Chlorine Removal & Whole House Water Filters

Signs of chlorine in your water

• A "pool" or bleach smell from the tap or in a hot shower
• A chemical taste in water, coffee, tea, or ice
• Dry, itchy skin and dry or brittle hair after showering
• Faded or rough-feeling laundry

These are general signs, not a diagnosis. Other issues can cause similar symptoms, so we highly recommend a professional water test from our team before choosing a system. Call (209) 645-1151 to schedule.

Chlorine vs chloramine: what's in your city's water

Not all disinfectants are the same, and that affects which filter you need.

• Chlorine is common across Central Valley systems. Turlock's water report highlights a free chlorine residual of around 0.9 ppm (parts per million). Manteca's reports list chlorine as the disinfectant. Turlock Manteca
• Chloramine (chlorine combined with ammonia) lasts longer in the pipes and is harder to remove. The City of Stockton’s system uses chloramine (Cal Water’s Stockton District reports free chlorine). People who move between cities often notice the difference in taste. Stockton

Standard carbon handles chlorine well, but chloramine is tougher. That's why we use catalytic carbon, a specially enhanced carbon designed to break down and remove chloramine, which ordinary carbon struggles with. We size it for your water so it gets enough contact time to do the job, protecting your family at every faucet and shower.

It protects your softener too. Chloramine is harder on water softener resin than regular chlorine, and over time it breaks the resin down. Our AquaShield Soft 5-stage softener is built for this: its first stage, KDF media, reduces chlorine before water reaches the resin, and a catalytic carbon stage targets chloramine. That helps protect the resin and extend its life. Our 6-stage salt-free system includes catalytic carbon too. A traditional softener without this filtration takes the full hit.

How a whole-house carbon filter works

The filter is installed where water enters your home, so all of your water passes through it. Activated carbon grabs chlorine, chloramine, and many taste- and odor-causing compounds as water flows through the tank. The result is better-tasting, better-smelling water at every tap, in every shower, and in your appliances.

Whole-house filter, softener, and reverse osmosis (RO): how they fit together

• A whole-house chlorine filter handles chlorine and chloramine taste and smell everywhere.
• A water softener or salt-free water conditioner handles hard water scale. A traditional softener doesn't remove chlorine, but our 5-stage softener and 6-stage salt-free systems have carbon filtration built in, so most homes get hardness and chlorine treatment in one system.
• An under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) system adds a separate faucet for cleaner drinking and cooking water.

If you don't need softening, a standalone whole-house carbon filter is the simple fix for chlorine. If you also have hard water, our softener and salt-free systems already include it. Many homes then add RO for drinking water.

Shower, skin and hair

A shower is where most families notice chlorine first, because warm water releases more of the smell. Whole-house filtration treats the shower too, so you don't need a separate filter on every showerhead.

Coffee, tea and ice

Chlorine taste carries into everything you make with tap water. Coffee and tea can taste flat or bitter, and ice can pick up a chemical note. Filtering where water enters your home means the water going into your coffee maker, kettle and cooking pots has the chlorine reduced before it ever reaches the kitchen. Adding RO at the sink takes drinking water a step further. Water quality, coffee & ice

Starts with a free water test

Our free in-home water test includes hardness, precipitation, chlorine and soap testing, and more. We'll show you your chlorine reading and recommend the right filter size. If hardness is also high, we'll explain your softener and salt-free options. Water testing

Carbon replacement and service

Carbon doesn't last forever. How long it lasts depends on your water use and chlorine level. We set a replacement schedule based on your home and service the system so the taste stays good.

Whole house water filter vs. chlorine removal at one tap

A pitcher or faucet filter handles chlorine removal at one sink. A whole house water filter treats every faucet, shower and appliance, because it sits where water enters your home. For chlorine, we use activated carbon. For chloramine (the City of Stockton and Mountain House use it), we size catalytic carbon, which is built for it.

• What it does: reduces chlorine and chloramine taste and smell, plus many taste and odor compounds.
• What it doesn’t do: soften hard water (that’s a water softener or salt-free conditioner) or replace reverse osmosis for drinking water.
• Got grit or sand too? Add a sediment pre-filter ahead of the carbon.

Local details: Stockton · Manteca · Turlock · Mountain House · Salida.

Related reading: Better-tasting tap water: getting rid of chlorine taste