A Simple Way to Remove Chlorine From ALL your Household Water
Homeowners with a well rarely have chlorine in their water supply, but many people connected to their city water supply have chorine in their water and don’t enjoy the taste, odor or possible effects on their hair and skin. Today’s blog will help you understand why chorine is in the water to begin with and how it can be easily removed!
Why is chlorine in my city water supply anyway?
Chlorine, in one form or another is added to most city water supplies to ensure that the water stays free of pathogenic organisms as it is stored in various storage tanks and pumped through miles of distribution water piping to get to your house. These levels will typically range from ~0.2 parts per million (0.2 ppm) to 2 parts per million (2 ppm) and are not considered harmful by the EPA if they are within this range. The chlorine has a slight taste and odor, and sometimes the taste/odor can be intensified if the chlorine has reacted with other constituents that may be in your water supply at very low levels. Some people find this taste and odor unacceptable and do not want to smell or consume chlorine, while some individuals are concerned about drying out their skin or causing damage to their hair. Other people are concerned with the potential health effects from the disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine react with trace amounts of naturally occurring organic matter in the water. In general, the risk associated with the disinfection byproducts and chlorine is considered much smaller than the risk of not treating the water appropriately with a disinfectant such as chlorine.
How can I remove chlorine from my water supply?
Granular Activate Carbon (GAC) is the tool for removing chorine along with some heavy metals and other constituents that can cause taste and odor issues. GAC is not a filtration technology that removes every water contaminant, it has very specific uses. GAC is not specifically rated to remove things like arsenic, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, etc… but it MAY reduce levels of some of those things. If you are concerned that you have bacteria, or other contaminants, make sure that you test your water appropriately and use a technology designed to remove the specific contaminants in your water.
What equipment can I use to remove chlorine from my water supply?
GAC filters come in two varieties. The first variety is called a cartridge filter and you purchase a filter housing and GAC filter cartridges. Every year or so the old filter cartridge is taken out, tossed and a new one installed. If you are planning to install a cartridge filter on your house the minimum size should be a 4”x20” for a normal house with 2-3 bathrooms. If you have a house larger than this, you may want to install 2 of them in parallel. These cartridge filters should be installed with a high quality ball valve on the inlet and the outlet so that the filter can be easily isolated for replacing the cartridge. If you have a larger house or facility you may want to install the second flavor of GAC filter called a backwashing GAC filter that can handle larger flow rates. These are sized according to the demand and need of the house or facility and are typically purchased from and installed by your local water filtration installation company.
How can I verify that I have removed chlorine from my water supply?
Once your GAC filter is installed how do you know it’s working? Turn the water on and let it run for a few minutes, there may be a bit of air in the lines from the installation and the water may even be a touch black for a few seconds. depending on the brand of cartridge selected and then will run clear. Flush the water from each of your sinks/showers and flushed each toilet. This should have cleaned all the chlorinated water out of your household plumbing system. If you want to double check, you can pick up some chlorine test strips inexpensively and follow the instructions to ensure all the chlorine has been removed from your water.
What about maintenance?
Change the cartridge at least once a year, put it on your calendar, and buy a few extra when you purchase the initial equipment! Remember that when you change the cartridge filter, you are removing all the chlorine and the inherent disinfecting capability of the water. Practice cleanliness and hygiene when handling and installing the new filter cartridge and then flush the water to a sink or shower after you change the filter cartridge.
Amazon or other links have been provided to provide illustrations of products mentioned in this blog. These links are not intended to show the exact product for your specific application, rather a generic example of the product(s) referenced. While purchasing these items is possible, please do so after having done your own due diligence and understanding that these links may generate commissions.