{"product_id":"whole-house-water-filter-irvine-ca","title":"Irvine Whole House Water Filter \u0026 Softener | Catalytic Carbon + Fleck 5600SXT","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description-seo\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIrvine Whole House Water Filter \u0026amp; Softener: Built for Irvine Ranch Water District\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA two-stage whole house system built around Irvine Ranch Water District's published 2025 water quality data: catalytic carbon to remove the chloramine disinfectant, then a Fleck 5600SXT 48,000-grain softener for the 15.8 gpg average hardness. Free shipping, catalog price, installed by your local plumber with free phone support from our water treatment expert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat Is Actually in Irvine Tap Water?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIRWD serves roughly 445,000 people with a blend of imported water (Colorado River and Northern California, treated at MWD's Diemer plant) and local groundwater. Total hardness averages 15.8 grains per gallon, 'very hard' on the USGS scale, ranging 7.5-17.3 gpg depending on the blend. Disinfection is by chloramine throughout the system. Every number on this page comes from the utility's own published 2025 water quality report (EPA system ID CA3010092). \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.irwd.com\/services\/water-quality-report\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRead the official report here\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow This System Solves Each Documented Problem\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVery Hard Water (15.8 gpg average):\u003c\/strong\u003e IRWD's 2025 report lists total hardness averaging 15.8 grains per gallon, range 7.5-17.3 gpg. IRWD itself notes imported Colorado River and Northern California water 'is typically hard.' Stage 2: Fleck 5600SXT Softener solves it: A full 48,000-grain ion-exchange softener removes the calcium and magnesium completely rather than 'conditioning' it. Metered regeneration keeps salt use efficient even at Irvine's high hardness.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eChloramine Disinfectant:\u003c\/strong\u003e IRWD uses chloramines (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) to maintain disinfection through the entire distribution system, on both imported water and local well water. Stage 1: Catalytic Carbon solves it: Catalytic carbon's modified surface is engineered for chloramine breakdown, the same media class municipal plants use for chloramine work. 2.5 cubic feet provides the contact time a whole house needs at full flow.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSource Blending (taste changes by season):\u003c\/strong\u003e IRWD states your water may be imported MWD water, local groundwater, or a blend, and that 'you may notice a difference in the taste or hardness of the water at different times of year.' Both stages, whole house solves it: Treating the whole supply line with a full carbon bed plus a softener sized for the hardest blend (17+ gpg) means the water at your taps stays consistent no matter which source IRWD is running.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's in the System\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStage 1: Clack 2.5 cubic foot catalytic carbon filter (13x54 Vortech tank).\u003c\/strong\u003e Catalytic carbon is the media grade municipal treatment plants use for chloramine work. It removes chlorine, chloramine, disinfection byproducts (TTHMs, haloacetic acids), and the chemical taste and odor they cause, at every tap in the house. Non-backwashing design: no drain line, no electricity, no control valve to program. Water flows through, media does the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStage 2: Fleck 5600SXT 48,000-grain water softener (10% crosslink resin).\u003c\/strong\u003e Removes the calcium and magnesium hardness documented in the Irvine supply. Stops scale buildup in water heaters and fixtures, ends spotted glassware and stiff laundry, and protects tankless heaters and appliances. Metered demand regeneration only regenerates when you have actually used the capacity, which keeps salt and water use low.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eInstallation: Hire a Local Plumber, We Support Them by Phone\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe recommend having a licensed local plumber install this system. It is 2-4 hours of standard plumbing work on your main water line, and any competent plumber in Irvine can do it. If your plumber has questions, Aidan (30+ years in water treatment) will walk them through the setup by phone. You get professional local installation plus expert system design, without paying a national water-treatment franchise's markup for the same hardware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy Not a Big-Box Cartridge Filter or a Franchise System?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe $300-$700 cartridge systems sold on Amazon and at Home Depot use a few pounds of carbon in a small housing. At whole-house flow rates the water contacts the media for a fraction of a second, which is not enough for chloramine (and far too little media for a Irvine-sized water profile). They also do nothing about hardness. On the other end, franchise dealers like Culligan sell comparable tank-based equipment at $6,000-$10,000+ installed, locked to proprietary parts and service contracts. This system is the same class of hardware the franchises install (Clack and Fleck valves are the industry standards they build on), sized correctly for the documented Irvine water profile, at catalog price, with standard parts any plumber can service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSized for the Documented Irvine Water Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is not a generic filter with a city name on it. The media volume, media type (catalytic vs standard carbon), and softener capacity were chosen against Irvine Ranch Water District's published numbers for hardness and disinfectant residual. That is the whole point: you should not have to become a water chemistry expert to fix your water. The utility already published what is in it; we matched the equipment to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFree shipping. Questions before you buy? Call or text Aidan at \u003ca href=\"tel:8004605810\"\u003e800-460-5810\u003c\/a\u003e, 7 days a week.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Mid Atlantic Water","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54286915272988,"sku":null,"price":3395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/9523\/4605\/files\/whole-house-water-filter-irvine-ca.jpg?v=1783541006","url":"https:\/\/midatlanticwater.net\/products\/whole-house-water-filter-irvine-ca","provider":"Mid Atlantic Water","version":"1.0","type":"link"}