| RV How To: Water Quality | | | | elements are manufactured that remove sediment |
| Since I travel a lot, I often find myself in places | | | | and make the water smell and taste good. They are |
| where the water quality is barely adequate to say | | | | compact and relatively inexpensive, and made of |
| the least! Now when it comes to water, the wife and | | | | carbon-powder-impregnated paper. The downside of |
| I are sorta squeamish about what we put into our | | | | these units is that they have a limited carbon |
| bodies. If it "looks bad, smells bad or tastes funny, | | | | component, so the taste-and-odor improvement is |
| we don't do it....period!" So, in order to obtain good | | | | much less than you would get from a dedicated |
| quality drinking water, we mostly depend on store | | | | carbon filter. |
| bought water. But we still need water in the RV to | | | | Biological Agents - Biological agents include protozoa, |
| do the necessities of life; bathing, washing, cleaning | | | | bacteria, viruses, and cysts and spores. The most |
| and for toilet flushing. | | | | prevalent are very small (2-4 microns in size). They |
| Sediment Filter - Just because the water is not | | | | can be removed with a ultrafine filter that has a |
| murky (or maybe it is), or you cannot visibly see | | | | rating of 0.9 microns. This removes all pathogenic |
| anything floating around in it, this does not mean that | | | | microbes, however there are still viruses to consider, |
| there are no contaminates in the water. Even if | | | | which are even smaller than can be filtered. |
| murkiness is not your complaint, a sediment filter will | | | | Total Purification - There are two methods that can |
| protect your downstream equipment from premature | | | | produce virtually pure water and are suitable for use |
| failure by removing the gunk that could otherwise | | | | in RVs. One is distillation; however it is quite |
| cause a problem. Not sure if you have priced a water | | | | expensive to operate and produces a low volume of |
| heater lately, but they are not cheap! Sediment filters | | | | clean water. The other, and most recommended for |
| work by straining out the sediment and holding it. | | | | RV owners, is Reverse Osmosis. I will cover reverse |
| Therefore replacement of the cartridges is required | | | | osmosis systems in a later blog. |
| once they become plugged. | | | | OK, have I totally made you panic? My wife often |
| Carbon Filter - Have you ever been to a place where | | | | starts itching and scratching about this time in our |
| the water either tasted funny or smelled bad? The | | | | discussions....lol. So how do I filter out water so as not |
| contaminants that affect the taste and odor of | | | | to contaminate my hot water heater and plug my |
| water will go right through a sediment filter, so you'll | | | | system?? Well, for now, I use a double cartridge |
| need to add something else to remove them. Carbon | | | | filter unit. The first cartridge is a sediment cartridge |
| has an uncanny ability to grab onto the bad stuff in | | | | and the second is a carbon cartridge. Make sure you |
| water, leaving the water very clean-tasting and | | | | get the units that do not use the clear canisters, as |
| odor-free. Just like sediment filters, carbon filters | | | | they have a tendency to accumulate algae over time. |
| require replacement once they become clogged, | | | | Like I said, I usually buy my drinking water, however |
| however they will not plug up as quickly as sediment | | | | I am about to install a reverse osmosis unit and when |
| filters. | | | | I do, rest assured I will share the installation, as well |
| Combination Units - Rather than purchasing two sets | | | | as the result, with you on my website. |
| of filters (sediment and carbon), combination filter | | | | Until then, happy RV'ing! |