Oz filter warehouse blog article
What we'll cover in this article.
This article explains why chlorine is used, why it may be more noticeable at certain times and how activated carbon filtration can help improve the taste and smell of mains water.
Why does my tap water taste or smell like chlorine?
Why chlorine may still be noticeable once mains water reaches your home.
Why is chlorine used in Australian tap water?
How chlorine helps protect water as it moves through the public network.
Why does the chlorine smell seem stronger at times?
Factors that can make chlorine taste or odour more noticeable.
How the Crystal Series reduces chlorine
How whole-house carbon filtration helps reduce chlorine, taste and odour.
FAQs
Common questions about chlorine and the solution.
Why does my tap water taste or smell like chlorine?
Have you ever poured a glass of water from the kitchen tap and noticed a chemical taste or smell? Perhaps the water seems fine when it is cold, but the chlorine smell becomes more noticeable when you run a shower or fill the bath. Chlorine is commonly used to treat mains water across Australia. Its presence does not automatically mean there is a problem with your water supply. In fact, chlorine plays an important role in helping control microorganisms as treated water travels through reservoirs, pipes and public distribution systems. However, even when the water meets Australian drinking-water requirements, the remaining chlorine can still affect its taste and smell. Some households barely notice it, while others find that it changes the experience of drinking, cooking, showering and using water throughout the home. For households that want to reduce chlorine across more than one tap, a whole house water filter can treat the incoming water before it moves through the property.
Why is chlorine used in Australian tap water?
Before mains water reaches your home, it is treated by the relevant water authority or local provider. The exact treatment process varies between locations, but chlorine is commonly added to help control bacteria and other microorganisms. A small amount of chlorine may remain in the water after the main treatment process. This is known as a disinfectant residual. The purpose of this residual is to help protect the water as it moves through the public distribution network. Water can travel through reservoirs, pumping stations and many kilometres of underground pipes before reaching individual properties. Maintaining a disinfectant residual helps reduce the risk of microorganisms growing within that network.
The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines explain that chlorine is widely used in drinking-water treatment and may be maintained within distribution systems for this reason. This means a chlorine taste or smell at home is often a result of the treatment process rather than an indication that the water has become contaminated.
However, there is a difference between water being considered microbiologically safe and water being pleasant to drink and use. Chlorine may serve an important treatment purpose, but some people still prefer to reduce the remaining taste and odour once the water enters their property.
Why does the chlorine smell seem stronger at times
Several factors can affect how strong the smell or taste appear:
Individual sensitivity
People have different levels of sensitivity to tastes and smells. One person may barely notice chlorine, while another person in the same household may find it immediately obvious. The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines note that the acceptability of the same water can vary between people. It may also vary from one day to another for the same person. This is one reason there may be disagreement within a household about whether the water has a strong chlorine taste.
Water temperature
Chlorine odour can become more noticeable when water is warm or hot. This is why many people first notice it while showering, bathing or running hot water in the bathroom. Warm water can release more odour into the surrounding air, while an enclosed bathroom allows the smell to build up. A cold glass of water may appear to have only a faint chlorine smell, while the same water can seem much stronger when heated.
Water sitting in household pipes
Water that has remained in the household plumbing for several hours may taste or smell different from freshly drawn water. This can be noticeable first thing in the morning or after the home has been empty for part of the day. Running the tap briefly may change the taste or smell as fresh water enters the plumbing.
Changes within the local water network
Water treatment and distribution conditions can change over time. Maintenance work, seasonal conditions, changes in demand and adjustments to treatment processes may all influence how the water tastes when it reaches your home. This does not necessarily mean that the water is unsafe. However, it can explain why chlorine seems stronger at certain times of the year or on particular days.
How the Crystal Series reduces chlorine
The Crystal Series is designed for homes using microbiologically safe mains or treated water. Rather than filtering water at only one tap, the system is installed on the main incoming water line, allowing it to treat the water before it moves through the connected household plumbing.
Water first passes through a sediment cartridge, which helps reduce dirt, sand, rust and other suspended particles. It then moves through an activated carbon cartridge that helps reduce chlorine, chloramine and the unwanted taste and odour they can leave behind. Because this filtration happens where the water enters the property, it can improve the water supplied to connected kitchen taps, bathroom taps, showers, baths and appliances, depending on the installation design. This differs from a benchtop or under-sink filter, which generally treats water at only one outlet.
For households that notice chlorine when drinking, cooking or showering, whole-house filtration provides a more consistent approach. Instead of addressing the taste or smell at a single tap, the activated carbon stage helps reduce chlorine across the parts of the home connected to the filtered supply.
The Crystal Series is available in different sizes and configurations, allowing the system to be matched more closely to the household’s water use, flow requirements and filtration needs.
Better-tasting water throughout your home
Chlorine plays an important role in the treatment of Australian mains water, but the remaining taste and smell can still be unpleasant once the water reaches your home. A whole house water filter can help reduce chlorine before the water moves through the household plumbing, improving the water used for drinking, cooking, showering and other everyday purposes. The Crystal Series combines sediment and activated carbon filtration to help reduce chlorine, chloramine, unwanted taste and odour in microbiologically safe mains or treated water. For households that notice chlorine across several taps or fixtures, it provides a practical way to improve water quality throughout the home.
Looking for a reliable home water filtration system?
Explore The Crystal Alpine Series range and find out which home water filtration system suits your household.
Simple, effective and built for Australian homes.
FAQs
If you're new to water filtration or considering a system for your home, the answers below cover some common questions we hear.
Why does my tap water taste or smell like chlorine?
Chlorine may be added during mains water treatment to help control microorganisms as the water travels through the public distribution network. A small amount can remain in the water by the time it reaches your home, creating a noticeable taste or smell.
Why is the chlorine smell stronger in the shower?
Warm water can make chlorine odour more noticeable. The smell may also build up in an enclosed bathroom, which is why some people notice it more strongly in the shower or bath than in a cold glass of water.
Can a whole house water filter reduce chlorine?
Yes. A whole house water filter with activated carbon can help reduce chlorine, along with the unwanted taste and odour it may cause. The system treats the water before it moves through the connected household plumbing.
How does activated carbon reduce chlorine?
Activated carbon uses a process called adsorption. As water passes through the cartridge, chlorine and selected other compounds are attracted to and retained on the carbon’s internal surface.
