City Water, Cottage 3-stage 20"x 4.5" Whole House Water Filter System
3-Stage 20" x 4.5" Big Blue Whole House Water Filtration System with 1" NPT Ports
Improve the water quality throughout your home, cottage, office, or light-commercial property with the Max Water 3-Stage Big Blue Whole House Water Filtration System.
This high-capacity system combines sediment filtration, granular activated carbon, and carbon block filtration to help reduce dirt, rust, chlorine, unpleasant taste, odor, and selected organic contaminants before the water reaches your faucets, showers, fixtures, and appliances.
The system uses full-size 20" x 4.5" Big Blue cartridges for greater dirt-holding capacity, longer service intervals, and higher flow potential than standard slim-line filtration systems. Its 1" female NPT ports make it suitable for many residential and light-commercial plumbing installations.
Three Stages of Whole House Filtration
- 5-Micron Polypropylene Sediment Filter
Part No. 104112 . Captures sand, rust, dirt, silt, and other suspended particles while helping protect the carbon cartridges from premature clogging. - Coconut-Shell Granular Activated Carbon Filter
Part No. 104113 . Reduces chlorine, unpleasant taste, odor, and selected organic compounds while supporting strong water flow through the loose carbon media. - 5-Micron Coconut-Shell Carbon Block Filter
Part No. 104114 . Provides final filtration and water polishing while reducing residual chlorine, unpleasant taste, odor, and selected chemical contaminants.
Why This System Uses Two Carbon Stages
The GAC and CTO cartridges perform different but complementary functions. The granular activated carbon stage allows water to pass through loose carbon media for effective chlorine, taste, and odor reduction while supporting higher flow.
The carbon block stage uses compressed carbon media to provide a final polishing stage. It helps reduce remaining chlorine, unpleasant taste, odor, and selected organic compounds while also capturing finer particles.
Dual Pressure Gauges
Two vertical liquid-filled pressure gauges help monitor incoming water pressure and pressure after filtration. Comparing the readings can help identify increasing pressure loss across the filter cartridges.
A growing difference between the inlet and outlet gauge readings may indicate that one or more cartridges are becoming clogged with sediment and require inspection or replacement.
Carbon media exhaustion may not always cause a noticeable pressure drop. Replace the carbon filters when chlorine, unpleasant taste, or odor begins to return, or when the recommended service interval is reached.
Key Features and Benefits
- Whole-house filtration: Treats incoming water before it reaches faucets, showers, fixtures, and appliances.
- Dual carbon filtration: Combines GAC and carbon block media for improved chlorine, taste, and odor reduction.
- Sediment protection: The first-stage filter captures dirt and debris before they reach the carbon cartridges.
- High-capacity Big Blue design: Uses standard 20" x 4.5" replacement cartridges.
- Clear filter housings: Allow visual inspection of sediment and cartridge condition.
- 1" female NPT ports: Support higher-flow plumbing installations when correctly sized and installed.
- Double O-ring housing seals: Help provide a secure seal when correctly installed and maintained.
- Pressure-relief buttons: Help release trapped pressure before filter maintenance.
- Dual pressure gauges: Help monitor operating pressure and cartridge restriction.
- Serviceable design: Replaceable cartridges allow routine maintenance without replacing the complete system.
Helps Reduce
- Sand, silt, dirt, rust, and suspended sediment
- Chlorine taste and odor
- Unpleasant tastes and odors
- Turbidity caused by suspended particles
- Selected volatile organic compounds
- Selected pesticides and herbicides
- Selected trihalomethanes and organic chemicals
- Particles that may contribute to staining or appliance buildup
Package Includes
- Three 20" x 4.5" clear Big Blue filter housings with double O-ring seals and pressure-relief buttons
- Two 60 mm liquid-filled pressure gauges
- One 5-micron polypropylene sediment filter
- One coconut-shell granular activated carbon filter
- One 5-micron coconut-shell carbon block filter
- One heavy-duty PVC ball valve
- One hex nipple fitting
- One filter housing wrench
- One heavy-duty three-stage steel wall-mounting bracket
- Installation hardware for the filtration bracket
- One-year manufacturer's limited warranty
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| System Type | Three-stage whole house sediment, GAC, and carbon block filtration system |
| Filter Cartridge Size | 20" x 4.5" Big Blue |
| Number of Filter Stages | 3 |
| Flow Direction | Right-side inlet to left-side outlet |
| Inlet and Outlet Connections | 1" female NPT |
| Sediment Filter Rating | 5 micron nominal |
| Estimated Sediment Filter Life | Approximately 6 months* |
| Estimated Carbon Filter Capacity | Approximately 20,000–35,000 gallons* |
| Maximum Operating Pressure | 90 PSI |
| Recommended Operating Pressure | 20–60 PSI |
| Operating Water Temperature | 40–100°F / 5–38°C |
| Compatible Feed-Water pH Range | 4.0–10.0 |
| Maximum Feed-Water TDS | 2,000 ppm |
| Housing Pressure Drop | Less than 1 PSI at 20 GPM, excluding cartridge restriction* |
| Maximum Estimated Flow Rate | Up to 40 GPM with 1" inlet and outlet under suitable operating conditions* |
| Approximate Dimensions | 27.5" H x 24.5" W x 8" D |
| Approximate Weight | 42 lb. |
*Actual cartridge life, capacity, pressure drop, and flow rate depend on incoming water quality, sediment concentration, chlorine level, plumbing size, operating pressure, water temperature, flow demand, total water consumption, and cartridge condition. Maximum housing flow does not represent guaranteed contaminant-reduction performance at that flow.
TDS = Total Dissolved Solids.
Recommended Applications
- Residential whole-house water filtration
- Municipal and chlorinated city water supplies
- Homes with chlorine taste or odor concerns
- Cottages and vacation properties
- Offices and small commercial buildings
- Restaurants and food-service applications
- Prefiltration before compatible reverse osmosis systems
- Prefiltration before compatible UV treatment systems
- Equipment and appliance protection
- Selected manufacturing and process-water applications
Installation and Maintenance Information
- Install the system on the main cold-water supply line after the pressure tank, when applicable, and before the water heater.
- Connect the incoming water to the right-side inlet and the filtered water line to the left-side outlet.
- Confirm all directional flow markings before completing the plumbing.
- Support the system securely using the supplied steel bracket and suitable mounting hardware for the wall structure.
- Leave sufficient clearance beneath the housings for cartridge replacement and routine maintenance.
- Use suitable thread sealant or PTFE tape on NPT connections. Do not overtighten plastic ports or fittings.
- Shut off the incoming water supply and release system pressure before opening any filter housing.
- Lubricate O-rings only with food-grade silicone lubricant. Do not use petroleum-based lubricants.
- Flush all new cartridges thoroughly according to the product instructions before placing the system into normal service.
- Replace the sediment cartridge when flow declines, the cartridge becomes heavily discolored, or the pressure difference increases.
- Replace the carbon cartridges when chlorine, unpleasant taste, or odor returns, or when their estimated service capacity is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why does this system include both a GAC filter and a carbon block filter?
A. The two carbon stages perform complementary functions. The GAC filter provides high-capacity chlorine, taste, and odor reduction while supporting strong water flow. The CTO carbon block provides a denser final polishing stage for additional chlorine, taste, odor, and fine particle reduction.
Q. Is this system mainly designed for municipal or city water?
A. Yes. This filter configuration is especially suitable for chlorinated municipal water where the main concerns are sediment, rust, chlorine, unpleasant taste, and odor.
Q. Will the system reduce the chlorine smell from showers and faucets?
A. The GAC and CTO carbon filters are designed to reduce chlorine taste and odor throughout the property. Actual performance depends on the chlorine concentration, water flow, total water usage, and cartridge condition.
Q. Which cartridge normally becomes clogged first?
A. The first-stage sediment cartridge normally collects the largest amount of dirt, rust, and debris. It may require replacement before the carbon filters when the incoming water contains heavy sediment.
Q. Can I replace only one cartridge instead of all three?
A. Yes. Each cartridge can be replaced separately. For example, the sediment filter may need replacement when pressure drops, while the carbon cartridges may remain usable until chlorine, taste, or odor begins to return.
Q. How can I tell when the carbon filters are exhausted?
A. Carbon exhaustion may not create a noticeable pressure change. Common signs include the return of chlorine smell, unpleasant taste, or odor. Replacement should also be based on water usage and the estimated service capacity.
Q. Will this system remove the rotten-egg odor caused by sulfur?
A. No dedicated sulfur-removal media is included. A rotten-egg odor is often associated with hydrogen sulfide or sulfur bacteria and may require oxidation, catalytic filtration, disinfection, or another specialized treatment method.
Q. Will this system remove dissolved iron from well water?
A. The sediment cartridge may capture some visible or oxidized iron particles, but the system is not designed as a dedicated dissolved iron removal system. Well water with iron should be tested to determine whether an iron filter is required.
Q. Can I use this system before a whole-house UV system?
A. Yes. Sediment and carbon filtration can help improve water clarity before compatible UV treatment. The complete installation must still meet the UV system's water-quality and flow-rate requirements.
Q. Can this system protect a reverse osmosis system?
A. Yes. When installed upstream, the sediment and carbon stages can help reduce particles and chlorine before the water reaches compatible reverse osmosis equipment. This may help protect downstream prefilters and chlorine-sensitive RO membranes.
Q. Does this filter configuration reduce hard-water scale?
A. No. The included sediment and carbon cartridges do not remove calcium or magnesium and do not provide dedicated scale control. Hard-water concerns require an anti-scale system or a properly sized water softener.
Filter Replacement Options and Alternatives for Item Number:103061
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