New Jersey residents don’t need a reminder that “water quality” can mean very different things depending on your town, your plumbing, and whether you’re on municipal water or a private well. The Garden State has been aggressive on “forever chemicals” (PFAS) regulation for years—setting enforceable drinking water limits and expanding statewide monitoring. Add in the reality that NJ still has a huge number of lead service lines in the ground, plus the occasional taste-and-odor flare-up that can make tap water smell like a swimming pool, and it’s no surprise more homeowners are looking at whole-home filtration.
That’s the context where Clearsource Home is trying to win: one unit, installed on your main line, designed to deliver cleaner water everywhere—kitchen sink, showers, laundry, the whole deal. Their flagship “Clearsource Whole Home Water Filtration System” sells for $1,499.99 and positions itself as a premium, “covers basically everything” solution—right down to viruses.
What is it?
The Clearsource Home system is a three-stage whole-house filter built around three replaceable filter cartridges inside heavy-duty housings, all mounted to a compact, powder-coated aluminum chassis.
The filtration stages are spelled out clearly on the product page:
- 5-micron sediment filter (rust/sediment reduction)
- 0.5-micron coconut shell carbon block filter (taste improvement; reduces chlorine and VOCs)
- “VirusGuard” filter (the brand’s signature stage, marketed as capable of removing or reducing a wide range of contaminants—including viruses)
Clearsource claims the VirusGuard filter uses a NASA-developed technology and an “electrically charged coating” approach to trap contaminants and deliver coverage beyond typical whole-home filters. That’s a bold differentiator in a category where a lot of systems are basically sediment + carbon and call it a day.
The unit is fairly compact for a whole-home system: 29″ high, 25″ long, 9″ deep, and 59 lbs. Clearsource includes the chassis, three housings, all three filters, and a canister wrench.
From a “homeowner reality” standpoint, this is helpful because it means you’re not chasing parts just to get started—but you are committing to a real install (more on that below).
Installation
Clearsource is upfront that proper installation requires plumbing skills, familiarity with codes, and they strongly recommend a licensed plumber. The included manual reinforces the same message and gives some useful operating guidance: recommended pressure (20–80 PSI) and recommended water temperature (40–100°F).
Practically, that means you should budget beyond the purchase price. In New Jersey—where housing stock ranges from older pipe-heavy colonials to newer builds—install complexity can vary a lot. If you’ve got tight basements, older shutoffs, or you want bypass/pressure gauges (which the manual suggests as a good idea for monitoring filter life), you’re leaning even harder into professional help.
Maintenance and Ongoing Cost
A whole-home filter is never “set it and forget it.” Clearsource sells a Replacement Filters Three Pack for $299.99, and also offers a Replacement Fluoride Filter 3 pack listed at $399.99.
Your annual (or semi-annual) cost depends on local water conditions and usage, but the takeaway is simple: this isn’t the cheapest system to maintain, and you shouldn’t buy it thinking the $1,499.99 is the whole story. If you want premium filtration, you should expect premium consumables.
Warranty and Returns
Clearsource includes a 3-year warranty on the whole-home filtration system, covering manufacturing defects and performance-related issues, with customer support included during the warranty period.
They also offer a 30-day return window for a full refund, but with conditions: the system must be unused, in original packaging, and you won’t be refunded for shipping costs to you or return shipping back to them. That’s fairly typical for bulky home infrastructure products, but it’s worth knowing before you click “buy.”
Why it Matters in NJ Specifically
NJ is one of the most aggressive states in PFAS policy—setting enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA (listed by NJDEP at 0.014, 0.013, and 0.013 μg/L respectively). And while public systems have standards and monitoring, real-world household experience can still vary—especially when you factor in aging infrastructure and home plumbing.
On the lead side, New Jersey has been widely cited as having 350,000+ lead service lines, among the highest totals in the U.S. Even if your water utility is doing everything right, that kind of infrastructure reality is exactly why many homeowners like the idea of “owning” the last line of defense at the house.
And then there’s taste and odor. Chlorine (or chlorine-related treatment changes) is a common culprit for “funny tasting” water, and utilities have acknowledged that chlorine taste/odor complaints can happen—sometimes simply as part of treatment practices. A carbon stage (like Clearsource’s 0.5-micron carbon block) is often the part of a system that helps most with taste and smell.
Performance Claims
Clearsource’s biggest headline is the VirusGuard stage, marketed as removing or reducing viruses and “virtually every other common contaminant.” That’s a huge claim, and it’s exactly the kind of statement where smart buyers will want to see third-party testing results for the specific contaminants they care about (PFAS, lead, VOCs, etc.), ideally with recognized lab standards.
To Clearsource’s credit, they invite customers to contact them directly with questions and position their support as human (not automated). My advice: take them up on that. If you’re buying a premium system, you’re entitled to premium transparency.
Pros
- Three-stage design covers the “big three” homeowner concerns: sediment, taste/odor, and broader contaminant reduction.
- Premium build + compact enclosure that looks cleaner than a “loose housings bolted to plywood” setup.
- Clear pricing and clearly listed replacement options.
- 3-year warranty plus a straightforward 30-day return policy (with standard restrictions).
Bottom Line: Who Should Buy?
If you’re a New Jersey homeowner who:
- wants clean water everywhere (not just one under-sink tap),
- cares about taste and odor and broader contaminant reduction,
- and is comfortable paying for a plumber-level install,
…the Clearsource Home whole-home system is a compelling option on features and presentation alone. Learn more here.
Tom is a lifelong New Jersey resident, Rutgers and FDU alumni and the publisher of The Digest.
