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Water filter


monkeyhanger

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Does anyone have one of these filters on their boat?  Are they any good? I've got a Jabsco Aqua filta, but these seem much more cost effective.(From Screwfix, by the way)
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BWT

BWT HIGH CAPACITY WATER FILTER KIT (16747)

Whole house protection. Carbon filter can be installed on supply to single drinking tap. Removes sediment down to 10 microns and reduces bad taste and odours.

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26 minutes ago, nbfiresprite said:

Had one fitted for 20 years, You need to change the filter every three months.

 

Jabsco recommend changing cartridges every year, so they actually work out cheaper if you stick to the schedules. Jabsco ones have silver in them so might be killing some bugs too, as well as any werewolves who drink water while on your boat.

Jen

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I've got a Springclear.  That also says replace every three months. I change the filter about every five years and it still looks pretty clean.  If you have a proper water tank, the main benefit of a filter is to stop bits of rust or tadpoles; I doubt they make any real difference to the quality of the water.  It's a bit like Britta jugs; people say they make a difference, but if you put water in a plain jug and left it for a couple of hours it would probably be just as effective - i.e. it allows any residual chlorine to disperse.

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11 minutes ago, nbfiresprite said:

That's a very good price. Screwfix charge more than that for one.

I have a filter in my boat. I didn't get sick before I got it and I haven't since, so no idea if it makes any difference. Might be it filters out the taste of snake oil.

Jen

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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I'm lucky. My boat came with a fresh water tank and a pump and pipework system designed to store and distribute potable water. I only fill it with potable water, so that's what comes back out. No filter required, because the water companies have conveniently done that for me. ;)

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8 minutes ago, nbfiresprite said:

You like the taste of chlorine? You can taste the difference between non-filtered and filtered. 

Well, there's a filter in my fridge at home and I concede that the water does taste nice, but there's nothing wrong with my tap water in Devon either. I guess I could be unlucky and fill my boat tank somewhere where the water tastes as bad as it does in, say, Southampton (where I might be tempted to go for a filter for the reason you suggest), but the canals don't go there and I haven't had the issue anywhere else yet. One day I might be somewhere there's a taste issue, but I'd suggest most water filter users just don't trust their potable water system. My take is that if you didn't trust the engine, you'd fix it - the same should go for the fresh water system. Just my view though - for now, if I want modified water, I'd rather save the money spent on regular water filter changes and spend it in the pub. :D

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We have a Springclear filter and change the every year. Sometimes it looks a bit dirty but usually ti doesn't. It does also get rid of the taste of chlorine after I put some Miltons in the tank once a year (usually just before I change the filter cartridge anyway).

We once travelled from Yorkshire to Milton Keynes on our previous boat, and a few hours after we'd filled with water at Hawkesbury the whole contents of the tank, pump, and pipework set to a greyish jelly. It took me several hours and a lot of rinsing with a hose to clean it all out, and I sent some of the jelly to the Public Health authorities. They replied back within a couple of weeks, saying that they'd tested everything and it was just that the "harmless" bugs in the Yorkshire water had met up with new "harmless" Midlands bugs for the first time and made good friends; very very good friends in fact, so that they had multiplied to the point where all the water had turned to jelly. The Authorities assured us that the bugs were harmless, but since then I've always had a filter in the line.

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When I first bought a Brita filter, there were two teabags in the box.  They encouraged you to make a cup of (black) tea with filtered and unfiltered water.  The difference was clearly visible.  The 'unfiltered' tea was a bit murky and had a little scum floating on it.  The 'filtered' tea was clear and had no scum.  I think Brita filters are useful, depending on where you live and where your water comes from.  

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You will get a bit of scum quite often  in hard water areas, but it does you no harm.  After all, 99.9+% of the population don't use a Brita filter.  As I said before, putting water in a jug for an hour or two will get rid of any chlorine taint (which most of us don't have) whether it has a filter in or not.

Perhaps this should be linked to the Ecofan topic...

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11 hours ago, nbfiresprite said:

You like the taste of chlorine? You can taste the difference between non-filtered and filtered. 

A thought just struck me: are you referring to the chlorine used by the water companies or added by the users during system cleansing? The former I haven't suffered from; the latter isn't an issue for me as I clean my system occasionally using Elsan Fresh Water Tank Cleaner which is taste and odour free.

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Water filters. Good lord. What on earth is the world coming to. GROW A MOUSTACHE. and strain the bits out with that. Mind you I will concede that my wife never managed to but then that should give you an idea for a Christmas present.

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24 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

A thought just struck me: are you referring to the chlorine used by the water companies or added by the users during system cleansing? The former I haven't suffered from; the latter isn't an issue for me as I clean my system occasionally using Elsan Fresh Water Tank Cleaner which is taste and odour free.

but it does contain 

Benzalkonium chloride 
2-Bromo-2-nitropropan-1,3-diol 
Citric acid
Trisodium citrate
Blue dye

Presumably, the dye is there to ensure it gets fully flushed through until clear again, or can you leave it in?  The Benzalkonium chloride is v good because it is effective against norovirus.

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11 minutes ago, mross said:

but it does contain 

Benzalkonium chloride 
2-Bromo-2-nitropropan-1,3-diol 
Citric acid
Trisodium citrate
Blue dye

Presumably, the dye is there to ensure it gets fully flushed through until clear again, or can you leave it in?  The Benzalkonium chloride is v good because it is effective against norovirus.

I think you're looking at the wrong Elsan product. "Fresh Water Tank Clean" is colourless.

Here's an extract from their website (sorry about the colouring if it's gone the same for you as on my mobile device!):

Fresh Water Tank Clean... To periodically clean out your freshwater system

Because it attacks algae and bacteria in your mobile water tank or portable water carrier, it is particularly useful after winter storage. It also removes unwanted calcium build-up and other deposits from storage tanks and pipe work.

Regular use helps keep your water system free from micro-organisms to provide fresh drinking water in your caravan kitchen and bathroom.

Tank clean contains no Chlorine so has none of the associated smell or risk.

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9 minutes ago, mross said:

Well blow me down! Maybe the site's in error or, more likely, perhaps my memory is playing tricks. I'd have sworn blind it's colourless, tasteless and odourless, but I can definitely say it's unnoticeable in any way when you drain the tank after its been in there 24 hours. I'll be getting some more shortly so I'll have a look.

Nice horse! ;)

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2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

A thought just struck me: are you referring to the chlorine used by the water companies or added by the users during system cleansing? The former I haven't suffered from; the latter isn't an issue for me as I clean my system occasionally using Elsan Fresh Water Tank Cleaner which is taste and odour free.

Mains water, I can taste the difference. As for leaving in a jug for a hour or two, I don't want to wait to have a drink. Part from that you can never be to sure of the water from the water point tap down to the state of the pipework it runs through. We have have come across taps where the water has come out discoloured.

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I must admit - I've not given my (stainless steel) water tank ant treatment since new (18months) just filled and went. I do use a Brita water jug though, and the difference is easy to see when making tea. Infact I see the quality go down over the four weeks of the filters life. It's always nice when it's time to put a new one in :)

Maybe I should think about cleaning out my tank once in a while, but when you think how grotty all the underground pipework probably is, I doubt the tank is that bad.

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6 hours ago, Bee said:

Water filters. Good lord. What on earth is the world coming to. GROW A MOUSTACHE. and strain the bits out with that. Mind you I will concede that my wife never managed to but then that should give you an idea for a Christmas present.

Beard and teeth should get rid of most unwanted. I have both, wife has one but trying very convincingly to get the second. 

Shes not listening is she?

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  • 4 years later...

I know this is an old thread but I have a Jabsco filter in my system and I have no idea how long it has been there - at least two years I think.

I have bought a new cartridge as I worry that the water might be cleaner with a new cartridge rather than having it go through gawd knows what in the old one.

Does the old cartridge just unscrew from its mount or is there some cunning catch to release first? Difficult to curl myself up into the under-sink cupboard to see and when I tried forcefully to unscrew ii there was a slight hissing and a drop of water from the bottom of the old cartridge.

Appreciate any advice

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We all know that potable tap water in the UK is safe to drink. Taste can be improved with a filter but I think the difference between drinking it straight from a mains tap in a house and a boat is that on a boat it's been stored in a tank. My tank is integral rather than stainless so I'm happier if it's been filtered before I drink it.

 

But it sounds like some people with filters on boats filter the entire fresh water system? What's the point of filtering your shower water and toilet flush feed? Does the water you wash your dishes with really need filtering? Seems a bit over the top to me. No wonder some people here are changing filters every 3 months!

 

I have a dedicated filtered water tap on the kitchen sink which I use for drinking water. All other outlets are unfiltered.

 

IMG_20211227_135436.jpg

Edited by blackrose
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4 hours ago, RickS said:

I know this is an old thread but I have a Jabsco filter in my system and I have no idea how long it has been there - at least two years I think.

I have bought a new cartridge as I worry that the water might be cleaner with a new cartridge rather than having it go through gawd knows what in the old one.

Does the old cartridge just unscrew from its mount or is there some cunning catch to release first? Difficult to curl myself up into the under-sink cupboard to see and when I tried forcefully to unscrew ii there was a slight hissing and a drop of water from the bottom of the old cartridge.

Appreciate any advice

Yes just screws on, it should of come with a new rubber seal, so replace this also.

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