Whole-house and drinking water filters for San Jose homes
We fit whole-house carbon systems and under-sink reverse osmosis, with media chosen for the chloramine San Jose uses to disinfect.
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- Phelan Ave San Jose office
- Tank, tankless, heat pump
Perfect Tankless Plumbing, San Jose, CA
A water filtration system in San Jose needs catalytic carbon to remove the chloramine the city uses as its disinfectant; we install whole-house units at the main line and reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink, sized to your flow and paired with a softener when hardness is the bigger problem.
Updated September 2026
Repipe, Gas & Water Quality
What a filter fixes and what it does not
Filters and softeners solve different problems. A softener removes hardness minerals so they stop scaling pipes and heaters. A carbon filter removes disinfectant taste and smell, plus a range of organic compounds. Reverse osmosis at a single tap goes further and strips most dissolved solids from the water you drink and cook with.
Standard activated carbon is poor at chloramine, which is what San Jose uses. So the media matters more than the brand on the tank. We specify catalytic carbon for whole-house units and check the pre-filter on any RO system for the same reason.
Cost factors
What drives the price of a filtration system
We have no published San Jose range for filtration installs worth quoting, so the factors below are what set the scope.
- Whole-house or point of use. a single RO under the sink is a smaller job than a tank on the main
- Media type. catalytic carbon costs more than standard carbon and needs a larger tank
- Flow rate. bigger households need larger tanks to keep pressure up
- Drain and outlet. backwashing tanks need both
- Fridge or ice maker line. an extra run from the RO system
- Pairing with a softener. two vessels and a longer loop
Options
Whole-house carbon or reverse osmosis
| Whole-house carbon | Reverse osmosis | |
|---|---|---|
| Treats | Every tap and shower | One faucet, often plus the fridge |
| Removes chloramine | Yes, with catalytic carbon | Yes, via its carbon stages |
| Removes dissolved solids | No | Most of them |
| Flow | Full house flow when sized right | Slower at the dedicated faucet |
| Water to drain | Only when backwashing | Some with every fill |
| Upkeep | Media every few years | Pre-filters and membrane on a schedule |
DIY or call
Filter jobs you can do and the ones to call about
| Task | Reasonable to DIY | Call a plumber |
|---|---|---|
| Changing RO pre-filters | Yes | If housings leak after |
| Changing a pitcher or fridge filter | Yes | Not needed |
| Installing an RO kit | Handy owners manage it | New drain or fridge line |
| Whole-house tank install | No | Always |
| Replacing whole-house media | Rarely | Most tanks |
| Adding a bypass | No | Always |
Whole-house carbon
A whole-house carbon tank sits on the main line after the pressure regulator and before the water heater, so every tap and shower gets filtered water. We size it by flow rate so upstairs showers do not lose pressure, fit a bypass for media changes, and place a sediment pre-filter ahead of it when the supply carries grit. Backwashing units need a drain; upflow tanks do not. We tell you honestly how long the media should last at your household's use, because an exhausted tank quietly stops working without any warning at the tap.
Reverse osmosis at the sink
Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane that holds back most dissolved solids, and it works best at one tap where you drink and cook. The system lives under the kitchen sink with a small storage tank, a dedicated faucet and a drain connection. We add a line to the fridge when you want filtered ice. The trade-offs are slower flow at that faucet, some water sent to drain, and pre-filters and a membrane that need changing on a schedule we write down for you.
Chloramine-rated media
Chloramine is chlorine bonded with ammonia. It lasts longer in the pipes, which is why utilities use it, and it passes through ordinary carbon far more easily than free chlorine does. Catalytic carbon is processed to break that bond, and it needs more contact time, so the tank is sized larger than a chlorine-only filter would be. When a customer tells us a filter stopped helping after a few months, the media is usually the cause rather than the installation.
Local context
San Jose water and the media it needs
San Jose disinfects with chloramine, and published guidance on the city's water notes that removing it takes catalytic carbon rather than the standard activated carbon found in cheaper systems. Hardness also runs high, roughly 11 to 26 grains per gallon on groundwater serving the Santa Clara Valley floor, which is why many homes pair a filter with a softener instead of expecting one tank to handle both.
How the job runs
How a filtration install runs
- 1
Talk through the goal
Taste, chloramine, drinking water or all of it.
- 2
Check the main line
Location, pressure and space.
- 3
Choose media and size
Catalytic carbon and a tank sized to flow.
- 4
Install with a bypass
So media changes do not shut off the house.
- 5
Flush and test
Run the system to clear fines and check flow.
- 6
Write the schedule
Filter and media change dates left with you.
FAQ
Water Filtration Systems questions from San Jose homeowners
No. Carbon and RO don't remove hardness from the whole house. A softener handles hardness; a filter handles taste, chloramine and contaminants.
San Jose uses chloramine, which standard carbon handles poorly and exhausts quickly. Catalytic carbon sized for your flow lasts much longer.
Yes. We run a line from the RO system to the ice maker and dispenser, with a shutoff at the tee.
Not when it's sized to your flow rate. Undersized tanks and clogged sediment filters cause pressure loss.
RO pre-filters roughly every six to twelve months and whole-house media every few years, depending on use.
Same family
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From our guides: Our softener or conditioner guide.
One number, any hour
Get the right filter for San Jose water
Call and tell us what bothers you about your water. We will match the system and media to it.
