Hydro-Life ∙ Water Filter System

[Stretch]

You guys might be ever so slightly paranoid, dont you think? We have been rving for years, have had 10 motor homes and no problems except for bad taste and hard water in some areas. We use a small apartment sized automatic soft water unit built by Sears and for drinking water we use an r/o unit bought from home depot for $150.00. We have soft water where ever we go and perfectly clear and fine tasting water for ice cubes and drinking.

[zetron]

I have the same RO system you have, the GE one. Why would you have an RO system and a water softner? I know they recommed you soften really hard water before it reaches the RO membrane, but you can defoul the membrane yourself with some household chemicals and never have to buy another one.

The hardest water I found in New River AZ 1500 ppm TDS. I was still able to get 95% out with the GE RO system. In Yarnell the water is only 330 ppm TDS and my RO water premate is down to 30 ppm TDS.

I use a Doulton ceramic water filter when filling my freshwater tanks, but the pressure is too low to work with the RO system.

David/zetron

[Stretch]

I use the water softener for the following reasons.
1. soft water is much easier on the r/o membrane
2. I have soft water at home. Soft water facilitates washing clothes, dishes and the body.
3. I have a garden hose spigot attached to the soft water system for washing the m.h. windows and sides, so, no spots.
4. last but not least we have wonderful water where ever we travel and the quality is always the same, jusst like at home

[zetron]

Good reasons. I guess if you already have it there is no reason not to continue using it. I don't have a washer in the motorhome and I don't really use that much water for washing other things. Always use the camp showers, when they have them. I will clean my RO membrane myself, with a low pH slution of citric acid buffered with sodium citrate and a high pH solution of sodium hydroxide. I want to see if I can make the RO membrane last?

David/zetron

[Terry McGee]

I saw a man put his sewer hose over the fresh water spout to clean it out! I wouldn't want to be the next person to use that site. I have also seen people let their male dogs hike a leg on the fresh water spout. Nuff said!

[ajbjrvers]

To; ALL,re; Bactericide and water connections.

I have, for a long time , seen things that other campers?? do that almost make me vomit,

I keep a spray bottle of chlorine bleach in compartment with connections and spray, douse, my hose,inside and out, campground spouts and anything else that could harbor bacteria. Sometimes I get my clothes spotted, but better spot than potential illnesses.

Hope this info helps==== AJBJRVERS

[ajbjrvers]

P.S. to my above posting re; bleach,

If we see someone putting others at risk, TELL THEM THEY ARE DOING WRONG, but be careful, have another person with you because whoever rinses the sewer hose with the fresh water spout has to be, A FEW FRIES SHORT OF A HAPPY MEAL, but we have to warn anyone that is so callous that we won't let our health be threatened.

Thanks==== AJBJRVERS

[Ray,IN]

Getting paranoid seems to be the "in" thing these days. All published reports concerning the use anti-bacterial soaps, hand wipes, etc. say they are the main contributing cause of new strains of "super bugs" that are resistant to usual antibiotics. What happens is you you use the product, but do not use it either long enough, not enough product, or miss areas. This exposes germs and virus' to the anti-bacterial product but doesn't kill them. Being quite adaptable, they mutate themselves to be resistant to whatever contacted them. Now I'm not saying to ignore safe practices, just avoid getting wrapped up in being germless. Drinking water is not a concern is virtually all areas these days. Any water available from a municipal water source or CG well, must meet or exceed EPA drinking water standards. Not necessarily so with bottled water. An RO system such as stretch and zetron use produce purer, cleaner water than any bottled water you can purchase, providing the RO system is maintained properly. Filtration, such as the Hydro-Life system protect you from nearly all contaminants. For those folks who will only buy bottled water, scientists say all water on this continent has been used at least once by humans. In some areas of the mid-East and pacific-rim countries, the water has been used more than 10 times already. Nothing we know can filter or clean water better than nature, we just discovered how to do it much faster.