Many people who own and operate recreational vehicles have come across the type of water that is packed with minerals when traveling to and using water at area campsites. Another word for this type of water is hard water and unless it’s treated this kind of water can cause problems with the RV’s internal plumbing and can even corrode the system. These minerals can cause multiple issues including a buildup on the plumbing equipment and fixtures, deposits inside the RV’s water heater that can cause failure ahead of its lifespan, white spots on glasses or windshields, shampoo or soap that don’t create enough or any suds to wash with and lastly, scalp dryness and itchiness.

A few things can be installed into the RV to keep these problems from happening. They can reduce or even eliminate the detrimental effects of hard water and its minerals on systems and equipment.

1. An RV water softener

2. Magnets for pulling away minerals

3. Systems for de-ionization

4. Cartridges for Phosphate Filters

5. Installing a Reverse Osmosis Filter

There are several types of ways to soften, or eliminate hard water from the RV system, but for this article we will simply address water softening.

RV Water Softeners

These are made to make water softer and does this by taking out any hard minerals that may be present in the liquid. They are very useful, reliable and are used by many people for this purpose. For RV use there are many water softeners made just for these vehicles and this purpose. By using either sodium chloride or potassium chloride they are effective. The softeners will need to be recharged from time to time and can be done automatically or manually. The automatic method requires electricity while the manual way does not.

The manual recharge can use conventional table salt for its regeneration and are cheaper while the automatic type are more expensive. The smaller the unit being treated for hard water the less the softener will have to be recharged. Most people want to recharge as little as possible. Many of the softeners range in price from about $190 to $300 and can easily be purchased on any major inline retailer. It’s always a good idea to review specifications and customer reviews before purchasing. Consider what size will be needed and find a softener that will meet that demand.

To make any RV excursion more enjoyable having the proper equipment is a must. Be sure to leave the garage prepared and to avoid any hard water issues have a softener available.