GAC Inline Filter RO Cartridge

$49.00

Reverse osmosis water should taste clean and crisp. If yours has picked up a stale, plastic or chlorine note, or your bottleless cooler's water is not as fresh as it was, the carbon stage is usually spent. This is the cartridge that restores it.

This inline granular activated carbon (GAC) cartridge, part CQE-RC-04038, is the replacement carbon stage for Crystal Quest water coolers and point-of-use reverse osmosis systems. Its published applications cover pre and post point-of-use RO, ice maker and refrigerator lines, and water coolers and fountains. Before an RO membrane it strips chlorine that would damage the membrane; after the storage tank it polishes the taste of every glass.

At a glance

The carbon stage for Crystal Quest coolers and RO: listed in our water cooler manual and the Thunder under-sink RO replacement list
Protects the RO membrane: as a pre-filter it reduces chlorine before it reaches the thin-film membrane
Polishes the finished water: as a post-filter it removes tastes and odors water can pick up in the storage tank
Coconut shell GAC: reduces chlorine taste and odor, VOCs and pesticides
Simple to change: connector fittings at each end, no housing to open

What you are looking at

One sealed inline carbon cartridge filled with granular activated carbon, closed with end caps and gaskets, with a connection at each end. In a cooler it sits inside the cartridge compartment with the other numbered cartridges; in an under-sink RO system it mounts in line on the tubing. When the carbon is spent, the whole cartridge is replaced.

How it works in RO systems and coolers

Before the membrane: chlorine protection

Thin-film composite RO membranes do the heavy lifting on dissolved solids, but chlorine attacks the membrane material over time. Activated carbon reacts with free chlorine and converts it to chloride, so a carbon stage ahead of the membrane takes chlorine out before it can shorten the membrane's life. This is the role CQE-RC-04038 plays as cartridge #1 in Crystal Quest floor-model reverse osmosis coolers.

After the tank: the final polish

RO water is stored in a tank until you open the faucet, and water that sits can pick up faint tastes and odors along the way. A carbon post-filter between the tank and the faucet adsorbs them, so the last thing your water touches is fresh carbon. On Thunder under-sink RO systems, the C models use this inline carbon post-filter; the M models use an inline SMART cartridge in that position instead.

In a bottleless water cooler

Crystal Quest floor-model coolers with ultrafiltration use this cartridge as stage #2, right after the sediment cartridge and ahead of the UF membrane and SMART stage. It takes out chlorine taste and odor and organic chemicals before the finer stages.

Coconut shell carbon, in brief

Granular coconut shell carbon is full of microscopic pores that give it a vast internal surface. Chlorine reacts on that surface, and organic chemicals such as VOCs and pesticides are held there by adsorption. Granules keep flow easy on low-pressure lines like an RO faucet or cooler supply.

What it reduces

Primary targets:

Chlorine, and the taste and odor it causes
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Pesticides
Tastes and odors picked up in an RO storage tank (post-filter position)

Not designed to treat: total dissolved solids, hardness, fluoride, nitrate, arsenic or dissolved metals. In an RO system those are the membrane's job, and in a cooler they are handled by the RO, UF and SMART stages that the model includes. Carbon also does not disinfect water.

Why Crystal Quest

Specified by part number. The Crystal Quest water cooler manual lists CQE-RC-04038 as the granulated activated carbon cartridge in its floor-model coolers, and the Thunder under-sink RO manual lists it among its replacement cartridges.
Matched to the system. The cooler manual directs owners to use Crystal Quest replacement cartridges, because the stages are designed to work together.
Over 1,000,000 people served since 1994. Crystal Quest builds under ISO 9001 quality management and has made water filtration in the USA for over 30 years.
Lifetime support. Call, email or chat with our water filtration team whenever you have a question about your cooler or RO system.

Which systems use it

Floor-model coolers with ultrafiltration: cartridge #2, after sediment, in the TURBO, SHARP and Hybrid Ultrafiltration coolers
Floor-model reverse osmosis coolers: cartridge #1, ahead of the RO membrane, in the TURBO, SHARP and Hybrid Reverse Osmosis and Ultrafiltration coolers
Thunder under-sink RO, C models: the inline carbon post-filter, for example on the Thunder 1000C. M models use the SMART Inline Filter Cartridge in that position.
Crystal Quest countertop reverse osmosis system: its GAC cartridge

Check the part number on your current cartridge or in your order history, and confirm the connections match. Need a choice of JACO or Quick Connect fittings for a refrigerator or ice maker line? See the Inline GAC Filter Cartridge.

Common questions

Which systems use this cartridge?

Crystal Quest floor-model water coolers (cartridge #2 in ultrafiltration models, cartridge #1 in reverse osmosis models), Thunder C under-sink RO models as the inline carbon post-filter, and the Crystal Quest countertop RO system.

Should the carbon filter go before or after the RO membrane?

Both positions are published applications. Before the membrane it protects it from chlorine; after the tank it polishes taste. Install it in the position your system's manual specifies.

My RO water tastes stale. Will a new post-filter help?

Usually, yes. A spent carbon post-filter is the most common reason RO water picks up a stale or plastic taste from the tank. If the water tastes flat rather than stale, that is the low mineral content of RO water; an optional inline alkalizer and mineralizer cartridge adds minerals back.

Thunder C or Thunder M: which post-filter do I need?

Thunder C models use this inline carbon post-filter. Thunder M models use the SMART Inline Filter Cartridge instead. Check the letter in your model name.

Is it the same as the Inline GAC cartridge with fitting options?

That listing offers the same part number with a choice of JACO or Quick Connect fittings. Match the connections on your existing cartridge before ordering.

How often should I replace the cooler or RO carbon filter?

In floor-model coolers, as required or every 18 to 24 months, per the cooler manual. In under-sink and countertop RO systems, typically 12 to 24 months, about 18 months for most homes. Replace sooner if taste or odor returns.

Does it lower TDS?

No. Carbon does not remove dissolved solids. In an RO system the membrane lowers TDS; this cartridge protects the membrane and improves taste.

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Published cartridge specifications

Applications

Pre and post point-of-use reverse osmosis
Ice maker and refrigerator
Water cooler/fountain

SKU	DESCRIPTION
CQE-RC-04038	Inline granular activated carbon (GAC) cartridge

Service life by system

System	Position	Replace
Floor-model cooler with ultrafiltration	Cartridge #2, after sediment	As required or every 18 to 24 months*
Floor-model reverse osmosis cooler	Cartridge #1, before the RO membrane	As required or every 18 to 24 months*
Thunder C under-sink RO	Inline carbon post-filter	Typically 12 to 24 months*
Countertop RO	GAC cartridge	Typically 12 to 24 months*

Media and operating conditions

Media	Premium Coconut Shell GAC
Reduces	Chlorine taste and odor, VOCs, pesticides
Operating pressure	20 to 60 psi (1.4 to 4.1 bar)
Operating temperature	40 to 90°F (4 to 32°C), cold water only
Not designed for	TDS, hardness, fluoride, nitrate, arsenic, dissolved metals, microbiologically unsafe water
Installation	Leak detector or flood-prevention valve recommended