Whole-house filtration
Treat the water once, where it enters the house
Point-of-entry filtration reduces chlorine and chloramine taste and odor before water reaches a single shower, tap, or appliance. In the systems we install it shares a tank with softening, so one unit does both jobs.
Point of entry, explained
A point-of-entry (POE) system is installed on the main water line after the meter or pressure tank. Everything downstream, from the water heater to the washing machine to the upstairs shower, receives treated water. Compare that with a point-of-use (POU) system such as a reverse-osmosis unit, which treats only the water at one faucet. The two are complementary: POE handles the conditions that affect the whole house, POU handles the drinking water. Our guide on softener vs filter vs RO walks through the combinations.
Taste and odor: chlorine and chloramine
Public water systems disinfect with chlorine, or with chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia), to keep water safe on its way through the distribution system. That disinfectant is doing an important job, but by the time it reaches your shower it has nothing left to do except make the water smell like a pool, dry skin and hair, and fade laundry. Chloramine is more persistent than free chlorine and is harder for ordinary carbon to reduce, so the media matters. Puronics also notes that chloramine is corrosive to lead and copper plumbing, which is one reason municipalities manage it carefully.
The ChloroShield Clearess media in the Puronics C-series systems uses what Puronics calls Chlorostatic technology to reduce chlorine and chloramine at every tap. The chlorine taste-and-odor claim is certified under NSF/ANSI 42; chloramine reduction is a manufacturer performance claim. Which disinfectant your town uses is in its annual water quality report, and we check it during the assessment. Our guide on chlorine and chloramine goes deeper.
Source-specific concerns
Filtration media is matched to the problem. Chlorine and chloramine call for one kind of media; iron, manganese and sulfur odor on well water call for others; sediment calls for mechanical filtration. The C-series combination systems featured on this site are designed for municipal water or for well water that is disinfected with chlorine or chloramine. For an undisinfected private well, Puronics directs dealers toward base configurations without the Clearess media, and laboratory results decide what else is needed. We will not sell a chlorine filter to a home that has no chlorine.
Filtration and softening together
In most Capital Region homes on municipal water, hardness and disinfectant occur together. Rather than installing two tanks, the Puronics C-series uses one multi-layer tank: Clearess filtration media, high-capacity softening resin, and a silica-gravel clarifier layer, all managed by the iGen control valve. The valve backwashes the media and regenerates the resin as a single routine. That is why we describe these as "softener and filter combinations" rather than softeners or filters alone.
Choosing a system
The three combination systems share the same media, resin, and valve. The decision is about tank construction and warranty terms:
- Defender iGen C: polyethylene-lined fiberglass tank.
- Hydronex iGen C: the same lined composite tank with a stainless-steel outer cover.
- Terminator iGen C: a food-grade 316L stainless-steel tank, with a manufacturer-stated whole-system limited lifetime warranty.
The comparison page lays the differences out side by side. Sizing within each line follows the hardness, flow, and household factors described on the water softeners page.
Installation considerations
A POE system needs a location on the main line with room for the media tank and the brine tank, a drain for backwash and regeneration water, and a standard outlet for the control valve. A bypass valve is installed so the house can run on untreated water if the system is ever serviced. Outdoor spigots are often plumbed before the system so irrigation does not consume treated water. Our installation page covers planning in more detail.
Maintenance
Puronics states the Clearess media carries a limited lifetime warranty and "reduces the need for filter changes." Under normal municipal conditions there is no cartridge to swap; the valve backwashes the media automatically. Puronics rates the media for chloramine/chlorine taste-and-odor reduction up to 2,600,000 gallons of municipal water at normal flow, based on NSF/ANSI 42 testing at 2.0 ppm chlorine and extrapolated for typical residential levels of 0.5–1 ppm; higher disinfectant levels may shorten media life. The softening side needs salt or potassium chloride on an ongoing basis. The manufacturer's disclaimer applies to every system: operational maintenance and replacement requirements are essential for the product to perform as advertised.
Limits
What it does not do
Whole-house filtration of the kind described here addresses chlorine, chloramine, and (through the softening resin) hardness, barium and radium. It is not certified to reduce lead, arsenic, nitrate, PFAS, bacteria, or viruses, and it is not a substitute for disinfection on an unsafe well. For dissolved health-related contaminants in drinking water, see reverse osmosis; for any safety question, start with a certified laboratory test.
Chlorine taste-and-odor reduction on the C-series is WQA certified to NSF/ANSI 42. Chloramine reduction is a manufacturer claim, and we label it that way.
Good fit when
- You are on municipal water with a chlorine or chloramine smell
- You also have hardness (most of our region does)
- You want one system under one valve
- You have a drain and outlet near the main line
Probably a different conversation
- Undisinfected private well (test first, different configuration)
- Iron, manganese, or sulfur odor (different media)
- Concern about lead, PFAS, arsenic (lab test, then RO)
Filtration questions
Does the whole-house filter remove PFAS or lead?
No. The C-series combination systems are certified under NSF/ANSI 42 (chlorine taste and odor), 44 (hardness, barium, radium) and 372 (low-lead construction of the unit itself). NSF/ANSI 372 means the system’s wetted parts are low in lead; it is not a claim that the system removes lead from your water. For PFOA/PFOS and lead reduction in drinking water, the Micromax 8500 reverse-osmosis system carries certified claims under NSF/ANSI 53 and 58.
Will I notice the difference?
Most households notice the chlorine smell disappear from showers and the softening effects on skin, glassware and fixtures within the first week. Results depend on how much disinfectant and hardness were there to begin with, which is what the in-home assessment establishes.
Can I filter the whole house without softening?
Yes. Puronics makes filtration-only systems, and if your water is not hard we would not recommend softening. The C-series combination systems are our featured products because most homes here need both, but the recommendation always follows the test.
Start with your water, not a catalog
Every recommendation begins with an in-home water test and a conversation about how your household uses water. Tell us about your home and we will be in touch to arrange a visit.