Community Forums

emanofoz · 12-22-2015, 08:39 PM

Help with Reverse Osmosis on a Monaco
I am in the process of installing a reverse osmosis system on my 2003 Knight.
I want to place the drinking water spigot and pressure tank at the kitchen sink and tee to the ice maker. I have the debris water, from the osmosis filter, feeding back into the fresh water tank for use with the standard water pump for all other water systems. The advantage is we now have better water pressure and cleaner softer water throughout plus a couple of gallons of good drinking water daily.
The only problems I am encountering are:
1) The three replaceable filter canisters don't fit into the wet storage locker. (Approximately 2" too wide.)
2) When the drinking water system is full, approx. 4 gal., it shuts off the filtering of all water so my fresh water tank does not get full enough for the amount of water we use to shower and other water needs everyday. To overcome this, I take an extra gal or more daily from he drinking water and add it to the fresh water tank manually. This allows the pressure to relax on the drinking water tank and open the valve to the system again.
My questions are:
1) How can I mount the filters?
2) Has anyone ever added a shutoff valve to there fresh water tank, electric or manual, and how did you do it?
3) Is there an easier way, other than pouring it into the manual fill from outside, to add the drinking water back to the fresh water tank?

Coma · 12-23-2015, 08:42 AM

I use my RO just for drinking and it is plumbed to where the Insta Hot used to be.

The Filters will have to be separated or mounted remotely in another bay.

Do you mean a fill valve for the Fresh water tank? I would manually fill it every couple of days. Or do I misunderstand? Are you talking about the fresh water fill?

Do you mean add the brine back to the fresh water? If you are talking about filling the fresh water why not use the city water fill?

Neverhome2 · 12-23-2015, 03:37 PM

Before you make a steady use of the RO water for drinking better check with your doctor. The RO system removes all dissolved solids as well as all minerals from the water. Many of these are required by your body to live and the system removes them all. I know several people who have had many problems from drinking RO water for years and the residual effects on bones. teeth, and organs is irreversible. Be careful.

dadej · 12-23-2015, 08:42 PM

What do these people do when they live in an area that has only 50 to 100 ppm total solids? What about people that drink bottled water all the time? The idea that drinking ro water is bad for you is TOTAL bunk. That rumor is started by the guys selling mineral or alkaline water.

emanofoz · 12-24-2015, 08:25 AM

Coma, We are in the Yuma, Az area and the tap water is not great. The shutoff would be to the fresh water tank. Yes, the castoff water after it passed through the RO membrane. It had already been through the three filters so most of the solids were already out of the water.

emanofoz · 01-07-2016, 08:10 AM

I've successfully finished my install. I cut a enlarged the opening for the tank to fit in the open space next kitchen sink along with R.O. and drinking water filters. (Hidden behind screened panel on slide) I ran three tubes from side to side. (1 - three filter to R.O., 2 - R.O. discharge to fresh water tank fill tube, and 3 - Tee from drinking water membrane and spigot to ice maker.)
The main water supplied the three filters in the wet bay and the rest of the water system is provided with the fresh water tank and pump. I dropped the front panel, in front of water pump, down and under and reattached it 2" back to allow space for the three big filters. I allowed enough tubing to the filters so they can be unscrewed and set on the ground to make it easier to change filter inserts. I sawed a cutting board to size and used it to fill the gap on the side to the front panel for support. Thanks for everyone's help.
The drinking water and ice is very good and the shower feels like soft water. Feel that we made a good decision going with the Reverse Osmosis system instead of soft water. By not discarding the R.O. discharge water then we are not wasting any water.

RWeigant · 01-07-2016, 09:04 AM

Boy you can buy allot of the 3 gallon refillable water containers for the price of this unit. Bottled water in Yuma is 15 cents a gallon.

F4Gary · 01-07-2016, 09:15 AM

How are you getting soft water in your shower? Do you also have a water softener?

MOLLOY N.C. · 01-07-2016, 09:52 AM

Go to utube for your answer

luckyd · 01-07-2016, 10:01 AM

We have a stage five RO system in the coach.
It is installed under the kitchen sink, and also
plumbed to the icemaker.
We use this for drinking water and making coffee.
The dog only gets this water or bottled water when we are
out.
It is not plumbed to the shower.

The only problem we have encountered is when long term
boondocking. The water pump cycles on and off trying to maintain the
required tank pressure.
The tank requires a specific air pressure which also gives good pressure
at the tap.

Old-Biscuit · 01-07-2016, 10:17 AM

So the 'brine' waste water from RO is going into your fresh water tank ??????

emanofoz · 01-07-2016, 10:58 AM

We were paying 50 cents a gallon, where do you get it for 15 cents?

emanofoz · 01-07-2016, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4Gary

How are you getting soft water in your shower? Do you also have a water softener?

I don't think it qualifies as "soft water" but it is much softer than before. It feels soft and you get suds hen your hair is washed but it doesn't have that residual soapy feeling that soft water gives you when you're rinsing. We are very happy with it.

emanofoz · 01-07-2016, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckyd

We have a stage five RO system in the coach.
It is installed under the kitchen sink, and also
plumbed to the icemaker.
We use this for drinking water and making coffee.
The dog only gets this water or bottled water when we are
out.
It is not plumbed to the shower.

The only problem we have encountered is when long term
boondocking. The water pump cycles on and off trying to maintain the
required tank pressure.
The tank requires a specific air pressure which also gives good pressure
at the tap.

I hadn't thought of that and it could become a problem.Adding a booster pump on the main incoming line would probably correct it but seems like a pretty expensive fix. How have you overcome it or have you?