Municipal authorities and water suppliers often use chlorine and chloramines to disinfect bacteria in water. Albeit weaker than chlorine, chloramines provide secondary disinfection, which prolongs the effects of the primary disinfection on water supply lines.
Although there are no adverse health effects associated with chloraminated water, chloramines consist of free chlorine and ammonia molecules. So, like chlorine, they present an aesthetic nuisance when it comes to the water’s color, odor, and taste. This is why many people choose to remove them from their drinking water supply.
The best water filter that removes chloramine is the Springwell CF1, a whole house system that uses KDF & catalytic carbon to remove 99% of chloramines in water. It comes with up to 17 GPM flow rate for 7+ bathrooms.
Springwell CF1 is also our recommended choice for best water filters that removes chlorine.
Chloramine Water Filters Comparison Table
- Filtration technology: KDF & catalytic carbon
- Filter type: Whole house filter
- Chloramines reduction rate: Minimum of 99%
- Contaminants removed: Most water contaminants
- Flow rate: 9 – 17 GPM (1 to 7 bathrooms)
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Filtration technology: High-performance catalytic-activated carbon block technology
- Filter type: Cartridge-based whole house filter
- Chloramine reduction rate: Unspecified
- Contaminants removed: Unspecified
- Flow rate: 15 GPM (1 to 6 bathrooms)
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Filtration technology: Black Berkey Elements
- Filter type: Countertop system
- Chloramine reduction rate: 99.9%
- Contaminants removed: 203+
- Filtered Water Capacity: 2,25 gallons
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified (but has test results provided by EPA-certified labs)
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Filtration technology: Clearly Filtered 3-stage filtration tech
- Filter type: Under-the-sink system
- Chloramine reduction rate: Minimum of 95.3%
- Contaminants removed: 232+
- Filtration capacity: 2,000 gallons for each filter (lasting roughly a year)
- NSF 42 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Filtration technology: Affinity Filtration
- Filter type: Water pitcher
- Chloramine reduction rate: Minimum of 99.7%
- Contaminants removed: 365+
- Filtration capacity: 100 gallons for each filter (lasting roughly four months)
- NSF 42 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
Water Filters That Removes Chloramines
1. SpringWell CF1 Whole House Water Filter System
- Filtration technology: KDF & catalytic carbon
- Filter type: Whole house filter
- Chloramines reduction rate: Minimum of 99%
- Contaminants removed: Most water contaminants
- Flow rate: 9 – 17 GPM (1 to 7 bathrooms)
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- The blend of catalytic carbon, KDF media, and flex bed ensures ultimate filtration against chloramines
- Made of sturdy materials
- 9 GPM flow rate is suitable for 1-4 bathroom households
- Lifetime warranty
- Made in USA
- Requires professional assistance during installation
- Doesn’t have a performance data sheet
- No NSF certifications
- Expensive
The Springwell CF1 is the best whole house water filter for chloramines thanks to its durable build, lifetime warranty, and impeccable filtration process that removes 99% of chloramines from water.
Typical activated carbon media removes chlorine, but chloramines have a more complex molecular structure, so activated carbon alone isn’t an effective method against them. That’s why the SpringWell CF1 utilizes catalytic carbon, whose surface structure is able to eliminate chloramines.
The system also features a kinetic degradation fluxion (KDF) bed, which, combined with catalytic carbon, ensures the reduction rate of 99%.
Additionally, the SpringWell CF1 employs an innovative technology called a flex bed. This bed applies to all the system components, prolonging the contact time between filters and water for better system efficiency.
What makes the SpringWell CF1 stand out among other traditional whole-house units is that the high contaminant-reduction number doesn’t come at the expense of a smaller flow rate. The system has up to 17 gallons per minute (GPM) flow rate, which can serve moderately crowded houses with 7 or more bathrooms.
However, we don’t like that SpringWell can’t back up the claims they make about this product with a performance data sheet from an EPA-certified water testing lab.
Lastly, the SpringWell CF1 is a conventional whole-house unit with a bulky tank. Although it comes with a straightforward installation manual, it’s best if you get a plumber to install the unit for you.
But considering the device is expensive, hiring a pro for installation will make it an even bigger investment.
2. Kind Water Systems Whole House Water Filter
- Filtration technology: High-performance catalytic-activated carbon block technology
- Filter type: Cartridge-based whole house filter
- Chloramine reduction rate: Unspecified
- Contaminants removed: Unspecified
- Flow rate: 15 GPM (1 to 6 bathrooms)
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Kind Water Systems’s unique high-performance catalytic carbon technology ensures efficient filtration against chloramines
- The coconut shell gives the water a pleasant taste
- Cartridge-based system, meaning it’s easier to install and maintain
- 15 GPM flow rate is excellent for crowded families that have up to six bathrooms
- Lifetime warranty
- Made in USA
- Datasheet doesn’t cover details regarding its performance in removing chloramines
- No NSF certifications
If you don’t like conventional whole house filtration systems with huge tanks, the Kind Water Systems E-1000 cartridge-based water filter system might be the best option for you. It uses two small cartridges to remove chloramines from water.
The first Kind Water Systems cartridge is a a sediment filter that removes dirt, clay, dust, and turbidity. This process ensures the second filter removes hazardous contaminants without obstructions by sediment particles. The second cartridge houses Kind Water Systems’s remarkable high-performance catalytic carbon embellished with a coconut shell. While the main carbon media removes the chemicals, including chloramines and heavy metals, listed in its datasheet, the coconut shell gives the water a pleasant taste.
Cartridge-based systems typically have a higher flow rate than tank-based systems, but the Kind Water Systems system stands out because the 15 GPM flow rate makes it the best in its category. It can effortlessly provide chloramine-free water for households with up to six bathrooms.
Being cartridge-based means this system is easier to install than the SpringWell CF1. Anyone with some plumbing experience and a wrench will be able to install the product.
Like SpringWell, Kind Water Systems offers a lifetime warranty for its whole house unit and manufactures its components entirely on US soil.
However, the Kind Water Systems system doesn’t have any NSF certifications; nor does its data sheet provide performance details concerning how much chloramine it removes.
3. Big Berkey Water Filter
- Filtration technology: Black Berkey Elements
- Filter type: Countertop system
- Chloramine reduction rate: 99.9%
- Contaminants removed: 203+
- Filtered Water Capacity: 2,25 gallons
- NSF 42 certification: Not certified (but has test results provided by EPA-certified labs)
- Warranty: Lifetime
- The Black Berkey Elements reduce chloramines by 99.9%, which makes the Big Berkey the most potent filter against chloramines
- Removes 203+ other contaminants
- The manufacturer provides detailed performance data sheets supplied by EPA-certified water testing labs
- 2.25-gallon filtered water capacity is excellent
- Lifetime warranty
- Takes two hours to produce chloramine-free water
- Plastic spigot
This extraordinary stainless steel countertop unit reduces chloramines by a minimum of 99.9%, as tested by an EPA-certified lab, representing an unmatched percentage in the water treatment industry.
Unlike the SpringWell and Kind Water Systems whole-house models, the Big Berkey doesn’t use catalytic carbon technology to remove chloramines. Instead, the manufacturer has developed its patented and innovative technology, the Black Berkey Elements, which is effective against more than 203 contaminants.
The Black Berkey Elements combines various filtration media (identities not disclosed by the manufacturer) and techniques like microfiltration, absorption, adsorption, and prolonged contact time to ensure a superior water treatment process.
We’ll sum up what makes this blend of different media and techniques so good in two main points:
- Tortuous path for contaminants: The placement of different filtration media inside the cartridges in the Black Berkey Elements creates a labyrinth for contaminant particles. This way, the filters are able to catch more chloramine molecules than, say, with the Kind Water Systems.
- Exposure time: The Big Berkey has two tanks: an unfiltered water tank on top (2.25 gallons capacity) and a filtered water tank below (2.25 gallons). Once you fill the unfiltered water tank with tap water, the Big Berkey needs two hours to produce chloramine-free water. Although it’s not a great feature for impatient people, the exposure time is one of the main reasons this simple-looking device removes chloramine so efficiently.
In addition to the fact you need to wait two hours for 2.25 gallons of chloramine-free drinking water, the Big Berkey has another downside: its plastic spigot. We think it’s ill-fitting in such a high-quality unit.
4. Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-the-Sink Water Filter
- Filtration technology: Clearly Filtered 3-stage filtration tech
- Filter type: Under-the-sink system
- Chloramine reduction rate: Minimum of 95.3%
- Contaminants removed: 232+
- Filtration capacity: 2,000 gallons for each filter (lasting roughly a year)
- NSF 42 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- The brand’s unique technology allows the unit to reduce 232 contaminants, including chloramines
- Doesn’t employ reverse osmosis (not removing healthy minerals)
- Its 95.3% chloramine reduction rate is great for a non-RO under-the-sink system
- Filters need replacing once a year
- Lifetime warranty
- Made in USA
- Expensive under-the-sink unit
- Its replacement filters are expensive
Under-sink water filters are the best choice for people who don’t have enough space for a whole house or countertop water filter system. The Clearly Filtered 3-Stage filter is our recommended choice for under sink water filters that removes chloramines.
Thanks to the never-ending innovation of the brand, the Clearly Filtered 3-Stage Under-the-Sink model can deal with more than 232 contaminants, as certified by the NSF, which is why it’s our favorite in its category. You can check out the details in the product’s performance data sheet. Furthermore, its chloramine reduction rate of 95.3% is nothing short of exemplary for an under-the-sink unit.
Most under-the-sink filtration systems that treat chloramines and heavy metals (like lead) rely on reverse osmosis (RO) technology. That’s not the case with the Clearly Filtered. This item does the job with a highly sophisticated carbon filtration media and a special filter targeting heavy metals and volatile organic compounds.
Unlike reverse osmosis units that remove healthy minerals alongside contaminants, the design of the Clearly Filtered allows it to keep the minerals intact. So, with the Clearly Filtered, you treat your water for chloramines while preserving its original mineral content.
The Clearly Filtered advantages over other under-the-sink water filter systems don’t end there. While its competitors require filter replacements once every four to six months, the filters of the Clearly Filtered lasts approximately a year.
However, the price of Clearly Filtered replacement filters constitutes this unit’s main disadvantage. Considering the device is already one of the most expensive under-the-sink units on the market, the cost of filter replacement is not negligible and might burden your budget in the long run.
Lastly, in line with the SpringWell and Kind Water Systems products, Clearly Filtered is also made in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty.
5. Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher
- Filtration technology: Affinity Filtration
- Filter type: Water pitcher
- Chloramine reduction rate: Minimum of 99.7%
- Contaminants removed: 365+
- Filtration capacity: 100 gallons for each filter (lasting roughly four months)
- NSF 42 certification: Certified
- Warranty: Lifetime
- Incredible chloramine reduction rate for a water pitcher at 99.7%
- Reduces 365 other contaminants thanks to the unique Affinity Filtration technology
- The filter needs replacing only once every four months
- Holds all the relevant NSF certifications and comes with an astonishing performance datasheet
- Lifetime warranty
- Made in USA
- Replacement filters are expensive
The Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is the best water filter pitcher thanks to its ability to reduce more than 365 contaminants from water, including 99.7% of chloramines.
The inimitable success of this water pitcher is due to the Affinity Filtration technology developed by the manufacturer. Although Affinity Filtration is not all that different from Black Berkey Elements, it’s far more versatile (more contaminant types) and effective.
Here’s why:
- Unique physical structure: Similar to the Black Berkey Elements, the structure subjects the molecules of chloramines and many other contaminants to a long and winding road full of twists and turns. As a result, it prolongs contact time while ensuring a thorough treatment process.
- Contaminant magnet: The walls and paths inside the cartridge act as a contaminant magnet that draws and binds contaminant molecules. This allows the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher to catch chloramines with a much better success rate than its competitors.
The filter of the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is also durable. While most water pitcher filters require replacement once every one to two months, you’ll only need to do it once every four months with this product, which is more or less equal to 100 gallons of chloramine-free drinking water.
That said, the only disadvantage of the under-the-sink Clearly Filtered unit also applies to the pitcher — its replacement filters are costly.
Frequently Asked Questions
As mentioned earlier, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there are no health risks associated with drinking chloraminated water. Furthermore, as the chloramination of tap water never surpasses the 4 mg/L threshold, citizens have nothing to worry about.
Even if the chloramine levels were to surpass 4 mg/L, there is no research that suggests that drinking such water causes health complications.
However, exposure to chloramines in their gas (or fume) form may lead to skin irritation, red eyes, and shortness of breath. Although this is an extremely rare occurrence in households, it may happen in swimming pools excessively treated with chloramine.
Another important note is that using chloraminated water in kidney dialysis machines leads to serious illness, and patients exposed to chloraminated water have a higher mortality rate. That’s why distilled water is recommended for dialysis machines rather than tap water containing chloramines. However, this is not a concern when it comes to tap water for household use.
Overall, like chlorine, chloramines are only an aesthetic nuisance that affects the water’s taste, odor, and color. Reducing chloramine levels in water is best for a pleasant drinking experience.
You should remove chloramines from water to improve the its taste, odor, and color.
The only way for your water supply to have chloramines is if the water supplier or municipal authority utilizes it as a disinfectant. So, you should contact your local jurisdiction’s water supplier or the environmental department to confirm.
If you still have doubts, you should collect a water sample from your faucets and send it to an EPA-certified water testing lab in your area. It’ll cost anywhere from $25 to $400, but in return, you’ll get a detailed document listing all the contaminants found in your water and their levels.
The Big Berkey is the best water filter that removes chloramines with an unprecedented 99.9% reduction rate, thanks to the innovative Black Berkey Elements technology.
However, the Big Berkey is a countertop filter that only produces chloramine-free drinking water. The answer for those looking for a whole-house filtration device is the SpringWell CF1, with its 99% chloramine reduction rate.
Chloramines are considered an aesthetic impurity. As such, the National Sanitation Foundation certifies chloramine claims of water treatment brands under the NSF 42 standard that pertains to all aesthetic impurities.
That said, not all devices with an NSF 42 certification remove chloramines. For instance, most reverse osmosis units hold an NSF 42 certification but are rarely effective against aesthetic impurities. So, it’s best to examine the performance data sheets of products and finalize a purchase only after you confirm the product in question has chloramines listed under its NSF 42 category.
Conclusion
Municipal authorities and water suppliers pump chloramines into public water systems as secondary disinfection. Although these disinfectants don’t pose a health risk, removing them from your drinking water is still the best practice.
To that end, the SpringWell CF1 and Kind Water Systems Water models are the best whole-house filtration options. While the former is a traditional system with a 99% chloramine reduction rate, the latter is a cartridge-based unit that’s easier to install and maintain.
For those looking for the most potent reduction rate, it doesn’t get any better than the Big Berkey. This countertop unit produces chloramine-free drinking water only, but it has the best chloramine reduction rate in the industry— 99.9%.
If you don’t have any space on your counter but still want to install a filter that’ll deliver chloramine-free drinking water, the Clearly Filtered Under-the-Sink model is your best bet. It reduces chloramines, among 232 other contaminants, by 95.3%.
Lastly, if you’d rather buy a water pitcher, the efficiency of the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is unmatched. It reduces chloramines by a minimum of 99.7%, along with more than 365 other contaminants.
