Hanna Total Chlorine URL reading. Please Help!!

[AquamanE]

Got a reading of 59 with the Hanna total Chlorine URL . Tried to verify with the Lamotte Instatest strips but couldnt come up with a reading i was comfortable with. It looked to me like zero.

I've had choloramine issues in the past so updated everything in April 2017. New filters, new second RO membrane, added a booster pump (80-85 psi)etc.... TDS out of RO/DI is Zero.

Do I have choloramines????? That reading was zero a month or 2 ago.

Thanks, Eddie

 

[JPK]

Hi,
I assume you filled the cuvette with RO/DI water, not saltwater. When you added the powder into the cuvette for the second step of the test did the water instantly turn pink/red?
Jason

 

[AquamanE]

Hi,
I assume you filled the cuvette with RO/DI water, not saltwater. When you added the powder into the cuvette for the second step of the test did the water instantly turn pink/red?
Jason

Yes. The water was from the ro/di waste line as BRS recomends on their videos. Yes- I saw a slight change in color barely noticable

 

[JPK]

Good morning,
Disclaimer, I am by no means an expert.

Where did you get the 59 value? I tested my tap water with a Hanna total chlorine meter and had a reading close to 1.9 ppm, and I think the meter maxes out at 3.5 ppm.

When I tested my tap water, the water sample turned bright pink/red immediately after adding the powder, where my rodi sample remained clear.

The water is bad where I live and I rotate my rear carbon forward and place a new carbon block in the rear stage once per month (brs universal carbon blocks), so it sounds like you may need to replace your carbon more often if the chloramines are getting through (i.e. Getting a positive reading in your waste water).

I would re-test, testing my tap water for a baseline , the water coming out of the last carbon stage (before RO) and a sample of the final product water.

Jason

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Got a reading of 59 with the Hanna total Chlorine URL . Tried to verify with the Lamotte Instatest strips but couldnt come up with a reading i was comfortable with. It looked to me like zero.

I've had choloramine issues in the past so updated everything in April 2017. New filters, new second RO membrane, added a booster pump (80-85 psi)etc.... TDS out of RO/DI is Zero.

Do I have choloramines????? That reading was zero a month or 2 ago.

Thanks, Eddie

Hello Eddie,

Thank you for using our products! The HI761 Ultra Low Range Total Chlorine Colorimeter will not directly measure chloramines.

The HI761 Checker measures Total Chlorine. The Total Chlorine Checker and Free Chlorine Checker can be used together, subtracting the difference from Total minus Free chlorine and this would give you a basic chloramine total number.

HI701 Free Chlorine Checker

http://hannainst.com/hi701-free-chlorine.html

The theory behind this method of testing is that the total chlorine test value is the sum of the free chlorine, monochloramine and dichloramine present in the water while the free chlorine test value gives the free chlorine concentration only. The difference between the two values is referred to as combined chlorine and is theoretically the sum of the monochloramine and dichloramine concentrations present.

However its important to note since your Total Chlorine level is quite low, the HI701 Free Chlorine Checker will not be able to measure the low concentrations you have in your RODI water. This is because the HI701 Free Chlorine Checker has an accuracy statement of ±0.03 ppm ±3% of reading, which is really close to the HI761 reading.

For many aquatic health related purposes, Total chlorine is a good measurement to base off of as we want to try and eliminate all chlorine particles.

A reading of 59 parts per billion Total Chlorine is equal to 0.059ppm Total Chlorine. We want to try and eliminate Chlorine as much as possible. If you let the water sit stagnant for 24 hours do you still get a reading of 59ppb? Letting water sit stagnant for at least 24hours is a common way to remove Chlorine from the water. Are you measuring the results directly from the RODI output or from the reservoir?

Its best practice to keep Chlorine at untraceable levels, but you should retest at least three times and average out your results.

 

[AquamanE]

Good morning,
Disclaimer, I am by no means an expert.

Where did you get the 59 value? I tested my tap water with a Hanna total chlorine meter and had a reading close to 1.9 ppm, and I think the meter maxes out at 3.5 ppm.

When I tested my tap water, the water sample turned bright pink/red immediately after adding the powder, where my rodi sample remained clear.

The water is bad where I live and I rotate my rear carbon forward and place a new carbon block in the rear stage once per month (brs universal carbon blocks), so it sounds like you may need to replace your carbon more often if the chloramines are getting through (i.e. Getting a positive reading in your waste water).

I would re-test, testing my tap water for a baseline , the water coming out of the last carbon stage (before RO) and a sample of the final product water.

Jason

Jason- that testing scheme Sounds like a good idea. The reading came right out of Hanna checker. I think mine measures parts per billion. It's the ULR.

Your carbon changing methods sounds reasonable but, if I am actually exhausting by carbon blocks in 3 months, and it's getting past 2 ro membranes and then dual DI I might just look. At one of the big monster canisters and put a choloramine carbon block in it.

 

[AquamanE]

Hello Eddie,

Thank you for using our products! The HI761 Ultra Low Range Total Chlorine Colorimeter will not directly measure chloramines.

The HI761 Checker measures Total Chlorine. The Total Chlorine Checker and Free Chlorine Checker can be used together, subtracting the difference from Total minus Free chlorine and this would give you a basic chloramine total number.

HI701 Free Chlorine Checker

http://hannainst.com/hi701-free-chlorine.html

The theory behind this method of testing is that the total chlorine test value is the sum of the free chlorine, monochloramine and dichloramine present in the water while the free chlorine test value gives the free chlorine concentration only. The difference between the two values is referred to as combined chlorine and is theoretically the sum of the monochloramine and dichloramine concentrations present.

However its important to note since your Total Chlorine level is quite low, the HI701 Free Chlorine Checker will not be able to measure the low concentrations you have in your RODI water. This is because the HI701 Free Chlorine Checker has an accuracy statement of ±0.03 ppm ±3% of reading, which is really close to the HI761 reading.

For many aquatic health related purposes, Total chlorine is a good measurement to base off of as we want to try and eliminate all chlorine particles.

A reading of 59 parts per billion Total Chlorine is equal to 0.059ppm Total Chlorine. We want to try and eliminate Chlorine as much as possible. If you let the water sit stagnant for 24 hours do you still get a reading of 59ppb? Letting water sit stagnant for at least 24hours is a common way to remove Chlorine from the water. Are you measuring the results directly from the RODI output or from the reservoir?

Its best practice to keep Chlorine at untraceable levels, but you should retest at least three times and average out your results.

Hanna- thanks for the reply. I was not aware you where on R2R as a sponsor. Good to know.

My measurements of 59 was from the waste water of the r/o DI filter I have. The waste water I think according to BRS videos is the water wasted by the filter. It's after the sediment and carbon filters, but before the membranes.

Ill try your suggestions. Thank you for the explanation. Truth is I don't really think any one cares which chlorine it is, none are good for aquariums. When I bought kit though it only came with a few reagents I'll have to order more to play with this. Again. Thanks to all for replying. This is very frustrating. I just went through my second sps meltdown cause of chlorine/ chloramines. I don't want a third. I just spent at least 1 k in coral frags.

 

[JPK]

Jason- that testing scheme Sounds like a good idea. The reading came right out of Hanna checker. I think mine measures parts per billion. It's the ULR.

Your carbon changing methods sounds reasonable but, if I am actually exhausting by carbon blocks in 3 months, and it's getting past 2 ro membranes and then dual DI I might just look. At one of the big monster canisters and put a choloramine carbon block in it.

Hi Eddie,

Your reading makes sense now, I didn't realize there was an ULR version.

That is actually what I did, For simplicity sake I just explained what I had been doing. However I live in So Cal and our water is terrible.

I have a 6 stage plus 75 gallon BRS filter, I can't do the 2 RO membrane method because my TDS is 700+.

I bought an extra 10" canister and the BRS Chloramines monster. I put a sediment filter in the extra canister and run it like this. booster pump, sediment filter, chloramines monsters, 3 brs universal carbon blocks, RO and finally to the dual DI canisters. I did add an extra pressure gauge before the Chloramine monster, since it is not supposed to exceed 90 psi.

However, I had Chloramines, or total chlorine, breaking through brand new carbon blocks.

J


.

 

[randyBRS]

Thank you for using our products! The HI761 Ultra Low Range Total Chlorine Colorimeter will not directly measure chloramines.

The HI761 Checker measures Total Chlorine. The Total Chlorine Checker and Free Chlorine Checker can be used together, subtracting the difference from Total minus Free chlorine and this would give you a basic chloramine total number.

Thanks so much for jumping in here and sharing this info with us! I've sent it to everyone in the office for a reference!

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Thanks so much for jumping in here and sharing this info with us! I've sent it to everyone in the office for a reference!

Happy to help Randy! We have lots of great resources to share with your customers! Feel free to DM me and ill send you over some stuff.

-Kevin

 

[Ryanbrs Verified Sponsor]

Got a reading of 59 with the Hanna total Chlorine URL . Tried to verify with the Lamotte Instatest strips but couldnt come up with a reading i was comfortable with. It looked to me like zero.

I've had choloramine issues in the past so updated everything in April 2017. New filters, new second RO membrane, added a booster pump (80-85 psi)etc.... TDS out of RO/DI is Zero.

Do I have choloramines????? That reading was zero a month or 2 ago.

Thanks, Eddie

Just as a FYI a carbon block is just a filter which will remove most of the contaminant and not an eliminator. They are not designed to be 100% efficient for a prolonged period of time, particularly with chloramines. Outside of initial start up, they are almost always going to have some amount of pass through which is why every good chloramine system has at least 2 chloramine specific carbon blocks. The 57 you are reading is 0.057 PPM and should be considered ultra low near zero readings.

Many of the worlds most popular carbon block brands are rated for exhaustion at 50% pass through. That means they don't consider them exhausted until half of the chloramines as passing straight through which is a pretty ridiculous standard. I believe the BRS blocks are rated for a much lower 15% on a single block but we always recommend a second as a final polish and maximize efficiency

When to change them out is really a question of cost of doing so but anything over 0.5 ppm I would certainly change. You could change them out as low as 0.1 ppm but you may be changing blocks pretty frequently.

If you want to run ultra low chloramines as close to zero as possible for as long as possible the best solution is to use a large carbon block as a pre filter. I believe a 4.5"x 10 is similar to running four carbon blocks and the 4.5 x 20 is similar to around ten standard blocks

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fx-chloraguard-chlorine-chloramine-carbon-block-filtrex.html

 

[Ryanbrs Verified Sponsor]

Hi Eddie,

Your reading makes sense now, I didn't realize there was an ULR version.

That is actually what I did, For simplicity sake I just explained what I had been doing. However I live in So Cal and our water is terrible.

I have a 6 stage plus 75 gallon BRS filter, I can't do the 2 RO membrane method because my TDS is 700+.

I bought an extra 10" canister and the BRS Chloramines monster. I put a sediment filter in the extra canister and run it like this. booster pump, sediment filter, chloramines monsters, 3 brs universal carbon blocks, RO and finally to the dual DI canisters. I did add an extra pressure gauge before the Chloramine monster, since it is not supposed to exceed 90 psi.

However, I had Chloramines, or total chlorine, breaking through brand new carbon blocks.

J


.

Nice set up : )

 

[drawman]

Thanks so much for jumping in here and sharing this info with us! I've sent it to everyone in the office for a reference!

Just as a FYI a carbon block is just a filter which will remove most of the contaminant and not an eliminator. They are not designed to be 100% efficient for a prolonged period of time, particularly with chloramines. Outside of initial start up, they are almost always going to have some amount of pass through which is why every good chloramine system has at least 2 chloramine specific carbon blocks. The 57 you are reading is 0.057 PPM and should be considered ultra low near zero readings.

Many of the worlds most popular carbon block brands are rated for exhaustion at 50% pass through. That means they don't consider them exhausted until half of the chloramines as passing straight through which is a pretty ridiculous standard. I believe the BRS blocks are rated for a much lower 15% on a single block but we always recommend a second as a final polish and maximize efficiency

When to change them out is really a question of cost of doing so but anything over 0.5 ppm I would certainly change. You could change them out as low as 0.1 ppm but you may be changing blocks pretty frequently.

If you want to run ultra low chloramines as close to zero as possible for as long as possible the best solution is to use a large carbon block as a pre filter. I believe a 4.5"x 10 is similar to running four carbon blocks and the 4.5 x 20 is similar to around ten standard blocks

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/fx-chloraguard-chlorine-chloramine-carbon-block-filtrex.html

Hey guys I'm curious wouldn't it also be effective to test your product water (as opposed to your waste water)? I can see this helping you determine how much chloramines are actually getting through.

 

[Rickyrooz]

@Joedubyk

 

[Fishy Jacket]

I realize this thread is a bit old, but will add what I am doing.

I live in Greenville, SC area which has very good tap water. I have verified their published results match what I actually have at my house by sending a sample of water to a lab. One challenge is they use chloramines which we all know can be a bit more challenging to remove than chlorine. Ultimately I decided to install a whole house system which as the name implies is purifying ALL my house water. Further, the system removes chloramine and claims to be good for 1 million gallons before changing out the carbon! Maybe I will change the carbon in 10 years. LOL

This system also comes with a large sediment filter that I change every 6 months. I am using Springwell brand if you want to read up on it. Installing a BRS 7 stage behind that for my salt water (not started up yet and yeah overkill) and I have a seperate 5 stage (different brand) for drinking water. So my perspective (having lived all over the country with various quality of city water and well water)...one alternative is to clear up your house water before even taking it through a RO/DI system. Of course it is not free, what I have is about ~$1,000 when on deal, but compare that to the cost of your overall saltwater system and even just the RO system. Plus, this offers many other benefits to your household AND really reduces the "load" for your RO/DI system. Further, I like the redundancy of the first 3 stages of RO/DI, but could reduce if not eliminate those to save some money. BTW, I just tested the water out of the whole house filter with a new Hanna Total Chlorine ULR. My reading was 4 parts per billion which of course means basically zero.

I plan to test house water once a month and RODI (probably more frequently) once that system is started up.