Today’s ‘question’ hits a lot of those same points in a new, and somewhat confusing manner. It comes from TamTom18894: “Our shower water contains a lot of chlorine and we think it too high. Yes?”

Not sure how TamTom thinks we will figure out the answer to their question since we have no interest in going to their home and testing their shower water… so we will, instead, discuss simple ways to test chlorine levels in tap water so they can figure out the answer on their own… and then list a few ways to reduce the levels of chlorine that they find.

First, test the water for chlorine residual. The simplest method we know of requires very little time and tests for both free and total chlorine at the same time. The WaterWorks 2 Free & Total Chlorine Test Kit provides fast, dependable results for both free and total chlorine concentrations in water within a minute.

For those who prefer a more ‘traditional’ method, such as a wet kit that uses DPD as its reagent, you probably either already have a kit you can use or you know where you can get one… but did you know an easier method of getting the DPD into your 10 mL sample exists?

If not, then you really ought to check out the DPD-1 ReagentStrip Delivery System which adds a precise dose of DPD-1 to a 10 mL sample without the need for crushing tablets, working with hard-to-open powder pillows or counting drops of messy liquids.

For more precise results, some people turn to meters such as the eXact Chlorine Photometer which can test both free and total chlorine concentrations from 0 to 11 ppm w/ no tablets to crush, drops to count, or powders to mix.

Once you know how much chlorine you have in your water, and what variety of chlorine you have in your water, you can then set about the task of selecting a water filtration device that will best address your individual water quality needs.

Removing free chlorine from shower water

The easiest way involves adding an inline shower filter such as the Sprite High Output Shower Filter which you place behind your existing shower head. It removes: 98.9% of free chlorine, rust from water, sulfur smell, and bad odors. Additionally, it reduces iron oxide, chlorine vapors, and scale build-up on shower surfaces.

Don’t already have a shower head? Need an excuse to get rid of your existing shower head? You can get the same NSF / ANSI 177 Certified shower filter pre-fitted with a good looking, 2.5 GPM shower head. The Sprite High Output Shower Filter (-A) comes in three finishes (brushed nickel, chrome and polished brass).

Removing combined chlorine (chloramines) from shower water

Many devices will claim to remove combined chlorine, total chlorine and/or chloramines. We want you know that in our experience (thus far) we have yet to come across a shower filter that will perform that task. Inline shower filers simply do not have the required amount of filtration media required to do a good job removing chloramines from shower water.

Chloramines have a high amount of chemical stability and as such require special consideration when attempting to remove them. Typically a device capable of effectively reducing chloramines (combined chlorine) levels in drinking water will have a relatively large media bed of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and/or a specialized ion-exchange resin.

Larger media beds mean more time in contact with the filtration media intended to remove the chloramines.

We have rumors of ‘catalytic granular activated carbon’ (cGAC) but have not, as of yet, learned enough about it to discuss its merits and/or shortcomings.

For years people have wisely invested money in shower filters designed to improve the quality of their shower water by removing chlorine, but what about those times when a person wants to kick back and relax in the tub by taking a hot bath? Shower water filters remove chlorine from only the water that comes out of the shower…

Good thing companies like Rainshow’r developed products such as the Bath 3000: Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator, an easy-to-use device capable of removing the chlorine from as many as 200 tubs of bath water.

Rainshow’r claims its product, the Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator removes up to 100% of free chlorine from your bath water in minutes.

Medical professionals and cosmetologists have often stated that removing chlorine from the water we bathe in/with will result in healthier, softer, and better looking skin.

For those not sold on the idea of removing chlorine from bath water, yet, please think about the following: Shower water containing chlorine hits your skin in spurts while bath water containing chlorine makes constant and continual contact with your skin for the duration of your bath.

Benefits of using a bath water dechlorinator include better lathering and suds’ing of soaps and shampoos, relief from dry skin, and removal of a known poison from the water. Also, with the Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator you will not need to mess around with plumbing fixtures, connect or disconnect any pipes, handle any toxic chemicals, or worry about changing out filters.

How does the Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator work? Quite simply, it converts chlorine ions to harmless chloride. Using a proprietary blend of KDF media safely locked away inside the Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator, it gets rid of the toxic effects of chlorine, chloramine, and chlorine gas sometimes found in bath water in a matter of minutes.

How long will the Crystal Ball Bath Dechlorinator last? That obviously depends on the amount of chlorine in your bath water to begin with and how often you take a bath, but Rainshow’r estimates that users will have to purchase a new Bath Ball approximately once a year or every 200 baths — whichever comes first.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Obviously removing chlorine from just bath or shower water will not suffice if you want to eliminate the risk of potential harm it can cause. Having said that, the first step to take involves testing for chlorine in your water supply. Use of a simple do-it-yourself chlorine test strip will give you a good idea of how much chlorine your water contains in a matter of seconds.

Once you know how much chlorine you have to remove, then you can set about selecting the correct shower water filter, countertop water filter, refrigerator water filter system or whole house water filter system.

The most common complaint people have about their shower water: “It smells like a swimming pool in my shower stall! Yuck!”

Apparently many people find it difficult to enjoy the subtle scents of flowers, fruits and other pleasant smelling things infused into their shower products with chlorine vapors in their nostrils.

People also complain that chlorinated bath and shower water dries out their skin, irritates their eyes, and makes their hair brittle.

For those reasons alone many people want the chlorine removed from their shower water… but other, more serious reasons may exist for getting chlorine out of the water. Studies have shown that taking frequent, long and hot showers using chlorinated water may pose a health risk over time.

In the enclosed shower stall, chlorine vaporizes where it is inhaled. To a lesser degree, dermal absorption also occurs. As chlorine is added to kill pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, the highly reactive chlorine combines with fatty acids and carbon fragments to form a variety of toxic compounds. Medical studies suggest a link between absorption and inhalation of chlorine in the shower environment, with elevated risks for diseases and serious illnesses. Showering in chlorinated water may also cause pre-existing conditions, such as asthma and eczema, to become exacerbated. ( source )

At one point in time installing a shower filter for chlorine removal meant having to install an unattractive, bulky shower head… but not anymore.

Advances in technology have reduced the size of shower filters and you can even get handheld models that have filters built right into the handles. Below you will see examples of handheld shower heads manufactured by Sprite Industries along with a set of replacement filters.

Sprite Industries uses a combination of two redox filtration media called Chlorgon and KDF-55 in the above filters to effectively reduce or substantially remove chlorine, iron oxides (rust) and dissolved hydrogen sulfide gas.

You can find other Sprite Industries water quality improvement products listed on the IsoPureWater.Com web site.