Drinking clean water is essential for maintaining good health. And in this era having access to clean water is like a dream and that’s why everyone needs a good water purifier at home.
Most of the water on this planet is polluted and that's why drinking directly from tap water is not safe.
Water is one of the natural resources which gives essential minerals and nutrition to our body, but that doesn’t mean the tap water which comes from various places may be healthy for everyone.
Even though the tap water may be deceiving with its clean surface, consumers should keep in mind to purify it before use.
Buying a good water purifier is very important as impure water can cause serious damage to one’s health. Now the question arises which water purifier should one choose from so many out there in the market?
What to check when choosing water purifier?
There are some simple steps which can help you choosing the ideal water purifier:
Water quality check
First one needs to find the source of their tap water and get it tested for TDS(Total Dissolved Solids) level, hardness, and salinity. One needs to remember that the TDS level needs to be under 500ppm or else the water won't be consumable and if it crosses 1000ppm then the water is extremely unhealthy.
Purification technology
Now depending on the quality check one can choose from a range of water purifiers. Nowadays it’s advised to get the RO (reverse osmosis) purification technology as it works best with higher TDS levels (more than 500 ppm).
RO technology gets rid of heavy metals, minerals through permeable membranes and gives water which is consumable.
If the tds level is less than 200 ppm, it is advised to choose UV (ultra violet) filtration technology which removes the hard particles keeping the key minerals and also it helps to reduce the levels of chlorine.
Storage capacity
Before choosing a water purifier one needs to check on their families’ daily water consumption to understand which capacity of water purifier they need.
Read also: Is RO water good for health?
Additional safety features
Before selecting a water purifier one needs to check for more advanced features and functionality. Cause you buy a water purifier and then you forget to change the filter every now and then. Hence one becomes the victim of impure water again. So it’s crucial to change them and that's why before buying the purifier check for the features.
Choosing water purifier based on source
For finding the right kind of purifier one needs to know the source of water one is drinking from. There are some common sources which are-
Municipal corporation
If you are drinking water from this resource then make sure to use RO or UV water purifier as this water contains chlorine.
Groundwater for borewell
Groundwater has a higher level of TDS. The TDS level in this water ranges from 200 ppm to 500 ppm but the borewell one has a TDS level which is above 500 ppm and TDS is damaging to one’s health. In this case it is suggested to get a RO or RO+UV purifier effective immediately.
Lake/river
Basically water from a river or lake has lower TDS like 200ppm and less but that doesn’t mean one doesn't need a water purifier. In this case you need a UF purifier which is perfect for getting rid of pathogens, clay particles and dust from water.
Harvested rainwater
Even if rainwater is stored, there are chances of it being impure and it can contain mud and sand in it. According to studies, impure rainwater can cause nausea, vomiting etc. for this you just need a simple gravity based purifier.
Read also: Difference Between 5 Stage and 6 Stage RO System
Which water purification is best?
There are a number of filtrations invented for safe water consumption such as reverse osmosis or RO, UV or Ultraviolet, Ultrafiltration or UF, or Distillation. But it is suggested to get RO purifiers for your home because not only does it get rid of all the impurities but also total dissolved solids.
Is water purified by UV filters harmful?
There is a misconception that water from UV purification is harmful for health. However, the water used by the UV purifier does not have the UV once it’s purified. Also the UV is encircled in a glass which prevents direct contact.
How often does one need to clean gravity water purifiers?
Cleaning a gravity water purifier is very easy. All you got to do is change the filter twice in each year depending on the water contamination and how fast it’s changing the filter colour.
How to maintain water purifier?
Water purifiers abolish all contaminants, also will protect us from waterborne diseases. But just because one has a water purifier doesn't mean he is always having safe water. They always need to check and maintain the water purifier. Here are some tips:
Check the water filter
It is recommended to change the water purifier filter consistently as dirt and debris can gather in it over time. Therefore, change the filter based on the quality of water it filters.
Servicing
You need to get your purifier serviced regularly by experts to make sure that your purifier is performing at its best. One needs to keep in mind that most water purifiers require service every 6 to 12 months. After it’s more than 12 months the filter gets clogged and stops working properly.
Replace the membrane
If one has a RO or UF filter, then they need to change their membrane from time to time because it soaks up a lot of dissolved impurities as water passes through it. Or else you will get foul-tasting water.
Paying attention to drips and leakages
If you catch sight of a leak in your water purifier then you need to fix it immediately or else defilement and dirt might excrete into the filter.
By this point, one can choose the right filter for their health hopefully. Water purifiers have become more of a need than a luxury as water contamination has increased.