Go just about anywhere in the country—or even around Indianapolis—and you can bet that the tap water uses chlorine. Chlorine is great as a disinfectant, but it’s not something we want to drink. In fact, chlorinated water can mess with a lot of other things around your home, too. That’s why a lot of families want to get rid of it. Naturally, we want to keep microbes in check while our water travels from the treatment plant to our homes. So, chlorine doesn’t need to be bypassed altogether. We just need to remove it in-house.

Why Do We Need Chlorine Removal?

The first think a lot of us notice when our water seems “off” is the taste or smell. If you’ve got a scent of “swimming pool water” coming from your shower, there’s definitely a problem. But the chlorine is almost always there—even if you can’t smell it. Chlorinated tap water will dry out your hair and skin in the shower. It can also damage the color of your clothes in the laundry and mess with the rubber parts in your water-using appliances. More than that, long-term exposure to chlorine (or other water disinfectants like chloramines and chlorine dioxide) can lead to stomach aches and eye and nose irritation. Water should be clean and refreshing, but when it’s got chlorine left in it from the treatment plant, it can cause quite a few problems. Chlorine-removal helps keep your water fresh. A few home water systems can filter chlorine for you, so all you get is clean, safe water.

Water Systems that Remove Chlorine

Since our municipal water (that is, our tap water) is coming to us straight from the treatment plant, it’s going to have some amount of chlorine left in it when it arrives to the pipes of our home. This means you need a water system in place that can effectively filter chlorine before the water enters your home. When it comes to chlorine removal, water softeners alone won’t be able to cut it. Since they’re primarily designed to remove the dissolved minerals in tap water, most aren’t equipped to handle chlorine, too. For that, you need a water refiner. These systems are basically a step-up from your traditional water softener. With a water refiner, you can make sure that every tap in your home—not just the kitchen drinking water—is chlorine-free. Homeowners that are looking for chlorine removal systems often find their best match with a whole-house water system. These setups are designed in two parts. First, it means you have a water refiner built in to your water softener. The softener takes care of the hard water minerals, and the refiner stage clears away any chlorine. (Note: The best units should include a lifetime warranty on their chlorine filters.) The second part is getting a water filter for your drinking water. These high-power units make sure you’re giving your family the safest water possible. As long as the filter addresses your area’s main water problems, it will take care of any contaminants. And once it’s filtered, your water will taste great for all your kitchen concoctions—and especially your coffee and tea!

Finding Your Whole-House System

Knowing which water units are right for your home comes down to water quality and your home’s water usage. The number of people in your family and the size of your home can play a role in whether you need a single tank or a two-tank system. Talking with a local soft water company can help you figure out your best options. An in-home consultation will help you understand what’s actually coming through your tap. Getting a read on the chlorine level and your water’s hardness will go a long way in identifying which type of system will fit your needs—or if you’ll need extra filters for more specialized contaminants. At Indy Soft Water, we like to make the process easier than ever. Send us a message to schedule your consultation. We’d love to hear from you!