Clearsource Water Filter Specs:
What: 2-Canister Portable Whole-RV Premium Water Filter System
Dimensions: 15-inches x 7-inches x 14-inches
Weight: 17 pounds
Includes: 5 micron sediment filter & .5 micron carbon block filter
Removes: Chlorine, volatile organic compounds, cysts, giardia, and other contaminants
Clearsource Premium RV Water Filter System on Amazon.com →
Hi Everyone, and welcome to my review of the CLEARSOURCE Premium RV Water Filter System. The Clearsource water filtration system is marketed as a premium solution for RVers, but does it live up to the hype? I used the system for a month and share my experience below.
Full disclosure – CLEARSOURCE contacted me and sent me a Premium RV Filter System to test. I kept the system and tested it for a month, then sent it back when I was done testing.
What Makes the CLEARSOURCE Water Filter System stand out?
The Clearsource system uses a custom powder-coated metal chassis to support dual water filtration canisters. The cage is super durable and can either be placed on the ground or in a storage bin. I’d imagine that over time the cage could chip and potentially rust, but I didn’t see any wear or tear while I was using it. Plus the fact that it is powder coated should mean it should hold up well for quite some time.
All the fittings and hardware are stainless steel, which is ideal. Really everything that gets regularly exposed to water should use stainless hardware, but for some reason most manufacturers focus on price point and use cheap hardware. Clearsource is unlike many manufacturers, since they obviously hold higher quality standards for their product.
Which brings me to another point – the Clearsource Water Filtration system is pricy compared to some other systems. My 3-filter system is considerably less robust, as it uses a simple wall bracket – but it also cost about half what the 2-filter Clearsource unit costs. There are several other 2-filter units on the market that are also significantly less expensive – such as this unit from Beech Lane – so the point is that you’re not buying this water filtration system because it’s cheap.
No – you’re buying the Clearsource system because it’s literally the last water filtration system you’ll ever need. This system is built like a tank. As mentioned, all the hardware is stainless, the cage is powder-coated and very solid, and the canisters are huge and also solid (see my comparison pic with my system) plus they provide a free canister wrench (very handy).
We have a Class C and the main challenge for us was that we couldn’t find a place to mount the unit while in motion. Our ‘garage’ is not very deep, so it didn’t fit there — and other storage bins aren’t large enough to fit it either. For this reason, I opted to retain our current system.
If you have a Class-A, 5th Wheel, or a C with large bins you should be able to mount it outside just fine, as long as you measure your storage before buying it. The system is 15-inches wide x 14-inches tall and 7-inches deep – and it’s probably the best to store or mount it standing up, so take that into consideration.
The only other issue I had with the system was that the female end – where you’d connect a hose – was fixed. This meant that I had to twist the entire hose to connect it (vs just a fitting), so not super handy. This would be easy to fix with a quick disconnect system, but it would be nice if Clearsource used a non-fixed fitting – especially for those of us who move frequently.
Pros:
- Super Premium Water Filter System
- Literally the last RV Water Filter System You’ll Ever Buy
- Premium System uses all stainless steel hardware
- Powder-Coated Chassis
- Large & Durable Canisters allow maximum water flow
- Sediment and Carbon filters are included
Cons:
- Premium system has a premium price
- The female end uses a fixed fitting, so connecting a hose during setup is a little tricky. Stainless Steel Quick Disconnects are a simple fix to this issue
- The Filter System requires more storage space than some due to the powder-coated chassis
Clearsource Water Filter System Photo Gallery:
Conclusion:
Would I recommend the CLEARSOURCE water Fiter System? Absolutely! The System is a well-built, long-term solution to water filtration in your RV. It’s a premium product with a premium price, but that also means it’s built to the highest standards, uses all stainless steel hardware, and should last virtually forever. I love products that are well constructed, dependable and built to last.
If you care about clean water (I hope so!), have the cash and the space to store it, I’d strongly consider investing in the CLEARSOURCE system. Don’t forget to pickup extra sediment and carbon filters while you’re at it.
Clearsource RV Water Filter System (Original Color) on Amazon.com →
Clearsource Replacement Sediment & Carbon Twin Pack Water Filters →
2019 Update – New Color & Onboard Unit
CLEARSOURCE recently released an attractive desert tan powder coated frame with white canisters, as well as a dual water filter unit that can be mounted onboard like ours with clear canisters (must be mounted in a dark enclosed area). Both units are built to Clearsource’s high standards and use all stainless steel hardware.
I was about to buy a system until I read this. I like the construction since I break things due to carelessness. Nice website!
Thanks Gary. Short of driving over it, it would take more than carelessness to break the Clearsource Water Filter System. It’s very well built and solid. Good luck!
Thank you! This is great information!
Hi Tressa – I’m glad you found my review useful!
Hi Rich,
With the Clearsource system, would it be best to hook up the water softener before or after the Clearsource unit?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan – I put our water softener before the filtration system as soft water is easier to filter, and our filtration system won’t get gunked up with calcium and magnesium (hard water) deposits. If you run the clearsource first, you’ll also go through more particle filters. Hard water can clog them pretty quickly (a month or two) depending on the quality of the water.
Hi Rich & Kathy
Thanks for the reply. I agree that algae could possibly build up within a clear housing, but would think that most applications for these types of water filters would be mostly out of the sun. Anyway – thanks for the review!
Barb & I are doing well. Still trying to downsize and get out of our house. The RV is ready & willing to go, but so much for our plans to be back East this fall and head for Florida this winter. Instead we will likely be spending much of the winter in the AZ desert before heading into the Pacific NW next spring & summer Just 1 year behind schedule!
Enjoy reading the posts from you and Kathy as you go through some of the East Coast. We miss it as have always enjoyed the mountains and all the trees there. But we did get back there last June-July, and were able to pass through RI and some of MA – visiting Franklin and Lenox. Very pretty.
One thing we still have to determine is where we will establish a new domicile. We have until next July as our current CA vehicle registrations expire then, and we don’t want to renew under the governors new, much higher registration fee structure.. But by then we have to decide between SD, TX or FL. I think SD or FL are probably best, but considering that someday we might be spending more time in FL maybe we should go with that. Still need to do more research.
Take care!
Nice article again! Thanks for sharing 😉
Thanks Rich!
1> Does this water filtration system use standard sized water filter cartridges – like the system you already had installed?
2> It is too bad that the screw-on filter canisters are not clear. Having had this type of water filtration system in our house I found that having clear outer canisters is invaluable in determining how clogged/dirty the inner cartridges have become.
Thanks for your review!
Hi Rick – Yes, the system uses standard 2.5″ x 10″ filters. Regarding clear housing – the system is designed (I assume) to be placed outside. If you use clear housing outside, Algae can and will eventually grow in the water & water filter. Clear housing works fine if it’s in an enclosed space like ours. I hope you and Barbara are doing well!