Alkalize/Ionizer, Mineralizer & Oxidation + SMART Filter Cartridge

Good water should taste clean and feel smooth, not flat or sharp with chlorine. Filtering takes the unwanted things out; a mineral stage puts a little character back. This cartridge does both in one housing.

The Alkalize/Ionizer, Mineralizer & Oxidation + SMART Filter Cartridge combines an alkalizing mineral blend with SMART filtration media. The blend includes calcite (calcium carbonate) and magnesium oxide minerals, coconut shell and catalytic GAC, Eagle Redox Alloy 6500 and 9500, ion-exchange resin, and ceramic and tourmaline media. Choose it when it is the replacement specified for your system.

At a glance

• Two jobs, one cartridge: SMART filtration plus alkalizing minerals
• Chlorine and chloramine: coconut shell carbon plus catalytic carbon
• Crystal Quest redox media: ERA 6500 and ERA 9500 for chlorine, iron, hydrogen sulfide and metals
• Raises alkalinity with calcium and magnesium minerals; no fixed output pH is claimed
• Four sizes for countertop, under-sink and whole house housings

What you are looking at

A sealed cartridge shell with polypropylene end caps, polyolefin inner and outer wraps, polyethylene netting and Buna-N gaskets. Inside, mineral granules and ceramic and tourmaline balls share the shell with black carbon, metallic ERA granules and resin beads. The size and part number are printed on the label. Each end cap has 1-micron pads behind its openings.

How the two halves work

Half one: SMART filtration

Coconut shell carbon adsorbs organic chemicals such as VOCs, THMs, pesticides and herbicides, along with the compounds behind chemical tastes and odors, and converts free chlorine to harmless chloride. Catalytic carbon breaks down chloramine, the longer-lasting disinfectant many cities now use. Eagle Redox Alloy is Crystal Quest's copper-zinc redox media: ERA 6500 targets chlorine and ERA 9500 targets ferrous iron and hydrogen sulfide, and the redox reaction holds some dissolved metals such as lead and copper on the media. Ion-exchange resin adds a further metals step.

Half two: alkalizing minerals

Calcite (calcium carbonate) and magnesium oxide dissolve slowly into water that is on the acidic side. As they dissolve, they neutralize acidity, raise the water's pH and alkalinity, and add calcium and magnesium to the water. Ceramic and tourmaline media help condition the water. How far the pH rises depends on your incoming water, flow and how much mineral is left, so no fixed output pH is claimed.

Why pair them

Filtering and alkalizing are two separate jobs that usually take two housings. Combining them lets a single cartridge clean up chlorine, chloramine and chemical tastes and add minerals at the same time. If you have room for two housings, a standalone SMART Filter Cartridge followed by the Alkalize/Ionizer, Mineralizer & Oxidation Cartridge gives each media a full shell of its own.

What it reduces

Primary targets:

• Chlorine and chloramine, and the taste and odor they cause

Also reduced by the SMART media (capabilities of the media, not separate tested ratings for this cartridge): VOCs, THMs, pesticides and herbicides; heavy metals such as lead and copper; and ferrous iron and hydrogen sulfide at the low levels a cartridge stage is meant for.

Not designed to treat: bacteria and viruses, fluoride, nitrate, hardness or total dissolved solids (TDS). It adds calcium and magnesium, raising alkalinity, rather than removing them.

Is it right for my water?

It suits water that tastes flat or slightly acidic and needs chlorine or chloramine reduction too. If your water is already high in pH or minerals, a standard SMART Filter Cartridge is the better match.

Why Crystal Quest

• Two jobs in one shell. SMART filtration and mineral conditioning together, so one housing does the work of two.
• Media we name. ERA, coconut shell carbon, catalytic carbon and the SMART blend each have a Crystal Quest data sheet.
• Plain claims. We say what the minerals do, raise alkalinity and add calcium and magnesium, and we do not promise a fixed pH.
• Over 1,000,000 people served since 1994. Crystal Quest builds under ISO 9001 quality management, has made water filtration in the USA for over 30 years and offers lifetime support by phone, email or chat.

Where it fits

• Systems that specify the alkalizing and SMART combination use this one blended cartridge.
• Not a drop-in for every SMART slot: a standard SMART position, a reverse osmosis pre-filter or a whole house RO stage takes a standard SMART cartridge unless your system calls for this combination.
• No Plus, Ultra or Ultimate tiers: choose by size only.

Choose the size printed on your current cartridge or in your order history: 2-7/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04146), 2-7/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04163), 4-5/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04164) or 4-5/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04165).

Common questions