Why BESTWF and BESTHC Water Filters Are The Best

Clarence Water Filters stocks a wide range of water filters which are ideal for caravans, RVs, motorhomes, and camper trailers. Two of our most popular options are the BESTWF and BESTHC. In this guide, we will explain why these filters are so popular amongst keen travellers. But first, here is a reminder of why water filtration is so important.

Why Water Filters Are Necessary When Traveling

The quality of drinking water varies dramatically around Australia. Some locations will have hard water with high levels of calcium and magnesium, while others will have chlorinated water that has a horrible taste and odour. There is also a risk of consuming water contaminated by heavy metals, bacteria, cyst parasites and so on, not to mention the fact that many people get sick when drinking from a different water supply to what they are accustom too.

The best way to ensure you have access to clean drinking water while traveling is by using a water filtration system. Water filters can remove contaminants including:

• Chlorine and Chloramines
  Most councils add chlorine to town water supplies to kill water borne pathogens. Unfortunately, it can make water smell and taste terrible.
• Cyst Parasites
  Untreated water can sometimes contain waterborne cyst parasites including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and Cyclospora. They can make you severely ill if ingested.
• Bacteria
  Unchlorinated water can also contain a bacteria including Escherichia coli (e-coli) and Coliform.
• Heavy Metals
  If you are traveling in the outback or in areas with dilapidated infrastructure, the water supply may contain heavy metals including lead, arsenic, copper, cadmium, and mercury.
• Rust
  Rusty water can stain your clothes, make your water unpalatable and damage appliances.
• Sediment
  Water from water tanks, bores, streams, rivers, and old pipes can contain a large amount of sediment. This can negatively impact the smell and taste of your drinking water.
• Hard Water
  Some locations within Australia have ‘hard’ water, which contains high levels of dissolved minerals. Hard water has bad taste and can cause scale to form on the inside of pipes, taps, coffee machines, hot water heaters and other appliances.
• Chemical and pesticides
  There are many hazardous chemicals and pesticides in use in Australia which can contaminate the local water supply. They include Trihalomethanes (THMs), Poly and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrate/nitrite. Many of these are the by-product from chlorine.

What Are The BEST WF and BEST HC Filters?

Our BEST filters are inline water filters specifically designed for caravans, motorhomes, RVs and camper trailers. They are compact, lightweight, and simple-to-use products which can be installed in a matter of minutes. Each filter contains a combination of:

• Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF)
  KDF is a proprietary blend of copper and zinc. It uses a process called electrochemical oxidation-reduction to reduce active chlorine, scale build up, and bacterial growth within the filter housing. It also extends the life of the filter by removing particles before they can clog up the GAC.
• Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
  GAC is an absorbent material created from a carbonaceous raw material (usually crush coconut shells or charcoal). It will absorb a wide variety of contaminants including chlorine, dirt, rust, algae, chemicals, and heavy metals. It also reduces bad taste and odour from water.

Using KDF and GAC together can filter the water to 1 micron nominal. This combination delivers excellent flow rate and contaminant removal.

Our BEST filters are available with click on brass hose fittings, which makes filling up your RV, Caravan, or Mobile Home’s tanks simple. You just click on the hose fittings like you would when using a standard garden hose and turn on the tap.

There are also ¼” and 12mm John Guest style push in fittings available. These fittings let you push ¼” or 12mm hose into the ends of the filter to immediately form a watertight seal. They are particularly useful for under bench kitchen installations.

BEST filters are also available without any fittings, which will be ¼” BSP female threads to allow the installation using your own fittings.

Both the BEST WF and BEST HC have C shaped surface mounting clips available, which makes mounting them simple.

The BESTWF Vs The BESTHC

Clarence water filters stocks two versions of the BEST filter: the BESTWF and the BESTHC.

Both filter contain a blend of KDF55 and GAC granular activated carbon to reduce Dirt, Rust, Algae, Chemicals, Chlorine, Bad Taste & Odours, and heavy metals to deliver clean and healthy drinking water.

The only differences between the two products are their size and capacity. The BEST HC is a high-capacity filter which has a maximum capacity of 7570 litres (depending on water quality). It is also large in size, measuring 260mm long (plus fittings) x 62mm diameter.

The BEST WF is slightly smaller with a maximum capacity of 250mm long (plus fittings) x 50mm diameter. It has a maximum capacity of 6000 Litres depending on water quality. Both are max pressure 125 psi and are NSF 42 tested.

The filter you choose will be determined by how much room you have available and how much water you expect to use while traveling.

Note the capacity rating on the filters is for reducing chlorine.

Why Use BEST Water Filters?

• Simple To Install
  The BEST filter is available with click on hose fittings and push in tube fittings. This makes installation as easy as connecting a garden hose or pushing tubes into a hole. 
• A Variety Of Fittings
  The BEST water filter is available with a wide variety of attachments including ¼” push in John Guest fittings, 12mm John Guest Fittings, and click on hose fittings . They are also available with no fittings (1/4” female thread). This means it can be used to filter water as it enters the caravan (Point of Entry) or under the kitchen sink (Point of Use).
• Compact Size
  Space is usually very limited in caravans, motorhomes, camper trailers, and RVs so installing a large filtration system is usually impossible. The BEST filter is intentionally compact, so it can be installed under your kitchen bench or stored for later use.
• NSF 42 Certified
  NSF 42 is a certification based around the taste and smell of water. NSF 42 filters have the ability to remove chlorine as well as other unpleasant impurities which can cause your water to have a strong and unpleasant odours.
• Durable Housing
  Traveling can be quite rough on your gear. That’s why the BESTWF and BESTHC have been designed with a rugged outer casing.
• High Flow Rate
  The BEST WF and BEST HC have a maximum flow rate of up to 15Lpm (depending on water quality and pressure available). For the highest chlorine reduction the filter should be used at 2Lpm.
• Affordable
  Our best filters are available at an affordable price. This means you can save some money on water filtration and spend it on other traveling expenses.

What Can’t The BEST Filter Do?

It’s important to note that the BEST WF and BEST HC filters do have their limitations. One of those limitations is that they are not CYST rated filters.  

While they will reduce CYST parasites (Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora) to a significant degree, they will not filter them out like a 1 micron absolute carbon block filter.

This means the BEST WF and BEST HC are not an ideal single-filter solution for travellers who are filling up their tanks with unchlorinated water from creeks, streams, bores, and water tanks.

If you fill up with water from dubious sources, you will need a filter with an absolute rating of 1 micron or a UV system at some stage in your filtration system.

Many travellers will use a BEST WF or BEST HC with push on hose fittings when filling up their water tanks then have a secondary 1 micron absolute filter on their drinking water. This ensures the water they drink is free of cyst parasites.

If you are looking for an additional CYST rated filter, a couple of other popular options amongst travellers are:

• Omnipure L-series Filters
  The L-series filters are compact filters that screw into a head with a quarter turn, just like a bayonet lightbulb. They are available in several sizes, including ultra-compact sizes ideal for under sink in caravans, RV, and motor homes. The Omnipure L5320 is a particularly popular choice. It is a 1 micron CYST rated filter containing silver impregnated carbon. It reduces sediment, chlorine, chemicals, Bad Taste & Odours, Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora. Measuring 175mm x 62mm. it can fit into tight spaces. View the Omnipure range.
• Everpure Filters
  Everpure filters are high-quality American made filters ideal for travellers. They are made using high-quality components including robust metal enclosures. Our most popular Everpure filters are the Everpure ADC (0.5 micron sediment/carbon filter), Everpure OCS2 (0.5 micron with scale control), and the Everpure 2FC-S (0.5 micron fiberdyne carbon filter with scale control). View the Everpure range.

If you always fill up with chlorinated water from caravan parks, parks, and shops, then the BEST filters can be used on their own as a single filter solution.

Wrapping Up

It’s easy to see why the BEST WF and BEST HC are so popular. They are affordable filters which have the ideal attributes for travellers exploring Australia. To learn more, give us a call today or shoot us an email. You can also check out the product pages for the BEST WF here and the BEST HC.

Clarence Water Filters Pty Ltd

Phone: 02 6646 8565

Email:  sales@clarencewaterfilters.com.au

Categorised in: Water Filtration

This post was written by Greg