I am in the search for a water purifier for my family (including a small kid) and I am really confused whether RO is good or bad. Some people say we should not filter out the salt content in the water as it is beneficial for health. So RO is bad?
UV filters can kill all bacteria and viruses, right? Then RO is required only if we want to remove all salt content? Please help quickly as I have to buy tomorrow. thanks
by
You will see conflicting messages regarding salt content (TDS). For example, in developed countries like US and UK, a TDS above 200ppm is considered not fit for drinking. But that is mostly from taste perspective.
In India, it is said that a TDS upto 500ppm is okay for drinking purposes. Some people claim because we do not have enough capacity to provide good drinking water for everyone. So we can not be choosy on drinking water taste.
Now, after reviewing many scientific comments, I understood that ~500ppm hardness in water is not going to cause a lot of problem apart from slightly different taste compared to packaged drinking water in bottles.
Similarly, some people claim the TDS is needed for health. While it is true to some extent, it is often exaggerated. The salt content in water is negligible compared to what we get from day-to-day food, especially vegetables. So, it is not worth discussing if the salt content from water is useful for us.
So, if you want good-tasting water, use RO to keep TDS under 100 ppm or so. Very high TDS like 1000 ppm or more can taste bad and also cause scaling on teeth. You do not need RO purifier if the source of water is the municipality supply. Usually, the supply water TDS is less than 300ppm. All you need is purify from bacteria and viruses.
For that, RO purifier is almost equally effective as UF (ultra filtration) + UV (Ultra Violet).
In short, check the TDS in your water if it is not from regular supply pipeline. For TDS more than 500, if you feel the taste should be changed, get RO water purifier. Else stick to a normal purifier with uF +UV.
Yes, thanks. We have supply water. I will have to request a technician to check the TDS. I am inclined to non RO purifier after reading your comment.
Hello, I think the best one for you would be an Envitek desktop RO water purifier. The best part about it is that it doesn’t require any installation. You just need to put the plug into your socket. The UVC light inside makes it anti-bacterial. It also has a 5 litre water tank, which you can put tap water into, and then it will filter it and make it perfect for drinking. The filter is perfect for a family of 5-6 people.
If I talk about the purification process, then there are 4 single filters to purify water. In the first stage, the PP cotton filter cleans large particles such as silt, rust, etc. Then in the second stage, CTO-pre activated carbon filter takes away the residual chlorine, peculiar smell and silt and other particulate matter in water. The third stage is the RO reverse osmosis filter. With a filtration accuracy of 0.0001 microns, it can filter out bacteria, viruses, soluble magazines, heavy metals etc. in the water. Finally, the CTO-after activated carbon filter which helps to absorb peculiar smell in water, improve water quality and taste.
For my family, which is of four people, we have been using the filter for 1.5 years now. it is perfect. I changed the PP cotton filter after 5 months; the CTO actived carbon filter after 9 months. I haven’t changed the RO reverse osmosis filter till now, the company has claimed it works up to 24 months, so let’s see. It has already been 17 months, it is working perfectly fine.
I changed the filter myself, you won’t need a technician as it is very easy and straightforward. You can save money of labour which is usually around 500 for each filter change.
What is this product? Never heard of that brand. Did you buy from local shop?
Non RO means the water taste will be based on incoming water quality. Different taste if source of water changes.
We had taken Kent Smart without RO. Only UV and UF and Carbon filter. Water board supply stopped very frequently. So tanker and local borewell water was mixed. Everyday different smell different taste. Finally decided to replace with RO. Kent Grand is something you can rely upon, if looking for RO.
This is the non-RO filter you were using? https://www.amazon.in/KENT-Online-Purifier-Colour-Purification/dp/B0BFR73XMY
This does not have any storage tank?? Also UF not mentioned.
I am really sorry. It was not Kent Smart. It was Kent MAXX UF+UV Purifier. Link is here. But this is only recommended if you do not have high TDS. https://www.amazon.in/KENT-11013-Purification-Transparent-Detachable/dp/B008LN6156/
No problem. This KENT Maxx looks good actually. I like the transparent water tank outside and no other parts visible. Is it exactly how it looks?
If you can not trust the water supply, it is better to go for RO only.