Water purifier – RO, UV, UF, TDS

 

In the earlier days the water was not so polluted as of now. We used to drink directly from the tap. Tap water used to be so fresh and good. Now this situation is not present. We cannot drink directly from the tap. Some people resort to filtering and heating before drinking. Some go for mineral water cans which is seen sold in India. Many other people are now purchasing and installing water purifiers.

In this article we are going to see how to buy one and terms associated with it.

What is purifier?

In simple terms it is a machine which purifies the water and helps preserve important minerals in the it.

Terms associated with purifier.

You must know certain terms associated with it before we proceed further.

RO – It stands for Reverse osmosis. It is a process by which pure water alone is absorbed by the system leaving behind heavy particles etc.

UV – Stands for Ultra violet. The ultra violet purifier lights the water with UV rays and it helps in neutralizing bacteria, virus etc.

UF – This means Ultra filtration. This filters using holes which are of very small size in the levels of about very few microns wide through which the water passes but the bacteria, viruses could not pass and gets blocked and filtered.

TDS – means Total Dissolved Solids which represents the minerals and organic matter in the water like sodium, potassium, calcium etc.

MTDS – Manually Total Dissolved Solids controller. This is a regulatory mechanism to alter the TDS levels in the output.

Uses of purifier.

1)  Purifies the water.

2)  Helps preserve the TDS at acceptable levels.

3)  Regulates the taste.

4)  Some even purifies impurities like rust, pesticides, fluorides etc.

 Now let us see the factors to keep in mind for the purchase of a purifier.

Power consumption: - First aspect we will look into is the power consumption. This appliance consumes much less power compared to other appliances. Power consumption is only about 25W to 60W per hour depending on the type of appliance, that is whether is RO or UV or UF etc.

Tank Capacity: - Tank capacity that is required depends on the total number of people in the house. On an average 4 people family require approximately 8 litres of tank capacity.

The combination of purification methods: - The combination of purification method should be considered. For example, some purifiers has RO method alone. Some have RO and UV combination. Some have all the methods stated above RO+UV+UF+MTDS etc. You have to select according to your need and budget. The need is based on TDS level in the water and presence of bacteria, virus etc. in it.

Waste water treatment: - It has to be seen whether the same can be utilised for other purposes like cleaning utensils, washing clothes, washing floor etc.

Installation: - Check whether installation is provided by the manufacturer free of cost or at a price. If it is free of cost it is much better.

TDS level in output water: - The maximum TDS level as per BIS standard is 500 mg/L. The minimum accepted TDS level is 50 – 150 mg/L. See whether your purifier adheres to this level. The presence of MTDS will help to regulate the TDS level. TDS level also determines the kind of purification methods that could be used.

Temperature of the input water: - Generally this temperature range in India is between 10 – 40 ^o C. Higher temperature can damage the membranes of the machine. Check this at the time of installation of the purifier.

Rate of purification: - Some purifiers have a high capacity of 20 liters / Hr purification rate. Some have lesser capacity. Enquire about your machines purification rate.

Status indicator: - There should be appropriate status indicator like power on, power off, purification on, purification off, tank full status etc.

Automatic functions: - Presence of auto on, auto off facilities would be a desirable factor.

Warranty: - Warranty cover should be sufficient based on the life of the machine.

Price: - This is last but not the least of the factor you should consider. Price depends on the brand and the configuration of the purifier. You have to also choose one according to your budget.