Evergreen guide
Whole-house (point of entry)
Whole-home carbon filtration sits on the incoming line so treated water feeds showers, laundry, sinks, and outdoor hose bibs that share that main. Softening, when installed, typically sits in the same mechanical story so hardness is reduced throughout the house.
That is why whole-home work is a placement and plumbing conversation: garage or utility space, drain access, bypass valves, and power for the softener valve.
Reverse osmosis (point of use)
Residential RO usually lives under the kitchen sink with a dedicated faucet. It treats drinking and cooking water at that tap. Showers and laundry never see the RO membrane. That is by design, not a flaw.
RO is optional with whole-home carbon-plus-softener treatment and is priced separately. It does not replace whole-home treatment for chlorine taste in the shower or hardness at bathroom fixtures.
Choosing the right mix
If the complaint is house-wide taste, odor, spots, or scale, start with whole-home equipment. If the complaint is only drinking water in a condo that cannot take tanks, under-sink RO may be the realistic path. Many single-family homes do both.
Related service: Reverse osmosis