How
to get clean, safe and great tasting drinking water wherever you may roam....
by Phil Millard
Cryptosproidium, giardia, bacteria, pesticides, pesticides, aluminium, lead,
asbestos ... when you pour yourself a glass of water, have you considered
what you may actually be drinking?
Now we're not trying to alarm
you, but we all kow the great health benefits of drinking filtered water ...
not to mention that it tastes a whole lot better.
RVers especially need to take
care as they often travel through areas where the quality of the water supply
is unk own, particularly in the outback or while bush camping, where the only
water source may be a nearby creek bed. Therefore, water filtration is a must
for any RV traveller exploring this great country. The good news is they're
easy to install, maintain and use. We've checked out a range of water filter
systems that are suitable for caravans and motorhomes. While there are many
different systems out there ranging from a simple filter jug through to reverse
osmosis, we found that under-sink units are the best for RV's. They don't
clutter up any valuable bench space, they're simple to use, easy to maintain,
and you can rest assured of crystal-clear, clean drinking water wherever your
travels take you.
In the Buyers Guide we've focused
on different filtration systems, but it's the cartiridges inside that do all
the work. There are a variety of filter cartridges available, and they all
do a different job.
Filter cartridges are rated
in microns - the smaller the micron rating the finer the filtration. One micron
is one thousandth of a millimetre, so we are talking about some pretty small
measurements. As an example, 20 microns is quite coarse (for sediment removal
only). 10 microns is a medium filtration, five microns is fine and one micron
is extra fine.
Some cartidges will deliver
the cleanest water, but need sufficient water pressure to do the job - something
to be aware of if you've only got a creek bed handy. Others will only remove
sediment and bad taste, but are simple and easy to use anywhere.
Many filter cartridges are interchangeable,
while some are brand specific - we suggest you find yourself a system that
can take different brands of cartridges to save yourself the hassle later
on.
A filtration system is only
as good as the cartridge inside, so you need to carefully consider where you'll
be travelling and what quailtiy water you desire. Always seek the advice of
your local water filter specialist and choose the appropriate cartridge for
your needs.
With
bacteria, giardia and cryptosporidium parasites a main concern when travelling
in isolated areas, we recommend the use of a twin system to filter all water
as it comes into your storage tank. Most parks have mains pressure which will
allow the use of 0.5 micron or even -0.2 micron, when bacteria is a concern.
Note: cartridges are interchangeable. When bacteria
is a concern, a DOULTON ULTRACARB
CERAMIC/CARBON CARTRIDGE IS THE ONLY RECOMMENDED CARTRIDGE
The Purestream
`Caravan' Twin has a 3/4" inlet and outlet to allow connection
to standard hose fitting. This unit is portable and is simply attached to
the caravan park water source when filling storage tank and stored away when
not in use.
We recommend
the use of a 0.5 Matrikx PB1 or Multi Pure
0.45 micron cartridge when used on chlorinated town supply. You may wish to
have a Doulton Ultracarb (Code 78CCER) on hand when chlorination is not present
to ensure removal of any pathogenic bacteria, e.g. salmonella, cholera, etc
