Chlorine, chloramines, chlorine byproducts, VOCs, herbicides, pesticides, PFAS (reduced; it is not certified for PFAS), taste and odor, and average levels of hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell). Centaur is a catalytic carbon: besides adsorbing contaminants like standard carbon, it decomposes chloramine faster than standard activated carbon and converts hydrogen sulfide on its surface. At high sulfur levels the carbon may not last long, and Aidan recommends a Katalox Light filter instead.

A backwashing filter periodically reverses water flow to flush sediment and redistribute the media. It needs a drain line and an electrical outlet. This non-backwashing filter uses an upflow design where water enters from the bottom and naturally lifts the carbon bed during use. No drain, no electricity, no wasted water. For city water or clean well water, non-backwashing is simpler and just as effective.

4 to 5 years in most homes, less on water with heavy sulfur. The 2.5 cubic foot tank holds 2 cubic feet of carbon (two 1 cubic foot boxes), a third more carbon than the 1.5 cubic foot version, which holds 1.5 cubic feet. To replace it, take the head off, dump the old carbon, and pour two new boxes of Centaur in through the included fill funnel.

No to both. The Clack C1190 is a non-electric, non-backwashing valve. There's nothing to plug in, no timers to set, and no drain connection needed. You just plumb it inline on your main water line.

We recommend installation by a licensed plumber; Aidan supports your plumber by phone at 800-460-5810. There is no electrical work and no drain plumbing: load the carbon through the funnel, mount the head, connect the inlet and outlet, then flush for 10 to 15 minutes. A licensed plumber typically finishes in an hour or two. The carbon ships in separate boxes and is loaded at install; plumbing fittings are not included.

If you have hard water, yes. Carbon handles chemicals and odors; a softener handles hardness minerals. On city water, install the carbon filter first and the softener after it, because chlorine shortens resin life. On well water, the carbon filter goes last, after the iron filter and softener. We also sell carbon filter and water softener packages.

Centaur is made by Calgon Carbon from bituminous coal using a patented catalytic process. Standard coconut shell carbon only works through adsorption, trapping contaminants on its surface. Centaur has catalytic properties that actively decompose hydrogen sulfide and chloramines through chemical reactions. It's the same grade of carbon used in municipal water treatment plants.

A Vortech tank is a gravel-free mineral tank. Traditional tanks need a gravel bed at the bottom to support the filter media. Vortech tanks have an engineered bottom plate that eliminates the gravel entirely. That makes the system lighter, gives you better flow distribution, and makes media replacement much easier when it's time.