The Effect of Chlorine
Benefits of a Chlorine Shower Filter
The most important contribution that chlorine shower filters make toward a healthier lifestyle is in reducing the amount of free chlorine that comes into direct contact with your skin. All of the Rainshow'r series of dechlorinating shower filters were specifically designed to effectively and efficiently remove chlorine from shower water. Test results from independent laboratory testing certify that Rainshow'r dechlorinating shower filters will consistently give 90% free chlorine removal. This results in softer more manageable hair and healthier younger looking skin. There is less fading of hair that has been treated and colored. For chlorine sensitive people, particularly small children, the elderly and sufferers of asthma or emphysema, chlorine removal is very beneficial as well as a safeguard against negative allergic reactions. Chlorine readily bonds to organic matter such as skin and hair destroying the natural bacterial balance which can cause dryness, itching and flaking.
Chlorine gas is more likely to be released in hot water. As it escapes from the hot water it is released in the confined shower recess, especially one with poor ventilation. The longer the shower, the greater the concentration of chlorine gas in the air we breathe. The lethal concentration for ten minutes of exposure is about 600 ppm and it has been suggested that regularly taking hot showers with chlorinated water could pose a health risk.
KDF is the Preferred Shower Filter Media
Dechlorinating shower filters are limited to two types of acceptable media for potable water use: GAC (granular activated carbon) and KDF (atomized brass). GAC is not recommended for hot water use because of the media being continuously exposed to temperatures of 105 degrees F. At these elevated temperatures some of the contaminants absorbed by the carbon can slough off and re-enter the water. GAC is highly absorbent and becomes saturated within just hundreds of gallons versus thousands of gallons with KDF, requiring more frequent replacement.
KDF is comprised of 50% copper and 50% zinc. It gives free chlorine removal by reversing the electrochemical process that originally separated the chlorine from sodium in a brine solution. This is how it works: Copper and zinc are dissimilar metals. The tension between these metals generates between 900 and 1100 millivolts of electricity as water passes through it. This is enough electricity to generate a galvanic charge which re-establishes the original electrolytic environment that created the free chlorine. The chlorine is able to recombine with a metal ion, normally zinc, to form a soluble zinc chloride which washes out of the filter and is harmless to humans. KDF is also bacteriostatic and tends to reduce or eliminate fungus and mildew build up in the shower enclosure.
Life of Chlorine Shower Filter
Depending upon the filter model a KDF chlorine shower filter should last 9 to 18 months for a family of four. In some areas the filter will last much longer. KDF's effectiveness is measured by its ability to generate the electrochemical action as described--not in gallons. The cathode-anode relationship between copper and zinc can be reduced or disrupted by particulate contaminants in the water. The less particulate matter in the water entering the filter, the longer the KDF media will generate adequate levels of electricity to effectively remove free chlorine. Any odor of chlorine in the shower water or a reduced level of flow are indications the filter should be changed.
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