Water Quality

I cannot feel any difference in my water after using the aquabliss shower filter

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.

Using a TDS meter to measure water quality

Why a TDS meter won't measure the effectiveness of your shower filter TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids — a measure of the total concentration of dissolved substances in water, typically expressed in parts per million (ppm). TDS meters work by measuring the electrical conductivity of water: dissolved mineral salts carry an electrical charge, and higher conductivity indicates more dissolved solids. What TDS meters can and can't detect TDS meters are useful for detecting dissolved minerals and salts — things like calcium, magnesium, sodium and other compounds that carry a positive or negative electrical charge. However, the chemicals that aquabliss shower filters are specifically designed to reduce — chlorine, chloramine, organic compounds and similar disinfection byproducts — do not carry a meaningful electrical charge. They don't affect the conductivity of the water, so they don't show up in TDS readings. Put simply: a TDS meter cannot detect chlorine or chloramine. Using one to test whether your shower filter is working will give you a reading that tells you nothing about filtration effectiveness. Customers often see a similar or even identical TDS reading before and after filtering and assume the filter isn't working — but the TDS reading is simply measuring the wrong thing. How to accurately test your filter's effectiveness To verify that your aquabliss shower filter is reducing chlorine as intended, use either: - Chlorine test strips — inexpensive, widely available from hardware stores. Dip in the water before and after filtering and compare the colour change against the scale provided. - A chlorine colorimeter — a more precise instrument that gives a numerical ppm reading. Available online and from water testing suppliers. These tools measure what actually matters — chlorine and chloramine concentration — and will give you a clear, reliable indication of how much your filter is reducing. Signs the filter is working, beyond testing If you'd rather observe than test, the following changes are reliable indicators that your aquabliss shower filter is doing its job: - The chlorine smell in your shower is reduced or absent - Your skin feels less dry or itchy after showering - Your hair feels softer and more manageable - Your nails are less brittle - Soap, shampoo and body wash lather more readily — chlorine inhibits lathering, and filtered water allows products to work more efficiently