Do I have Chloramines? What are Chloramines? How does Chloramines affect me and my aquarium? What does Chloramine do to my RO/DI System? Why does my DI cartridge get used up so quickly? What is the best way to remove/address Chloramines?
There are tons of questions about chloramines. We are happy to shine some light on the subject and get you going in the right direction to better, healthier water, for you and your aquarium!
Do I have Chloramines?
More and more municipalities are converting to chloramines for water sanitation. To find out if you have Chloramines, you can reach out to your local water company or your local city hall for a free water analysis report.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Total & Free Chlorine Test Kit to test your water. These easy-to-use test strips tests for both Total Chlorine and for Free Chlorine. If the two tests give you the same reading, then you have chlorine. If the Total Chlorine reads higher than Free Chlorine, then you likely have Chloramines.
For municipalities that use lower concentrations of Chlorine / Chloramines (less than 1.0ppm), a Total and Free Chlorine Test Kit may not be helpful. In these scenarios, you can use a more-precise Total Chlorine Test Kit and measure the water after your carbon block filter. Having measurable Total Chlorine after your carbon block filter is an indication that you have Chloramines.
What are Chloramines?
Chlorine has been used for disinfecting municipal water since the early 1900’s. It is effective and costs very little. However, chlorine is quite volatile and can dissipate from water fairly quickly as it travels through water mains; leaving the water susceptible to micro bacterial growth.
Another disadvantage of chlorine due to its volatility is how easily it reacts with other organic compounds; creating DBP (disinfection by-products) that have been associated with kidney and liver problems.
For these reasons, many cities have started to opt for Chloramines: a more-stable form of chlorine for disinfection. Chloramines is a compound that is composed of Chlorine and Ammonia. It is less volatile than chlorine so it stays in water much longer and helps to disinfect the entire water distribution network. The lower volatility also means it produces less harmful DBPs.
While being great for sanitation and DBP levels, chloramines can cause quite an issue for you and your pets.
How does Chloramines affect me and my aquarium?
For human consumption, water with chloramines can be a problem for dialysis patients and certain respiratory issues. Chloramine can enter the blood of dialysis patients and cause hemolytic anemia.
For aquariums, chloramines are very toxic and will kill fish and corals quickly.
What does Chloramine do to my RO/DI System?
While a standard RO/DI system does a great job with Chlorine, it does not handle Chloramines very well. Chloramines passes right through your sediment and carbon block filters. The RO Membrane can remove the Chlorine portion of the compound; however, it leaves the Ammonia portion going downstream into your DI Filter. Chlorine also will damage the RO Membrane quickly.
Once past the RO membrane, the leftover ammonia can be very-effectively removed by the DI filter. However, due to the high concentration, the DI Filter can become exhausted after just 30-40 gallons of water production.
So, what is the best way to remove/address Chloramines?
Fortunately, we have an excellent solution for treating chloramines. The AquaFX Chloramine Blaster filters! These filters utilize a high-quality Catalytic Carbon that is designed to remove Chloramines. The carbon has an altered surface structure that breaks down Chloramines while acting like a super-charged carbon to handle all the other impurities (VOCs, THM’s, etc…). Sufficient contact time is required for the Chloramine Blaster Carbon to function properly, so 2 Chloramine Blaster cartridges are needed and are installed in series. We offer RO & RO/DI systems that incorporate Chloramine Blaster filters. If you already have an RO or RO/DI system, you can also just add our Chloramine Blaster upgrade kit that allows you to easily convert your system to handle Chloramines.
All of our Chloramine Blaster Filters come in refillable cartridges. You have the option of replacing the entire cartridge, or save money by refilling the cartridge yourself and purchasing just the replacement catalytic carbon refill.
Many of the carbon-block cartridges you find online that claim to remove chloramines only contain small portion of catalytic carbon. Additionally, surface area is reduced by the process of binding the carbon into shape. Our Chloramine Blaster cartridges work better by offering you 100% catalytic carbon, more volume of carbon in each cartridge and more surface area!
We specialize in all different types of filtration to make water safe for you, your family and your pets. At AquaFX, we offer better filters, better service!
