Review: Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter System
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Aug 4, 2023
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The Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter is a simple system designed to provide filtered water all throughout the home. It uses activated carbon to tackle chlorine and other bad tastes and odors – it is even independently certified to do so effectively.
That said, there definitely are some downside to the system.
So, let’s explore the pros and cons of this Maytag whole house water filter and see if it is the right product for you!
Contents
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Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter System |
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| Price: | ? |
| Filter Media: | Carbon |
| Filter Life: | 200,000 Gallons |
| Flow Rate: | 12 Gallons Per Minute |
| Annual Cost: | ? |
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Overall Rating: 3.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter System – All Specs
- Model: 3M-PFC44-XXX
- Filter Media: Coconut Shell Activated Carbon
- Flow Rate: 12 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 197,389 gal
- WxHxD: 10″x50″x15″
- Water Temperature: 40-110 °F
- Water Pressure: 20-120 psi
- Fitting: 1″ NPT
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42 (Chlorine Taste and Odor)
- Warranty: Lifetime
Maytag AP Series Carbon Filter – Key Features
The Maytag AP Series whole house filter features activated carbon (precisely coconut shell activated carbon) which removes foul taste and odor, chlorine, and few other chemicals contaminants from water. As such, it is suited for basic water filtration needs.
With a 12 gpm flow rate, the Maytag can be used comfortably by both large and small households (can run 4-5 baths without exhausting your water supply).
Filter life is around 200,000 gallons – more on this later.
Side note: The system is mainly used a pre-filter before a Maytag water softener.
Maytag Whole House Water Filter Pros
What we like is that the Maytag is NSF-certified to remove chlorine taste and odor from water. This is not the most significant NSF certification, but it’s a start.
Installing the system should be pretty simple too – it comes with a bypass valve! And there is a lifetime warranty. However, in order for the warranty to not void, any Maytag whole house water filtration system must be installed by an authorized Maytag dealer.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The Maytag AP Series removes chlorine (89.9% average reduction), and other odor and taste-causing contaminants. As such, filtration is very basic and it won’t help you remove most of the more harmful contaminants that are lurking in our water supplies these days.
Installation
Installing the Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter is relatively easy, also thanks to the ready-made bypass valve. But this isn’t worth much, since you must have the system installed by an authorized Maytag dealer to enjoy the lifetime warranty. So it doesn’t matter if you’re handy with tools or a certified plumber yourself; you’ll have to spend extra on installation.
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Here are some tools necessary for installation:
- Filter with all its components, including a bypass valve
- Teflon tape
- Towels for absorbing water spill
- Bucket or garden hose.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing the filtration system:
- The carbon filter media needs to soak prior to installation.
- Fix a ball valve and boiler drain before and after the filter. These parts will test the water at the inlet and outlet points.
- Attach your inlet water pipe to the inlet part of the bypass valve.
- Attach the outlet part of the bypass valve to the filtered water pipe.
- Ensure that the bypass valve’s inlet and outlet are well-connected to your water supply (inlet water pipe to bypass inlet handle and outlet water pipe to bypass outlet handle).
- Then, turn on the inlet ball valve and turn off the inlet boiler drain.
- Turn off the outlet ball valve and turn on the outlet boiler drain.
- Now, slowly open your home water supply to flush out the new pipes and remove any chemical residues. Let the water run for a few minutes. Collect the flushed water in a bucket or garden hose.
- Wait a few minutes for the water to become clear, then turn off the outlet boiler drain. Cross-check all the connections and ensure there are no leaks.
- Gently open the inlet part of the bypass valve to allow water to flow into the tank.
- Wait till the tank is full, then gently turn on the outlet part of the bypass valve.
The Package (Parts)
- Head valve
- Bypass valve
- Mineral tank
Maintenance
Maintaining a Maytag whole house water filtration system involves service and possible repair. We’d say this system is easy to maintain. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Service the filter once a year. It’s probably best to hire an authorized dealer to do the yearly servicing.
- Replace the carbon media every year.
- Avoid using Vaseline, oil, or other petroleum-based lubricants on the filter parts. Use only the “Dow #7 silicone lubricant”.
- If your water contains lots of microbes, make sure to disinfect it before it enters the filter. Do not use the Maytag with microorganism-contaminated water.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XiD6N7at8HnHUXzvRZBj8HfMbrB7LxlC/view
NSF and Other Certifications
The Maytag AP Series carbon filter is certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 42. That means it can effectively remove chlorine taste and odor from water (89.9%).
Earlier Product Versions
As far as we know, this Maytag whole house water filter has no earlier versions.
Cons
We definitely noticed a few drawbacks with this Maytag filter.
- For one, its filtration capacity is roughly 200,000 gallons. So if you have a family of four, the filter media will last you approximately a year or two. Compared to other whole house water filters, that’s not a whole lot. In fact, Maytag recommends annual replacement of the activated carbon bed – performed by an authorized dealer. Now we don’t have any numbers, but this certainly adds to the cost. Not only do you have to pay for the materials but also for the service itself.
- Speaking of, we don’t like the lack of transparent pricing. The Maytag filter’s price is missing from the website so we don’t know how much it costs. If you’d want a quote, you’d have to contact a local Maytag dealer, bring them home to test your water, and have them recommend the best Maytag product for you. There’s no room to see products from other brands, compare prices, and make your final decision based on that. The way it’s set up, you go for the recommended product which, by the way, you can’t tell if it’s over-priced or not.
- And finally, if you try to DIY-install the Maytag whole house water filter, you forfeit the lifetime warranty. Basically, you have to hire a professional, specifically an authorized Maytag dealer to do the installation for you – at additional costs!
Maytag AP Series Carbon Filter Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The Maytag AP Series Carbon Whole House Water Filter is best for basic city water filtration. It uses regular activated carbon, so nothing fancy and it does not remove a very broad range of contaminants. In our opinion, it’s suited if you are mainly concerned about water aesthetics but don’t try to get rid of one or more specific pollutants with potential health effects.
Also, the filter lifespan could be better; it doesn’t last long enough compared to other products on the market. Lastly, we dislike the pricing model. We prefer transparent pricing where you can simply check and compare prices online/offline.
All in all, we would recommend most people to go with another whole house water filter.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.5/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 3.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: X.X/5.0
- Annual Cost: X.X/5.0
- Overall: 3.0/5.0
Comparison to Other Whole House Water Filters
Let’s compare the Maytag whole house water filtration system to two popular alternatives: The SpringWell CF and Kind E-1000.
SpringWell CF |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Media: | 5-Micron Sediment, Catalytic Carbon, KDF |
| Filter Life: | 1,000,000 gal or 6 Years |
| Flow Rate: | 9-20 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ~$40 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
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Kind E-1000 |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Media: | 5-Micron Sediment, Catalytic Carbon Block |
| Filter Life: | 12 Months |
| Flow Rate: | 15 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ~$145 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
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Maytag AP Series Carbon |
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| Price: | ? |
| Filter Media: | Carbon |
| Filter Life: | 200,000 gal |
| Flow Rate: | 12 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ? |
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Overall Rating: 3.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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The SpringWell CF (check full review) and Kind E-1000 (check full review) whole house water filters are renowned models available for purchase online with clear, transparent pricing. They also have a smooth installation and maintenance process that makes them easy to use (you’re allowed to do the installation on your own and escape the cost of hiring a professional).
They also come with a satisfaction guarantee and a limited lifetime warranty, something every buyer loves.
Most importantly, their filtration process is highly effective! Both filters use 5-micron sediment filters and catalytic carbon. The SpringWell even uses some KDF filter media. In other words, these systems remove a wide range of contaminants including sediments, chlorine, chloramine, pesticides, some heavy metals, and VOCs and other organic contaminants.
In direct comparison, the Maytag lacks transparent pricing, must be installed by a Maytag dealer, and uses “just” activated carbon.
More Reviews:
This completes our review of the Maytag whole house water filter. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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