Trouble connecting up a water filter

[mstrelan]

I have a Twin Caravan Water Filter System which has 2x 3/4" BSP to 12mm hose adapters, as seen at https://www.filtersystemsaustralia.com/store/index.php/water-filter/caravan-water-filters/camper-van-caravan-water-filter-ant-ibacterial-silver-carbon-block-1-4gwsilv.html

Theoretically this system can handle 45 LPM but the manufacturer recommends no more than 15 LPM for optimal filtration.

Please excuse my complete lack of basic handyman skills here. The plan is to have a spray gun adapter attached. I guess first of all, that should be possible right? That way I could leave the tap on while brewing and just pull the trigger to have filtered water. The tap is located away from the brewing area and is a bugger to turn on and off.


The first time I used this I had connected the plastic hose adapters by hand rather loosely and the filter leaked everywhere. FWIW I can't imagine the flow rate was anywhere near 45 LPM, probably not even 15 LPM. I decided to get some nice brass adapters to replace the plastic ones and tighten them with a wrench, thinking that would stop the leaking. Unfortunately I only managed to fasten one of the adapters, on the out port, so I just tightened the plastic adapter on the in port as much as I could. The other brass one just won't screw in straight.

First test with the tap turned on about a quarter of a turn, it initially works. The plastic in-port leaks a little bit though and when I'm not spraying the pressure builds up and bursts off the out-port.


I thought maybe I had the tap turned on too far, and at the same time thought I'd tighten that plastic in-port further. A lot further. Now the hose doesn't burst off the out-port, it bursts off the in-port.

So my questions are:

1. Should this concept work? I don't see how else this would be used. Surely you can leave the tap on.
2. Am I meant to just loosen the adapters and allow the filter system to leak everywhere? To relieve pressure?
3. Is there something I can do in order to achieve what I'm after?

Thanks in advance.

 

[droid]

So you'd have a hose connected to the tap, then a length of hose before connecting to the filter, then a length of hose connecting to a nozzle or gun etc?

All I can ad is that we went caravanning once and I couldn't get the click on fitting from the tap to stay on. The tap fitting had a pressure reducer in it. A kindly neighbour lent me a spare click on fitting that didn't have this pressure reducer thing inside it and voila

So if your click on fittings have those inner valve looking things, try some other click on fittings from around the house that don't have them and see

Good luck

 

[mstrelan]

So you'd have a hose connected to the tap, then a length of hose before connecting to the filter, then a length of hose connecting to a nozzle or gun etc?

Exactly

All I can ad is that we went caravanning once and I couldn't get the click on fitting from the tap to stay on. The tap fitting had a pressure reducer in it. A kindly neighbour lent me a spare click on fitting that didn't have this pressure reducer thing inside it and voila

So if your click on fittings have those inner valve looking things, try some other click on fittings from around the house that don't have them and see

Do you mean those valves that prevent the flow of water when there is no nozzle / gun connected? I think there is one on the in-port and one just before the gun. The ones connected to the faucet and the out port of the filter are flow-through connectors.

 

[droid]

nah these things are caravan things, it's like your normal click on tap fitting but they have this plastic seive looking thing inside - the flow can't go through as high and the pressure forces the connector to blow. when i was having trouble this guy came over and said "i don't know why they supply these things with the caravan hose". obviously it must be to stop taps inside vans from blowing. They came with our van hose fittings and if you ordered them with the filter they likely have these inserts inside the click on tap fitting

if you can see right through your click on fitting and the tap fitting (where it screws on to your tap then you don't have them. If you can compare to a normal garden fitting you might see the difference

hope that makes sense

the other dumb questions to ask are:
you have the flow going the right way? some kinda arrow on the filter?
thread tape on the fittings that screw into the filter?

 

[droid]

This was the culprit


Might not be your issue, hope someone may have ideas to help you
Cheers

 

[droid]

Exactly



Do you mean those valves that prevent the flow of water when there is no nozzle / gun connected? I think there is one on the in-port and one just before the gun. The ones connected to the faucet and the out port of the filter are flow-through connectors.

erm, maybe that's it yes

 

[mstrelan]

It looks pretty similar to what I'm describing, but I guess mine stops flow completely.

If I use a flow through connector at every point, and no trigger gun, then it works fine with no leaks, except that the water is always flowing. As soon as I connect up the spray gun and release the trigger, the connector on the in-port blows off.

I then put a hose connector with a control valve leading in to the in-port so I could at least turn it on and off at that point and it works fine.

So it seems like I can't use the spray gun with the filter, unless it's just a matter of needing a stronger connection. Hoping someone can answer that.

 

[mstrelan]

the other dumb questions to ask are:
you have the flow going the right way? some kinda arrow on the filter?
thread tape on the fittings that screw into the filter?

Ya it says in / out on the filter and definitely correct. Have tried with and without thread tape. That would help to stop leaks, but doesn't stop the hose connector bursting off. Think I need to get that second brass fitting in there, it just won't thread in. I tried swapping the in/out fittings and the problem is on the in port, not the fitting itself. I'll get a mate to try get that fitting in, otherwise will try Hoselink "No-Burst" connections.