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Old 07-19-2018, 05:01 PM   #41
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you are totally right, I doubt I will be able to fit the wrench in there. I tried a couple of different nipple lengths. The longer ones gave a lot more space (obviously) but I was concerned about the torque on the joints.

Decided that I would try this first, since it seems more stable. Will keep you updated.
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Old 07-19-2018, 09:10 PM   #42
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Thank you Smart People!

I appreciate the all the photos! I was thinking it would be like this and the confirmation is perfect.
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Old 07-22-2018, 09:55 AM   #43
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My two cents: For over ten years I hauled water from a stream, let it settle in a bucket, poured it threw a towel into my AS holding tank. I added about two caps of standard chlorine to each fill. Drinking water went thru an inline ADC carbon filter. Shower water, dish water all had a little chlorine in it, but not enough to make it unusable. In fact, I felt comfortable knowing that dishes and cookware germ neutral. During that time, I never was ill.
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Old 07-22-2018, 10:14 AM   #44
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Seagull water filter

We have used a Seagull water filter system on our boat for many years. They are expensive, but work great. It completely eliminated the need for bottled drinking water. Great tasting water.

Bottled water isn’t as big an issue with a trailer/pickup, so we haven’t installed a filter for drinking water (we do filter all incoming water), but if we did, I’d use a Seagull again.
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Old 07-22-2018, 11:35 AM   #45
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I'm finding this thread very timely. I've about 1/2 way through a 3-month shakedown cruise and had vowed to drink the 'local water' wherever I went. That has not gone well i.e. constant traveler's diarrhea and water often tastes awful. The charcoal filters from Walmart don't seem to make a difference with my symptoms or the taste so am going to try Caffeinated's solution above. Started using my Steripen (essential traveler/hiker tool) that kills everything but it doesn't improve taste. Thanks for the inputs, everybody.
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Old 07-22-2018, 02:19 PM   #46
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Moron rinsing his sewer house at the water faucet

Ever seen a complete moron holding his sewer hose up to the water outlet? Well I have. That’s why we use bottled water. Always spray the out side hose connection with Lysol spray. Same guy with a class A pulled in front end facing the rear of the site. Accused me of using his connections. Demanded I unhook and use the connections on the other side of my airstream.
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Old 07-22-2018, 05:47 PM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AtomicNo13 View Post
Ok, get to lowes or home depot and ask for a GE water filter housing. Then find the best matching filter to fit inside. Ask for male and female hose fittings to fit in the threaded holes.
The inlet to the filter goes to a spiggot, and the outlet from the filter goes to your Airstream via another hose.
Ill take a photo later.
It really is this simple. Its 4 parts to buy!
Accomplish this then well move on to the luxury of soft water....
This is what we did after getting fed up with the lame, expensive Camco inline filters.

Use a NSF drinking water certified 6' washing machine hose with stainless braid from filter housing to "city water" inlet.

6' hose is sometimes long enough that we can attach the clear filter housing directly to the water spigot -- no white hose req'd. We have a better quality version of the short hose that comes with the Camco filters that we leave attached to the filter housing inlet.

We use a 1 micron (nominal) sediment filter that allows chlorine to pass through.

PUR filter on faucet and Brita pitcher.

Still alive!
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:26 PM   #48
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Originally Posted by Julie-Bob View Post
I have always used a whole house filter in-line from park water to AS. Change filter before each season Also our 2009 25FB Classic came with a drinking water with filter in the kitchen sink that I change out each season. We have had no problems with water. I’m amazed at what is in the filter housing at the end of the season of traveling

That is essentially what we do as well.

It's best to have 2 filters -- one "whole house filter" before the fresh tank, and a second filter with both NSF 42 and 53 ratings for drinking/cooking water.

The whole house filter we use is a 1 micron (nominal) 5 gpm sediment only filter in a standard size clear housing. That way we can see if the water is obviously discolored or has large amounts of sediment.

Also, filter cartridges can be purchased anywhere. The owner is not locked into buying a certain brand/type of filter.

* The 5 gpm rating is important for the whole house filter. The filter linked to above -- https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/A1404.htm -- appears to be very good quality, but the 1 gpm flow rating means that it may take quite a while to fill the fresh water tank. If it is literally 1 gallon per minute, that's a half hour for 30 gallons.

I would say it's better to use a high quality filter like that *after* the fresh tank. At the point of use (under kitchen sink) would be best because if it mounted after the pump it will likely be too restrictive for the shower -- unless in actual use it flows over (say) 2 gpm. 1 gpm is fine for a drinking water tap though. In fact, many such filters are rated at 0.5 gpm.

For our 2nd stage, we use a PUR faucet mounted filter. It has both NSF 42 and 53 ratings.

* Weasel warning: Filter mfrs can claim "NSF 53" if their filter effectively removes just ONE (1) of the dozens of contaminants that are listed in NSF 53! This is highly deceptive and should be illegal. Most mfrs do not routinely publish their data sheets, you must ask for them. PUR is one that is rated for all NSF 53 contaminants, as opposed to just cysts (for example).

I'm not stuck on PUR, there are many other good filters that also have a *real* NSF 53 rating. In fact, these are what we use at home:
https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-P-250A...hf_ee_s_rp_0_6

We would do the same in the View, but our under-sink space is limited, and as a practical matter whatever we use is going to get thrown away at the end of the season anyway, so the PUR filter makes more sense.

We also have a Brita pitcher, but I believe it is just NSF 42. It may be rated for a few NSF 53 contaminants, but basically, it's more of a "why not?" deal. We like to have a pitcher of cold water in the fridge anyway, and the slim Brita we have fits well.
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:51 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by mammothmama View Post
Ha! Opinions. Right. ;-)

Read your blog post. Super informative. Quick question. You say to install the pentek filter with .5 micron "after the water pump?"

Could I not just use it as an external filter? Or that's a problem because it would filter out the chlorine from the water and that untreated water would then sit in my tank, moist and warm and ready to replicate nasties?

Would I then be better to it as an external filter when on city water, but not when I'm using tank water?

I guess I'm looking for a way not to have to find where 'after the water pump' is located. ;-)

One other question. Are these filters regulated or certified that you know of to prove that they are authentic/worthwhile? Like certified organic? Good Housekeeping seal of approval? Anything?
See NSF:
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...-nsf-standards
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...-certification
http://www.nsf.org/newsroom/nsf-ansi...tems-standards
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...stem-selection
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...n-claims-guide
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...ing-procedures
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...atment-systems
http://www.nsf.org/newsroom/whats-in...drinking-water
http://www.nsf.org/services/by-indus...ment-standards
http://www.nsf.org/consumer-resource...ting-treatment

Almost all filters will have NSF 42 (sediment, taste & odor) certification.

NSF 53 is the more serious standard, but keep in mind that "NSF 53" on the web page or packaging does NOT necessarily mean that the filter meats all of the NSF 53 standards -- it may only be certified to remove 1 or 2 of the dozens of contaminants. The only way to know for sure is to check the performance data sheet for that specific filter.

It's definitely a "buyer beware" situation. It's not always "you get what you pay for" either. The Pentek filter pair I inked to above (that we use at home) costs $24 -- for both filters.
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Old 07-22-2018, 08:21 PM   #50
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Originally Posted by Caffeinated View Post
I had similar water issues when we got our new AS. I went online determined to find a solution. This is what I use, trying to balence function and price, and complexity.

I use a external two stage filter. The first stage is a sediment filter, it takes out sand, dirt, rust and the like that may be present in the water. (we had our shower handle stop turning on a trip prior to the filters due to sediment build up) the second stage is a charcoal filter that gets most of the nasties out, like lead, chlorine, viruses, cysts, etc. I get the filters and their holder from the rv water filter store dot com. I replace the filters every season. So far, it's been great. There are other solutions, but this works for me.

Mike
Good solution!

I originally considered doing the exact same thing, but the 0.5 gpm flow rate of almost all "serious" NSF 53 filters got me to modify my plan and go with the 1.0 micron / 5 gpm sediment filter before the fresh water tank and the PUR filter at the kitchen faucet.

I imagined trying to get even 10-15 gallons of water (let alone a full tank) and having it take a half hour. Not the best way to "Win Friends and Influence People".

You linked to this filter, which looks very good:
https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/A1404.htm

I see it is rated at 1 gpm, has the flow rate been an issue, or is it actually more than 1 gpm?
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Old 07-22-2018, 08:35 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sajohnson View Post
Good solution!

I originally considered doing the exact same thing, but the 0.5 gpm flow rate of almost all "serious" NSF 53 filters got me to modify my plan and go with the 1.0 micron / 5 gpm sediment filter before the fresh water tank and the PUR filter at the kitchen faucet.

I imagined trying to get even 10-15 gallons of water (let alone a full tank) and having it take a half hour. Not the best way to "Win Friends and Influence People".

You linked to this filter, which looks very good:
https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/A1404.htm

I see it is rated at 1 gpm, has the flow rate been an issue, or is it actually more than 1 gpm?
FWIW, you may be able to get a higher flow rate through a carbon filter than the rating, but that will decrease its effectiveness in removing dissolved impurities like chlorine, lead, and organics. Adsorption is all about contact time, so forcing water through the filter faster than it's rated for is not ideal for carbon filters.

Sediment removal (including cysts) doesn't need contact time, so if that's your only concern, you can generally open the valve wide open at reasonable pressures.
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Old 07-22-2018, 09:28 PM   #52
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Originally Posted by TheGreatleys View Post
FWIW, you may be able to get a higher flow rate through a carbon filter than the rating, but that will decrease its effectiveness in removing dissolved impurities like chlorine, lead, and organics. Adsorption is all about contact time, so forcing water through the filter faster than it's rated for is not ideal for carbon filters.

Sediment removal (including cysts) doesn't need contact time, so if that's your only concern, you can generally open the valve wide open at reasonable pressures.
You are correct sir!

A good illustration of that is the small print that is (or was) on the blue Camco filter packaging. Camco makes prominent claims for reductions of a variety of certain contaminants, but does not clearly tell buyers that in order to get those reductions, flow must be cut back to 0.5 gpm or less.

So unless a person wants to wait a HOUR to get 30 gallons of water, it's best to think of the Camco as an expensive, inefficient, sediment filter with a short service life. IIRC, Camco says the filter is rated at 100 (not a typo) microns -- so it is letting a whole lot of stuff in to the tank!

On top of all that, the filter case is not clear so you cannot see the condition of the filter and any visible issues with the water.

I suggest just sediment filtration (and perhaps water softening) before the fresh water tank. We have sediment filters that -- if we can believe the mfr -- are rated at 1 micron nominal and 5 gpm. The flow through the filter is very good. They may actually be rated to reduce cysts, but we don't rely on them for that.

We use a clear housing like this one (except ours has a 3/4" inlet and outlet):
https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-158116...3NZ/ref=sr_1_6

BTW -- this one would probably be fine. A 2 psi drop at 3 gpm is not very much, it is compact, and it only costs $15.
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Old 07-22-2018, 10:54 PM   #53
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Since you mentioned a 1 micron nominal filter and cysts, let's talk pore size for a second.

A 1 micron nominal pore size means the filter will remove most particles one micron or larger. Most, not all. A 1 micron nominal filter will not be rated to remove protozoan cysts because it can let a lot of them through.

What you want for cysts is a 1 micron absolute (or smaller) filter, preferably something that says it's for cyst reduction on the label.

Relevant reading: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto...o/filters.html
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Old 07-23-2018, 02:15 AM   #54
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Originally Posted by TheGreatleys View Post
Since you mentioned a 1 micron nominal filter and cysts, let's talk pore size for a second.

A 1 micron nominal pore size means the filter will remove most particles one micron or larger. Most, not all. A 1 micron nominal filter will not be rated to remove protozoan cysts because it can let a lot of them through.

What you want for cysts is a 1 micron absolute (or smaller) filter, preferably something that says it's for cyst reduction on the label.

Relevant reading: https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto...o/filters.html
Again, absolutely correct -- which is why I said we do not rely on them for cyst reduction.

They are high quality sediment filters that happen to have the added benefit of trapping some cysts.

I was going from memory (never a good idea) when I said, "They may actually be rated to reduce cysts...". They probably do *reduce* cysts, but by how much and whether the mfr makes any claim in that regard I don't recall, which is why I said 'may'.

I make most purchases on Amazon. One nice feature is that when I mention a product in a post like this one I can just go back through my orders and find it. Then I can provide a link. Unfortunately in this case, I bought them at a hardware store in CA and do not have one in front of me.

I certainly would not expect them to comply with any of the NSF 53 standards, only NSF 42.

We use them to keep the majority of sediment out of the water tank -- protecting the pump and plumbing fixtures, as well as extending the life of the PUR filters.

If they are able to trap any cysts, great, but we rely on the PUR filter for that.
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Old 07-23-2018, 08:23 AM   #55
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.5 Why?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatleys View Post
Water filtration can be a bit of a mess of a topic because there are lots of misconceptions about what filters do, and what you need.

You could easily install any in-line 0.5 micron carbon block filter to a separate faucet for your drinking water. That would take care of chlorine, most organics, and protozoan cysts. It would not address bacteria or viruses. I'd suggest keeping your tanks chlorinated to protect against bacteria and viruses, both for health reasons and to keep your tanks clean.

I'm not a huge fan of external RV filters in most cases because they're usually unnecessary. I haven't found a lot of sources with high enough sediment content to need one, and they typically remove the chlorine which I would prefer to have in my tanks.

I do use and recommend a water softener for each fill. A softener will remove minerals that will damage your water heater and plumbing system, and soft water will make your soaps work better and wash cleaner. If there is dissolved iron in your water source, a softener will remove it to prevent your water from turning orange in your tanks.

So, as far as what's best for you, that depends. What are your water treatment goals?

Why are you looking for a more robust filter? Do you want it to do more things, or is the one you're using getting clogged frequently?
Sorry, but I had to stop at this point. As stated above, water has a lot of mis conceptions. First is filter size. At .5 you still have to treat for virus’s I’d that is what you are worried about. .2 is what gets rid of that. Hiking in the back country and making water, many of the filters are only .5, so you either treat with pills or you have to UV it. But with that said, I don’t know anywhere in the US you have to,worry about that. Especially well water. If you take your ur AS to a third world country, them you can worry about the virus. Everything else is is fine on a .5 filter and frankly is probably a total overkill. If your pulling water from a swamp, .5 is great. If not go to Home Depot. For softeners, don’t forget to check out the boating stores. They have the same issues and with bigger problems. They are in salt water many of them, so they will have options for higher quality sometimes. I haven’t pit a cup of bleach on my tank ever, but it doesn’t hurt. I use an external water softener to wash with and treat. Leaves no water stains. It co,es with the pre-filters so you hook up and your done. Just replace the cartridges every year, you recharge the water softener. I have this for my boat as well. 44’ SeaRay. Good luck.
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Old 07-23-2018, 09:22 AM   #56
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At .5 you still have to treat for virus’s I’d that is what you are worried about. .2 is what gets rid of that.
Per the CDC:

1 Micron Absolute or less to treat for protozoan cysts
0.3 Micron Absolute or less to treat for bacteria
Viruses require a specialized filter

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/pdf..._Treatment.pdf
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Old 07-23-2018, 10:27 AM   #57
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I use the Camco in line filter. I ditched the short hose since it made attaching to the spigot difficult and replaced it with a 4' hose.
But I use bottled water for drinking. The tank water is fine for showers and washing dishes.
If you're too careful, bacteria become super-bacteria. Your hand wipes only kill the weak, leaving the strong to reproduce.
My antibodies are doing push-ups in my system. 30 years of eating a sandwich while coiling cables has made germs fear me.
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Old 07-23-2018, 10:40 AM   #58
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Originally Posted by sajohnson View Post
Good solution!

I originally considered doing the exact same thing, but the 0.5 gpm flow rate of almost all "serious" NSF 53 filters got me to modify my plan and go with the 1.0 micron / 5 gpm sediment filter before the fresh water tank and the PUR filter at the kitchen faucet.

I imagined trying to get even 10-15 gallons of water (let alone a full tank) and having it take a half hour. Not the best way to "Win Friends and Influence People".

You linked to this filter, which looks very good:
https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/A1404.htm

I see it is rated at 1 gpm, has the flow rate been an issue, or is it actually more than 1 gpm?
I fill my fresh water tank unfiltered with Portland OR water from the Bull Run wilderness which is good water. Mostly use the fresh water tank for water uses when in transit from rv site to next rv site. The filters are inline for the rv parks fresh water source. So far, flow has been acceptable, for cooking, washing up etc. The filter I linked to is what I'm currently using, but next year, who knows? I'll see what is available and chose accordingly. thiscsustem may not be perfect, but it's working for me.

Mike
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Old 07-23-2018, 04:07 PM   #59
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I fill my fresh water tank unfiltered with Portland OR water from the Bull Run wilderness which is good water. Mostly use the fresh water tank for water uses when in transit from rv site to next rv site. The filters are inline for the rv parks fresh water source. So far, flow has been acceptable, for cooking, washing up etc. The filter I linked to is what I'm currently using, but next year, who knows? I'll see what is available and chose accordingly. thiscsustem may not be perfect, but it's working for me.

Mike
I think what you're doing sounds fine. I am just curious about the flow rate through that 0.5 gpm filter -- when filling the tank and/or when using the shower (if you leave the hose connected).

It looks like a very good filter. If I were to use it I would install it just before the point of use -- probably a typical filtered water spigot at the kitchen sink. One thing I noticed on the webpage was that there was no mention of NSF certification. For a filter of that quality, I would expect to see both NSF 42 and 53, along with a performance data sheet showing full compliance with NSF 53. Perhaps I didn't look around enough?

I wish we could fill our fresh tank from any source we choose, but our View does not have a gravity fill (the older Views did). There is a way to do it, but it involves using the winterizing valve to draw the water in (as if it is RV antifreeze). I've never done it, but I guess it works in a pinch.

<I wrote the above paragraph after mis-reading the fist sentence. I initially thought that Caffeinated meant he got his water from the wilderness area...>

I have no doubt that Portland City water is good, but I'm curious as to why you do not filter it -- since you have the filter anyway.
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Old 07-23-2018, 05:08 PM   #60
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its best to install permanent filter and not temp ones outside

I have a whole house large flow capability that supplies filtered and pressure regulated water to the whole trailer


i also have a separate tap , with its own triple filter just for drinking

this way the water is always safe, no excess pressure and nothing to forget, lose or leave behind.

i did the same for electrical filters
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