The drinking water filter mod is one of those things that should come straight from the factory for all RVs. The way RV holding tanks and plumbing systems are designed and utilized tends to promote bacterial growth if not sanitized on a regular basis. And more importantly, it’s not all that uncommon to get a bad batch of water from a seemingly safe water source. In addition to sanitizing your RVs plumbing system frequently, filtering the water before it get’s in to your system goes a long way in preventing bad water taste and potentially harmful parasites and bacteria from having their way with your system. The last thing you need when camping is to be enjoying your toilet more than the outdoors.
Using Your Water for Drinking and Cooking
Although there are several approaches to providing clean water for your RVing needs, this mod focuses on drinking and cooking water filtration. Of course, filtering your entire RV water supply system is an option but it is not always necessary. Most water sources are chlorinated and have enough protection to minimize bacterial growth. It just might not taste very good. Again, sanitizing often and not letting your water pipes, water heater, and fresh water tank sit without use will stave off 99% of bacterial growth. Assuming you have decent water to start with, the drinking water filter will provide great taste and protection in a simple to use manner.
Drinking Water Filter Types – Portable and Under-Counter Mount
The simplest approach to modding your RV with a drinking water filter is the countertop style filter. This system uses a standard, replaceable 10-inch filter cartridge and houses it in a plastic canister that sits on your counter. The water is fed to the unit through a tube hooked up to your sink faucet, and includes a spigot to serve the filtered water. This has the advantage of being portable. You can take the filter system with you for use in another RV, or even your home for that matter. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to get great tasting water, then your mod work here is done.
The most arguably popular drinking water filter mod though is the permanent-mount under-sink type, where the filter cartridge is mounted under the sink and the dispenser is mounted to the countertop or sink. The water supply to the dispenser is connected via a tee fitting placed in the cold water supply pipe used by the sink faucet. This makes using the dispenser easier and requires less counter space. And the filter housing is placed in an out of the way location under the sink, in a cabinet, or other convenient spot.
Tools Needed for Permanent Installation
Doing this mod is pretty straightforward, but requires a few tools other uses for water softener salt you might not have handy in your mod tool set. These are a PEX or plastic tubing cutter, and a hole saw. Using a tubing cutter will help ensure there are no burrs on the tubing after cutting, which reduces the chance of a leak at the fittings where the tubing slides in. The hole saw is necessary since the dispenser is secured by a threaded shaft on the bottom of the dispenser, which must go through the sink or countertop, and is secured underneath the sink or countertop using a large washer and nut. Some dispensers only require a 1/2″ hole for the threaded shaft so you might not need a hole saw. A 1/2″drill bit will work. Others may need a larger mounting hole so a hole saw is a must.