type of design.

[2gypsies]

Call the RV FLILTER STORE.  They are very helpful on the phone.