7 Important Things To Consider Before Buying A Home Water Filter
The fight against clean water continues to rage on. According to a report last year, India has the world’s highest inhabitants without access to safe drinking water. With reports of groundwater about to run out in 2020 in major cities like Delhi, the crisis is only going to get acute.
Keeping this dire situation in mind, it becomes imperative to invest in a water filter to protect yourself and your loved ones. However, with the choice on offer and temptation to go for the cheapest filter on offer, it’s worthwhile to consider a few basic points before buying a home water filter. Keep these in mind before forking over your money for a water filter.
Water Quality
Evaluate the quality of water that you get at your home and then decide what kind of water purifier suits your requirement. The quality of water differs from one area to another and therefore one must know the water’s chemistry, i.e., find out the level of contamination in water. To do this, get a laboratory water analysis done if possible, which should include a general water test. The result will give you details like finding out total coliform bacteria, nitrate/nitrites, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), fluoride, organic carbon contaminants (pesticides, industrial pollution etc.) Check the water filters that provide a high degree of safety against these pollutants.
Daily Usage
Analyze the average daily consumption of water for your family. Know if you need water only for drinking purpose or for other household activities. This will give you a fair idea about what kind of water purifier you need. If your daily consumption is high, you would require a high-power and higher output model that can effectively filter a large supply of water. If it is low, you can easily go for a smaller water purifier. Always consider the number of users before purchasing the final product.
Know Your Budget
This one is obvious but worth repeating. You must know how much you are planning to invest in buying a water purifier. Once you know your budget you can look for the product that fits your bill. The water purifier is a long-time investment and it is always recommended to go for a high-quality brand. It’s recommended to keep a buffer amount of at least 10 percent more than the budget you’re estimating in order to be able to afford the right model.
Purification Process & Technology
The best way to select amongst many brands of water purifiers is to compare their purification technology. The technology used in water purification affects the quality of water. Understand what the technological terms mean and only select from the ones that suit your particular need. Whether it’s RO or chlorination or anything new tech, try not to get carried away with the technology itself and instead learn how it affects the final output before investing in it.
Electricity
Water purifiers that use UV and RO technology require electricity. Hence, if you stay in an area where there are frequent power cuts or insufficient electricity supply, then you might want to opt for alternate water purifiers that work without electricity and can be just as effective.
Maintenance Costs
Before buying a Water Purifier, you should analyse and make sure of its maintenance cost that will fit your budget. Any water purifier needs services regularly including replacement of filters. However, sometimes the details regarding these are left unclear until the AMC (annual maintenance contract) has to be renewed and customers suddenly realise the real cost of their home water purifier.
Check Quality Certification
Make sure to find out whether your home water purifier is accredited by institutions such as National Sanitation Foundation, Water Quality Association among others. This is necessary to ensure that the water filter fulfills prescribed safe and health standards of the final output of drinking water.
With these basic pointers in mind, it is possible to buy a home water filter that is better suited for your needs than simply getting carried away with the biggest or the brightest manufacturers claims.
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