Products
Carbon Water Filters
Activated carbon takes the chlorine taste and smell out of municipal water, and it is the stage behind most good-tasting drinking water at the tap.
How we approach carbon water filters
Activated carbon is the stage that improves how water tastes and smells. It adsorbs chlorine and many organic compounds, which is why carbon appears in almost every drinking-water and whole-house system.
Carbon does not remove dissolved salts, hardness or bacteria, so it is paired with a sediment filter before it and, where needed, UV or reverse osmosis. Carbon block cartridges filter more finely than granular ones and suit drinking-water taps.
What to check before buying
Where carbon fits in a filtration system.
Taste and odour
Carbon reduces chlorine and the organic compounds that affect taste.
Block or granular
Block carbon filters more finely, while granular suits higher flows.
Change on time
Exhausted carbon stops working, so cartridges are replaced on schedule.
FAQs
Questions before we quote
What does a carbon filter remove?
Chlorine, many organic chemicals and the compounds behind unpleasant tastes and smells. It does not remove dissolved salts, hardness or bacteria.
How often should a carbon cartridge be replaced?
Typically every six to twelve months, or sooner on heavily chlorinated or high-use supplies. A returning taste is a sign it is exhausted.
Should a sediment filter go before carbon?
Yes. A sediment stage first stops grit clogging the carbon, so it lasts longer and works as intended.
Related guides
Background reading before you choose a system.
How Water Filtration Systems Work: A Plain-English Guide
How water filtration systems work, stage by stage: what sediment, carbon, softeners, reverse osmosis and UV each remove, and why the order matters.
Read Guide
Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in South Africa? (Cape Town Included)
Can you drink tap water in Cape Town? What SANS 241 and the latest Blue Drop results show for South Africa, why quality varies and when a filter helps.
Read GuideOther filtration products
Water Filter Taps
Filtered drinking water at the kitchen sink, from a slim dedicated tap or a three-way mixer, fed by an under-sink or reverse osmosis system.
Learn MoreUnder-Sink Water Filters
Filtered drinking water from your own kitchen cabinet, with sediment and carbon stages feeding a dedicated tap or a three-way mixer.
Learn MoreWater Filter Cartridges
Sediment, carbon and specialist replacement cartridges in 10-inch, 20-inch and big blue sizes, matched to the housing you already have.
Learn MoreUV Water Filters
Chemical-free UV disinfection for borehole, rainwater and tank water, fitted as the final stage after sediment filtration.
Learn MoreSediment Water Filters
The first line of defence against sand, silt and rust, rated in microns so pumps, taps and finer filters downstream are not clogged.
Learn MoreWater Softeners
Ion-exchange softeners that stop scale on geysers, kettles and shower glass, sized once a hardness test shows the water needs it.
Learn More
Want better-tasting water at the tap?
Tell us whether you are on municipal, borehole or tank water and where the filter needs to go. We will recommend the right carbon stage.