Chloramines in water are believed to cause many water-borne diseases and problems such as irritation of eyes and skin. That being said, it’s inevitable to find some of the most effective ways to remove chloramine in tap water.
Today we are going to discuss some of the most important techniques that are required to remove chloramine from tap water.
Right after that, I’d be shedding light on what actually chloramine is, how it is made, and why do you need to remove it before using the water.
So, let’s dive right into the main topic without any further ado:
Five Effective Ways to Remove Chloramine in Tap Water
Some important ways to remove chloramine from water are as follows:
Using a Shower Filter
Using a shower filter especially for bathing purposes yields good results. Different studies have shown that people who use a shower filter are less prone to rashes or getting red eyes even if they are using chloramine-effected water.
So, one important way is to use a shower filter and utilized that shower for bathing purposes to avoid the direct effect of chloramine on your body.
Using Catalytic Carbon Filter
Another important technique to remove harmful concentration of chloramine in water is by using a catalytic carbon filter.
Now, what is a catalytic carbon filter? This type of filter is specifically designed with catalytic properties. The catalytic properties available on surface of the filter make it easier for chemical reactions to occur.
Now when water passes through this filter, a chemical reaction is initiated by the catalyst present in the filter. As a result of that, chlorine and ammonia get separated from the compound and become harmful.
Hence, you can easily utilize the purified water for different purposes be it cooking, chores, or bathing.
Installing a Reverse Osmosis System at Home
RO systems are meant to remove chloramines from water effectively enough. That being said, an RO filter has got many filtration layers and water has to pass through it. The layers contain carbon which acts as a catalyst in breaking the complex chloramine compound.
Hence, installing an RO system at home would surely yield better results and will keep the water away from chloramine for a long time.
Using a Chlorine De-Chlorinator
Another important and cheap way to diminish the effect of chloramine in water is to use a chlorine de-chlorinator. However, make sure that before you purchase a de-chlorinator, the tap water conditions are kept in mind as they might vary from place to place.
A perfect de-chlorinator is one that has the ability to treat almost every kind of chlorine bi-product. So, get it if you want a thorough cleansing of water without any hassle.
Using a Faucet Filter
Last but not the least, purchasing a carbon activated faucet filter is mandatory if you want to remove chloramine in tap water.
Before the water starts pouring from faucet, the filter makes sure that the complex compound is broken down into chlorine and ammonia. So, the end product is purified and clean water that can be utilized for cooking.
What are Chloramines?
Chloramines are widely known as water disinfectants. That being said, they are used right behind the chlorine to purify the water from different contaminants.
Before the chloramines, chlorine was widely used as a primary disinfectant to remove bacteria from water. However, with the latest technology chloramines are now used widely and there is a major reason for that.
It’s that chloramines are more effective and long-lasting at the same time. The water suppliers have realized this fact and they’ve now reverted their attention from chlorine to chloramine to remove different contaminants from water.
Little do they know that chloramine has an adverse effect on the overall health of a human being. We’d be discussing that later. First I want you to know that how chloramine is actually made.
Have a look:
How Chloramines are Made?
Chloramine is a combination of two words, i.e. chloro and amine. This specific type of chemical is made when chlorine reacts with ammonia. For disinfecting the water from hazardous bacteria and other microorganisms, scientists added both chlorine and ammonia to the water.
As a result, chloramine is formed which is supposed to last longer than typical chlorine and is regarded as one of the best chemicals to remove contaminants from water.
Side Effects of Chloramine / Reason to Remove Chloramine from Water
Now, this is extremely important. We’ve read above that chloramines are used to disinfect the water which is true to some extent. However, the side effects cannot be ignored as well.
Have a look at what higher concentration of this chemical does to your body as follows:
Eye and Skin Irritation
One of the most adverse effects of using chloramine-mixed water is that it causes irritation to eyes and skin. People who are prone to skin sensitivity are the most favorite victims of this chemical.
Not only that, but chloramine also causes redness in the eyes. On the other hand, people who have acne, or eczema are prone to skin rashes if they take a bath which has a higher concentration of chloramine.
Foul Taste and Odor
Another reason to remove chloramine from water is that it completely changes the taste and odor of water.
The metallic or chemical taste you have while drinking water is actually of chloramine which is mixed in higher ratios and is making the water as foul as possible.
On the contrary, a higher proportion of chloramine also affects the smell of the water. You simply can’t drink it more than once as the smell of the water is extremely bad.
Corrosion
The presence of chlorine + ammonia in water makes soft water harder. As a result, the water becomes corrosive over time and causes rust to the appliances you are using at home.
You could’ve noticed the reddish faces of faucets or showers. This is due to the chloramine that these appliances become corrosive with the passage of time.
Some Last Words
Now that you are well aware of how dangerous this chloramine could be for your health and skin, you should make changes to remove it from the water as soon as possible.
The ways I’ve mentioned above are all effective and make sure that you go through them to keep yourself away from this hazardous chemical for a long time.
