Whole House Water Filters

[n5pht]

Sorry if this has been covered but would like some recent info if possible. We have been using a little water filter on the kitchen sink and now considering a filter for the whole trailer that connects where the water comes in from the city connection. I know Wal-Mart sells them and others.

My questions: 1. Does it drop the water flow pressure very much? It seems fairly slow at some parks anyway and I always use a flow pressure restrictor (having a senior moment and can't think of the name) on the line.
If we filter the whole 5er then the shower, toilet, etc. will be filtered and I don't really want the flow to be restricted in those areas.

2. Perhaps it is better to install a filter on the sink but under the sink and a larger type that filters all water coming from the sink? It that better than one that filters the whole trailer? Our current little Britta is a small filter that just connects on the faucet at the kitchen sink and it is hard to use at times. If you are using one installed under the sink - what have you had success with please?

Thanks so much for any input.

[Cumminsfan]

I'll be watching the responses on this also. I have the same setup and would like to get rid of the kitchen sink faucet filter and get a whole house. Problem is I'm not sure where to hook it up as we boondock as much as we use full hookups. So the filter has to be before the water goes to the city and or pump connection. Hopefully someone can shed some lite on how to connect it up for us.

[jamvir]

We don't full-time yet. When we do I plan on using a 2-filter system. Check out the Water Filter Store for ideas: RV Water Filter Store: Standard Filter Canisters for Whole RV

If you are using a flow pressure restrictor - get rid of it and buy a good regulator. Most of the inexpensive flow pressure restrictors restrict the water pressure even in low-pressure situations. In other words, even if the pressure is say below 50 psi, it will restrict the pressure even more. Again - check out the Water Filter Store for this.

Jim

[HD4Mark]

Even though our MH has an Everpure filter under the sink that feeds the ice maker and the small drinking water faucet we use a house type filter at the CG spigot. I bought and inexpensive filter housing from Lowes or Home Depot, went to the plumbing section and got enough parts to adapt it to garden hose fittings. I simply attach it to the post at the site and hook up the water supply to it. We use a carbon type filter in it also from the hardware store.

I don't see any noticeable change in pressure with it attached.

[Roam America]

Here is my setup. i am full-time and wanted better filtration.

RV Water Filter Store: Standard Filter Canisters for Whole RV

I use the Dual Jumbo filter setup. I then went to Lowe's and purchased a Pressure Regulator sold for in home use as well as male and female 3/4" pipe thread to garden hose adapters (plumbing department. I run my water thru the filters first and then the pressure regulator (set for 50#). This combination does not interfere with water pressure at all.

As I said, I use the dual filter setup being full-time. You can certainly use a single canister filter which is about 1/4-1/3 the cost of my setup. The inline filters (such as those from WalMart) work fine, but I feel that the canister filters seems to last longer.

[Mike_Harriet]

As a fulltimer do you see any advantage to a portable water softener in conjunction with your filter system. It may be overkill, but I have one (not in use at present), and wondered if it was worth the trouble to plumb in. Thanks.

[sk734]

I use a whole house unit I bought on Amazon so you get good flow through. If you buy a regulator -look at a high flow through rate-watts makes good unit but they cost more- that is what I use. Good luck.

[Mr_D]

We have a whole house filter, another one for the U-Line ice maker and another for the drinking water at the sink. Each has a different type filter for the job it's doing. The whole house is just a particulate filter. The ice maker is a better one and drinking water on catches most everything including chlorine (better tasting coffee that way).

[FLSteve]

Originally Posted by n5pht

My questions:
1. Does it drop the water flow pressure very much? It seems fairly slow at some parks anyway and I always use a flow pressure restrictor (having a senior moment and can't think of the name) on the line.
If we filter the whole 5er then the shower, toilet, etc. will be filtered and I don't really want the flow to be restricted in those areas.

2. Perhaps it is better to install a filter on the sink but under the sink and a larger type that filters all water coming from the sink? It that better than one that filters the whole trailer? Our current little Britta is a small filter that just connects on the faucet at the kitchen sink and it is hard to use at times. If you are using one installed under the sink - what have you had success with please?

Thanks so much for any input.

n5pht ... here is how I installed a 2nd house filter canister on my unit. I have not noticed any difference in flow and pressure. Not sure if my reasons for doing this are the same as your question relates to but it is just an example of what kind of things people do. The thread that this post comes from is an interesting read.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/wate...ml#post1719351

Steve

[TXiceman]

We have a whole house filter in two stages for our RV. Both are external and are common filters available at most hardware stores. First is a wound element sediment filter and then a Carbon element filter. I change the elements about every 3 months and we full time. All water to the RV is filtered.

Ken

[myredracer]

If you really want to have a good filtration setup, you should think about what you want to filter out of the water - sediments, organisms, chlorine, etc. Some good info. at waterfilters.net - http://http://www.waterfilters.net/W...ur-Filter.html You also may want to consider the level of filtration you want in terms of particle size. You can get them down to as low as 0.5 microns. I think the exterior inline RV ones are typically only good for 100 microns as in this one from CW: http://http://www.campingworld.com/s...r-filter/18478

To get the best filtration, you may need a couple of filters in series or even three. But filters in series can substantially reduce the flow rate and and pressure. I installed two 5" housings in series in our old TT with a sediment filter and a carbon filter. The output flow rate was not great but I only had it connected to the kitchen cold faucet. If you want two filters in series in an RV, you may need two 10" housings in series but you should talk to someone at a filter supplier or plumbing wholesaler. rvwaterfilterstore.com has some info. on filters in series and recommended filter types for them. RV Water Filter Store: Standard Filter Canisters for Whole RV

A typical 1/2" hose will flow about 5 gpm so that's about what the filter(s) should be capable if you want to filter the entire RV and not suffer low pressure and flow. The type you mount inline on the exterior of an RV have flow rates as low as 1 gpm. Not great for running more than one plumbing fixture at a time. These RV types also won't filter out organisms and bacteria like a CBC-10 cartridge.

If someone wants to install a filter housing or two (or three) for the whole RV, you need to find a place to mount them and be able to connect to the incoming supply line. Not easy to do with an enclosed underbelly.

In our case, DW won't drink filtered water no matter what I install for filters and only drinks bottled water. I'm sure water from those filling stations in grocery stores isn't all that filtered tho.... I'd like to install a reverse osmosis system but there's the waste water that's a problem. I'm sure I came across one once for an RV that didn't produce waste water in the filtration process.

[Roam America]

Originally Posted by Mike_Harriet

As a fulltimer do you see any advantage to a portable water softener in conjunction with your filter system. It may be overkill, but I have one (not in use at present), and wondered if it was worth the trouble to plumb in. Thanks.

we do not use a water softener. i have seen a few in use, but not for us.

[Roam America]

Originally Posted by myredracer

If someone wants to install a filter housing or two (or three) for the whole RV, you need to find a place to mount them and be able to connect to the incoming supply line. Not easy to do with an enclosed underbelly.

I've thought long and hard on this subject. I know where I could put them, but like you said not easy with an enclosed underbelly. Plus I think one would need to also create some kind of pan and drain for dripping or spilled water. Also difficult.

[dstinch]

Originally Posted by n5pht

Sorry if this has been covered but would like some recent info if possible. We have been using a little water filter on the kitchen sink and now considering a filter for the whole trailer that connects where the water comes in from the city connection. I know Wal-Mart sells them and others.

My questions: 1. Does it drop the water flow pressure very much? It seems fairly slow at some parks anyway and I always use a flow pressure restrictor (having a senior moment and can't think of the name) on the line.
If we filter the whole 5er then the shower, toilet, etc. will be filtered and I don't really want the flow to be restricted in those areas.

2. Perhaps it is better to install a filter on the sink but under the sink and a larger type that filters all water coming from the sink? It that better than one that filters the whole trailer? Our current little Britta is a small filter that just connects on the faucet at the kitchen sink and it is hard to use at times. If you are using one installed under the sink - what have you had success with please?

Thanks so much for any input.

Back to the orig. question. I bought one years ago at WM it did not flow any water. now 7 years later we do some camping at a ranch with strait well water so I bought one at CW 25 bucks. (camco) It did not change water pressure. I do have a good filter under sink for the drinking water tap that was on the MH already.