What is your preferred method for removing chlorine or chloramine in tap water?

[The123321]

I have read that it is harder to remove chloramine from tap water but what methods do you use to remove chlorine or chloramine or both of those from your tap water? I have been letting the water sit out a few nights before using it to water the plants but I am going to start using a 5 gallon bucket to let the water sit in it.

I am able to smell the chlorine smell in the tap water and the water seems to have a lower chlorine smell after it sits out a few days on there.

Do you use a air bubble pump? How big? Does it need to be in the dark on there?

I read about using ascorbic acid vitamin c powder to neutralize the chlorine or chloramine in water. That sounds like it would be the easiest way to do it. How many of you do that? How much do you use per gallon on there for it?

 

[Bmac1]

I just throw in some dirt. A small handful of dirt in the 5 gal gives the chlorine/chloramine something to react to. I have noticed that the smell disappears almost instantly.

 

[I'mback]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oSRvcdlgSI

I have a 45 gal drum in the garage, which I transfer into my 5gal bucket that I keep in the back hallway (PH 6.6/7 depending what time of year). I've been growing for 2 yrs using tap water without issues or using extra chems. Extra chems = more TDS. AAMOF, I use the Remo line nutes and have to add PH up @ 0.5ml/3l. I vary that amount in order to get a good PH swing. Growing in HP Promix

 

[Sunshineinabag]

chlorine....48 hour offgassing like filling up a milk jug take cap off and let sit 24 hours.
I refuse to use chloromine treated waters if poss

 

[hazyfontazy]

neutralise by ecothrive job done

 

[The123321]

Thanks. I think my tap water has chloramine in it. I smelled the water and it has a strong smell of chlorine in it and some water that I had let sit out for a day or 2 seems like it has much less of a smell of chlorine in it. I am growing in coco with organics that use beneficial microbes and the coco has enough trouble with microbes from what I have read I think I maybe should not use water with chloramine if that would make more of a problem for the microbes. The dirt thing is interesting. I am kind of on the fence with it. I was thinking of using ascorbic acid vitamin c powder but then thought I would try it and then if I see a problem then start using the ascorbic acid powder but I do not know if I want to take a risk on the plants having problems. I wonder if I let the water sit out for a day or 2 that should remove at least some of the chlorine right? Then even if there is chloramine in the water it would likely not make as many problems for the plants for it on there. What do you think of that for it on there?

 

[AgentPothead]

I don't have the problem locally, but people who homebrew and have to remove chlorine and chloramine use what are called campden tablets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campden_tablet

 

[nickman]

I’ve been filling up like two five gallon buckets with the tap water...

I have a air stone in one of the buckets that I leave on constantly...
I let the water sit out in the buckets for at least 24 hours...

Usually I’ll leave the water in the first 5 gallon bucket for like 24 hours and then I’ll put that water into the other 5 gallon bucket with the air stone for another 24 hours...

Then I’ll water...!!!...

I don’t know if it’s really doing anything but I’ve read that’s all you have to do...!!!...

I’ve also read about putting something organic in the bucket with the water for the chlorine to bind to...!!!...
Just like Bmac said...!!!...

 

[HHILL]

I use a KDF filter setup from Hydrologic, the Tallboy. Seems to work well for a backyard garden.

 

[moose eater]

I don't have to contend with the stuff, thankfully, but if I did, it's been my understanding that an open vessel can be left to freely ventilate to the air, and it will dissipate. That's been my understanding, anyway.

"Time heals all wounds... and chlorine, too?"

 

[tobedetermined]

I use a KDF filter setup from Hydrologic, the Tallboy. Seems to work well for a backyard garden.

And I use the same filter in a Small Boy for hand watering.

 

[GMT]

Everyone knows that chlorine has no smell right? If you think you smell chlorine, what you smell is the waste gas from a chlorine reaction with biological matter. In a public swimming pool, that's normally sweat and piss. From your tap?

 

[mean mr.mustard]

Chloramine.

I personally rely on my chlorine and chloramine from my tap.

I don't pay for RO and I don't bubble or let sit.

I use tap and don't worry about shit.

 

[JustSumTomatoes]

The chlorine is easy, you can remove it in a relatively quick amount of time by boiling the water. For larger quantities that you can't realistically boil all the time, put it in a container like a bucket with a wide mouth (greater surface area allows more evaporation) and leave it uncovered overnight.

Chloramines are more tricky. They have a much slower evaporation rate than pure chlorine. This stability is why the water companies use them... They tend to stay in the water and do their job of eliminating bacteria instead of just gassing off. To properly remove them you will need to pass it through a carbon filter (carbon all around rules!) For good measure it should be distilled, put through a reverse osmosis technique, or a cation filter.

If you're growing organically definitely remove them to protect your pro-biotic bacteria. I've heard some hydro guys say keep it in cause it help keeps the algae down. But in all honestly, I don't even bother removing it at all. In soil they do just fine with it for me. I'm cautious with seedlings though and prefer pH adjusted distilled water.

 

[hazyfontazy]

Everyone knows that chlorine has no smell right? If you think you smell chlorine, what you smell is the waste gas from a chlorine reaction with biological matter. In a public swimming pool, that's normally sweat and piss. From your tap?

You can smell chlorine as it comes of my tap,, it's undrinkable,
Stopped using it on plants as it was causing problems
Started using again with neutralise and all OK now

 

[GMT]

Then you have some other contaminants in your water from somewhere. I'd get that checked. Seriously.

 

[The123321]

Thanks for the information. I plan to try the ascorbic acid vitamin c powder for it on there.

 

[Treevly]

Thanks for the information. I plan to try the ascorbic acid vitamin c powder for it on there.

Ascorbic acid may be fine, but count on it moving the pH in the direction of being more acidic. It is, after all, an acid.

 

[moose eater]

You can add a ph up product to reverse the citric acid's effect on ph, but then in many cases, you're adding K, too.

Sometimes, time and patience is your best friend.

Other times, doing the damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't boogey is the only -expedient- (unfortunate) path.

 

[I'mback]

Thanks for the information. I plan to try the ascorbic acid vitamin c powder for it on there.

Do you have any research data on that, or are you just winging it?