GAC-20BB Granular Carbon Taste & Odor Filter - 20" Big Blue

The Pentek GAC-20BB is a granular activated carbon filter that is used for removing chlorine and the taste and odor associated with chlorinated drinking water. The Pentek GAC-20BB is basically a plastic tube that is filled with granules of activated carbon. Water passes through the filter housing and through the granules where many chemicals are removed. The Pentek GAC-20BB is designed to maximize the exposure of the water to the carbon filter media which results in high performance. The Pentek GAC-BB features a built in 20 micron post filter. This post filter ensures that no carbon fines or other particles are able to exit the filter and contaminate the filtered water.

Pentek GAC-20BB Details:

The Pentek GAC-20BB is composed of activated carbon. Activated carbon is a highly porous material that attracts and traps chemicals as the water passes through. Due to it's highly porous structure, filters such as the Pentek GAC-20BB have tremendously high surface areas. Typically, a pound of activated carbon has from 60 to 150 acres of surface area. It is this massive surface area that gives activated carbon most of its filtration properties.

Carbon filters such as the Pentek GAC-20BB are created by slowly heating a carbon source in the absence of oxygen. Many different carbon sources can be used such as coal, coconut shells, or peanut shells. The carbon filter is activated by passing oxygen gas at very high temperature through the carbon. This process gives the carbon filter it's highly porous structure.

Carbon filters like the Pentek GAC-20BB are able to filter water by two main processes: physical straining & adsorption. The highly porous structure of carbon block filters act as microscopic channels that are able to effectively trap many large organic molecules. Other contaminants may have an electrical interaction with the carbon filter material and will "stick" to it.