Water quality depends upon the number of times the water has been purified. The number of times water is purified us how clean and good it is for your use for drinking and cooking purposes. And your water will tell how many times the water would undergo purification so that you will get pure and clean water to drink. Purifying water involves the multi-filtration process for purifying it and removing various hazardous sediments, leaving pure water behind. There are many purifiers in the market with many different and more advanced purification technologies. Reverse osmosis and Ultraviolet, also known as RO and UV, respectively, these systems are very much used in removing inorganic compounds and the foul odor of contaminated water. They use electricity to purify water. The other system is activated carbon and sediment cartridge filtration, which cancels out the foul odor and sand particles. These systems don’t need electricity to work. The weak point for activated carbon and sediment cartridge filters is that they are ineffective in removing inorganic salts.

Therefore, choosing the right RO according to your requirements for yourself and your family is essential.

Here is a list of some factors to pay attention to while purchasing a water purifier

1. Water Quality

The water supplied in our homes is usually contaminated with inorganic compounds, cysts, solid particles, and other dirt particles. The supplied waters in our home are usually hard water, meaning the water has a high percentage of TDS (Total dissolved solids) particles. Total dissolved solids in water usually contain inorganic salts like Magnesium, calcium, chlorides, sodium, bicarbonates, potassium, and sulfates. The best way to purify water from these inorganic substances is through RO (reverse-osmosis) system. A RO technology is a system where we use membranes of pore size 0.005 microns through which the particles of these dissolved solids cannot pass, and thus the pure waters get separated from these inorganic salts.

Here are some quality-based check-ups you can perform at home before buying a water purifier-

• Smell the water- Water takes the color and smell of the place. If your water smells like bleach, it may be because of chlorine added to it for cleaning. If your water smells like rotten organic materials, it may be because of bacterial growth. If your water smells Musty or earthy, this may indicate the water is not healthy.
• Check color- Our next easy method to check water quality at home is to check its color. There are so many tiny particles suspended with water like dust, sand particles, and rust which may be from the rusty pipe through which it reaches your place. If the water looks cloudy, this may indicate some organic substances mixed with water, like calcium and magnesium.
• Check the taste-  If your water tastes awful, like metallic, this will indicate that the ph level is low and has excess mineral presence, or like bleach, this will show the excess presence of chlorine in the water.

2. Contamination

Contaminated water contains lots of dirt particles and heavy metals such as arsenic, iron, magnesium, lead, and copper, among which most are not suitable for our health and can be toxic if taken in a large amount. A large quantity of arsenic in water can cause cancer, thickening and decoloration of skin, heart problems, high blood pressure, and many more. Taking a large quantity of magnesium in the water can cause a risk of cerebrovascular disease. Similarly, excess amounts of heavy metals like lead, copper, etc., can cause problems like hypertension, gastrointestinal distress, and cardiovascular effects. Copper poisoning can cause anemia and liver and kidney issues. Due to the rapid growth of industrialization, water bodies around us are getting contaminated with such heavy metals. Among every metal Nitrogen, contamination is a big concern, especially in agricultural areas where the nitrogen compounds get mixed with water bodies. In those areas, it is advised to use an RO system as in reverse osmosis, and the dissolved impurities get reduced through RO technology. Another system is an Ultraviolet (UV) filter used to disinfect the water. In a UV filter, the tiny microorganisms in water couldn’t be able to regenerate because of the UV radiation through the UV lamp.

Another type of filter for water purification is the combination f a RO and a UV purifier with an ultra-filter (UF), which helps eliminate suspended bacteria from the water. It is best to use when the water supply is free from TDS (Total dissolved solids). Many other types of RO systems use mineral cartridges for places with high TDS content.

There are three general categories of water contamination:

• Biological- Water contaminated by biological means like microbes, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and protozoans is known as water contamination.
• Chemical-  Water contaminated by chemical means like salts, bleach, pesticides, and insecticides is known as chemical contamination. They are generally artificial.
• Physical- These types of contamination are mainly from sediments or organic materials present in water. This affects the appearance of water.

3. Water pressure

Having an idea about the water pressure of your building is a must before buying a purifier. Some purifier works well only in high water pressure, and others can also work nicely in low pressure. Water pressure depends on the elevation of your building, and other factors could be your water pipes as they may be clogged or something. Generally, water purifiers work at a pressure of 5-40 pounds per square inch (psi). A water purifier that uses reverse osmosis may not work correctly under low pressure. To increase your home’s water pressure, you can install a booster pump for your RO.

4. Regular filter enhancements

Regular check-ups of the water filter are essential as all the filters work in the same manner; the water passes through a cartridge filled with filtering material like charcoal. The work of a filter is to remove all the unwanted substances from the water and make it drinkable; the undesirable substances get clogged due to filtration. Therefore it is essential to clean the filtering cartridge properly with proper intervals. If you don’t properly clean the cartridge, water filtration will stop, and the water that comes out of the filter may not be drinkable and may not work efficiently.

5. Filter replacement

Maintenance of anything is much more expensive than installing products. Therefore it is essential to ensure the cost of filter replacement. The cost may vary according to your requirements and purifier type. Therefore, get accurate information about the filter from installation to replacement cost and reinstallation procedure.

6. Electricity-

Electricity is vital in choosing the right water purifier for your home. Many water purifiers do not work without electricity; some need high or sufficient voltage. If the power voltage is low, some purifiers wouldn’t be able to work. One of the most prominent examples is an Ultraviolet (UV) filter; the problem with this filter is it wouldn’t work if there is no electricity. A UV filter works on U radiation which eliminates the bacteria. Another example is the RO system, this work only on electricity as it uses electrical power to provide sufficient water pressure for the RO membrane.

Some water purifiers that don’t require electricity to work are Activated carbon water purifiers. This work the same as sediment filters and Ultra-filters (UF). The primary goal of a water purifier is cleansing water; filters that work on electricity removes bacterias and TDS, while non-electric purifiers only remove dissolved chemicals, germs, and sediments. It is advisable to go for electric water purifiers than non-electric ones.

7. High filtration rate

Filteration rate means the amount of water a water purifier can purify daily. It is an essential point to consider because if your water consumption rate exceeds your water purification rate, then the purifier is not made for you. Ideally, the water purification rate of your filter should be more than your average water consumption rate.

8. Budget

Lastly, an essential part is to know your budget, the maximum amount of money you can spend on a water purifier. You can look up those filters that fit your budget. If you wanted to go for a UV-UF-based water purifier, there would be so many options under 11-12k; if you are looking up an RO-based water purifier, the prices may be higher. There will be so many options available under 16k for RO-based water filters.

Conclusion

Installation of any gadget is expensive and requires lots of prior research before buying it. The same goes for water purifiers, as there are so many options in the market for water filters. Installing a water purifier requires much prior research, especially your budget. You don’t want to go for a product that is out of your pocket. Apart from the money factor, lot more factors require attention from you. Buying a filter requires not only your desired technologies but also information regarding the quality of water it has to filter. Water quality comprises sections like taste of its water, smell of its water, color of its water, and many more. Apart from it, the level of contamination of your water is also so much necessary because based on that information, your best-desired water purifier will be chosen. Different types of contamination are present in water bodies like Biological contamination, Physical contamination, and chemical contamination depending upon the undesirable compounds mixed with it. Knowing factors like what is the water pressure of your water because many filters are not able to work in low water pressure, the cost for installation and maintenance, the filtration rate, and many water purifiers work on electricity; therefore if you have an electricity problem water cannot be purified, etc. Every factor is equally essential for buying the most suitable water purifier according to your needs.

Always analyze your needs regarding any gadget which is to be installed at your place with all the functions you need in it. This is very important to choose the best according to your need within your budget.