Better Products for Better Water

It all started with the purchase of a family RV.

Well, not all of it. When Keith and Barbara Bernard, owners and founders of Applica Water Products, bought an RV in 2016, they’d already been in the water filtration business for eight years, making water pitchers and filters for pitchers under the Clear2O brand. It didn’t take long for the Bernards to realize that the quality of water filtration in their RV wasn’t what they were used to at home.

“We wanted that same level [of water quality] that we got in our water pitcher in our RV when we’re traveling around,” Keith Bernard says, adding that they also wanted the water for cooking and showering to be at the same quality level as their drinking water. “We really [needed] to get all the water for the RV to be better.”

The Bernards took their existing water filtration technology and adapted it for use in their RV, which led to making Clear2O filters for commercial use in the RV space.

Bernard says they’ve never looked back, continuing to make RV water filters and more — all with the intent to create better products focused on better water.

Solid Carbon Block

What differentiates Clear2O filters from other filters on the market is their construction. When the Bernards entered the RV space, Keith says they noticed that most inline filters — widely considered the standard — relied on granular carbon. Water passes through the loose carbon granules, which absorb the contaminants, making the water cleaner. However, water often flows too quickly through this design, limiting the contact time with the carbon and reducing its effectiveness, he explains.

To reduce contaminants like lead, mercury and VOCs (volatile organic compounds), microplastics and sulfur odors, Clear2O instead uses “a firm solid block made out of carbon powder, [formed] into the shape of a full-length filter, and then all the water actually has to pass through the wall of the carbon filter to be able to exit,” Bernard says. “So, when that happens, it’s slow. Water slows down. There’s plenty of residency time to absorb, and the carbon can really do its magic at that point — it can absorb the contaminants that are coming through and exit. And then the level of clean water is dramatic.”

There’s nothing wrong with carbon granule filters, he adds, but they may not meet the filtration needs of some RVers in the way that a solid carbon block can. It’s important to recognize that different types of filters do different things, regarding not only the contaminants they remove, but also the different quality levels of removal.

How Dealers Can Help

Since 2020, Bernard says they’ve seen an increase in RVers who are educated about water quality and who want their water quality on the road to be equal to what is in their houses. He says that dealers can’t treat this market the same as pre-COVID — if they do, consumers will simply go elsewhere, and dealers will miss “an opportunity to upgrade and supply these customers on an ongoing basis.”

“[These RVers] don’t really want to bring bottled water with them. It’s a hassle to do that. And they recognize they’re throwing all that plastic waste away as well,” Bernard says. By using a quality water filter instead, “They save on weight, and they also save the environment.”

To help match customers with the right filtration product, dealers need to determine how they’re planning to use their RV, how much water they’ll be using and what their expectations are for water quality.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” Bernard explains. “There are [RVers] who are very, very focused on the cleanest water possible. They may have health issues, or they may just have a desire for extremely clean water, as opposed to others who would rather have higher flow [and] longer [filter] life, and they would choose products to fit that. There’s a big difference between someone having a pop-up trailer and someone who has a large Class A with a washing machine on it. Water needs between the two are vastly different, so you need a filter that can handle those higher flow rates and higher capacity needs, and still produce clean water.”

For those higher capacity needs, Clear2O expanded beyond inline filters to canister filters, which use the same solid carbon block technology. Canisters are larger, have a higher gallon per minute and typically last longer as well, he says, so what style a dealer would recommend really depends on what type of RVer the end user is.

Bernard also points out that water quality at campgrounds may not be up to a customer’s standards, depending on the campground’s water supply. Municipal water will be treated at its source, but that water may then have to travel through a lot of pipes, some of which could be 60 to 70 years old. This can add particulates, rust or other contaminants to the water simply due to the age of the pipes. For campgrounds on well water, depending on the local codes, the water could be treated or untreated, and may have an unpleasant taste or odor.

“You can’t control the water quality at the campground,” Bernard says, “but you can control the quality of the water that comes out of your filter.”

Looking to the Future

Bernard acknowledges that raising awareness has been one of the company’s challenges, even though it has been in business since 2008. They’re a small company, with only five employees at their Miramar, Florida, headquarters. They have a loyal following, but “we’re constantly finding people that have never heard of us,” he says. To combat this, the company has plans to increase awareness, including discussions with influencers.

They’re also hoping to form partnerships with distributors and expand into the dealer market; Bernard says they’re “very interested in being able to be found at all of the [dealerships].” At the moment, their products can be purchased online and on their website, and a few products are available in retail RV sections.

The Bernards also intend to continue expanding their product line.

“Over the next few years, we would like to be a full line supplier of all things water, so that if there’s a dealer looking for [something], they can count on us to have a product available,” Bernard says.

Applica Water Products has already expanded beyond Clear2O water filters, offering the DirtGUARD sediment pre-filter as well as the bleach-free TankFRESH line. The tank sanitizing treatment is ammonia-based, safe for both the cold and hot water side, Bernard says, and it only takes 30 minutes to an hour to fully sanitize. The line also includes a salt-based water freshener for on the road and a tank shock treatment that’s a more concentrated formula.

Bernard says the TankFRESH line came about because of customer feedback, adding that they’re always interested in identifying and solving problems.

“We always want to know, how can we do it better? What are the problems in that particular area that consumers are facing, and then how can we address those problems?” Bernard says.

At the end of the day, Bernard says they want to “encourage everyone to just explore water a little bit more and know that there are options out there that [they] may not be aware of.”