Match the disinfectant on the CCR. Phoenix: chlorine. SCV: chloramine. Then match the claim, not the tank diameter.
For PFAS, stop calling it “carbon” and start calling it a listed 53 or 58 product.
Activated carbon (whole-house or POU)
GAC or carbon block for aesthetic chlorine/chloramine and, only when listed, specific NSF/ANSI 53 health-effects claims.
- What it actually does
- Adsorb (and with catalytic carbon, help decompose) disinfectant and many taste-and-odor compounds; may carry contaminant-specific 53 claims on a named model.
- What it does not do
- Does not soften. A 42 chlorine listing is not chloramine, lead, fluoride, or PFAS. A big POE tank is not a PFAS device unless that exact model is listed for PFAS.
- Brine / salt discharge
- No brine discharge
- Typical use
- City water when the complaint is disinfectant taste or odor; kitchen POU when a specific 53 claim is the job.
- Certification language
- NSF/ANSI 42 = aesthetic (chlorine, taste/odor, chloramine as separate claims). NSF/ANSI 53 = health-effects claims listed per contaminant. NSF/ANSI 61 on media is materials safety only.
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