How Do You Remove Chloramines from Tap Water?

Are you looking at how you remove chloramines from tap water? If yes, you have landed on the right page. Read on.

Disinfecting water from harmful viruses, bacteria, and chemicals is essential. And this is especially true if you live in the city where your water comes from the municipality.

If you live in areas where your water comes from wells, springs, and other natural sources, you most likely do not need to disinfect the water. The water from these sources is rich in minerals and has little to no impurities.

The main way in which municipalities disinfect water is by adding chlorine and chloramine to it. Treating water with chlorine or chloramine works well to kill off the harmful viruses and bacteria in it. These chemical elements are powerful enough to kill all kinds of viruses and bacteria that are detrimental to human health.

It is important to note that, while chlorine and chloramine are beneficial in killing harmful bacteria in the water, they are not safe for human consumption. And they are especially not safe if we consume them every day or in large quantities. (1) (2)

Due to their harmful effects, it is of utmost importance to remove chloramines from tap water before consumption. Drinking and even bathing (skin contact) in water that contains chlorine and chloramine has harmful effects. (2)

How Is Chlorine Different From Chloramine?

Chlorine VS chloramine

Chlorine and chloramine are two compounds that kill harmful bacteria and viruses in the water. For many years, municipalities have been using chlorine to disinfect water. However, chlorine stays in the water for a very short period of time and quickly evaporates. The short life span of chlorine in the water leaves it vulnerable to being infected again with harmful viruses and bacteria.

When chlorine infused water is left open and comes in contact with air, it evaporates quickly. So, if you want to remove chloramines from tap water, you can simply keep it open and exposed to air. The chlorine will evaporate and make the water safe to consume.

Another way to remove chloramines from tap water is by introducing air bubbles with an air pump and stone. The air bubbles will accelerate the dichlorination process.

While municipalities have been using chlorine to disinfect water, many are now shifting to chloramine. This is because the chlorine evaporates faster than chloramine. Chloramine stays in the water longer than chlorine. And you can only remove chloramines from tap water with a chemical or carbon treatment. Like chlorine, chloramine is also toxic to humans and needs to be removed from the water before consumption. (3)

This is because chloramine is more complex in its structure than chlorine. This powerful disinfectant is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. And so to remove chloramines from tap water, you need to separate the chlorine from the ammonia and treat them separately. You can do this with carbon or chemical treatment.

You can use a tap water conditioner to remove chloramines from tap water. The conditioner breaks the chemical bond between chlorine and ammonia.

Regular conditioners are successful in destroying the chlorine but leave the ammonia in the water. Good quality conditioners also neutralize ammonia, making the water safer to consume. Just like chlorine, ammonia has harmful effects on human health. (4) (5)

Three Ways To Remove Chloramine From Tap Water – Methods

You can use a chemical dechlorinating agent or conditioner to remove chloramine from tap water. However, be careful when you buy one of these conditioners. Many conditioners claim to remove chloramine from tap water. But they are only successful in removing chlorine while the ammonia stays in the water.

For this, you need to read the label carefully. If the label mentions the removal of chlorine and chloramine but not ammonia, then it is best to not buy it. Some chlorine and chloramine conditioner labels also suggest using an ammonia removal conditioner along with it.

There is a simple solution to this problem. You can buy a 3 in 1 conditioner that removes chloramine, chlorine, and ammonia from the water. Here you will find some of these good-quality conditioners that will make your water safe to consume.

Another common method many people use to remove these harsh chemicals from water is RO (reverse osmosis). You can install a RO unit and filter your water through it. Make sure the RO unit you purchase removes both chlorine and ammonia from it.

You can also attach a simple faucet or tap filter to your tap. But for the faucet to be effective, it needs to have high-quality carbon in it. And along with high-quality carbon, the water needs to be in contact with it for a sufficient time duration. Without high-quality carbon and sufficient contact time, the faucet may not be so effective in removing these substances from water.

You will also need to replace the cartridges of the filter more often. This is because chloramines exhaust carbon faster than chlorine alone. Invest in a quality filter that has an indicator that tells you that it is time to change the cartridge.