Water is one of the essential elements of life and is used by human beings on a daily basis for all types of work right from drinking, washing clothes, and preparing food. Among these, drinking water has a direct connection with our health and longevity. Pure drinking water is what we need for drinking and for making food as well. That is the reason why we need a water filtration system in our home to provide us pure and clean drinking water.
In most cases, the water supply that comes to our home is from a municipal source, borewell (groundwater), and at times a mix of both. They are not entirely clean and contain several impurities. To get rid of them, you need a water purifier in your house that can filter out the contaminants of water like germs, bacteria, and other elements. However, choosing the right water filter is also essential that can suit your needs and budget. Here are some of the things that you need to check while buying a water filter for your home.
Source of water
Before buying the water purifier, the source from where your home water supply is coming has to be kept in mind. The TDS (Total Dissolved Salts) in the water highly influences the type of water filter that you need. It is measured in PPM (parts per million). The common ingredients of TDS are phosphates, nitrates, sodium, chlorine, calcium, and iron. On the basis of the TDS level, you need to choose the filtration system ranging from UF (Ultra Filtration) Technology, UV (Ultra Violet) Technology, RO (Reverse Osmosis) Technology, EAT (Electro Absorption) Technology, and Universal Water Purifier. There are also electric and non-electric variants of each that you can choose as per your needs.
Ultra Filtration technology (Gravity Based Purifier)
It is an elementary water purifier that removes only cysts. These generally work without electricity but do not filter out dissolved impurities, and viruses. It is suitable for water that has a low TDS level, and these gravity-based purifiers usually have storage capacity up to 13 liters.
Ultraviolet Technology
These purifiers do not alter the water chemically, and it does not remove sterilized microorganisms from water. It also does not eliminate dissolved organics, inorganics, and particles. The UV function of these systems penetrates the exterior cell membrane of microorganisms, passes through their cell body, and prevents its reproduction by disrupting its DNA.
RO (Reverse Osmosis) Technology
It is one of the most effective water purification systems and works on the water that has high TDS levels between 200 and 2000. It reduces the hardness of water that is caused by excessive calcium and magnesium salts. It also purifies contamination of water caused by fluoride, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals like mercury and lead. It also has the ability to desalinate water and makes it potable for drinking.
EAT (Electro Absorption Technology)
This filtration system has five advanced stages of purification. It is available in both electric and non-electric versions, and some of them also have storage tanks. It is suitable for water that has less than 500 ppm (parts per million) TDS.
Water Purifier types and Maintenance
There are both electrical water purifier and non-electrical purifier with and without storage. The UV and RO water purifier system need constant electric and water supply to function. So if the water and electricity supply is unstable, then opt for an alternate option. You also have to keep in mind the maintenance cost of the UV and RO system before buying them. Any water purifier needs maintenance at an interval of 3-4 months, and there is a need for replacing its filters. The cost of maintenance can be around Rs 2000 to 5000 per year. RO and UV water purifiers are a bit costlier than the non-electrical one; hence, the price is one factor that you need to consider before buying the purifier.
