✓Clack C1190 non-backwashing upflow valve, no electricity, no drain line, no backwash cycle, and no programming
✓1.5 cubic feet of catalytic activated carbon, the same municipal-grade media used in city water plants for chlorine, taste, and odor
✓Vortech mineral tank (10" x 54"), gravel-free design for better flow and easier media service
✓Bypass valve with 1" connections, easily reduced to 3/4"
✓ Fillport and service funnel for adding media without removing the valve
Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain Water Softener
✓Fleck 5600SXT digital control valve, NSF certified, electronic demand regeneration with backlit LCD and 48-hour power backup capacitor
✓1.5 cubic feet of 10% crosslink resin, chlorine-resistant and longer-lasting than standard 8% resin
✓48,000 grain capacity, sized for 5 to 30 grains per gallon hardness
✓Vortech mineral tank, gravel-free design
✓18" x 33" brine tank with safety float and auto-shutoff
✓1" stainless steel bypass valve, pre-installed on the control head
Included With Both Systems
✓ Free shipping to all lower 48 states, ships freight on a pallet
✓ Fill funnel for media and resin
✓ 7-day tech support, call or text Aidan at 800-460-5810 before, during, and after installation
Built for city or well water. On city water this pair removes chlorine, taste, and odor while softening hardness. On well water with clean baseline chemistry it polishes taste and removes dissolved organics while softening. If your well has iron, sulfur smell, or low pH, those need pre-treatment first, call us and we will size it.
The carbon filter goes before the softener. Chlorine slowly degrades softener resin, so removing it first with carbon protects the resin and extends its life. The correct sequence is:
Pressure tank or city water main (existing)
Sediment filter, if you have one (recommended)
Carbon filter, removes chlorine, taste, and odor
Water softener, removes hardness from the now dechlorinated water
Carbon Filter Install
Shut off the main water supply and relieve pressure
Position the tank and connect inlet and outlet using 3/4" CPVC or push-fit fittings
Hand-tighten the valve, then only a quarter to half turn with channel locks so you do not crack the tank lip
Open the bypass slowly and flush for 5 to 10 minutes until water runs clear
Water Softener Install
Position the softener after the carbon filter
Connect inlet and outlet to the main water line
Run a drain line from the valve to a floor drain, utility sink, or outside
Plug in to a standard 120V outlet
Add salt to the brine tank and program the valve (call Aidan for the settings)
Run a manual regeneration before putting the system in service
Most homeowners complete both systems in 3 to 5 hours. If you hire a plumber, they can call Aidan directly for programming help. Call 800-460-5810 for step-by-step support, 7 days a week.
Carbon Filter
✓No filter changes, no backwash, no programming. The upflow design runs maintenance-free day to day.
✓Replace the carbon media every 3 to 5 years on typical city water. The media is poured in through the fillport, the tank does not have to come out of line.
✓ If you notice chlorine taste or smell returning at the tap, the media is spent and it is time to refresh.
Water Softener
✓Add salt as needed. Most households use a 40 lb bag every 4 to 8 weeks depending on hardness and usage.
✓Regeneration is automatic. The Fleck 5600SXT counts gallons and regenerates only when the resin is exhausted, no timer to adjust.
✓The 10% crosslink resin lasts 12 to 15+ years with normal use, and removing chlorine upstream with the carbon filter extends it further.
Questions about maintenance? Call or text 800-460-5810, available 7 days a week.
"I did this myself with the iron filter, water softener, and carbon tank. Great support from Aidan the whole way through. Take your time on the connections and it goes smoothly." ★★★★★
Derek Coyle, Verified Buyer
"Great softener for a reasonable price. Great support, and it was easy to install." ★★★★★
Michael Biederman, Verified Buyer
"I had a fair amount of questions, both before I purchased and during the install. All of them were answered quickly and without making me feel like I was pestering. Having that support is worth more than the price." ★★★★★
Kathleen Mullins, Verified Buyer
What's In Bethesda Water, and Which Stage Fixes It
From the utility's own published data. Tap any card for the numbers.
Up to 2.11 ppm
Chloramine Disinfectant
Chemical taste and odor at every tap and shower.
Fixed by
Stage 1: Catalytic Carbon
The data & how it works
What the data shows
WSSC disinfects with chloramine across its distribution system, with free residual chlorine averaging 1.05 ppm and ranging up to 2.11 ppm in the 2025 report.
Why it matters
Chloramine is deliberately persistent so it survives 5,000+ miles of water main, which is also why fridge filters and carbon cartridges barely reduce it. Its taste and odor reach every tap and shower.
How this stage fixes it
Catalytic carbon is the media grade engineered for chloramine breakdown. The 2.5 cubic foot bed (about 75 pounds of media) gives whole-house flow the contact time chloramine removal requires.
Up to 102 ppb
Disinfection Byproducts (TTHMs & HAA5)
TTHM samples above the 80 ppb federal limit.
Fixed by
Stage 1: Catalytic Carbon
The data & how it works
What the data shows
The 2025 WQR reports total trihalomethanes ranging 14-102 ppb (average 66; the federal MCL is 80 on a locational running annual average) and haloacetic acids 16-79 ppb (average 48, MCL 60).
Why it matters
Individual samples above the MCL are legal when the running average stays under, but they mean real DBP exposure at some taps at some times of year. DBPs also volatilize in hot showers.
How this stage fixes it
Activated carbon adsorbs THMs and haloacetic acids as water passes through the bed, cutting DBP levels at every fixture in the house rather than just the kitchen tap.
7-7.6 gpg
Hard Potomac Water (~7-7.6 gpg)
Scale in water heaters, spots on glass and fixtures.
Fixed by
Stage 2: Fleck 5600SXT Softener
The data & how it works
What the data shows
WSSC's own source-water page: Potomac plant water, which serves most of Montgomery County including Bethesda, 'tends to be hard,' averaging 120-130 mg/L (about 7.0-7.6 grains per gallon).
Why it matters
At 7+ gpg, scale accumulates in water heaters and on fixtures, glassware spots, and tankless heaters need regular descaling. It is the threshold where the Water Quality Association recommends softening.
How this stage fixes it
48,000-grain metered softener removes the hardness completely and only regenerates on actual usage, which keeps salt consumption modest at Bethesda's hardness level.
Installation: hire a local plumber (2-4 hours of standard work).
This system arrives pre-configured for your water. Any licensed plumber can install it, and Aidan will walk your plumber through the setup by phone if they have questions: 800-460-5810. You get local installation with expert system design, without paying a water treatment franchise's markup.
What's In This Package
Installed in this order on your main water line.
Stage 1
Clack 2.5 Cubic Foot, Non Backwashing Whole House Carbon Filter
You save $295.00 when purchased as a complete system
Video Guides
Watch our carbon filter and water softener guides has 32 years of industry experience.
Water Filter vs Water Softener: What's the Difference?
Best Whole House Carbon Filter (What Actually Works)
Best Water Softener (32 Years of Experience)
Why Bethesda Homes Pair Catalytic Carbon With a Softener
WSSC's own report documents chloramine, byproducts near the limits, and hard Potomac water. One system addresses all three.
WSSC Water is one of the most transparent utilities in the country, with 108+ years of zero water quality violations, and its 2025 report is exactly why informed Bethesda homeowners filter anyway: chloramine disinfection throughout the system, trihalomethanes sampled as high as 102 ppb against an 80 ppb running-average limit, haloacetic acids up to 79 ppb, and Potomac supply hardness around 7 to 7.6 grains per gallon.
None of that violates a standard. All of it is what you taste at the tap, smell in the shower, and scrape off the shower glass. Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac are served by the Potomac filtration plant, the harder of WSSC's two supplies.
This package addresses the full profile: a 2.5 cubic foot catalytic carbon filter, the media grade built for chloramine, followed by a Fleck 5600SXT 48,000-grain softener. Standard valves, no proprietary parts, no service contract, free lifetime phone support from a 30-year water treatment expert, and we ship from the Mid-Atlantic, this is our home region.
✔No Electricity (Carbon Filter)
✔Removes Chlorine, Taste & Odor
✔Fleck 5600SXT Valve
✔10% Crosslink Resin
✔Electronic Demand Regen
✔NSF Certified Components
✔Made in USA
Feature
Our System
Others
Carbon Valve
✔
Clack C1190 Non-Backwashing
Generic Timer Valve
Carbon Media
✔
Catalytic Carbon (Municipal Grade)
Low-Grade Generic GAC
Carbon Tank
✔
Vortech Gravel-Free (10x54)
Standard Gravel-Bedded
Softener Valve
✔
Fleck 5600SXT Electronic Demand
Timer-Based Regeneration
Softener Resin
✔
10% Crosslink (Chlorine-Resistant)
Standard 8% Resin
Regeneration
✔
Demand-Based (Counts Gallons)
Timer (Wastes Salt & Water)
Brine Tank
✔
18x33 with Safety Float
Smaller, No Auto-Shutoff
Expert Support
✔
7-Day Phone, Text & Email
Limited or None
Warranty
✔
5-Year Valve + 10-Year Tank (Both)
1-Year Limited
Carbon Valve
✅ UsClack C1190 Non-Backwashing
❌ ThemGeneric Timer Valve
Carbon Media
✅ UsCatalytic Carbon (Municipal Grade)
❌ ThemLow-Grade Generic GAC
Carbon Tank
✅ UsVortech Gravel-Free (10x54)
❌ ThemStandard Gravel-Bedded
Softener Valve
✅ UsFleck 5600SXT Electronic Demand
❌ ThemTimer-Based Regeneration
Softener Resin
✅ Us10% Crosslink (Chlorine-Resistant)
❌ ThemStandard 8% Resin
Regeneration
✅ UsDemand-Based (Counts Gallons)
❌ ThemTimer (Wastes Salt & Water)
Brine Tank
✅ Us18x33 with Safety Float
❌ ThemSmaller, No Auto-Shutoff
Expert Support
✅ Us7-Day Phone, Text & Email
❌ ThemLimited or None
Warranty
✅ Us5-Year Valve + 10-Year Tank (Both)
❌ Them1-Year Limited
✔ Got a Question About Your System?
Whether you need help with installation order, plumbing layout, programming the Fleck 5600SXT, refreshing the carbon, or troubleshooting either system, Aidan is available 7 days a week. Real answers from someone who has been doing this for 29+ years.
📞 Call Us800-460-5810
✉️ Email Supportsupport@midatlanticwater.net
🕒 Live Hours7 days a week
Frequently Asked Questions
Because 'meets standards' and 'what you want at your taps' are different bars, and WSSC's own report shows the gap: chloramine at up to 2.11 ppm, TTHM samples as high as 102 ppb, and 7+ gpg hardness. Those are legal, normal, and exactly what causes the chemical taste, shower smell, and scale Bethesda homeowners notice. This is a comfort and home-protection upgrade grounded in the utility's own data, not a safety scare.
Yes. Like most chloramine utilities, WSSC periodically flushes the system with free chlorine, which many homeowners notice as a stronger pool smell. Catalytic carbon removes both chlorine and chloramine, so the seasonal switch passes unnoticed in a filtered home.
Yes. WSSC (PWSID MD0150005) serves nearly all of Montgomery County from the same system, and Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac are all on the harder Potomac-plant supply. The same equipment fits any WSSC home; if you are in the Patuxent-served area (softer water), call us and we will tell you honestly whether you can skip the softener.
We recommend it. The install is 2-4 hours of standard work on your main water line: cut in, connect the two tanks in series, run the softener drain line. Any licensed plumber can do it, and if they have questions Aidan will walk them through it by phone at 800-460-5810. Handy homeowners with basic plumbing experience also self-install these regularly.
Cartridge systems hold a few pounds of carbon. At whole-house flow rates the water is in contact with the media for a fraction of a second, which is not enough to remove chloramine, and they do nothing about hardness. This system holds 2.5 cubic feet (about 75 pounds) of catalytic carbon plus a full 48,000-grain softener. It is a different class of equipment.
Franchise dealers install comparable tank-based systems for $6,000 to $10,000 or more, then lock you into proprietary parts and service plans. This system uses the industry-standard Clack and Fleck valves those companies build on, costs $3,395 shipped, and any plumber can service it with off-the-shelf parts.
The softener needs salt added to the brine tank every 1-2 months (about $7 a bag). The catalytic carbon media lasts roughly 5-7 years on municipal water before a rebed, which costs a few hundred dollars in media, not a new system. No filters to change monthly, no electricity for the carbon stage.
No, and we will not tell you otherwise. WSSC Water meets federal drinking water standards, and the numbers on this page are from their own published report. This system addresses the things that are legal and normal in municipal water but that many homeowners do not want: disinfectant taste and odor, disinfection byproducts, and hard water scale. It is a comfort and home-protection upgrade grounded in your town's actual data, not a safety scare.
Bethesda Whole House W...$3,395.00
Why Our Package Costs More
Professional-Grade Components vs. Budget Combos
What You Get With Budget Combos
Budget carbon-and-softener combos cut corners where it counts: low-grade generic carbon that exhausts fast, timer-based regeneration that wastes salt and water, standard 8% resin that degrades sooner, and gravel-bedded tanks with lower flow.
Worse, most online sellers offer little real support after the sale. When your plumber needs help programming the valve, or you are not sure when to refresh the carbon, you are on your own.
The Real Cost Comparison
Budget Carbon + Softener Combo
$1,500-2,000
❌Lifespan: Fails in 3-4 years
❌Result: Frequent repairs, poor water quality, leaks
❌Support: None
$0.55-0.91/day (more salt, faster carbon burnout)
Best Long-Term Value
Our Professional Package
$3,195
✅Lifespan: Lasts 15+ years
✅Result: Done right the first time, peace of mind
✅Support: Lifetime USA Support
$0.55/day (12-15+ year softener, protected resin)
Factor in the better components, the longer resin life from removing chlorine upstream, the salt and water saved by demand regeneration, and the unlimited expert support, and this package delivers better long-term value than budget combos that exhaust faster and leave you without help.
What You Get With Our System
This package pairs a Clack C1190 non-backwashing carbon filter with municipal-grade catalytic carbon and the Fleck 5600SXT, the most popular residential softener valve in America. Both use gravel-free tanks for better flow, and the softener uses 10% crosslink resin that outlasts standard 8% by 20 to 30 percent.
You also get 7-day-a-week expert support from Aidan for sizing, installation, programming, and troubleshooting. We have been helping homeowners solve water problems for 29+ years.
Contact Us
800-460-5810
We're here to help.
1-Year Risk-Free Guarantee
Thousands of Homeowners Trust This Package
If this carbon filter and water softener package fails to clean up your chlorine, taste, and odor and eliminate hard water within 30 days of installation, contact us and we will work with you to resolve it, whether that means troubleshooting your setup, adjusting programming, replacing a component, or issuing a full refund. No shipping 300+ pounds of wet equipment back to a warehouse. No restocking fees. No runaround.
10,000+Systems Installed
455+Verified Reviews
29+Success Rate
After 29+ years of selling and supporting water treatment systems, we know what works. We pair proven components, a Clack carbon filter, the Fleck 5600SXT, gravel-free tanks, and 10% crosslink resin, because that combination delivers years of trouble-free performance.
The Industry "Return Policy" Trap
+
Most online retailers offer a return policy that requires you to ship both systems back at your expense, that is 300+ pounds of wet equipment on a pallet. After paying for return freight, you often find a 15 to 25 percent restocking fee on top. It is designed to make returns impractical. For something as essential as your home's water, you should not have to gamble.
How Our Real Guarantee Works
1
It Doesn't Fix the Water
If you still have chlorine taste and odor or hard water after installation, that's on us. Both systems should be performing, period.
2
You Call Us, We Fix It
We troubleshoot with you, water test results, installation order, valve settings, flow rates. Most issues are resolved with a simple adjustment.
Full Refund, No Hassle
If we cannot resolve the issue, you get a full refund. We handle the logistics. You do not ship anything back. That is the difference between a real guarantee and a return policy.
This is the pairing I recommend for most city water homes. The carbon strips the chlorine and the chemical taste, and it protects the softener resin while it's at it. Then the Fleck 5600SXT, the most proven softener valve there is, takes out the hardness. Clean, soft water at every tap.
