Crystal Quest SMART Whole House Water Filter (9-13 GPM)

Filtered water with a balanced pH

Crystal Quest Smart Whole House Water Filters are engineered for maximum filtration and maximum performance with minimum maintenance.

SMART Water Filtration

The Crystal Quest SMART Whole House Water Filter is designed to treat water as it enters the home, providing filtered water to faucets, showers, appliances, and other plumbing fixtures throughout the property.

The system uses a combination of standard and catalytic coconut-shell granular activated carbon, Eagle Redox Alloy® 6500 and 9500, ion exchange resin, ceramic media, and tourmaline. Together, these media are designed to reduce a broad range of water-quality concerns, including chlorine, chloramine, certain heavy metals such as lead and mercury, pesticides, herbicides, petroleum-related compounds, pharmaceutical by-products, and other organic and inorganic contaminants.

Ceramic and tourmaline media are also incorporated to support water conditioning and help maintain a balanced pH.

Multistage Filtration

Pre-Filtration

Water first passes through a 20-inch sediment cartridge. This stage captures larger suspended particles such as sand, silt, dirt, and sediment before the water reaches the primary filtration media.

Removing these larger particles at the beginning of the process helps protect the downstream filtration components and supports consistent system performance.

SMART Water Filter Media

After pre-filtration, water moves through the SMART multimedia tank. This is the primary treatment stage of the system.

The media blend combines standard and catalytic coconut-shell activated carbon with redox media and ion exchange resin. Activated carbon is used to address chlorine, chloramine, and a variety of organic compounds, while the redox and ion exchange components broaden the system’s ability to reduce certain metals and other contaminants.

Ceramic and tourmaline media are also included as part of the overall treatment blend.

Post-Filtration

After passing through the primary media tank, water moves through a 20-inch solid carbon cartridge.

This final polishing stage is designed to provide additional reduction of remaining organic compounds, including certain pesticides, insecticides, and industrial solvents, before the treated water enters the home’s plumbing system.

Water Treatment Options for Hard Water

Depending on the quality of the incoming water, the SMART filtration system can be paired with additional treatment for hardness and scale.

Traditional Water Softener

A conventional water softener is designed to reduce calcium and magnesium through ion exchange.

As water moves through the softening resin, hardness minerals are exchanged for sodium or potassium ions. The resin periodically requires regeneration using a brine solution, which means salt or potassium chloride must be replenished as part of normal system maintenance.

Traditional softening is generally the appropriate choice when the goal is to reduce the measured hardness level of the water and help prevent new scale accumulation.

It is important to note that conventional softening primarily addresses future scale formation and does not typically remove mineral deposits that have already accumulated inside pipes or appliances.

Salt-Free Conditioner

A salt-free conditioner manages hardness differently.

Instead of removing calcium and magnesium from the water, the conditioning media changes the way those minerals behave. This reduces their tendency to attach to plumbing surfaces, fixtures, and appliances.

Because the hardness minerals remain in the water, a water hardness test may show similar results before and after conditioning. The purpose of this treatment is scale management rather than mineral removal.

Salt-Free Water Softener

The salt-free water softening option uses media designed to alter the physical form of calcium hardness so that it is less likely to form deposits on plumbing and water-using equipment.

This approach provides scale-control benefits without the salt regeneration cycle required by a conventional ion-exchange softener.

For homes with particularly high hardness levels, additional pretreatment or a different media configuration may be recommended.

Hard Water and Your Home

Hard water contains naturally occurring calcium and magnesium. These minerals are commonly picked up as groundwater moves through soil and mineral-rich rock formations.

As the concentration of these minerals increases, so does the measured hardness of the water.

Over time, hard water can contribute to mineral deposits on faucets, showerheads, plumbing fixtures, pipes, water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, and other water-using equipment.

Common household effects can also include spotting on dishes and glassware, mineral residue around faucets and sinks, and soap buildup on bathroom and kitchen surfaces.

Optional System Upgrades

UV Water Treatment

An optional UV treatment system can be added when additional microorganism control is desired.

UV technology is designed to treat organisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, and protozoa without introducing chlorine or other treatment chemicals into the water.

Leak Detection Valve

An optional leak detection valve can monitor the filtration system and automatically shut off the incoming water supply if a leak is detected.

This feature can help reduce the potential for flooding and water damage around the filtration equipment.

Vacuum Breaker

A vacuum breaker may be installed ahead of the filtration equipment to help protect tanks and housings from negative pressure conditions within the plumbing system.

This can be useful as an additional protective measure in installations where pressure fluctuations may occur.

Metered Valve

Standard systems use a timer-based backwash schedule.

An optional metered valve allows backwashing to be initiated according to the amount of water that has passed through the system rather than a fixed number of days.

This provides a backwash schedule that responds more directly to actual household water usage.

Oxidation System

An optional ozone-based oxidation system can be incorporated when additional oxidation treatment is appropriate for the incoming water conditions.

Tank Selection and Maintenance

The installation environment should be considered when choosing between stainless-steel and fiberglass tanks.

Stainless-steel tanks may be more susceptible to surface rust or pinhole corrosion when exposed to persistent condensation, high humidity, salt, or other moisture-related conditions.

If the system will be installed in a consistently damp environment, or if routine exterior tank maintenance will be difficult, a fiberglass tank may be the more practical choice.