While researching online for an effective and affordable way to remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water—without using an activated carbon filter—I found that some brewers use vitamin C. However, the byproduct of this reaction is Cl⁻, and since my nutrient solution already contains this ion, I don’t want to add even more ppm of it to my formula.
I’ve read in some places that hydrogen peroxide can effectively “remove” chlorine and chloramines, producing mainly H₂O and possibly some nitrates as byproducts (if I’m not mistaken).
My question is: does anyone here use this method? If so, what dosage do you usually apply for this treatment?
I have not, however there are some things to be aware of with regard to chloramine removal. There are many ways to remove chloramines from water, but there are downsides, and a proper chemical analysis is needed.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), activated charcoal, sodium ascorbate, sodium thiosulfate, humic and fulvic acids, can all be used to remove chloramines, but they either require a lot or is only stable for a short while, leaving behind ammonia and other unwanted residuals, in addition to greatly decreasing or increasing the pH, making it impractical in most cases.
Humic and fulvic acids are a known way to remove chloramines, which are the colloidal particles that make soil, well soil. So a good deal will be removed if you are watering soil.
Chloramines can also be removed by boiling, but it takes much longer than chlorine. Off-gassing chloramines takes weeks for a small amount of water, making it impractical.
I don’t know if I really need to, but I run my water through my 5 stage RO filter with the RO membrane removed, so It’s basically a double carbon and sediment filter.
I live in Brazil, and the only solutions for chlorine here are reverse osmosis filters or chlorine filters, but they are expensive solutions. Maybe the UV filter is a solution, but I’m not sure if it leaves any byproducts, so I’ll research it.
Have you tested to see if your municipality uses chlorine or chloramines? If it’s plain chlorine, it is an essential nutrient for plants if it isn’t overly concentrated. Furthermore, there have been studies done that show microbial life is only decimated, not killed off completely, and is able to bounce back in just a couple days.
Actually, I’ve never tested this, I’ve only read that they usually use chlorine and chloramine together, since chloramine is effective for a longer period than chlorine. I’ll look for a lab here in the city to analyze the tap water in the area. But thanks for the information!
That’s partly true. Some use one, some use the other. In fact, chloramines are chlorine bound to ammonia. When they use chloramine, yes, they usually use chlorine as a primary disinfectant, but some do not use chloramines at all.
Ive been using these tablets for the past few years. Chlorine and Cloramine is in our water. I haven’t tested to see how much is actually removed but haven’t had any issues with plants at all.
What I linked wasn’t UV if that was the impression. It’s a simple inline filter that works with standard garden hoses. Well at least the standard in & so I’m hoping it would also be the same for you.
This is what I was reading in that link I posted. When you break down chloramine you end up with H0CL and ammonia. Now I actually add H0Cl to every feed as I have a generator and it helps keep the salts in the solution. It’s the added ammonia I’m not so sure about.
I looked into those tablets as well but with the amount of water I need to filter it wasn’t cost effective since I could access filters for a reasonable price point.
I’m wondering if you could test your water via growing a cutting hydroponically… which is how I found out about the added chloramine in the water here in my city which wasn’t the case a while ago.
Basically I had a DWC bucket growing and by the end of every week I was having some sort of lock out issue. PH levels fine, nutrient levels fine, res totally replaced every week on schedule… but still fuckery.
Since hydro has no buffer I needed to figure out wtf or there was no point in moving forward.
I then on a whim bought some distilled water and used that for the week… and no issues. So I spent a little coin for the remainder of that grow buying water and it was perfect. Then I looked into the water treatment and found that my chlorine protocol was fine but there was the unknown to me chloramine which couldn’t be removed the same way.
Saving up and waiting for a sale I got the filter system and the appropriate filter and then the next run, and all runs since, never showed the same problems. Even though soil could buffer the stuff I now only give all my plants filtered, and outdoors rainwater and have no problems.
Oh, I see, I understood that it was a simple inline filter. It’s just that I’ve never seen filters like that here in my country. The only ones I’ve found are reverse osmosis filters and those three-stage chlorine filters, which are expensive hahaha. I was the one who mentioned the possibility of a UV filter, but I’m not sure if it would work.
I’m going to come in here with a different perspective than many who have commented so far:
I’m running hydroponics, and I add pool shock to my reservoir. I was adding liquid Hypochlorous acid, but decided that the powdered calcium hypochlorite made more sense.
My reservoir smells like an indoor pool when I mix it up fresh. So you’re probably fine?
if it’s just chlorine and not chloromine you can just leave it sit for a day and it will offgas. i used to do that to drinking water before switching to distilled water for drinking.
& 
so I’m hoping it would also be the same for you.
