Kinetico Carbon replacement frequency and cost

11 years ago

Hi,

I'm considering a Kinetico 4040 quad system. I saw the system/dealer in a home show. Today I went to their office for some installation questions. Only the tech was there, no sales.

When I asked about the maintenance cost, the tech mentioned that the GAC/carbon media in the tank needs to be replaced every 5 years (depending on the usage of water for sure). At the time of service, they will bring a new tank with new carbon filter to swap with the old one. The cost for that service is about $600.

I'm wondering if the cost is reasonable. I understand that the softener beads can last 20-30 years because they get regenerated constantly. The GAC or carbon, on the other hand, gets used up after a certain amount of water. But the way of exchanging tank is kind of new to me. I see some posts mentioning that the cost of replacing the beads is just around $200. I'm not sure why the cost of replacing carbon is so expensive.

Your input is highly appreciated.

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Comments (6)

User
11 years ago
It is that expensive purely because it is Kinetico. It is actually quicker and cheaper for a company to swap out your system and change the carbon off-site than to spend time doing the job in your home.
andy_c
11 years ago
Actually, changing the carbon can be easy enough. it takes less than 1 cubic foot. The bottom tanks have to unscrewed and dumped. Fill tanks with water and a half cup of bleach. Let sit for an hour. Flush and rinse.
Check to make sure no foreign matter is left in the tanks.
Fill to the top of the tanks, shake a little to let settle and refill. Reattach and open valve slightly filling slowly. Manually, turn the regen screw to bleed out all air and return to 6:00 or 12:00 position and let go.

You may need an oversized wrench to grip the tanks when taking apart and another person to hold the tops while you spin the bottoms.
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User
11 years ago
I meant it is cheaper for the company doing the swapping, NOT cheaper for the homeowner. It shouldn't cost $600 to change out carbon.
WDDD
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks so much for your replies. I haven't had a chance to come back for follow-up.

aliceinwonderland_id, the company swaps the tank. They refill carbon and disinfect the tank in their lab.

andy_c, is it possible to get carbon myself and refill it? If so, where can I get the carbon? Just trying to see if there is anyway to cut the cost.

I've done my homework on this forum and haven't heard anyone talked about the carbon replacement cost. Most of Kinetic users say the system is maintenance free. It puzzles me a bit.

Also, other than the 4040 quad system, I'm considering the option of having a dechlorinator and a softener separately. The total cost would be about $1,000 higher than the 4040 system. Because the water in our region has high chloramines (around 4ppm), Kinetico's CRS 1100 is designed to remove chloramines. If we have separate system, we have the option for the CRS unit plus a softener.

What's your opinion on this?

Thanks.
andy_c
11 years ago
Yes, you can change the carbon yourself. All carbon has a shelf life regardless of its application.

"Trouble free" is a marketing term as all system will need monitoring and maintenance; some more than others.
HU-201145962
2 years ago
Where is the best place to order the replacement carbon for the kinetico system?