Best water purifier in india

India’s Best Water Purifier: Everything You Need to Know Before Making a Purchase

Are you one of those people who have stood in front of a display of water purifiers at an electrical store and found yourself totally confused between all the acronyms such as RO, UV, UF, and TDS? Well, selecting the best water purifier in India is not about getting the most expensive model available on the shelf. Rather, it depends upon several factors including your location, type of water that flows through your taps, and number of individuals to cater to.

Importance of Water Purification in India

In India, the quality of water differs significantly depending on the location. The cities that depend on groundwater or borewell supplies tend to have a high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level, which could be due to excess salts, fluorides, or even heavy metals. On the other hand, cities that get water from municipal corporations are likely to have low TDS levels but still have problems due to contamination through aging pipelines, flooding or poor chlorination. To top it all off, there is always the risk of bacteria and viruses contaminating the water supply during monsoons. It is only logical to conclude that there is no one-size-fits-all water purifier.

Step 1: Test Your Water Before You Make Any Purchase

Before believing what marketing people say, it’s better to know what is in your water. Most water purifier companies provide free water testing service, otherwise, one can purchase a cheap TDS meter from online stores for less than a few hundred rupees. As a general rule of thumb:

If TDS is less than 200 ppm – water is soft and may be treated using just UV/UF purifier.

If TDS is between 200 – 500 ppm – borderline case, and RO purification is recommended.

If TDS is greater than 500 ppm – water is hard and requires RO purification system.

This is the most frequent error people make. Those who live in places with low TDS content in water will be wasting their money buying RO purifier which they don’t need, whereas those having highly contaminated bore well water will get a UV purifier which won’t even remove dissolved salts from water.

Step 2: Familiarize Oneself With the Basic Filtration Techniques

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

The RO system works on the principle of forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane that will remove dissolved solids, heavy metals, and most of the chemicals from it. RO technology is recommended in case of hard water and high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Unfortunately, this process removes all of the minerals from the water, both good and bad, hence the necessity of the mineralizer in today’s RO filters.

Ultraviolet (UV)

UV filters neutralize bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens through exposure to ultraviolet light and breaking down of their DNA. UV filters eliminate only microbial contaminants but cannot lower TDS or any other dissolved substance. UV filters can be used as a last step purification method if your water does not have excess TDS but there is occasional contamination risk due to pathogens, for instance municipal water during monsoon season.

Ultrafiltration (UF)

It is similar to RO since it utilizes membrane technology but with larger pores that help remove bacteria, cysts, and solids while leaving dissolved minerals. Unlike RO, the device does not require power; therefore, it can be used as an alternative in case there is no electricity. Similar to UV, it cannot reduce high TDS levels.

Activated Carbon

Almost all purifiers, irrespective of their type, have an activated carbon filter as a preliminary or final step. It is used for the removal of chlorine, unpleasant odors, and enhances the taste of the water, serving as an auxiliary filter, but not as a primary one.

As a rule, the most effective purifiers that exist today have several stages, and are called RO+UV+UF or RO+UV+TDS control.

Step 3: Choosing the Purifier according to Your Household Size

A purifier that fits well for a couple may be inadequate for a family of six. Both factors come into play here, namely, storage capacity and purification rate (litres per hour).

For small families (1-3 members): Small 5-7 litres capacity storage tank purifier would do just fine.

For medium-sized families (4-6 members): Try to find a larger one - 8-10 litre storage tank purifier with a decently fast purification rate.

For large families or households with many guests: Try purifiers with bigger tanks or even under-the-sink ones, which have continuous supply without any storage tanks at all and purify on the go.

Another great option for those living in areas with constant power outages are UF purifiers which do not require electricity and can be used as primary and backup options at once.

Step 4: Don’t Ignore the Hidden Cost of Running

The price tag of a water purifier is just one aspect of the expense involved. Most of the time, RO membrane cartridges should be replaced every 12-18 months, carbon cartridges every 6-12 months, and UV lamps every year. It is a good idea to find out about the availability and pricing of replacement cartridges before purchasing a particular brand because an inexpensive purifier with difficult-to-get filter cartridges will cost you more in three years than an expensive one that is readily available

Asking questions about after-sales service is also a good practice since brands that have many service centers in metro cities and tier-2 cities offer better and quicker responses to your needs.

Step 5: Go Beyond the Spec Sheet 

Some practical factors have a tangible effect on usability, despite not being part of marketing gimmicks:

TDS control knob: It gives you manual control to regulate minerals according to your taste and water hardness, rather than depending only on automatic controls.

Real-time quality of water meter: Some water purifiers give you real-time TDS levels of your purified water. 

Reminders for filter replacement: Helps you avoid consuming water through an old and ineffective filter by accident.

Wastewater Ratio: RO water purifiers discard a certain amount of water during purification. In the new models of RO water purifiers that claim zero water wastage, it is important considering water scarcity in several Indian cities.

Step 6: Installation and Maintenance Requirements

Reverse Osmosis purification units require an electrical connection and good water pressure and are usually mounted on the walls or installed on the kitchen counter with a special tap connection. However, both Ultrafiltration and gravity purifiers are easy to install as they do not require any plumbing and can be kept anywhere in the kitchen; thus, they are common among renters. If you are a renter yourself, think about the effort required for installation and reinstallation somewhere else.

Conclusion

The idea of the best water purifier doesn't exist since the quality of water is never the same throughout India. The best strategy would be starting off with a water test, understanding if what needs to be eliminated is dissolved salts or bacteria and then using RO, UV, and UF technologies accordingly. Considering the number of people in the house, the availability of services in the area, and maintenance costs is necessary before choosing the right purifier. A purifier chosen this way will work for the family for many years to come, unlike one that becomes useless and expensive soon after purchasing.

The point is having constant access to safe drinking water without extra costs and complications.