Activated Carbon Water Filter System
A carbon water filter is made from organic compounds like wood or coconut shells that are activated with steam to give them certain filtering properties. An activated carbon water filter, regardless of its origin, is designed to let water pass through the surface while trapping certain compounds and oils like chlorine by-products and volatile organic compounds (VOC's).
An activated carbon water filter system does not remove bacteria, however. Instead, a carbon water filter is more likely to become a breeding ground for bacteria and mold should your carbon filter go unused or unchanged for more than 6 months. The first time water touches the activated carbon water filter, the pathogens in your water are absorbed by the carbon and begin to grow on the organic carbon material. So whether you've used your carbon water filter or not, you need to regularly change the activated carbon filter in order to keep your water free of bacteria and mold so you have great tasting water!
Block Carbon Water Filter Systems
Block carbon water filters are blends of pulverized carbon and polymers that are compressed into a solid form under extreme pressure. The resulting block carbon filter (also called CB or Extruded Carbon Block) is then used in conjunction with a standard water filter in order to remove VOC's from drinking water.
Much like normal filters, the CB carbon water filter needs to be changed regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendations every 6 months.
Of the two types of carbon filters, a block carbon water filter cleans your water more thoroughly than an activated carbon water filter because their carbon structure is compressed and will not move no matter how much water is run through the filter. Activated carbon is loose carbon material that can move around over time, giving way to the pressure of water over time; activated carbon can "channel" water, leaving water running through the path of least resistance, with less filtering.
Block carbon water filters are available in 10 micron, 5 micron, .5 micron and other particle filtration sizes. We recommend that you buy a carbon water filter with the smallest particle size filtration (.5 micron) to best filter your water.
