Before addressing the topic of water sanitization in campers, let's start with two rules for a hygienic and safe load:
- make sure the source is clean, but for wandering campers it is not always easy to verify the reliability of the information. Generally we trust and start refueling.
- always use your own tube, which we are sure is clean, suitable for food and that we will have left empty of water after the last refill. Because stagnant water is a breeding ground for bacteria. In this way we ensure a hygienic base. The pipe available at the rest area could have been there for years, have a nice layer of mucilage inside or perhaps have been used improperly by a previous camper to rinse the waste water tank.
The Power of Filtering
To load water into the tanks – which must be cleaned and sanitized at least once a year – it is necessary a filter that prevents the entry of sediments normally present in the water supply. It is applied to the outlet of the pipe with a quick gardening connection and is transparent, so you can see in real time what is coming in. Inside there is a plastic mesh that can be of different sizes. The smaller it is, the more it filters and they are usually 50 microns. They can be opened, washed and are cheap: about ten euros.
Safe water in tanks
If we are sure that we have followed all the indications on the type of water, the load and the storage, we can drink it without any worries. However, if one of the elements falters, we lose the certainty of having water for all uses, food and non-food. We do not rest on the solution of drinking mineral water and using tanks of water brought from home for cooking, because we run another risk when we brush our teeth or take a shower.
One of the most dangerous bacteria is the Legionella, which is inhaled through shower vapors: a risk not to be taken lightly because it can lead to death. Salmonella It is the other bacterium that can circulate in the camper system and whose ingestion through contaminated water causes even serious gastrointestinal disorders.
Read also The Acquatravel Water Loading Kit
The Power of Ultraviolet
The advice is to equip the camper with a sanitization system of water, which can pay for itself over time. Think about how much mineral water you can avoid buying but also how much less plastic to dispose of. Not to mention the additional weight and bulk on board.
A simple and economical water sanitization system for the camper is the installation of a UV-C lamp. A tube where water is exposed to a light, in this case LED, which destroys the DNA of viruses and bacteria. The ultraviolet radiation is not visible to the human eye and the blue light emitted only serves to understand if everything is working perfectly. At one time this system was not suitable for mobile applications due to the fragile filament lamps, but now the LED also lends itself well to the jolts of the camper.
X-Pura, the Italian solution
One of the most popular UV-C LED lamps is the X-Pura of X Light Group. At Caravan Camper 2 of Perugia we followed the installation of two versions of the lamp – the normal and the Plus – on two completely different vehicles. The camper of a couple who make some trips outside Europe and a 4×4 overland truck that will load water everywhere on intercontinental trips. The writer has been using UV-C lamps for some time and has followed the evolution of these products, which until now came from the German market. Today, however, X-Light – an Italian company specializing in lamps for lighting and sanitization – has brought out the perfect product for campers and boats, probably because the owner is a camper and knew exactly what was needed.
- Compact It can be placed anywhere. With its 20 cm of length and 4 of height it finds place in the dinettes where there are tanks or near the water pumps, if positioned in other places.
- Very light It can be fixed to any wooden panel without fear of it coming off over time.
- Robust physique The structure is in Derlin, an ultra-resistant resin that is truly beautiful to look at. The glass tube is 1 mm thick Pyrex quartz, known for its resistance to thermal shock and lightness.
- Easy to install Simply cut the original pipe and insert X-Pura, which arrives already assembled with two John Guest fittings: the quick couplings you find in your campers.
The installation phases
To avoid leaks, the pipe must be cut with a polyethylene pipe cutter, so that it is perfectly straight.
The electrical connection is very simple with just two wires. The negative must be connected to the one that reaches the pump, while the positive depends on the type of pump. On the immersion pump always connected to the one that reaches the pump, on the pressure switch pump, to the positive that starts from the pressure switch. In this way the lamp turns on only when needed, that is when the pump starts, which depending on the version has two different activations.
An economical and effective solution
The absorption is just 13 W, the duration of 30.000 hours of irradiation and is able to kill over 99% of viruses and bacteria with pumps with a flow rate of up to 15 litres per minute: the classic camper pump is 7 litres per minute.
The difference between the basic version and the Plus is the addition of a cooling heatsink for the LEDs, with a temperature control circuit. An advanced version intended for large systems with large tanks where the lamp can remain in operation for longer. In the classic camper tank the basic version is more than sufficient, because before the lamp heats up you will have run out of water.
All product certifications and laboratory tests can be consulted on the company website, together with the list of retailers and fitters
The basic version of X-Pura costs 210 euros, the Plus version 250 euros. The cost of installation varies from camper model to camper model, but an hour's labor is more than sufficient.
The perfect couple
On our overland vehicle the X-Pura was mated to a water purifier Seagull IV. This allows you to have a complete coverage for food use, removal of all harmful substances present and a truly pure taste and color of the water. However, the water purifier must be installed under the kitchen pipe line, because it has a filter cartridge that must be changed every 4.000 liters or a maximum of one year. It therefore requires maintenance, additional dedicated space and also the costs are higher: over 500 euros. It should be noted that the two products are complementary, one does not replace the other and if used together they offer total hygienic coverage of the water on board.
Text by Alessandro Bacci
