What types of water filtration systems does B. Carlson recommend?

Question

Accepted Answer

We install whole-house filtration, under-sink reverse osmosis, and specialty media systems — and for most Albuquerque homes the recommendation is a combination: a softener for hardness, a whole-house filter for sediment and chlorine, and under-sink RO for drinking water.

Whole-House Filtration

Whole-house filters treat all incoming water. Sediment cartridges catch sand, rust, and particulate that clog aerators and settle in your water heater. Carbon media reduces chlorine taste and odor at every tap, including showers. And a carbon filter upstream of a softener meaningfully extends resin life, since chlorine degrades softener resin over time.

Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis

RO systems produce the highest drinking water quality available residentially — removing dissolved solids, many contaminants, and the mineral taste that comes with hard water. Installed at one tap for drinking and cooking, and it can feed a refrigerator ice maker. Far more practical and affordable than whole-house RO, which requires a storage tank and pressure pump and wastes considerable water.

Water Softeners and Conditioners

Not filters, but the answer to Albuquerque’s dominant water issue. A softener removes hardness minerals through ion exchange. A salt-free conditioner reduces scaling without salt or regeneration water — less complete, but appealing if salt use or water consumption concerns you.

Specialty Media

For specific contaminants a water test identifies — iron, sulfur, arsenic, or others. These are prescribed from test results, not installed speculatively.

What We Recommend, and Why

The mismatch we see most often is a homeowner buying a filter to solve scaling. Filters do not remove hardness. If your complaints are white scale, spotted glassware, and soap that will not lather, you need softening — and adding filtration and RO on top gives you clean, good-tasting water as well.