Carbon Filters
Shop activated carbon filters that remove chlorine, chemicals, and unpleasant tastes or odors from your water supply. Ideal for potable water systems, these carbon filters improve water quality and taste for residential and commercial applications, and pair easily with our sediment filters and treatment systems for complete filtration.
20" BIG BLUE CARBON FILTERS
Our carbon filters use the industry-standard 4.5" x 20" Big Blue cartridge format — the same size used in the carbon stage of our Gold, Silver, and Bronze treatment systems — fitting any standard 20" Big Blue housing for easy replacement. Available in both granular activated carbon (GAC) and solid carbon block styles: GAC cartridges offer higher flow rates with lower pressure drop, ideal for high-volume whole-house applications, while carbon block cartridges (typically rated to 0.5-5 microns) combine chlorine, taste, and odor removal with fine sediment polishing in a single stage.
PERFORMANCE & CERTIFICATION
Standard 20" carbon cartridges deliver flow rates of roughly 4-15 GPM depending on style and housing, with typical service life of 6 months or 25,000-50,000 gallons before replacement is needed. Look for NSF/ANSI 42 certification for taste, odor, and chlorine reduction, or the higher NSF/ANSI 53 standard where cyst reduction (like Giardia and Cryptosporidium) is also required — both ratings apply specifically to the carbon block style.
WHY CARBON FOLLOWS SEDIMENT
Carbon filters work best as the second stage in a treatment train, positioned after a sediment pre-filter. Removing sand, silt, and rust upstream protects the carbon media from clogging prematurely, extending cartridge life and keeping flow rates consistent — the same sediment-then-carbon sequence used in every treatment system we build.
Whether you're replacing a cartridge in an existing system or building a new whole-house setup, our carbon filters are sized to match the housings used across our complete treatment packages.
The Pentek RFC-20BB Radial Flow Carbon Filter is a 20-inch by 4.5-inch cartridge designed to reduce chlorine taste and odor in residential and commercial water systems. Its unique radial flow design combines the benefits of granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration with minimal pressure drop, ensuring efficient performance.
Granular Activated Carbon filter cartridge for Big Blue #20 housing. Expected life: 12 months/ 100,000 gallons.
$88.00
The #20 Big Blue GAC Carbon Filter Cartridge is a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter designed for whole house water filtration. Built to fit any standard 20” x 4.5” Big Blue housing, this cartridge effectively reduces chlorine, unpleasant tastes, and odors, delivering cleaner, fresher water to every outlet in the building.
This filter uses impregnated coconut shell carbon, known for its strong adsorption capabilities and chlorine reduction performance. While not NSF 53 certified, it offers reliable general-purpose water improvement for residential, irrigation, or light commercial applications.
$95.00
