Whole House Carbon Filters

Yes, if chlorine, chloramine or a light rotten egg smell is your problem. A carbon tank takes it out at every tap and in the shower, and reduces chemicals such as VOCs, pesticides and PFAS, for about 5 years before a refill. It is not worth buying for iron, hardness, bacteria or nitrate: carbon does not treat them.

$259 to $2,495 for the equipment. The 20 inch Big Blue cartridge kit is $259. The non-backwashing tanks are $1,495 (1.5) and $1,695 (2.5); the backwashing tanks are $1,895 (1.5) and $2,495 (2.5). Most homes need the $1,695 tank. New carbon is $295 a cubic foot about every 5 years ($590 for the 2.5). For the plumber, Aidan tells callers about an hour or two for a non-backwashing tank on its own, and $800 to $1,000 with a softener.

Chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor, and a light rotten egg smell. It also reduces some chlorine byproducts, many VOCs, some pesticides and herbicides, and PFAS. We say reduces, not removes, for PFAS: no tank we sell is certified for PFAS, so test the water after it is in. It does not remove iron, hardness, bacteria, nitrate, fluoride or dissolved minerals.

Yes, with catalytic carbon. Chloramine breaks down more slowly than chlorine, so it needs catalytic carbon and enough of it. Every carbon tank we sell, non-backwashing and backwashing, holds Centaur catalytic carbon from Calgon Carbon, which is made for chloramine. The non-backwashing tank is all you need for it: no drain and no power. The Big Blue cartridge kit uses standard carbon and is not for chloramine.

Carbon is a polish, not an all-in-one filter. It does not remove iron, manganese, hardness, bacteria, nitrate or most dissolved minerals. A tank takes floor space (10 or 13 inches wide, 54 tall), the backwashing tanks need a drain and an outlet, and the carbon is used up and replaced about every 5 years. A spent bed can let through what it used to hold, so replace it on time.

Non-backwashing, for city water and most wells. Backwashing is only for a well with heavy sediment or some iron when the carbon is the only filter, and it does not make the carbon last longer. Backwashing vs non-backwashing carbon filters goes through it.

About every 5 years in most homes, sooner on well water with a sulfur smell. The tank stays: the old carbon is dumped into trash bags and new carbon poured in through the funnel, a job for your plumber. Centaur refill carbon is $295 a cubic foot; the 2.5 takes two. A change in taste or smell is the sign it is time. The Big Blue kit's cartridge is rated for about 25,000 gallons.

Not if the tank is sized for your house. The 2.5 non-backwashing tank passes up to about 17 gallons a minute and the 1.5 about 10; the backwashing tanks about 12 to 15 and 9 to 10. The Big Blue cartridge kit is meant for smaller homes. If your pressure is already low, tell Aidan before you order.

It reduces them; we do not claim it removes them. EPA says carbon reduces longer-chain PFAS such as PFOA and PFOS better than shorter-chain kinds, and how well it works depends on the carbon and the flow. No carbon tank we sell is certified for PFAS. If PFAS is your main concern, test the water after the carbon is in, and see our PFAS systems.

Only if you have both problems. A softener removes hardness (scale and spots); carbon removes chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor. A city home with chlorine and hard water may need both, and on a well the carbon goes after the softener. See the carbon and softener packages, or send Aidan your report and he will tell you whether you need one or both.

No. Carbon removes chemicals, not germs: bacteria and viruses pass through, and a carbon bed can even grow bacteria on what it holds. If a well test shows bacteria, the answer is a UV light, which goes after the carbon. Tell Aidan what your test shows.

Yes. Activated carbon is also called activated charcoal. What differs between filters is the grade of carbon and how much of it the water passes through. Charcoal water filters explains the difference.