5 Steps For Drinking From Your RV Fresh Water Tank
Drink Clean, Go Green—Clear2O®.
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5 Things You Should Know Before Drinking From Your RV Fresh Water Tank
Having an adequate supply of fresh water is something every camper needs, whether you are tent camping, boondocking, or living it up in a luxury RV. Most RVs generally have an adequately sized RV fresh water tank, but many RVers are afraid to utilize it to its fullest, often choosing to drink from water bottles and relegate the fresh water tank to sink and shower duties.
Bottled water is great, and I usually have some stored in the RV for emergencies. However, bottled water is also a hassle to carry, and it takes up valuable storage space.
In addition, since most RV parks do not have recycling options, those empty plastic bottles end up in the trash. Sure, I could save them and recycle when we get home, but then that’s one more thing to bag and store. Instead, I try to use my RV fresh water tank to its fullest.
Filling the RV fresh water tank
Assuming you are starting with a clean, empty RV fresh water tank, the first step is to fill it. If you aren’t certain of the status of your water tank, drain it and sanitize it first.
You should also make sure you are using proper fresh water hoses to fill your tank. Although many of us grew up drinking water from the hose, today’s hoses are made of recycled material that may contain traces of lead and is not deemed safe for fresh water drinking. Use a proper RV fresh water hose when filling.
1. Filtering the incoming water
In order to have clean drinking water from your RV fresh water tank, you will want to filter it going in. There are now two stages of filtering available.
Generally, when filling from your home or a very clean, trusted water source, an inline filter like the Clear2O® RV Inline Water Filter will be sufficient. This 1-micron solid carbon block filter is superior to the standard loose carbon blue filter many campers buy.
One micron is approximately 70 times smaller than a human hair. When you want your water filtered properly, the Clear2O® RV Inline Water Filter, easily recognizable by its popular green UV-coated body, is the right choice.
The 1-micron solid carbon block inline water filter
DirtGUARD
Sediment PreFilter
If you are at a campground or location that uses well water or another water source that isn’t as clean or trusted as you are used to, be sure and add the Clear2O® DIRTGUARD Sediment Pre-filter.
The Clear2O® DirtGUARD Sediment PreFilter will be the first line of defense capturing and removing particulate matter like dirt, silt, sand, and debris from your water, before it ever hits your primary inline filter.
Being able to rinse and backwash the DIRTGUARD extends its lifetime. This two-stage approach ensures that the water going into your RV fresh water tank is as clean as possible.
New DirtGUARD Replacement Filter
For RVers that may have already purchased DirtGUARD, or those interested in giving this pre-filter a try, Clear2O recently launched an updated 10-micron replacement filter for DirtGUARD.
This new washable and reusable replacement filter blocks twice as much silt, sand, sediment, rust, and other particulates before it ever hits your inline water filter, allowing it to do less work and last longer.
2. Regulate the water coming into your RV fresh water tank
New RVers don’t always realize that the water pressure of the incoming water stream is often greater than their RV’s plumbing can handle. A simple device like the Clear2O® RV Water Pressure Regulator ensures your RV will be safe from the high water pressure.
Depending on the age of your RV, 50-55 PSI might be the most your RV can handle. Newer, high-end RVs with all PEX fittings can generally handle more; however, unless you know for certain what your RV can handle, the safe and inexpensive solution is the Clear2O® RV Water Pressure Regulator. Never hook up to a campground water source without regulating the water pressure.
Every RVer should have at least one RV water pressure regulator.
3. Onboard RV water filtration
Most RVs today have an onboard water filtration system to filter the water coming out of the RV fresh water tank before it reaches your sink, shower, and other plumbing. This is often known as a whole house filtration system.
A variety of replacement filters for nearly every RV are available from Clear2O. Single filters, double filters, and premium carbon filters are available from Clear2O for your RV’s whole house water filter system.
The CPR1001 – 1 Micron Whole House Replacement Filter
When you are successful, people want more. RVers happy with the 1-micron inline filter began to ask, “Why can’t you do the same thing for my whole house filter?”
Enter the CPR1001, a standard replacement filter for whole house filter systems that fits the 10″ x 2.5″ universal housings found in most RVs, offering the same solid carbon 1-micron filtration that Clear2O’s famous green inline filter offers.
Help for Forest River Owners
Related to the CPR1001 is its 5-micron sister, the CKW1001 replacement KW1 water filter, designed specifically for the RCS & FR1 housings found in Forest River RVs.
The CKW1001 also fits the WaterPur housings of the same designation and makes for an excellent upgraded water filter for those looking to replace their existing filter with a quality Clear2O filter.
Onboard canister filtration for your RV fresh water tank
If your RV does not have onboard filtration, or you wish to replace your existing system with something better, Clear2O® also offers single canister and dual RV water canister filtration systems that can be fitted to nearly any RV. These systems ensure that the water leaving your RV fresh water tank is clean and filtered.
With the popularity of boondocking and Harvest Hosts camping, you may be less and less certain where your water is coming from or where it has been. Clear2O is introducing a new triple canister water filtration system, allowing for three stages of filtration, starting with a pre-filter, a secondary filter, and then finishing it off with a 1-micron filter, ensuring you can safely enjoy the water from your RV fresh water tank.
The 3-canister system water filtration system.
4. Drinking water & ice filtration
If you have a residential refrigerator, chances are it has a built-in water filter as well, which adds another layer of filtering to ensure that the water coming out of the fridge door or into your ice maker is clean.
Countertop water filtration
For RVs without a fridge filter, Clear2O offers two solutions for getting fresh drinking water into your glass: a countertop filtration system and filtering water pitchers. The Clear2O® Countertop Water Filtration System is an easy-to-install solution that adds one more layer of filtering to any countertop that taps into your sink faucet.
Note that the CCT2000 Countertop Water Filtration system is recommended for standard faucets that can accommodate a normal aerator installation. Sprayer or farmhouse-style faucets may not offer that.
Water pitcher filtration
The Clear2O® Gravity Water Filtration Pitcher is easily filled from your sink faucet and filters the water before it hits your glass. Filters are replaceable and good for 60 gallons before needing replacement. The TRUE LIFE Filter Indicator alerts you when you have reached 60 gallons, so there is no guesswork.
The Clear2O Advanced Water Filtration Pitcher is a next-level pitcher that filters your water again at the 1-micron level. This pitcher is best for RVers that don’t perhaps have some of the other filtration options we have discussed. The CWS100 Advanced Water Filtration Pitcher also requires a standard sink faucet to accommodate aerator installation.
5. Drinking water purification for the RV fresh water tank
After I fill my RV fresh water tank to its capacity, I do one more thing: I treat my water with an RV fresh water tank additive.
Although I am filtering my water up to four times before actually drinking it, I usually prep my RV for a trip a day or two in advance. While that water might be clean already, a little additive keeps it next-level fresh and ensures my drinking water will be ready when the wheels turn.
There are a variety of purification liquids and tablets available. RVers will typically need the liquids to get them into the RV fresh water tank. While this extra level of caution might be overkill, when properly dosed, it does not affect the taste, and it gives me an extra level of comfort when dispensing water for both human and canine needs.
Conclusion
The above process is one I use for every camping trip, and it ensures that we have fresh water to drink wherever we go.
Many of our trips are three or four-day jaunts to a Corp of Engineers park. In most cases, we only need to hook up to 50-amp power, never needing to utilize the water hookup. We can use and enjoy the water from our RV fresh water tank with confidence.
If there is an underlying theme with Clear2O, it would be Solid Carbon Block. At every possible turn, Clear2O looks to push water through a solid carbon block. Carbon works best to reduce contaminants, bad odors, and bad taste. The longer that water spends time with carbon, the better.
RVers looking for a one-stop shop for their water filtering needs will find it at www.clear2o.com. Clear2O also has a variety of Adventure Camping products, reusable water bottles, and of course, a host of Recreational Vehicle water filtering products. Select Clear2O products are also sold in Walmart and on Amazon.
Continue reading:
- Finally, Clean Water For RVers
- RV Water Filter Battle: It’s Green vs Blue and Solid Carbon Block Wins
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