As I’ve mentioned previously, of all the appliances in our office, the Hoshizaki holds a special place in my heart. Imagine my sadness, then, when it started dispensing water and ice with a foul odor. But don’t worry! We got a note today from Hoshizaki HQ explaining what was wrong. Turns out, it’s something the city puts in its water. Here’s what our Hoshizaki rep told us:
After speaking with you, I contacted the National Representative with “Cuno” 3-M Filters, and described our situation with taste and odor in your water. This is what he told me.
“It has come to his attention in the Dallas, Ft. Worth Metroplex that in the near past, the cities have been using Chloramines to treat for bacteria in the water supply. Because of the strength of this additive, the life of the carbon in the Model IA1-1 filter that you are using is severely shortened. This is the reason that when we replaced them a couple of weeks ago, the same taste and odor returned so quickly.”
To correct the situation, he is going to ship us two completely new filter systems that will replace the existing ones. These new systems have a much greater capacity to remove this additive, therefore will be effective for a longer period of time. He assures us that this has worked in every case up to now. Hoshizaki (”Penguin Serv-Ice”) will change these out for you at no charge for labor or the new hardware.
That’s the kind of service I’ve come to expect from Hoshizaki. (And, no, we don’t have any material connection with Hoshizaki — that I’m aware of.) Anyway, watch out for those chloramines, people.
4 comments
Unfortunately, smell is not the only worry you have with chloramine and filters will not help you with the others.
Chloramine creates by products in the distributions system such as NDMA Hydrazine, DXAA and Iodo Acids. The Iodo acids are regionally specific and abundant in Texas. These byproducts are highly toxic and are genotoxic (damage DNA), cytotoxic (damage cells) and carcinogenic. Last we spoke with NSF, there are no filters currently on the market that can reduce or eliminate NDMA or hydrazine in this water.
So while your water may smell better with your filters, you will still be drinking these toxic byproducts with every glass. The only good chloramine is NO chloramine in drinking water. Most European countries do not use chloramine. Germany has banned it. France does not use it. People in over 30 countries and 32 states have signed our petition to stop the use of chloramine.
People in 20 states have reported acute adverse health effects from persistent skin rashes, respiratory problems when showering and digestive problems and ulcers in their mouths from the use of chloramine. We have documented massive fish kills from main breaks in chloraminated areas.
It is not necessary…it highly toxic…it should not be in our drinking water. Help us stop the use of chloramine. see more information at http://www.chloramineinfocenter.net and sign our petition.
But chloramine tastes so yummy…
For the last 6 months I kept losing my betta fish and couldn’t figure out what the freak was going on (I have 8 bowls and 8 fish). Especially since my ritual of conditioning tap water had not changed in 10 years and had always been adequate. Then 2 weeks ago, after cleaning and changing their bowl water, they immediately started dying. It was horrible to watch. Agonizing. They were all dead (all 8 of them) within 4 hours. The next day I took a sample of the water to Dallas North Aquarium for them to test, and the result was almost no PH and other strange scary numbers. That level would kill anything. They told me that because of our heavy rains, the water had been treated in such a way that I could never depend from week to week on consistency. So from now on, I will be purchasing my betta’s water from Dallas North Aquarium. My new betta fish are safe for right now, but what about me and my dogs? I don’t think the Brita water filter is going to help.
Hoshizaki ice is the best!