Maybe some food for thoughts about Chlorine/Chloramine

Stefanie

AC Members
Jan 12, 2005
119
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16
Maryland
I just found this on the homepage of our water supplier... maybe it is safer to always treat chlorine AND chloramine, even if chloramines are not used to treat the water?


"Due to rain, ice and snowstorms, river conditions can produce strong bleachy odors and musty/earthy odors. The strong bleachy odor is not an indication of increased chlorine. The odor is a result of the combination of the chlorine used to disinfect and ammonia in the runoff water (rain, melting snow and ice) producing chloramines. Chloramines are not harmful and in fact are used by some utilities as the primary disinfectant. However, under certain circumstances, chloramines produce a very strong bleachy odor. There are no adverse health affects from the odor."
 
Sometimes chloramines can be formed naturally with the ammonia that comes in with the water supply. My local water utility adds the ammonia at the beginning of treatment with the chlorine added later on in the process.

I'd rather be safe than sorry and treat for both. It doesn't cost much more to do so.
 
the water conditioner I use says it treats for both, I actually think all of the conditioners I see do... I wonder if we always have both in my area?! Never checked it out
 
Holly9937 said:
the water conditioner I use says it treats for both, I actually think all of the conditioners I see do... I wonder if we always have both in my area?! Never checked it out
I would be careful. Some conditioners treat only chlorine but say things like, "breaks the chlormine bond" etc. All they do is remove the chlorine but leave the ammonia.
 
thanks harlock, but it does say it removes chlorine and chloramine (SP?). I would rather use one that covers all my bases then wonder if my water people are going to start using things I don't know about :soda:
 
The two conditioners that are highly regarded as chloramine capable are Prime and Amquel (+) or II or something of that noture. Almost every one I pick up makes the claim, but few really do the job. Our water treatment has never used chloramine, and we don't seem to have issue with natural formation of chloramines. But I do keep a bottle of prime on hand should my prep barrel ever smell of chlorine by the end of the week.
dave
 
Holly9937 said:
thanks harlock, but it does say it removes chlorine and chloramine (SP?). I would rather use one that covers all my bases then wonder if my water people are going to start using things I don't know about :soda:

“Removes chlorine & chloramines” as stated on the bottle Jungle Insto Chlor I have (as well as other conditioners) only means it breaks the chloramines bond. It has to specifically say something about removing ammonia from that broken bond, i.e. Prime states “removes cholorine, chloramines and ammonia” and goes on to specific details about ammonia conversion.
 
Start Right

On the bottle of "Start Right" from Jungle, it says that it removes chlorine and chloramine. But it doesn't! On the back in small letters, it says that you must also purchase Jungle "Ace" Ammonia/chloramine remover. Why would it say that it removes chloramine if you have to go buy another product to REMOVE the chloramine?? :rant:
 
Technically, it does remove chloramines. Once the bond is broken, there is now chlorine and ammonia. Therefore, chloramine no longer exists. Note, it also states it removes chlorine. That leaves ammonia. That’s why you have to look for a product that specifically mentions removing/neutralizing ammonia.
 
Its still not REMOVING the chloramine. Its beaking it up into eqally harmful substances. Well it should say Removes chlorine, breaks up cloramine into incredibly harmful ammonia. :mad:
 
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