Do you want to find the best 10-inch whole house water filter cartridge?
The most common sizes for whole house water filter cartridges are 10" x 4.5" for 'big blue' type of systems and 10" x 2.5" which has a smaller width.
In this product review, I will go over...
- My #1 top pick for the best 10-inch filter cartridge
- How activated carbon filter cartridges work
- How sediment filter cartridges work
- And average water capacity ratings (how often to replace)
Let's get started with this guide!
| Image | Product | |||
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Top Pick  | Top Pick | 1. Pureplus Sediment & Carbon
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| View on Amazon |
 | 2. Aquaboon Sediment
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 | 3. Icepure Sediment & Carbon
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Best Deal  | Best Deal | 4. Aquaboon Sediment 25-Pack
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| View on Amazon |
 | 5. Ronaqua Carbon Block
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| View on Amazon |
My Overall #1 Rated Pick
- 10" x 4.5" Filters Is Standard Fit For Most Systems
- Combo Sediment And Carbon Filter
- High Quality Coconut Fiber
- Up to 30,000 Gallon Capacity
- Will Fit GE, Culligan, Dupont, Kenmore, And Big Blue Systems
My overall top pick for the best 10-inch whole house water filter cartridge goes to Pureplus. These are premium combination sediment and activated carbon filter cartridges. The outer sediment filter is made from polypropylene microfibers that will catch dirt, sand, rust, silt, and other particles. The inner carbon layer will greatly reduce chlorine, pesticides, bad odors, and bad tastes. They will last up to around 30,000 gallons depending on your water quality.
5 Best 10-inch Water Filter Cartridges
Short on time? Check out our top 5 best 10-inch whole house water filter cartridges! Keep reading to see the details on each pick and our buyer's guide.
Standard 10-Inch Filter Cartridges
Sooner or later, with whole house water filters, you will need to replace the filter cartridge. Fortunately, if you have a standard 10-inch filter, there are a wide variety of filter cartridge options for you.
The two most common will be either activated carbon filters or sediment filters. And some of them are two-in-one combination filters of both carbon and sediment filtration.
The two most common 10-inch sizes are 10" x 4.5" and 10" x 2.5". The 10" x 4.5" inch is the standard size for the big blue whole house water filter type of system. In the vast majority of cases, these standard sizes will fit GE, Culligan, Kenmore, 3M, Dupont, and other whole house water filter brands.
Read Also: How Does A Whole House Water Filter Work?
How Do 10-Inch Activated Carbon Filter Cartridges Work?
The hands down most common type of filter cartridge for whole house water filters is activated carbon.
Activated carbon is a processed type of carbon or charcoal so that it is highly porous in nature (many tiny holes) that gives it a very high surface area. The carbon also has a very strong molecular bond so that any impurities in the water such as chlorine will bind or adsorb to the activated carbon.
Any amount of chlorine that is about 4 milligrams per liter in home water is considered unsafe by the CDC.
There are two main types of activated carbon filter media which is either granulated activated carbon (GAC) or carbon block. GAC filters use loose form carbon which is almost like sand. Carbon block is the same granulated carbon but it is highly compressed to form a solid sheet.
Activated carbon filters are the standard filter in the industry for CTO filtration. CTO is an industry acronym which stands for chlorine, taste, and odor.
Activated carbon can sometimes remove up to 99% of chlorine, as well as removing pesticides, VOCs, herbicides, and greatly enhance the taste and odor of water.
Read Also: What Are The Best Whole House Water Filter And Softener Combos?
How Do 10-Inch Sediment Filter Cartridges Work?
In addition to carbon filters, sediment filter cartridges for whole house water filter systems are also extremely common.
Sediment trapping devices are designed to remove larger particles suspended in home tap water such as rust flakes, sand, silt, dirt, and other substances. Sediment filters can also act as 'pre-filters' for multi-stage whole house water filters.
Especially with activated carbon and reverse osmosis filters, a sediment pre-filter will help keep the downstream filters from getting plugged up with large particles. It will also help the efficiency of your whole house water filter, and keep it working at peak performance.
Read Also: What Are The Best Whole House Water Filters To Remove Fluoride And Chlorine?
How Long Will A Whole House Water Filter Cartridge Last?
One important consideration is the water capacity of the filter cartridge.
Sooner or later the cartridge will get plugged up with debris and changing the filters regularly is required for peak performance. Most filter cartridges will last on the low end of 10,000 gallons and on the high end up to around 30,000 gallons.
An easy way to know when you need to replace a whole house water filter is when your home's water pressure drops. In most cases, a filter cartridge will have to be replaced at least once every 6-months but more commonly it is every 2-3 months.
Some whole house water filters can be rinsed or cleaned and reused for a certain amount of time such as the Aquaboon Sediment filters.
Read Also: What Are The Overall Best Whole House Water Filter Systems?
What Is The Best 10-inch Whole House Water Filter Cartridge?
Here are my full reviews of the best rated filter cartridges that can fit most standard 10" x 2.5" and 10" x 4.5" whole house water filters. Check them out below...
The Big Blue Sediment & Carbon whole house water filter cartridge is a combination filter made by Pureplus. This whole house water filter cartridge is made with three layers of polypropylene and one layer of coconut activated carbon.
The three polypropylene layers are used as a sediment filter to remove sand, debris, rust, and other large particles. And the coconut carbon filter layer is designed to remove chlorine, cloudiness (turbidity), odors, and just generally improve the water quality and taste.
The Pureplus Sediment & Carbon filter is compatible with any standard 10" x 4.5" big blue filter system as well as standard GE, Culligan, Dupont, Kenmore, and Whirlpool.
Pros
Cons
This is a high quality sediment trapping filter cartridge made by Aquaboon. It measures in at 10-inches by 4.5-inches and will fit most standard sized whole house water filter cartridges.
These sediment filters will trap rust, dirt, sand, and other debris. These filter cartridges are pleated (accordion shape) which gives it a greater surface area to catch more particles.
The Aquaboon filters are also cleanable and reusable though you should still change them a few times a year. They will last up to around 30,000 gallons per year and will capture sediment up to 5 microns in size.
Pros
Cons
This is a premium sediment and carbon whole house water filter cartridge made by Icepure. These filters are sized at 10" x 2.5" and will fit most standard reverse osmosis whole house water filter systems.
This filter cartridge has three layers of carbon block filtering material (not granulated carbon) which gives it an extra density and surface area. The outer layer is designed to remove sediment such as rust, sand, dirt, and other large particles.
The middle layer will remove up to 99% of chlorine and other organic chemicals like herbicides and pesticides. The inner core will remove particles and organisms up to 1-micron in size.
Pros
Cons
This is a high quality 25-pack of polypropylene filter cartridges made by Aquaboon. These sediment filters will filter out rust, sand, dirt, silt, and other particles from your water.
The Aquaboon sediment filter cartridges have four density zones of polypropylene microfibers. The outer two zones or layers will filter out the larger particles while the inner two layers will remove fine sediment particulates up to 5-microns.
These filters don't have any toxic binders, wetting agents, or solvents. Aquaboon recommends using these filters for up to 30,000 gallons depending on your water quality or every 4-6 months.
Pros
Cons
The Ronaqua Carbon Block whole house water filter cartridges will remove chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, bad odors, bad tastes, and other contaminents. These filter cartridges are sized at 10-inches by 2.5-inches.
The activated carbon is made from coconut shells, and it is compressed carbon block with a graded-density (finer inner core). These whole house water filter cartridges are meant to be replaced 2-3 times a year.
The O-ring is made from high quality silicone that is BPA free and is resistant to higher temperatures. The housing is also made from BPA free food grade plastic.
Pros
Cons
My #1 Top Pick: Pureplus Sediment & Carbon
My overall top pick for the best rated 10-inch whole house water filter cartridge goes to Pureplus. Here's why...
#1. 10-inch Standard Cartridge
These filters come in at 10-inch by 4.5-inch which will fit pretty much all 10-inch whole house water filters especially big blue systems. They will also fit standard 10" x 4.5" inch GE, Culligan, Dupont, Kenmore, and other whole house water filters.
#2. Combo Filter Cartridges
The Pureplus 10-inch filters are combination filter cartridges that are composed of an outer sediment filter and an inner carbon filter. The outer polypropylene filter will remove sediment from your water such as rust, sand, dirt, silt, and other large particles. The fine inner carbon core will remove bad tastes and odors such as from chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals.
#3. 30,000 Gallon Capacity
Depending on the quality of your existing water, these filter cartridges can last up to around 30,000 gallons or up to around 6-months of use. This is a pretty long lasting filter cartridge for the money.
