Hi, I'm Lori H.. I live in Arizona.
Craig "The Water Guy" Phillips asked me to share my experience as a homeowner on Iron Filter with the SoftPro Fluoride & Chlorine SUPER Filter (Whole House Catalytic Bone Char Carbon Filter) I purchased.
This is how my adventures played out. I hope this helps you in your decision.
Why I Desperately Needed a Water Filtration Solution
Living in Arizona, I thought I understood what challenging water meant. Boy, was I wrong. For months, my family had been dealing with water that tasted like a swimming pool and left us questioning what we were actually drinking. The chlorine smell was so strong that guests would wrinkle their noses when they walked into our kitchen.
But the real wake-up call came when I started researching what fluoride levels were doing to our health. Did you know that many municipal water systems add fluoride levels that can accumulate in your body over time?
I discovered that while small amounts might be acceptable, the concentrated levels in our tap water were concerning me as a mother of two young children.
The final straw was when my 8-year-old daughter asked why our water "tasted funny" and started refusing to drink anything that wasn't bottled. I was spending nearly $60 a month on bottled water, and frankly, I was tired of the waste and expense. I needed a solution that would tackle both the immediate taste issues and the long-term health concerns I'd been researching.
My Research Journey Into Whole House Filtration
I'll admit, I went down quite the rabbit hole researching water filtration systems. I spent weeks reading about different technologies, trying to understand the difference between carbon block filters, reverse osmosis systems, and catalytic carbon options.
What kept coming up in my research was that most point-of-use filters only addressed drinking water, but I wanted protection for our entire home. I was learning about chlorine's effects on skin and hair during showers, and I wanted my family protected from contaminants throughout our daily routines, not just when we drank water.
The SoftPro Fluoride & Chlorine SUPER Filter caught my attention because it specifically mentioned both catalytic carbon and bone char carbon in a single whole-house system. After reading about how bone char carbon excels at fluoride removal while catalytic carbon handles chlorine and chloramines effectively, I realized this might be the comprehensive solution I needed.
I also appreciated that SoftPro provided detailed specifications about their upflow design, which maintains better contact time between water and filtration media compared to downflow systems I'd researched. The technical details gave me confidence that this wasn't just marketing fluff.
Installation Day: First Impressions and Setup Reality
When the system arrived, I was immediately impressed by the packaging quality. Everything was secured properly, and nothing arrived damaged despite the obvious weight of the components. The main tank is substantial – definitely not something you'd want to move around frequently once installed.
I opted for professional installation, which I'm grateful for in retrospect. My plumber mentioned that the system required careful attention to flow direction and proper bypass valve installation. The whole process took about three hours, including connecting the system to our main water line and programming the electronic control head.
One thing that surprised me was how quiet the system operates. During the installation, I was worried about noise since our utility room is adjacent to our family room. But during normal operation, you barely notice it's there. The only sound is during the automatic backwash cycles, which happen at night and are still relatively quiet.
The installation manual was thorough, though I'd recommend professional installation if you're not comfortable with plumbing modifications. The system requires specific inlet and outlet configurations that need to be correct for optimal performance.
Immediate Water Quality Improvements I Noticed
The difference was noticeable within hours of installation. The first thing that struck me was the complete absence of chlorine odor when I turned on any tap in the house. I'd grown so accustomed to that swimming pool smell that I hadn't realized how much it permeated our home until it was gone.
Taste-wise, the improvement was dramatic. The metallic, chemical taste we'd been living with disappeared entirely. My daughter, who had been our harshest critic, actually asked if we'd switched to bottled water when she tried the tap water that evening.
What I wasn't expecting were the improvements during showers. Within a week, I noticed my hair felt softer and my skin less dry. My husband, who has sensitive skin, commented that his usual post-shower itchiness had diminished significantly.
I decided to test the water using a TDS meter I'd purchased during my research phase. While TDS isn't a complete picture of water quality, seeing the reduction in dissolved solids gave me additional confidence that the system was working as intended.
The Science Behind What Makes This System Effective
After eight months of use, I've gained a deeper appreciation for how this system actually works. The combination of catalytic carbon and bone char carbon targets different contaminants through different mechanisms, which explains why it's more effective than single-media systems.
The catalytic carbon excels at breaking down chlorine and chloramines through a chemical reaction rather than simple adsorption. This means it can handle higher volumes and maintain effectiveness longer than standard carbon filters. In our area, where chloramines are used for water treatment, this was particularly important.
The bone char carbon component specifically targets fluoride through adsorption. What I learned is that regular activated carbon is virtually useless for fluoride removal, which explains why so many people are disappointed with standard carbon filters when they're specifically concerned about fluoride.
The upflow design ensures water moves through the media bed evenly, preventing channeling that can reduce contact time and filtration effectiveness. During the research phase, I'd read about downflow systems creating dead zones in the media bed, so this design element was important to me.
Long-Term Performance and Maintenance Reality
Now eight months in, I can provide some realistic perspective on what ownership actually looks like. The system has maintained consistent performance without any significant issues. Water quality has remained excellent, and I haven't noticed any degradation in taste or odor removal.
Maintenance has been minimal so far. The system automatically handles backwashing based on programmed intervals, which I set according to SoftPro's recommendations for our household size and water usage patterns. I've monitored the process a few times, and it completes within about 15 minutes without any intervention needed.
The electronic control head provides helpful information about system status and remaining time until the next service cycle. I appreciate being able to check on things without guesswork about when maintenance might be needed.
One aspect I didn't fully consider initially was the water usage during backwash cycles. It uses approximately 50 gallons per regeneration, which isn't excessive but is worth factoring into your water budget if you're on a well system or paying for sewer based on water usage.
Cost Analysis: Investment vs. Ongoing Expenses
The initial investment was significant – I won't pretend otherwise. However, when I calculated what we were spending on https://qualitywatertreatment.com/products/whole-house-upflow-catalytic-bone-char-carbon-water-filter bottled water plus the long-term health considerations that motivated this purchase, the numbers made sense for our family.
Our monthly bottled water expense dropped to zero immediately, saving us about $60 monthly. Over the course of eight months, that's already $480 in savings. The system should pay for itself within the first few years based on bottled water savings alone.
Beyond direct cost savings, I've noticed reduced soap and shampoo usage due to the softer water quality. My hair requires less conditioner, and we use less body lotion since our skin isn't as dry after showers. These aren't huge savings individually, but they add up.
Looking ahead, the major ongoing expense will be media replacement, which SoftPro estimates every 3-5 years depending on water usage and local water conditions. Given the system's performance so far, I'm comfortable with this maintenance schedule and cost projection.
Who Should Consider This System and Who Shouldn't
Based on my experience, this system is ideal for families specifically concerned about fluoride and chlorine removal who want whole-house protection. If you're dealing with heavily chlorinated municipal water or have health concerns about fluoride accumulation, this system addresses those issues effectively.
The system works well for households with moderate to high water usage. The flow rate hasn't been an issue even during peak usage times when multiple fixtures are running simultaneously. Families who want comprehensive filtration without the waste and ongoing expense of point-of-use systems would appreciate this approach.
However, if your primary concerns are hardness, iron, or bacteria, this system wouldn't be your best choice. While it provides excellent chemical filtration, it's not designed for mineral removal or disinfection. You'd want to look at water softeners, iron filters, or UV sterilization systems respectively.
Also, if you're renting or planning to move soon, the installation requirements and initial investment might not make sense. This is really a long-term solution for homeowners who plan to stay put for several years to realize the full value.