| Fit | Branded-Fit |
|---|---|
| Micron | 5 |
| Media | Wound PP |
| Flow | 0.5 GPM (1.9 LPM) |
| Max pressure | 125 PSI |
| Life | Up to 12 months |
| Price | ₹190 |
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
The first stage inside a purifier: a 10-inch wound polypropylene cartridge that catches sand, rust and silt at 5 microns before water reaches the carbon block and the membrane. It passes 0.5 gallons a minute, about 1.9 litres, is rated to 125 PSI, and is good for up to 12 months on clean supply.
Branded-Fit describes its dimensions, not its media. The major purifier brands use housings whose length and end seats differ slightly from the generic 10-inch standard, and a cartridge cut for the generic size will not seal in them. This cartridge is cut for those brand housings. The filter inside is the same wound PP as the Universal-Fit version.
What it fits, and what it does not
It fits the sediment slot in purifiers from the major brands. The tell is the cartridge you take out: it came with the machine, its ends are shaped to that housing, and a generic 10-inch cartridge held next to it is visibly not the same at the ends. If that describes yours, this is the replacement.
It does not fit a generic 10-inch bowl or the sediment slot in a locally assembled purifier; those take the Universal-Fit cartridge. It does not fit a threaded-cap pre-filter bowl either, which takes the 9-inch candle. If both this and the Universal-Fit happen to seal in your housing, buy whichever is cheaper; here they are the same price.
When to choose it over the Universal-Fit
Only when your housing is a brand housing. There is no filtration reason to prefer one over the other: same 5 micron rating, same wound PP, same 125 PSI, same 12-month life. The decision is entirely mechanical. If you are unsure, the Branded-Fit vs Universal-Fit guide walks through checking the housing before you order.
What goes wrong if you pick the wrong fit
A Universal-Fit cartridge in a brand housing does not seal at the ends. Water finds the gap, bypasses the media, and carries silt straight onto the carbon block, which blinds, and from there to the membrane. Nothing leaks, nothing alarms, the purifier keeps running, and the ₹900 membrane dies early because of a ₹190 cartridge that never sealed. Sediment is the cheapest part in the chain and the one that protects everything after it.
When to replace it, and the symptom
Up to 12 months on municipal water; 6 to 8 months on borewell water with real silt in it. The symptoms are slower flow at the purifier and visible discolouration of the cartridge. Change it on the symptom if that comes first, and change the carbon cartridge at the same time if it is anywhere near its own year.
Which LUXGEN parts it works with
Its partner is the Branded-Fit carbon cartridge, cut for the same housings, which takes the chlorine this cartridge cannot. Together they protect the 80 GPD or 100 GPD membrane behind them. For a wall-mounted pre-filter ahead of the purifier, use the spun pack or yarn-wound candle instead; those are housing cartridges, this is a purifier cartridge.
