| Fit | Universal-Fit |
|---|---|
| Micron | 5 |
| Media | Coconut shell carbon |
| Max pressure | 125 PSI |
| Life | Up to 12 months |
| Price | ₹220 |
Orders are placed on DraQua, the official ION INDIA store. Specifications above are as listed on the LUXGEN range page.
What it is and what it does
Coconut-shell activated carbon in a standard 10-inch cartridge. It strips chlorine and the odour and taste that come with it, filters to 5 microns, is rated to 125 PSI, and lasts up to 12 months. At ₹220 it is the lower-priced of the two carbon cartridges in the range, and the media inside is the same as the Branded-Fit at ₹250.
Think of it as membrane insurance. Chlorine that gets past the carbon stage attacks the polyamide film of a TFC membrane, and that damage does not recover. Every month a spent carbon cartridge stays in a purifier on chlorinated supply is a month off the life of the most expensive part behind it.
What it fits, and what it does not
It fits the standard 10-inch housing: the carbon slot in locally assembled and unbranded purifiers, and generic 10-inch bowls with a plain cap. If the sediment cartridge in the same purifier is the Universal-Fit type, this is its carbon partner.
It does not seal in the housings used by the major purifier brands, whose end profile is different; those need the Branded-Fit carbon cartridge. It is not a sediment stage, and it should always sit after one: carbon blinded with silt stops working long before its year is up.
When to choose it over the Branded-Fit
Whenever it fits. Same carbon, same micron rating, same pressure limit, same life, ₹30 less. The only reason to buy the Branded-Fit instead is a housing that will not seal this one. The fit guide shows how to tell in a minute with the housing open, and the answer is the same for this cartridge as for the sediment one next to it.
What goes wrong if you pick the wrong cartridge
In a brand housing it bypasses at the ends and chlorine goes through to the membrane; the purifier runs normally and the damage shows up months later as rising output TDS. Skipping the carbon stage altogether to save ₹220 a year ends the same way, with a membrane replaced at 12 months instead of 24. That is the arithmetic the change schedule is built around.
When to replace it, and the symptom
Up to 12 months, sooner if a chlorine smell or taste comes back in the purified water; that smell is the carbon telling you it is full. On borewell water, which is not chlorinated, it has less to do but should stay in place, since it still removes odour and organics and bores are sometimes shock-chlorinated.
Which LUXGEN parts it works with
The Universal-Fit sediment cartridge goes ahead of it in the same purifier, or the spun pack in a wall bowl further upstream. Behind it sits whichever membrane your unit takes: 80 GPD, 100 GPD or molded high-TDS. The carbon is the cheapest way to make any of them last.
