Will A Carbon Block Improve My Drinking Water Quality From A Tap?

People keep asking me if a carbon block or just a general carbon filter will really help the quality of tap water. My answer up until this point was that I do not know. I d

o know and prove every day that the water from my RO filter produces a better taste and clarity of the water and I can see the TDS go down to 3-30 ppm after the filtration. I was not sure about the ability of the Carbon Block to remove dissolved solids, normalize the pH, or change the ECs. Carbon filters are similar to common “Britta” or “Pur” filters you might find in a local store or supermarket.

Carbon Block Opinion On Chlorine

Some people have said that the carbon block will remove Chlorine but it also turns into a gas so any filtration or evaporation will help remove it. Also I have not found a location where the amount of Chlorine out of a tap is greater than the EPA’s secondary drinking water standard so I have not had a burning* need to remove it.

Test Administration

This test was administered in a residential area near the 405 and 101 in Los Angeles Southern California. Please note that these are only my opinions, I am not a professional water tester, and I can not say weather or not water is “safe” to drink. The test took around 10 minutes to complete which may be one reason for the reduction in temperature from tap water, carbon block, and RO.

This test was conducted with a Hanna HI 98129 tester in room temperature with many distractions. Three separate drinking glasses were used. The pH changes very slowly so it may not be completely accurate on each test. The water was swirled with the tester a few times during each test to help.

Tap water in this test is assumed to be the constant

however tap water changes greatly depending on your location, local pipes, and many other factors. This tap was was taken on August 13, 2010.

Tap Water Results:

pH: 8.26

EC: 348 μS

Temp: 81.7 F°

TDS: 171 ppm

Carbon Block Results:

pH: 7.99

EC: 310 μS

Temp: 78.1 F°

TDS: 155 ppm

Reverse Osmosis Results:

pH: 7.42

EC: 37 μS

Temp: 78.1 F°

TDS: 18 ppm

Water Filter Test Interpretation:

Carbon filters may reduce some dissolved solids in tap water from this area but it is not very significant. It might be possible that carbon block or pellet filters may help to greatly reduce dissolved solids in water that does not meet the secondary standard (TDS 500+) in an effort to make the water a higher quality based upon the EPA’s secondary drinking standards however this was not tested. I would personally prefer to drink the water from the RO filter in this test but all of the water in this case does meet the EPA’s secondary standards for the items tested.

Really the only significant change in water quality that I can see here is after the water has been put through a Reverse Osmosis filter. If you need help finding a filter or have any questions please leave them on this page.