This looks like a nice point-of-use drinking water solution. It would be helpful if Waterdrop provided a few more performance metrics for the UV purifier. I will be curious to learn what the people around here that are knowledgeable on the subject think of this.
Water purification, LED UV, specifics....
- Thread starter IdaSHO
- Start date
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
Just to stir this up again, as I may be digging into it soon...
We have been looking at picking up properties in WA, OR, or both.
While snooping around looking at some very rural off-grid lands,
I figured Id check in on the legality of rainwater collection.
Oregon has a guide for it, link below...
Included are these bits regarding filtration and purification, that pertain to the discussion at hand.
And while this also includes domestic hookup (via RP connection), it still holds some value to lay things out.
We have been looking at picking up properties in WA, OR, or both.
While snooping around looking at some very rural off-grid lands,
I figured Id check in on the legality of rainwater collection.
Oregon has a guide for it, link below...
Included are these bits regarding filtration and purification, that pertain to the discussion at hand.
And while this also includes domestic hookup (via RP connection), it still holds some value to lay things out.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
This is neat for separating the first bit of rain coming off of a roof.
www.rainharvest.com
I've thought a lot about remote rec properties and worry about squatters. I guess if they are really remote it would filter out the riff raff as they won't want to be too far away from drug sources. Also if the property doesn't have an address they are not likely to establish residency.
Rain Harvesting Pty 3 Inch First Flush - Rainwater Collection and Stormwater Management
The RainHarvesting® First Flush Downspout Diverter. A simple and effective first flush water diverter that requires minimal maintenance.
I've thought a lot about remote rec properties and worry about squatters. I guess if they are really remote it would filter out the riff raff as they won't want to be too far away from drug sources. Also if the property doesn't have an address they are not likely to establish residency.
Littleredridinghood
New member
Does anyone have an opinion on this filter: https://www.aquastardistributors.com/product/seagull-iv-x-2kb/
Found it on http://dinoevo.de/fresh-water-system/ from another thread. Looks to be incredibly robust but quite expensive. The filters also need to be changed every 2,000gal vs 1,000gal from other filters, but again are more expensive. On the other hand, we plan on traveling globally and I would probably pay the money to not get sick.
Found it on http://dinoevo.de/fresh-water-system/ from another thread. Looks to be incredibly robust but quite expensive. The filters also need to be changed every 2,000gal vs 1,000gal from other filters, but again are more expensive. On the other hand, we plan on traveling globally and I would probably pay the money to not get sick.
dstefan
Well-known member
I don’t have one, but can tell you that Seagull is a very respected brand/product in the marine world. They own/produce the First Need line of backpacking filters which I did use years ago and filtered some truly awful water with. Trusted them completely — never got sick. At the time, the First Needs (which were the same filter tech inside as the Seagull marine filters) was the approved field issue for the EPA, which says something.
If you like the specs and the format and don’t mind the price, I don’t think you’d have anything to worry about in terms of the water it outputs.
If you like the specs and the format and don’t mind the price, I don’t think you’d have anything to worry about in terms of the water it outputs.
Littleredridinghood
New member
Appreciate you sharing your experience. I like that it doesn't need power to operate. All the (fairly new) technology surrounding LED UV filters has my head spinning as I research. The Seagull eliminates that analysis headache haha.
bernardocolorado
Member
So most consumer grade UV products are not enough (including the Guzzle Stream).
How about this?
No UV, filters down to 5micron. Feasible alternative as a "plug 'n play" solution?
How about this?
No UV, filters down to 5micron. Feasible alternative as a "plug 'n play" solution?
dstefan
Well-known member
Probably. The virus guard 2nd filter is rated at .02 microns, which is what you want (in the Q&A section on the website).
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
A few issues.
- That thing is huge, bigger than my 2k genset and more money too.
-2nd, carbon is best used at point of use for drinking/cooking water if you're filtering municipal water. Most muni water has chlorine or chloramine, more on that later. That stuff is good for your tanks to keep bio down, hence point of use.
-You also are wasting carbon to shower in it or flush with it.
Building a 2/3 stage block and pump is extremely easy and cheap and you can build them compact with 5-10 inch cartridges. An external pump has many more uses too, wash down, outside showers etc. On carbon, activated carbon removes chlorine, not chloramine, which is fairly common for cities now. For chloramine and other volatiles you need "catalytic carbon".
I'm building my filter block now. It'll be 2 stage because I need it small. Sediment, then virus (.02 micron for "wild" water) filtration into the tank. Then carbon at the sink for drinking and cooking with a tap for outside water container filling as I always have a jug for around camp. If wanted to get crazy I'd add a 2nd undersink block for catalytic carbon, but that's a little overkill for a truck camper IMHO.
Be sure to size your pump right for the flow rating of the filter blocks. I've looked at UV and agree it's more hassle than it's worth right now with such great filtration options. Love to see a large backflushable hollow-membrane filter like my backpacking filters with pumpable flow rates. Anybody ever heard of such a thing?
BTW I'm obsessive about water as I own a few cocktail bars in Utah where we make/cut/bandsaw our own blocks. Carbon and catalytic backwash systems etc.
Henrybrowne
New member
Hey! I totally get your concern about durability in the wilderness. For UV purifiers, the LED units (like the PearlAqua you mentioned) are great for their efficiency and compact size, but they can be a bit pricey and harder to service, especially if the bulb fails. It seems like the GuzzleH2O units are well-built but might require full replacement if the UV LED fails, which could be a pain for long trips.Filtration is the easy part. Use whatever you want to get things filtered down to 5 micron.
1 filter, 2 filters, 12 filters.... doesn't matter. Then blast it with UV to kill the nasties. No sweat right?
And to be clear up front, much of our travel is extended wilderness.
I'm looking to buy or build a system I that allows me to simply drop a hose into a fresh water creek or lake to re-fill.
Just looking for some insight essentially, to both the LED and (non-LED) UV purification units, if possible.
Anyhow...
A couple of units up for discussion, mainly for the components they use.
The GuzzleH20 https://www.guzzleh2o.com/products/stealth
They have a variety of options, the most intriguing is their STREAM, https://www.guzzleh2o.com/products/stream
that does exactly what Id like, though big $$ and I really don't need a portable unit.
The Stealth is a bit more up my alley, but again, what I'm focusing on is the UV purifier itself. https://www.guzzleh2o.com/products/stealth
All GuzzleH2O products use a very trick LED UV-C made by PearlAqua. https://www.aquisense.com/pearlaqua-micro
Likely not cheap though, but good stuff isn't going to be. But my primary concern is serviceability.
Say the LED bulb fails on you, as far as I can tell the entire unit must be swapped out.
I reached out to them via email, but nothing came of it, yet.
Looks like the unit runs about $400 alone. https://threeuv.com/product/pearlaqua-micro
The second unit is made by WaterSafePro https://watersafepro.com/index.html
Much more traditional units, and the cost reflects that. The Model 512 is a smoking deal for what it is. $265 https://watersafepro.com/models500-512.html
They use a traditional (non-LED) UV purifier, though that's my issue with them. They claim they are RV rated, but due to their design they are inherently fragile.
My biggest concern is long term reliability off the beaten path. Though these units are easily serviceable, and parts/bulbs are cheap.
I've been in contact with Jesse at WaterSafePro and he mentioned that these models are being phased out,
in favor of LED versions, likely due to the same (fragile) concerns. So now Im also excited to see what they come up with.
Unless its the same PearlAqua unit.
On the other hand, traditional UV purifiers like the WaterSafePro units, while not as modern as LED options, are easier to service and the replacement parts (like bulbs) are cheaper. The fragility factor with non-LED models is a concern, especially in rugged conditions, but if you’re going for reliability in the field, they might be worth considering.
I’d recommend thinking about which is more important: a reliable, serviceable unit (WaterSafePro) or a compact, efficient LED system (GuzzleH2O). If you're willing to spend a little more for the efficiency and compactness, the PearlAqua LED might be your best bet. Otherwise, for long-term durability and serviceability, the WaterSafePro could be a solid option.
Hadn’t considered this but it makes good sense.
FWIW, you actually absorb more chorine and chloramine through your skin during a hot shower than if you drink it.
Interesting. I hadn’t heard of catalytic carbon. I’ve always thought you need reverse osmosis to remove chloramine. But RO wastes a ton of water. I’ll plan to incorporate CC in my system.
Good description, I can visualize it. I’m going to get crazy with the 2nd undersink CC block lol.
Can you expand on this? Is it the pump’s CFM vs the block’s flow rating?
Where do you source the raw blocks?
I actually built a system that uses a PearlAqua device as the final UV stage. The PearlAqua unit requires a 0.5 micron pre-filter per specification. And the unit I have is the largest 12V unit they had when I built it a year or so ago. And for the UV device to meet the ANSI spec for water from non-potable sources, the flow must be limited to 1GPM.
The system I built also has 3 10" filter stages, a 30 micron washable sediment filter, a 5 micron intermediate filter, and a 0.5 micron activated carbon final filtration stage.
My system using an external power source (vehicle battery). This way I don't have to lug a battery around with the filtration system and the vehicle keeps the battery charged. And I have basically unlimited battery capacity.
None of the commercially available systems are really practical for producing reasonable volumes of potable water from natural sources. Some commercial systems have a single small filter stage. If you read their instructions, you have to pass water through them multiple times with ever finer filter medium to get a potable result. And the small filters will clog quickly.
Some have a built-in battery that is small (limited capacity), heavy, and takes up space that could be used for better filtration.
Many commercially available units are designed for RV use and are designed around the assumption that the source water was potable to start with.
I have about $1K in my setup but it's many times more useful than any of the commercial offerings that were available when I built it. The 10" filter elements are inexpensive and many options are available. I tested before/after treatment sourced from a cow tank in the desert. I also paid for extensive post-treatment tests on water sourced from a boat ramp. All tests confirmed excellent post-treatment water quality and safety.
I didn't see any way to get these results with any of the commercial offerings available when I built it.
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
On the pump part, just match the flow rating of the pump and filter and you should be good.
We freeze our own blocks in a Clinebell, the same units ice sculptors use. The idea is high quality water and "directional freezing" meaning a cold plate that freezes from the bottom, pushing gas bubbles out. Circ pumps on the surface after the ice "seeds" a layer at the bottom. Circ pumps allow the slow growth of ice from the bottom. They yield 300lb primary blocks and break down from there. 2" cubes, collins spears and odd sizes finished on a stainless bonesaw. Yes, we are super nerdy 😁