The kitchen is one of the most-used parts of your home, and that’s true for us RVers, too. The cornerstone of any kitchen is the kitchen sink. Because most RVs don’t have dishwashers, the kitchen sink gets a LOT of use. In this article, we’re sharing some innovative RV kitchen upgrades we’ve found to improve the look and functionality of this central feature.
Table of contents
RV Kitchen Faucet Replacement
For years, we washed dishes by hand in the RV kitchen sink set up our RV came with. We didn’t fully appreciate the daily role that the kitchen faucet played in our lives until we finally replaced it. Wow, what a difference!
The Role of the RV Kitchen Faucet
If you buy a used RV, like we did, your faucet might not look very modern and can be made out of cheaper materials to reduce weight and cut costs. Since the kitchen is usually sharing the same room space as the living area, the RV kitchen sink can literally be the centerpiece for your main RV living space. Because of this, an RV kitchen faucet should work well and look good.
The faucet that came with our RV worked okay and didn’t look bad, but it definitely looked dated. It also had a bit of a leak when we used it in spray mode. These were things we just got used to. It wasn’t until we finally updated it that we realized the joy a new, shiny, and technologically advanced faucet can bring to the RV life!
There are several things to consider when replacing your RV kitchen faucet, especially with a residential one. Learn more about how to replace the faucet in your RV.
New Faucet Solves RV Water Conservation Problems
We found an RV kitchen upgrade that looked great and made washing dishes much more pleasant. It also saves water, especially when you’re dry camping without hookups.
Conserving water is important to make your RV fresh water tank last longer and avoid filling your grey tank too quickly. This is especially true when you’re trying to dry camp for long stretches. When washing dishes, you constantly have to turn the water on and off. On and off. Plus, you have to refind that perfect temperature where it’s not too hot, but not too cold.
The Solution: a touch faucet!
We installed a Delta Touch2O faucet with touch sensing on/off capabilities. We chose the Essa model for our RV kitchen sink.
- TOUCH ON. TOUCH OFF. Messy hands, Touch anywhere on the kitchen...
- MAGNETIC DOCKING: MagnaTite Docking uses a powerful magnet to...
- LASTS 2X LONGER: Patented DIAMOND Seal Technology reduces leak...
Touch Faucets Are Great For RV Life! Here’s Why:
The Delta Touch2O faucet comes on at a single touch, and quickly shuts off at the next touch. This fast and easy activation saves water run time in three ways:
- As you are reaching to and from the faucet handle
- As you are adjusting water flow rate
- And as you adjust and wait for the proper temperature of water
The latter two reasons are big ones! The Touch2O allows you to set the desired flow rate and temperature so that it’s the same every time the faucet turns on. No more fighting with the faucet while doing the dishes!
Additionally, touch faucets make it easier to turn the water on and off when your hands are full or messy. Just bump it with your forearm or the back of your hand, and voila! As for longevity, we installed one 5 years ago in a family member’s home, and besides needing a change of AA batteries, the faucet still works flawlessly.
Q: Does it turn on when you’re driving? It hasn’t, but it’s a good idea to turn the faucet to the “off” position just to be safe. It’s also always a good practice to turn your water pump off whenever you travel.
(Check out our 6 Great RV Faucet Replacement Ideas (and How-To) post for more recommendations on faucet replacements and things to consider for your upcoming RV kitchen faucet replacement.) add later
Adding RV Water Filter Systems
Water itself is a big part of the whole RV kitchen sink experience and is an important consideration when thinking about RV kitchen upgrades. So, what about the safety of the water that comes out of the faucet?
For years, we bought RO water by the gallon from the store and schlepped it around. On top of managing our water and holding tanks, we always had to track our drinking water. It was a complete and utter pain.
We finally pulled the trigger on water filtration for our Go North trip to Alaska, and can’t imagine ever going back. We installed an RV Water Filter Store Essential System that included a pre-RV water filter and their Ultrapure Premium Under Sink Drinking. Later, we added an Acuva UV Water Purifier system to ensure our water was as safe and clean as it could possibly be!
Can I Drink Water Out of My RV Fresh Water Tank?
Why didn’t we just drink out of our RV tank? Because who knows what could be growing in that tank! Even with a pre-filter coming into the RV, bacteria can grow in your RV’s freshwater tank, and you don’t want to drink that. If you use a filter to remove chlorine or get an unchlorinated supply this is more likley to happen. It is important to ocasionally sanatize your tank but getting good water to start is important.
There is a lot to know about RV water filter systems to make sure you have clean and safe water for use in your RV.
RV Water Filter Store Essential System
We partnered with RV Water Filter Store to install their Essential System plus the Ultrapure Premium Under Sink Drinking Water system.
External RV Water Pre-Filter
Inline water filters located in between the water source and the RV are the most common RV water filters. This would be the absolute minimum filter level we would recommend getting for your RV. As you travel and fill water in different locations, you can’t be sure of the water quality in every location.
The Essential System is a dual-canister system that connects with an RV water hose and is used in-line to filter water BEFORE it gets into our fresh water tank.
- HIGH WATER FLOW RATES - allow for 3-4 Gallons Per Minute at 60...
- SAFE AND DELICIOUS TASTING WATER EVERY TIME - from our 2 stage...
- 0.5 MICRON HIGH QUALITY FILTRATION - from our 0.5 micron coconut...
The external RV water pre-filter catches sediment and larger particles in the water supply before they even reach your freshwater tank. This means cleaner water to wash dishes and shower in.
The RV Water Filter Essential System has 2 pre-filters: a sediment filter to remove dirt and larger particles, and a .5 micron carbon block to help eliminate chlorine, chemicals, and a good portion of bacteria and parasites. Removing the chlorine pre tank may not be a great idea. If you are extra sensitive it’s a good idea but removing it will further allow bacteria growth in your tank, so something to keep in mind.
We’ve been using our canisters for well over a year, and they’re pretty rugged. They’ve withstood traveling to Alaska and back as well as Florida heat. The filters are replaceable and should be changed every 6 months.
Under-Counter RV Drinking Water Filter
The external filters do a pretty good job of removing most particulate matter, and that is great for doing dishes and bathing. Drinking water is another matter, and you’ll want to filter and purify it a bit more.
We installed the Ultrapure Under Sink System from RV Water Filter Store. It is an undersink system that has an additional AquaCera Cerametix filter. This one will not only remove bacteria, but also remove fluoride, arsenic, chloramines, lead, and heavy metals. With the finer filter, we get a better final quality in our drinking water. This involved drilling a hole in the counter to install a drinking water spigot and some simple plumbing under the sink.
The Importance of the Acuva UV Water Purifier (+ Discount Code!)
RV water filters, while great, can grow bacteria inside them. Silver is often included to help prevent this, but many studies have shown that filters on faucets can actually increase bacteria growth in the lines after-filter and pre-faucet.
This is the Acuva Eco NX Silver Water Purification system. Besides looking great, it has a set of UV lights installed in a box under the sink that sanitizes the water before it comes out of the faucet.
This box blasts all water passing through with UV LED lights. UV means ultraviolet, and UVC wavelengths will destroy DNA and proteins in viruses and bacteria living in the water. It also kills parasites.
A blue light turns on at the base letting you know the unit is working and the water is sanitized. This last line of defense gives us a lot of confidence in our drinking water!
Installing the Acuva Water Purifier
Installing the unit – tap into the main cold water line. Run into the filter. Runs over to the Acuva brink. This needs a power source. This brink contains the UV LEDs and will glow blue when in use. You can choose whether to run the purifier off of 12V or 120 AC power.
Note: Installing any under-counter filter system will decrease the flow of water coming out of your drinking water. The Acuva in particular has a flow restrictor. The water needs to flow slow enough past the UVs so that it has time to interact with anything in the water and sterilize it.
Installing the Acuva was easy – just had to drill a new hole in our countertop for the Acuva drinking faucet. Depending on your sink and plumbing, accessing the underside of your RV’s kitchen sink. You can buy the Acuva without the faucet if you already have one or want a different one to match your kitchen theme.
Updating the RV Kitchen Sink Drains
One of the easiest RV kitchen upgrades you can make is replacing the drain in your sink. Sinks come in many different shapes and sizes, and so do drains. You might need to replace yours with an RV-specific model. If it’s a standard sink, you can go to Home Depot, like we did, and quickly refresh the look of a used RV sink!
Want to Make These Upgrades To Your RV Kitchen Sink?
If you’d like to make these upgrades to your RV kitchen sink, you can find them here:
- Delta Touch2O Touch Faucets are available on Amazon. Click here to view the available styles!
- RV Water Filter Store systems are available on Amazon OR directly on their website, rvwaterfilterstore.com. You’ll likely want to also get a 4′ section of drinking water hose to go between the spigot and the filters.
- GET $100 OFF Acuva UV-LED Water Purifiers and Smart Faucets are available directly on their website. Use code “MORTONS” at checkout to apply your discount to your order. Click here to visit their website.
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John
Friday 22nd of January 2021
Would it be possible to mount a 266nm wavelength UV-C led light encased in a glass or plastic protective globe (much like those used in enclosed spaces, sealed with silicone or a rubber gasket and attached using stainless steel hardware) into the fresh water tank? While the water would still need to be filtered to remove particulate matter, it would sterilize it against pathogenic microorganisms.
Alice
Friday 20th of November 2020
Very thorough. Lots to think about. Thanks. Left long comment on video.
Mortons on the Move
Friday 20th of November 2020
Thank you! There's definitely a lot more possibilities with an RV kitchen sink than what meets the eye!