Water Purifier Buying Guide

Understanding water purifiers variant

Water Purifiers with gravity filters

These types of purifiers make use of the simple technology of pressure filtration to purify water. In this case, water moves from the higher chamber to the lowest one while inbuilt filters remove dust particles and dissolved salts in the water.

Water purifiers with activated carbon

These purifiers come with carbon granules that are positively charged or infused with silver molecules. This means that they can remove pesticides and herbicides, chlorine, radon and other chemicals. These filters are rated according to the size of particles (measured in microns) they’re capable of removing. This means that a 0.5 micron filter is more effective than the one which measures 10 microns.

Water purifiers with ultraviolet filters

These purifiers make use of UV radiation to deactivate and eliminate water-borne, disease-causing organisms. They are an ideal hybrid between the affordable activated carbon filters and the more expensive RO (reverse osmosis) systems.

Water purifiers with ultrafiltration

UF water purifiers use an ultrafiltration membrane to purify water by removing all germs, bacteria and viruses completely. The pores of the UF membrane are larger than the RO membrane which means that they are effective in purifying water from public supply that does not contain dissolved salts.

Water purifiers with reverse osmosis (RO) filters:

This form of water purification forces water through a semipermeable membrane which filters out water contaminants. Such purifiers are known to remove arsenic, nitrates, sodium, copper and lead, some organic chemicals, and fluoride.

Consider Water Quality

Soft Water

Water from surface sources (rivers & lakes)

Low TDS Level

Protection from bacteria and viruses

Use simple activate carbon or UV water purifier

Hard Water

Water from saline sources or underground water

High TDS Levels

.0005 micron membrane removes minute impurities

Use Reverse Osmosis based water purifier

Find out contamination level

The water from lakes, rivers, and harvested rainwater has a lower concentration of TDS. Alternatively, those from bore wells or supplied by tankers has a high TDS and chemical concentration. If the total dissolved salts in your water exceed 80 PPM, experts recommend RO-based water purifiers. Otherwise, UV based purifiers are also a good choice. If you want to check the water quality in your area, there are several labs in almost every city that help with the same. Click here for a comprehensive list of labs.

Check water pressure

Both UV and RO filters require water to be supplied to the system. If the incoming water flow does not have high pressure, the RO filter will not be able to work efficiently. Thus, if you do not have such a facility or if the water supply is erratic, you can attach a pump (like the BalRama RO Booster Pump Motor) to the RO filtration unit to boost the pressure. You can also opt for activated carbon purifiers.

Electric or Non-electric

Both UV and RO filters require water to be supplied to the system. If the incoming water flow does not have high pressure, the RO filter will not be able to work efficiently. Thus, if you do not have such a facility or if the water supply is erratic, you can attach a pump (like the BalRama RO Booster Pump Motor) to the RO filtration unit to boost the pressure. You can also opt for activated carbon purifiers.

Electric water purifiers

Electric purifiers offer a better chance of providing 100% clean and purified water than non-electric ones. However, they cost more and require power 24/7. RO water purifiers are said to be the most effective ones, however they are of no good use in areas where power is not steady. UV water purifiers require the same condition.

Non-electric water purifiers

If you reside in an area which experience frequent power cuts, non-electric water purifiers would be the best choice. They are easy to use, easy to maintain and cost less too. Many purifiers are portable as well which means that you can carry your purifier with you whenever and wherever you want.. However, even though they can remove most germs and impurities from water, they are not as effective as electric water purifiers. An activated carbon water purifier is a great option as it is the most compact and needs no electricity to operate.

Choose the ideal capacity

Generally, the storage capacity of water purifiers ranges between 4 and 25 litres. If you dont’t have the patience to wait for your bottle to fill up, it is recommended to get a purifier with good storage and auto refill facility. You can opt for carbon purifiers, like the Kent Gold Cool 20 L Water Purifier, which provides a storage of 20 liters. If you have a family of four, then we recommend a purifier with 6-7 liter of water storage, such as the Kent Maxx 7 L UV + UF Water Purifier.

Location of water purifier

You require an electric point with earthing near a water outlet to set up your water purifier. Modern apartments and homes come with a special water outlet near the kitchen sink where your purifier can be installed easily. The ideal distance between the purifier and the electrical point is around 3 feet. It is important to make sure that the location you choose in your home is away from direct heat or sunlight. If space is a concern, or if you would like to keep the counter space in your kitchen empty, you can go for a wall-mounted purifier like the Aquaguard Crystal Plus UV Water Purifier.