Which water purifier do you want to buy? This will be the very first question of a salesman or it must have come to your mind whenever you think of buying a water purifier.
This can be a very confusing question for you if you have no idea about the different types of water purifier for home available offline or online.
So, here is the complete information on all types of water purifiers and their filter types to clear your all doubts related to water purifiers.
Based on different features, filter types, and brand types, water purifiers can be divided into a number of purifiers. We will discuss these purifiers one by one.
So without any further delay, let's start.
Different Types Of Water Purifier for Home Based on Filter Type
Water purifiers are majorly divided on the basis of the filter type used inside them. Generally, 6 types of water filters are used inside the purifier. Based on these filter types, water purifiers are also divided into 5 categories. The 5 types of water purifiers are
- Sediment water purifier,
- Activated carbon water purifier,
- Ultraviolet (UV) water purifier,
- Ultrafiltration (UF) water purifier,
- Reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier.
- Alkaline Water Purifier
However, these water filters can be used alone or in combination with the other filters to make the water purification process more reliable and to make water free from all types of impurities.
Let's get some information about Sediment water purifiers in which the water purification process is completed mostly by a Sediment filter.
Sediment Water Purifier
This is the very basic or general type of water purifier that uses a sediment filter. It consists of a cylindrical filter placed inside a housing. The filter is winded by a Polypropylene or polyester type of cloth or paper which acts as filtration.
It holds the solid impurities to flow inside the filter chamber from the housing and collects them at the bottom or on the paper.
It is used to remove solid impurities of a minimum size of 5 microns. It is useful where the water contains sand, dirt, rust, and slit types of impurities.
The major con of this filter is that it can not remove dissolved solids from the water also it is unable to eliminate impurities that have a size lesser than 5 microns.
Also, it can not remove the bad smell of water. Thus, the sediment filter is not useful for the areas where smelly water comes in.
Due to these major cons, generally, sediment filter is used with other filters like UF or RO to make the purification process more effective.
Activated Carbon
The activated carbon filter is a very essential filter used with different filters in water purifiers just like sediment filters. It is used to remove impurities that are not eliminated by sediment filters.
In carbon filter, charcoal, coconut, or other types of carbon filter is used inside a cylindrical container for the water filtration process.
The main function of the Carbon filter is to remove chlorine type of chemical impurities, pesticides, odor, and smell of the water. This also improves the taste of water.
The activated carbon filter is also used along with other filters as it is unable to remove Pesticides, Heavy metals, and other dissolved solids.
UV Water Purifier
As the name suggests, UV water purifiers of filters use UV rays to purify water. In this type of filter, UV ray filament is placed inside a stainless steel chamber or container.
During the purification process, the water is disinfected as it flows from one side of the chamber to the other side.
With the help of UV rays, bacteria, and viruses. gems, cysts, and other microorganisms are eliminated from the water. It is a natural and chemical-free process of water purification.
The major cons of UV water purifiers are that they can not remove solid impurities and chemicals from water. As it can not purify higher TDS water, the UV filter is used along with UF or RO membrane filters.
These types of water purifiers are useful for the areas where water is supplied from municipal water treatment plants.
One more thing that is worth noting is that one should always use stainless steel containers in the UV water purifiers. Some companies use aluminum instead of stainless steel, which can be harmful to health.
UF Water Purifier
UF or Ultra Filtration water purifiers filter the water in a very natural way just like trees absorb water from the earth.
In the UF water filter, the water passes through hollow fiber membranes of a diameter of 0.01 microns. It can remove impurities without making them unnatural and eliminating water minerals.
UF water purifiers are also known as gravity-based purifiers as they can work without electricity and the performance of UF water purifiers is also better than sediment type of filter.
One thing to remember while purchasing a UF water purifier is that some companies cheated their customers by adding a sediment type of filter instead of a UF water filter. So, you must ensure the quality of the UF filter before buying it.
As a UF water filter membrane can only remove solid or dissolved impurities thus in most of the purifiers it is used along with either a UV water filter or a carbon water filter. The water purifier with the combination of UF+UV+Activated carbon filters is also available in the market.
RO Water Purifiers + MTDS Water Purifiers
RO or reverse osmosis is the most advanced technology in the water purification process. This is the most used type of water purifier.
In this type of purifier, water flows from a very thin membrane. The thing that makes a Ro water purifier most effective and different from a UF water purifier is that the RO membrane has a diameter of 0.0001 µm. Which can filter almost all dissolved solids, and heavy metal impurities from the water.
The hole diameter of the RO membrane is so small that it also removes the minerals from the water which are essential for the human body and this is the major disadvantage of RO water purifiers.
Thus, some companies provide a TDS controller along with an RO water purifier to control the TDS level of water. Such type of purifiers is called MTDS water purifiers where MTDS stands for manually control total dissolved solids.
The other con of this type of purifier is that it requires a pressure pump to force the water to pass from the membrane which requires electricity.
Generally in a full setup of RO water purifiers, the RO membrane is used along with other filters which make different combinations of RO+UV, RO+UV+UF, and RO+UV+Actived carbon.
Alkaline Water Purifiers
The pH of water is 7 which means it is neutral in nature. But, in some areas, water pH is found below 7 which makes it acidic in nature.
Acidic base water has various harmful effects on the human body. It can cause diarrhea, weakness, acidity, and other health hazards. Thus, to maintain the pH level of acidic water, an Alkaline water purifier is used.
Alkaline water purifiers reduce the water's pH level by neutralizing the acidic compound and ionizing the water using an electrolysis process.
The pH of the water should be close to 7 and can be up to 8.5. But having more alkaline water with a pH greater than a limit (can say 9.5) has its own health risks.
Types Of Water Purifiers Based on Electricity Requirements
Till now, we have seen types of water purifiers based on different filter types. Now, water purifiers can be classified based on electricity requirements. On this basis, water purifiers can be of two types:
Electric Water Purifiers
Most of the water purifiers we use in our homes or offices are electric water purifiers. Such purifiers require electricity to run and purify the water.
Approx. all types of RO purifiers fall in this category as they require electricity for a water motor to force the water into the RO membrane. Also, in the RO+UV water purifier, we need electricity to use the UV water filter.
Electric water purifiers have a number of advantages over non-electric water purifiers. It cleans and purifies the water better compared to non-electric. Their lots of parts like TDS controller, auto water cut off, required electricity for work.
Other than this you require electricity to use a UV water purifier which is essential to disinfect the water from bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
The con of electric water purifiers is that they will increase your electricity bill and also require more maintenance compared to gravity-based water purifiers.
Non-Electric or Gravity Based Water Purifiers
Non-electric water purifiers are also known as gravity-based water purifiers because they purify the water as the water flows from the top container to the bottom container without electricity requirements.
In these types of water purifiers, generally, UF or ultrafiltration membrane is used along with a carbon filter.
The pros of such purifiers are that they do not require much maintenance and they are cheaper in price. These types of water purifiers are suitable for lower to medium TDS water.
The major con of these water purifiers is that they can not disinfect water from bacteria and viruses as we can not use UV filters in non-electric purifiers. Also if your water contains high TDS, then it will be not effective for you.
Here is the list of the Best non-electric water purifiers under 5000.
Different Home Water Purifier Types Based on Mounting
Portability and the placement of a water purifier are also important factors to remember while buying. Based on water purifiers that will be kept, we can categorize them into three categories:
Table Top Water Purifier
As the name implies, tabletop water purifiers are portable purifiers that can be kept on any table or any place. You do not need to require any installation expert for such purifiers. You can change their location as per your comfort without any hesitation.
Non-electric or gravity-based water purifiers fall in this category. They are easy to maintain, can be taken anywhere, cheap in price.
Wall Mounted Water Purifier
The major water purifiers available in the market are wall-mounted types. Because there is a lack of space in the houses to keep things and there is no fear of falling down and breaking.
Mounting the water purifier required some technical knowledge and mechanical work. You may need an expert to install and mount a water purifier on the wall.
Under Sink Water Purifier
Under the Sink water purifiers work in a similar manner as wall mounting or RO water purifiers. Except under the Sink water purifiers are kept under your kitchen's cooking counter or anywhere else. These also required less space.
Types of Purifiers Based on Brands
There are various top water purifiers brands in India that make water purifiers. Here is the list of the top 10 water purifier brands in India:
- LG
- Kent
- Aquaguard
- Eureka Forbes
- Tata Swach
- Livpure
- Havells
- Hindware
- Whirlpool
- Nasaka
Some other popular water purifier brands are
- Zero B
- HUL Pureit
- Grand Plus
- Blue Star
- Aquaultra
- Waterdrop
- Aqua Grand
- Konvio Neer
You should always buy a water purifier from the best and most trusted brand. Local and unrecognized companies can give a water purifier with a false name, fake or damaged water filter which can be harmful to you.
Which Type of Water Purifier is Best for Home
So above is the complete information about commonly used water purifiers types. I hope you can find out the difference between all types of water purifiers and decide which water purifier you should buy.
However, if you are still confused then these tips can help you.
The very first question that can arise in your mind is which filter type purifier is best for you, RO or UF?. To know this you have to check the TDS of water supplied to your home.
- If water is supplied to you from the government treatment plant then you do not need any water purifier as TDS water supplied by municipal corporations is below 300.
- If your water contains 300 to 600 TDS value then you should use a UF water purifier. If the TDS value becomes more than 600 then you must use a RO water purifier.
- You can read our article Meaning of TDS in water purification for more info on TDS effects and its value.
- However, if your water contains viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms then you can also go with a multi-stage water purifier like UF+UV or RO+UV to get disinfected water.
- Filter life and quality are also important factors for better water purifier performance. You need to change the water purifier after a certain period of time. You have to check the price, quality, installation charges, and their life at different sources before making any decision.
- Similarly, you can also check the pH value of water supplied to your home. If water has a pH value lesser than 7 you can use an Alkaline water filter along with other filters.
S.N. | TDS VOLUME | Required Water Purifier |
| 1. | Below 300 ppm | Not required |
| 2. | Between 300 to 600 ppm | UF or UF+UV |
| 3. | Between 600 to 2000 ppm | RO or RO+UV |
| 4. | pH < 7 | Alkaline purifier required |
| 5. | pH > 7 | Alkaline filter not required |
You can also choose your water purifier based on different features like manual TDS controller, mounting requirement, and brand.
You should consider all the aspects mentioned here before buying a water purifier. If your water has a lower TDS value then you should go with a UF type water purifier as they are cheaper and require less maintenance.
However, for higher TDS water and disinfected water, you must go with an RO water purifier.
Final Words
So here is the complete guide on different types of water purifiers. I hope after reading this article you got all your questions answered. Now, you can decide which type of water purifier is best suitable for you.
You should buy a water purifier after knowing your requirements properly. This little research will not disappoint you after buying.
That's all for this article. I hope you found useful information in this article. If so, please share it with your friends and relatives.
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Common FAQ
Q 1. How many types of water purifiers are there?
Ans: Water purifiers can be classified on different bases into a number of categories:
1. Sediment Water Purifier
2. Activated Carbon
3. UV Water Purifier
4. UF Water Purifier
5. RO Water Purifiers + MTDS Water Purifiers
6. Alkaline Water Purifiers
7. Electric Water Purifiers
8. Non-Electric or Gravity Based Water Purifiers
9. Table Top Water Purifier
10. Wall-Mounted Water Purifier
11. Under Sink Water Purifier
12. Based on Different Brands
Q 2. Which is better water purifier RO or UV?
Ans: Both RO and UV water purifier has their own advantages and differences in working. UV water filter is used to eliminate bacteria and viruses like microorganisms while an RO water purifier removes heavy metal and dissolved solids from water.
Q 3. Which TDS is best for drinking water?
Ans: 80 to 300 TDS water is suitable for the human body as it contains required minerals and does not contain a higher amount of impurities.
Q 4. What is the difference between RO and UF water purifiers?
Ans: The working process of both is quite similar except the RO membrane has very small 0.0001-micron holes compared to the UF membrane's 0.01-micron holes.