Best water filters for motorhomes

[Markawill]

I'm looking to fit a water filter to my motorhome, does anyone have any recommendations? Tia

 

[gpat]

Been using these for five years, never blocked once. Change the filter once a year

That must mean that the filter hasn't done anything. By their very design they trap stuff by blocking, it's a barrier. If it ain't blocking it ain't taking anything out.

It's called membrane filtration.

My wife is actually allergic to the chemicals in uk tap water, we have therefore got the smaller berkey filter and have it in our garage we carry half a dozen glass bottles and simply siphon off these and put in van whilst retopping up the filter
Can take river or even sea water according to website but never tried, importantly my wife has never reacted to any of the water from it so feels safe
System cost about £400 but we we spending about £8 per day on bottled water so payback was in about six months for us
Get the proper berkey more expensive than the imitation but very very good

These are not licensed by the EPA in the USA because the EPA have tested them and they don't work.

 

[Johnchudson]

I'm looking to fit a water filter to my motorhome, does anyone have any recommendations? Tia

I use this as fitted to many boats so parts easily available in marinas

Jabsco Aqua Filta Water Filter

Jabsco Aqua Filta Water Filter Complete unit.- For bright, clean, fresh tasting drinking water

www.marinesuperstore.com

 

[gpat]

I use this as fitted to many boats so parts easily available in marinas

Jabsco Aqua Filta Water Filter

Jabsco Aqua Filta Water Filter Complete unit.- For bright, clean, fresh tasting drinking water

www.marinesuperstore.com

That will remove off tastes from tank water and remove chlorine. I'm afraid that's all it will do though. It won't improve the water safety.

 

[ceejayt]

If you want to have something additional to drain down each winter to protect from frost and replace before each summer then the Nature Pure system for drinking water.
or get one of those jugs. We just drink the water!!

Not sure what you mean by extra to drain down. It’s not a separate tank ?

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[ceejayt]

That must mean that the filter hasn't done anything. By their very definition a filter traps stuff by blocking, it's a barrier. If it ain't blocking it ain't taking anything out.

Thats not necessarily a bad thing. It could be that you have only ever run very clean water through it. I guess that means if you did challenge it by feeding water with bad stuff in it would start to block and that would be no bad thing.

Like I said, we all have different views. Cartridge membrane filters work but they soon block if you put anything challenging through them.

Filter needs to be changed every year and we do notice the flow slows as the year draws to an end.

 

[GJP]

We have a Nature Pure filter system with the microbiological filter and dedicated tap, wouldn’t be without it now. No more messing about with bottles/chemicals/worrying about system needing sterilisation. We just take all drinking/cooking water from the tap and it enables us to use any supply we find convenient to fill the tank.
Be careful where you source it as a few years back there was an ‘official’ supplier that was rumoured to be sending out sub standard stuff.

 

[Tony50]

If you're referring to Europe, their tap water standards are as good as ours.

Our strategy is to fill the tank with water for washing. But we don't drink from the onboard taps. Instead we fill a water dispenser with tap water and keep it in the fridge. Then we've got some bottled water for backup.

Most places in Spain except large cities even the Spanish advice you not to drink their water from a tap, I wouldn't but that's just us

 

[Lenny HB]

We're just about to collect our first van and was thinking about a single external filter in the hose pipe, keeping everything clean,

Then you will be filtering out the chlorine that keeps the tank clean.

 

[lateralsteve]

That must mean that the filter hasn't done anything. By their very design they trap stuff by blocking, it's a barrier. If it ain't blocking it ain't taking anything out.

It's called membrane filtration.

These are not licensed by the EPA in the USA because the EPA have tested them and they don't work.

I bought a 3 way kitchen tap on ebay and a Brita inline filter, it works a treat and costs nowt to run and keeps my wife happy, what more can you ask for? I guess the unasked question is we add purification tablets before we start to use each season just to be sure.

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[The Wino]

My wife is actually allergic to the chemicals in uk tap water, we have therefore got the smaller berkey filter and have it in our garage we carry half a dozen glass bottles and simply siphon off these and put in van whilst retopping up the filter
Can take river or even sea water according to website but never tried, importantly my wife has never reacted to any of the water from it so feels safe
System cost about £400 but we we spending about £8 per day on bottled water so payback was in about six months for us
Get the proper berkey more expensive than the imitation but very very good

That's an awful lot to spend on bottled water id have thought supermarkets own would be really cheap.

 

[Nirvanauk]

Just looked at those Berkey systems and I thought that they are hugely expensive plus the cost of the filters. I think it has to be more cost effective to buy bottled water.

 

[minesapint]

I'm looking to fit a water filter to my motorhome, does anyone have any recommendations? Tia

Hello Markawill. Free Filter Housing if it is any use to you.
I have this 3m filter housing I removed from my Hymer when we sold it intending to fit it to our new Hobby but the Hobby already had one.
I do not want anything for it, It is a 3M cartridge housing, that we used throughout our travels to many foreign parts.
It will require a new 3M filter.
All the best
Minesapint.

 

[gpat]

Just looked at those Berkey systems and I thought that they are hugely expensive plus the cost of the filters. I think it has to be more cost effective to buy bottled water.

They are hugely expensive and it seems don't actually do anything. Yes bottled water is cheap and you know it's going to meet a quality standard.

 

[gpat]

I bought a 3 way kitchen tap on ebay and a Brita inline filter, it works a treat and costs nowt to run and keeps my wife happy, what more can you ask for? I guess the unasked question is we add purification tablets before we start to use each season just to be sure.

Happy wife happy life. Regardless of the science. I agree.

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[gpat]

Then you will be filtering out the chlorine that keeps the tank clean.

It would have to be a hell of a filter to filter all that water in 10 mins or so

 

[chasper]

How often do you change them? They aren’t cheap are they, I have the same system and now I’m looking to change the filter for next season as I don’t know how old the present filter is

I seem to recall they used to state change the filter when the flow of water was too slow. I have the system and have moved it from van to van and am still on the second filter so that is about 10 years!

 

[gpat]

I seem to recall they used to state change the filter when the flow of water was too slow. I have the system and have moved it from van to van and am still on the second filter so that is about 10 years!

The life of the filter with respect to blocking will be proportional to how much water you have put through it and the quality of that water. That is unless it's not actually doing anything.

I think it would always be sensible to change the filter at least once a year unless it's a unit that can be backwashed.

 

[Guigsy]

Most places in Spain except large cities even the Spanish advice you not to drink their water from a tap, I wouldn't but that's just us

Really? Maybe 40 years ago.

 

[Tony50]

Really? Maybe 40 years ago.

That's what we were told 2019, as we were near Madrid we were told cities like Madrid the water was ok to drink , otherwise drink bottled water. I'm

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[DBK]

That must mean that the filter hasn't done anything. By their very design they trap stuff by blocking, it's a barrier. If it ain't blocking it ain't taking anything out.

Sorry to be blunt but that's nonsense and I suspect you know it. Folk fit filters to prevent them drinking something nasty. If they only ever fill up from mains water in the UK then they are unlikely to be put at risk but the filters need to be changed at regular intervals as they can become over time breeding grounds for nasties, you don't wait until they are blocked.

However, the right filter can help a bit should they ever take on contaminated water. It's happened to us three times to my knowledge. Once in Provence when we found we had taken on leaves in the water and twice in Corsica with brown, foul smelling water.

I doubt there is anything short of a water treatment plant which can assure you of pure water but a filter which can remove anything above a micron and ideally half a micron will help avoid hazards like Giardia which is a very unpleasant water-borne parasite. It's also the most common gut parasite infection in the UK so don't think you are safe staying this side of the Channel.

 

[JJ]

I've been drinking water filtered through my Berkey for years and years and years.

I have to "service" the black filters when the flow through them slows down... as per instructions.

My electronic water tester indicates the water is pure and safe.

I don't add to the plastic pollution problem by using overpriced supermarket water.

I choose to rely on my own experience of the device rather than one report found on the Internet.

JJ

 

[cyberyacht]

Most places in Spain except large cities even the Spanish advice you not to drink their water from a tap, I wouldn't but that's just us

I had an apartment on an urbanisation about ten miles south of Alicante and four miles from our local town. I drank the water for fourteen years and I'm still here to tell the tale.

 

[Tony50]

I had an apartment on an urbanisation about ten miles south of Alicante and four miles from our local town. I drank the water for fourteen years and I'm still here to tell the tale.

Some people have all the luck,

 

[gpat]

Sorry to be blunt but that's nonsense and I suspect you know it. Folk fit filters to prevent them drinking something nasty. If they only ever fill up from mains water in the UK then they are unlikely to be put at risk but the filters need to be changed at regular intervals as they can become over time breeding grounds for nasties, you don't wait until they are blocked.

However, the right filter can help a bit should they ever take on contaminated water. It's happened to us three times to my knowledge. Once in Provence when we found we had taken on leaves in the water and twice in Corsica with brown, foul smelling water.

I doubt there is anything short of a water treatment plant which can assure you of pure water but a filter which can remove anything above a micron and ideally half a micron will help avoid hazards like Giardia which is a very unpleasant water-borne parasite. It's also the most common gut parasite infection in the UK so don't think you are safe staying this side of the Channel.

I'll forgive your bluntness

However, whilst my statement is perhaps oversimplifying the science, its far from nonsense. Saying that is rude. I'll explain by means of the example below. You seem to have at least some grasp of the science.

At work and every week at both our water treatment plants we sample the raw and the outlet water for cryptosporidium abd giardia. The water is passed through a filter which is designed to trap crypto and giardia. It an approved filter that is supplied by Seven Trent laboratories who have accreditation to test for the said parasites. Its a 45micron spiral filter. As per the approved method we filter at least 1000litres of a period of 24hours. Last weeks was 2200litres but that's not an issue. By the end of the 24hours the flow has dropped to pretty much nothing. We do the raw and for that we have to do at least 10 litres if we can. Same process and same thing. The flow is pretty much stopped after 24hours.

Now, you are correct and its not blocked with parasites. It blocked with particles of similar size that is in the water. Obviously the raw water has more of such particles. Its worth noting though that water treatment plants do not remove everything from the water. They are designed to render the water safe. The outgoing water has a suspended solids of around 0.1mg/l. This will increase as the water goes through the pipes and service reservoirs. The small amount of suspended solids will block the filter. I made the assumption that any water that has these parasites is likely (but not guaranteed) to be dirty.

So my comment about the poster saying the filter didn't block (but to be fair then saying it did block) rung alarm bells because any filter that is fine enough to block these tiny parasites will block if you pass tap water through them and if it doesn't block then its not working

Here is a picture of the filter going on today. Its on the treated water. I'll send you a picture of it tomorrow when it comes off.

Note - This is a Drinking Water inspectorate approved filter cartridge. They cost a few quid each.

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[gpat]

I had an apartment on an urbanisation about ten miles south of Alicante and four miles from our local town. I drank the water for fourteen years and I'm still here to tell the tale.

You must have cheated death

Yes. Like I keep saying Spanish water is generally excellent. It just tends to be very hard water in most regions which can cause minor stomach upset. Saying that though most of the filters touted on here wont help with that anyway. The last link is the best

Can you drink tap water in Spain? - The Spain Travel Guru

Can you drink tap water in Spain? The short answer is yes: Spanish tap water is safe. But, you should read this guide before you glug.

thespaintravelguru.com

Water in Alicante: 5 things you need to know - Agua Sin Plástico

New to the city? Don't know what to do about the water in Alicante? I'm here to share the 5 most important things you need to know!

www.aguasinplastico.com

Tap water, quality water - Aguas de Alicante

www.aguasdealicante.es

 

[gpat]

Most places in Spain except large cities even the Spanish advice you not to drink their water from a tap, I wouldn't but that's just us

Can you provide a reference for that observation?

 

[DBK]

I'll forgive your bluntness

However, whilst my statement is perhaps oversimplifying the science, its far from nonsense. Saying that is rude. I'll explain by means of the example below. You seem to have at least some grasp of the science.

At work and every week at both our water treatment plants we sample the raw and the outlet water for cryptosporidium abd giardia. The water is passed through a filter which is designed to trap crypto and giardia. It an approved filter that is supplied by Seven Trent laboratories who have accreditation to test for the said parasites. Its a 45micron spiral filter. As per the approved method we filter at least 1000litres of a period of 24hours. Last weeks was 2200litres but that's not an issue. By the end of the 24hours the flow has dropped to pretty much nothing. We do the raw and for that we have to do at least 10 litres if we can. Same process and same thing. The flow is pretty much stopped after 24hours.

Now, you are correct and its not blocked with parasites. It blocked with particles of similar size that is in the water. Obviously the raw water has more of such particles. Its worth noting though that water treatment plants do not remove everything from the water. They are designed to render the water safe. The outgoing water has a suspended solids of around 0.1mg/l. This will increase as the water goes through the pipes and service reservoirs. The small amount of suspended solids will block the filter. I made the assumption that any water that has these parasites is likely (but not guaranteed) to be dirty.

So my comment about the poster saying the filter didn't block (but to be fair then saying it did block) rung alarm bells because any filter that is fine enough to block these tiny parasites will block if you pass tap water through them and if it doesn't block then its not working

Here is a picture of the filter going on today. Its on the treated water. I'll send you a picture of it tomorrow when it comes off.

Note - This is a Drinking Water inspectorate approved filter cartridge. They cost a few quid each.
View attachment 843294

You amaze me that a 45 micron filter gets virtually blocked after only 1000 litres are passed through it. I'm guessing it was a typo and it should have read 0.45 microns - which seems to be the size used in water testing. I can understand how a filter of this grade would get blocked but many of the filters used domestically are much coarser. Mine is one micron and some are 5 microns, which won't stop potentially dangerous organisisms but might improve the taste, which seems to be what many of these filters are used for. Mine should remove most of the nasties but I know it won't be 100% effective but it's better than nothing.

I think we both agree filters of the correct grade can be useful but they need to be changed regularly.

 

[gpat]

You amaze me that a 45 micron filter gets virtually blocked after only 1000 litres are passed through it. I'm guessing it was a typo and it should have read 0.45 microns - which seems to be the size used in water testing. I can understand how a filter of this grade would get blocked but many of the filters used domestically are much coarser. Mine is one micron and some are 5 microns, which won't stop potentially dangerous organisisms but might improve the taste, which seems to be what many of these filters are used for. Mine should remove most of the nasties but I know it won't be 100% effective but it's better than nothing.

I think we both agree filters of the correct grade can be useful but they need to be changed regularly.

Yes I meant 0.45micron. that's correct. If a filter is more course than that it won't remove the nasty parasites that we are discussing.

Not sure how your filter removes tastes though. Is it a carbon filter?

I think it's fair to say that there is no one size fits all.

 

[gpat]

My electronic water tester indicates the water is pure and safe.

I would be genuinely interested to know what this electronic water tester is.

It's not really just one report on the t'internet. It's the EPA in the USA that doesn't believe the claims and will not approve it for use.

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[Billy192]

we were buying 6lt bottles for 75 cents in Portugal and Spain which lasted at least a day each we were away 50 days so £40 euro ish. Don't fancy playing around with filters and stuff LOL