Whole-house Carbon Filters
Whole-house Carbon Filters | Water Purification | Plumbing | Athens
Imagine turning on any tap in your Athens home and meeting water that tastes like mountain spring, free from chlorine odor, sediment, and the invisible contaminants that sneak in between the treatment plant and your glass. HEP’s whole-house carbon filters wrap every fixture in a shield of activated carbon, trapping chemicals, pesticides, and VOCs before they reach your family or your appliances. One system, discreetly plumbed at the point of entry, delivers continuous water purification without the fuss of countertop pitchers or under-sink gadgets.
Our licensed plumbers size, install, and maintain each filter to match the unique mineral profile of Athens water, so you enjoy consistent flow, longer-lasting pipes, and sparkling dishes. With eco-friendly media that’s easy to replace and a service team on call 24/7, HEP makes pure water effortless—leaving you more time to savor that first, crisp sip straight from the faucet.
FAQs
Why should I install a whole-house carbon filter if I live in Athens?
Although Athens’ municipal water meets Greek and EU potability standards, it is still disinfected with chlorine and can pick up tastes, odours, trace organic chemicals and sediment while travelling through the distribution network. A whole-house carbon filter removes these substances at the entry point of your plumbing, so every tap—kitchen, bath, washing machine—delivers cleaner, better-tasting water. It also protects pipes, fixtures and appliances from chlorine’s corrosive effects, extending their life and reducing maintenance costs.
How does a whole-house carbon filtration system work?
The system is plumbed into the main water line just after the water meter. Water flows through a tank (or cartridge) filled with high-grade activated carbon media. The carbon’s enormous surface area adsorbs chlorine, chloramine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, herbicides, many industrial solvents and unpleasant tastes/odours. Some models incorporate a sediment pre-filter (5-20 µm) to trap sand, rust and silt found in older Athens pipes. Clean, de-chlorinated water then feeds the hot- and cold-water lines throughout the home.
Which contaminants are typically removed from Athens tap water by carbon filtration?
1. Free chlorine and its by-products (trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids) 2. Chloramine (in districts where EYDAP uses combined disinfection) 3. Volatile organic compounds such as benzene, toluene and some pesticides used in Attica’s agricultural belt 4. Micro-plastics, sediment, rust and pipe scale 5. Bad taste and earthy/musty odours caused by seasonal algae in the Marathon and Yliki reservoirs 6. Lead, if a catalytic carbon or carbon block certified for lead reduction is chosen. (Note: Carbon does not soften hard water; a separate softener is required for limescale.)
How often will I need to replace the carbon media and what maintenance is involved?
Replacement intervals depend on water quality and household usage. In Athens, a family of four using about 600 L/day typically changes a cartridge system every 6–12 months or a back-washing tank every 4–6 years. Key maintenance steps: • Check the sediment pre-filter every 2–3 months; replace when pressure drop exceeds manufacturer limits. • For tank systems, initiate an automatic back-wash cycle (usually programmed for every 10–14 days) so the carbon bed remains unclogged. • Test residual chlorine annually; if chlorine “break-through” is detected, it’s time to re-bed or replace the media. Most homeowners manage cartridge changes themselves; tank re-bedding is usually done by a licensed plumber or our service team.
Will a whole-house carbon filter reduce my water pressure or require electricity?
Properly sized units have minimal impact on pressure. For example, a 25 mm (1″) in/out catalytic carbon tank rated at 100 L/min causes only 0.2–0.4 bar drop at normal domestic flow. Cartridges with small ¾″ ports, however, can restrict flow in larger homes. Our technicians calculate peak demand to match the filter’s port size and media volume to your household’s needs. Standard cartridge systems use no electricity. Back-washing tanks plug into a 230 V outlet to power their control valve (about 5 W on standby and 30 W for a 10-minute back-wash), adding just €1–€2 per year to your bill.
What should I expect during installation and how much does it cost in Athens?
Installation usually takes 2–3 hours. The plumber shuts off the water at the external stop-cock, cuts into the main line, mounts a bypass manifold, and installs the sediment pre-filter and carbon unit. If space is limited, we can mount a compact system vertically on the wall of a boiler room or balcony service cupboard. Typical turnkey prices in Athens (parts, labour, VAT): • Cartridge system for apartments: €330–€550 • 10″ × 44″ back-washing catalytic carbon tank for a single-family home: €750–€1 050 • 13″ × 54″ high-flow system for villas or small hotels: €1 350–€1 900 All our systems carry NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 certifications and a 10-year tank warranty. After installation, we issue a conformity statement for your building file and provide a maintenance schedule tailored to Athens’ seasonal water conditions.