I recently bought a house, and I've been struggling with really strong chlorine smells and tastes in my water—it's almost like taking a shower at a YMCA! We even got a free water test from the city that showed hard water and some solids. I heard that living close to a water treatment plant can cause this issue, and unfortunately, we do live pretty close to one. Our fridge has a water dispenser, but the filter doesn't seem to help with the taste at all. I'm at a loss—what can I do to eliminate this awful chlorine taste and smell? Am I doomed to use a Brita filter forever and never enjoy my fridge's water feature?
3 Answers
You might want to consider investing in a larger activated carbon filter for your whole house. It will help strip the chlorine, but do keep in mind that with high concentrations, you may have to change the filters often. If you just want something for drinking water, attaching an inline filter to your kitchen sink could be useful too—just check if it can work for your fridge.
I had a similar issue and ended up getting a Kinetico water softener, which really helped reduce the chlorine taste. It doesn't use electricity and is pretty efficient with salt. Just make sure that you keep the resin bed component in good shape; I had to replace mine after seven years—it was starting to let chlorine slip through. It's worth looking into getting a water softener if you have hard water; your skin and plumbing will thank you!
One simple suggestion is to let the water sit out for a while. The chlorine tends to evaporate into the air, which can help with the taste. Try pouring your fridge water into a pitcher and leaving it in the fridge overnight. Also, make sure your fridge water filter is working properly—might need a replacement! If you're looking for a more permanent solution, consider a whole-house reverse osmosis system, although keep in mind that it might not remove chlorine on its own without additional filtration stages.