Not noticing a difference after installing the shower filter
If you're not experiencing the softer skin, reduced odour or improved hair feel that the aquabliss shower filter is designed to deliver, there are two likely explanations: your water may be treated with chloramine rather than chlorine, or the chlorine levels in your water may already be low enough that the difference is subtle. Here's how to determine which applies to you.
Your water may contain chloramine, not chlorine
Some municipal water companies use chloramine — a compound made by combining chlorine and ammonia — to disinfect drinking water rather than chlorine alone. Chloramine is increasingly common because it's more stable and doesn't dissipate as quickly as chlorine, making it effective over longer distribution networks.
From the perspective of your skin and shower experience, chloramine and chlorine produce similar effects — a chemical smell, potential skin dryness and irritation. However, they require different methods to reduce them. Our standard shower filters are designed to reduce chlorine using KDF media, activated carbon and calcium sulfite. They are not designed to target chloramine, and will not be effective against it.
If your water contains chloramine, the filter will provide little to no benefit — and this is the most likely reason you're not feeling a difference.
How to check if your water uses chloramine
Search for your city's annual water quality report online — type 'CITY NAME water quality report' into Google, or use this search link and add your city name. Your water supplier is required to publish an annual water quality report that lists all disinfection chemicals used. Look for 'chloramine', 'monochloramine' or 'combined chlorine' in the report. If you're having trouble finding your report, contact us and we'll help you locate the right one for your area.
Low levels of chlorine in your water
If your water quality report confirms that your supplier uses chlorine — not chloramine — the explanation may be that the chlorine levels in your supply are already low. This is actually a good thing: it means your water is treated conservatively and your skin and hair are exposed to less of it.
However, when baseline chlorine levels are low to begin with, the perceptible difference after filtering is naturally smaller. The filter is still working — it's just that the starting point is closer to what the filtered water achieves, so the change is less noticeable.
How to verify the filter is working
The most reliable way to confirm your filter is reducing chlorine is to test your water directly. Chlorine test strips are inexpensive and available from most hardware stores — they give you an instant reading of chlorine levels before and after filtering. A chlorine colorimeter provides more precise numerical readings if you want a more accurate measurement.