Filtering water?

[Summer]

Hi all,

We *think* we've found our rig, an older class b+/small c, but it's a six hour drive away so we're still working out the logistics of getting there to look it over and potentially drive it home.  In the meantime, I'm thinking through some of the things that are priorities to us.  One of them is a solid way to filter water. 

The two options that I've seen come up a lot in videos are the Berkeys that sit on the countertop, and some other types of filters (I never caught the brand names) that are sort of built right into the rig's water line.  I haven't run across any information comparing the two options to each other, though, and if there's a third option (besides Brita-type pitchers or filtering water bottles), I haven't run across that yet. 

I was wondering if anyone here could share experience/information that might be useful?  We're two adults with two larger dogs who (at least in theory) plan to boondock a majority of the time, and who are pretty picky about the water we drink.

 

[Trebor English]

What filter you need depends on what contaminants you want to remove.  If you don't like the smell / taste of chlorine an activated charcoal filter will remove the chlorine and then provide a habitat free of chlorine where bacteria, amoeba and such bugs can thrive and multiply.  UV, ultraviolet, can kill many bugs and microfiltration can remove many.  If you have salt, solvents, weed killer, enzymes, organics, or parasites you need to be careful. 

Often filter products will say on the box that the intended use is with water from a treated municipal water supply.  There have been problems with people with medical issues where municipal water can be a problem.  People with compromised immune systems are at particular risk for opportunistic microbes.

There is no single "solid way to filter water."  If you "plan to boondock a majority of the time" that could mean that you intend to get water from rivers or lakes.

 

[bullfrog]

Use them all. The water filtering systems that hook up to the inlet water hose or hose you use to fill through the gravity fill are good enough to keep the big stuff out and cheap. The blue Camco screw on works good enough to keep rocks, sticks and big pieces of rust out. If you are concerned about showering then the internal system filters which allows you to deal somewhat with hard water are required but are expensive and require maintenance so we don’t use those. All drinking/cooking water goes through a Berkey black filter and if in an area where chemicals or heavy metals are a problem the white filters that go in the bottom tank of the Berkey. If I just had one filter the Berkey and an old tee shirt would work. We like the smaller Berkey because it gives us enough water for a day and doesn’t sit around and allow things to grow in it. At the end of the day surplus goes in airtight containers and those into the refrigerator.

 

[highdesertranger]

I use a Berkey. works good. like bullfrog said it's a good idea to use the Camco filter on the inlet. highdesertranger

 

[Summer]

Thanks, all! I’ll show this to my spouse and talk it over with her.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dingfelder]

Berkeys are great. Best tasting water in a blind taste test with my friends.

I wouldn't go too small, though. Even more so as you have pets, and both of you need to drink water all day, every day. Rationing water is hard on your kidneys, worse if your diet isn't the best, and dangerous to pets. Drink water like it's a joy, not a burden, and you and yours will be much better off. Try to drink more, not less.

Better to have a Berkey "too" big (???) than too small, by far. In three years of using mine, I don't have any problems -- no mold, no slime, no spots of any kind, no taste change, no cloudiness, no nothing. Seriously? If you get one "too big" -- drink more water. It's the universal solvent, used for almost every chemical process in your body and a mood elevator, partly because it does just that. Enjoy the luck (and foresight) of having plenty of good water and just drink it.

 

[wayne49]

Best no taste water.

I have a 3.25 gallon Berkey. I go through 2.5 gallons every two days. I dump the lower chamber every other day when the level drops below the spigot. Berkey says "every third day". The amount dumped is about a half gallon.

One gallon for this adult per day, who drinks water like a water-holic.

 

[desert_sailing]

i bought the smaller travel sized berkey.. it has a 1.5 gal capacity.

I wanted something i hoped wouldn't be obnoxiuos or cumbersome for the lifestyle.

Its a good size for me.... it has a filter rate of up to 2.75 gallons per hour.. so it is doubtful i could go through that much in an hour.

I also prefiltered water and put it into fresh jugs for whenever.... around 12 gallons of filtered back up...plus whatever is in the berkey

the travel size is 250 bux and they rise rapidly in price with size...

if your tighter on budget.. like i was and not really sure about the hype or space you will have... 2.75 gallons an hour may be just fine.

just fyi...i did order the correct stainless spigot for around 25 bux... and mine drips from the inside.. not the outer seal.. tightening won't stop the drip.

It was going to be more of a bother to return it... so i just left a review and put the plastic spigot that came with it and I'm pleased... just worried about it breaking in the future.

 

[wayne49]

Addendum to my post about my water usage.

Two gallons is my current usage as of a week ago, winter weather here in lower Nevada keeping me inside more, and also I am not as dehydrated as the rest of the year. Before that I was using about 2,5 gallons plus some half liter bottles when active outside. I noticed the amount I was dumping was increasing and I decided to not put as much in when refilling the Berkey.

When I am out and about, hiking, biking, or motorcycling, i pack at a minimum three half liter bottles, unless it is more useful to pack a 3 liter hydration reservoir, with the half liter bottles as backup.

While I am driving the RV, I consume half liters, as the Berkey is secured.