What is a carbon filter, and do I need one?

Carbon filters may be used for a variety of water-treatment applications requiring the removal of taste, odor and color.

Carbon filters have effectively been used for the removal of chloromines and trihalomethanes.

Carbon filters can be purchased either as whole house carbon filters or carbon cartridges, which are usually about the same size as the water softener.

Some consumers do not like the taste or odor of chlorine in their water. If you find the chlorine smell obnoxious in the shower or wish to remove the chlorine from all household water, a whole house filter containing activated carbon can be installed where the water enters the home. A simple cartridge filter containing a few ounces of carbon can also be added to eliminate the chlorine at one faucet. These require frequent changes.

Carbon is used in water treatment as an absorbent to remove organic matter, dissolved gasses and to de-chlorinate.

Water is passed continuously through a bed of carbon. When water passes down through a bed of activated carbon, the contaminants are absorbed on the pore walls. Water not only passes around carbon particles, but actually through them.

No matter what type of carbon application, activated carbon will not continue to work indefinitely. Periodic replacement of carbon is a necessity.

Drinking water that contains offensive sulfur taste and odors is typically treated by aeration or chlorinating.

There should be a two-hour difference in time between the carbon filter process and water softener process. This way they are not feeding each other dirty water.