What is a water purifier?
The water that is supplied to our homes is laden with many impurities. These can be undesirable chemicals, heavy metals, suspended particulates and germs. A domestic water purifier filters out all this so that you can have clean drinking water at home. Earlier, most households used to boil water before drinking. Another process was using disinfectants like Zeoline to make water safe. While these are safe methods, they are inadequate to ensure safety. Boiling water doesn’t kill germs until it is done for 20 minutes. This meant a lot of fuel consumption. Neither boiling nor liquid water purifiers can get rid of solid particulates or chemicals dissolved in the water. A water purifier filters out almost all undesirable materials, while preserving essential minerals in the water. Most domestic water purifiers use a multi-barrier screen with activated carbon to eliminate these impurities. Post carbon filtration, the water is collected through a water dispenser. Usually, there is a waiting time between switching on the purifier and collecting the water, during which purification happens.

What is the different type of water purifiers?
There are many water purifiers available on the market. They are classified into the following categories based on the filtration processes they use.

1. Gravity Based Water Purifiers
These are simple purifiers, in which water is filtered as it passes from the top layer to the bottom.

In gravity-based water purifiers, there are several vertical barriers that filter out one type of impurity each. So on the top you may have a layer that kills germs, the next may filter out fine particles and another may filter our dust and dissolved particles.

Some of these today also use a UV filter to clean out minute solubles. Gravity based water purifiers are usually the cheapest models. They can also hold a large amount of water and can be easily transported.

However, gravity-based water purifiers cannot get rid of heavy metals like arsenic and mercury- which occur frequently and are dangerous to health. They are also not as effective against germs.

2. RO Water Purifiers
RO stands for “reverse osmosis”. These are common in many household machines. In RO purifiers, water is passed through a semi-permeable member under high pressure.

This filters out heavy metals like arsenic and mercury, and other salts like nitrates and fluorides.

RO water purifiers are in the mid-price range, depending on the filtration membranes they are using, and their storage capacity. They are widely used in areas where the water is hard and is sourced from borewell or tubewell.

RO water purifiers can get rid of the metallic taste of water.

However, RO purifiers need electricity to purify water and waste a lot of water during the purification process. Moreover, they are not as effective at filtering out bacteria and virus.

3. UV Water Purifiers
UV stands for “ultraviolet”. These water purifiers use ultraviolet technology to kill bacteria and virus. The water passes through various filters during which all germs are killed.

UV filters effectively stop the spread of water-borne diseases like dysentery, cholera and typhoid. They also do not leave the water an acidic taste, unlike RO purifiers.

UV water purifiers do not destroy the dissolved minerals and salts in the water. However, they also cannot get rid of heavy metals like mercury and arsenic.

4. UF Water Purifier
UF water purifiers use ultra-filtration technology. These ultra-filtration layers have pores that are slightly larger than that of RO filters. While these filters kill germs passing through them, they keep the dissolved salts intact.

UF water purifiers do not need electricity to purify water and are considered the best for removing germs and impurities from muddy water.

They are long-lasting and can be cleaned manually by flushing out all the germs from the filters. However, UF filters are also ineffective against heavy metals.

5. Universal Water Filters
These use a combination of all the water filtration methods. Most companies make purifiers that combine two or three of the above-mentioned methods for their products.

Below are some of the popular technological combinations:

RO+UV: This is the most optimal combination of technology. These purifiers give the best quality water. They use both reverse osmosis and ultraviolet technology to remove germs, heavy metals and dissolved impurities.

RO+UV+UF: These water purifiers clean water of all kinds of impurities. Some companies add all these technologies to make sure the water they give is 100% clean. However, these are usually costlier than other purifiers and are also high maintenance.

Pre-post activated carbon: These water purifiers are effective in flushing out toxic chemicals and pesticides. Activated carbon blocks impurities that otherwise stick to the RO filters and reduce their life cycles.

Universal water filters can be used to purify all kinds of water, and they also enhance the taste by adding the required minerals. They filter out toxic chemicals, dust, impurities, heavy metals and germs. However, these also require electricity and are not portable.

Now that you know all about the characteristics of water filtration technology available, it is time to decide what to buy for your home. Below are some of the best and most popular models available on the market.

Best Water Purifiers for Your Home
1. Unilever Pureit Classic 23L: Best Non-Electric Water Purifier In India
Company: Unilever
Type: Purify and storage
Electricity: No
The technology used: Activated Carbon

This is probably the most popular water purifier in India. Being electricity-free, it can be used anywhere and is portable. Almost all homes outside big cities keep a Pureit, which is hassle-free and requires almost no maintenance.

Pureit uses activated carbon technology, which guarantees 100% germ-free water.
There is an indicator which marks germ kill capacity left in the filter. Once you change the carbon cartridge, your Pureit is as good as new.

This is particularly useful in areas where power supply is unreliable. HUL Pureit is also budget-friendly.
Pureit is recommended for areas where the supplied water is more or less clean and soft. It is effective against germs and toxic chemicals, but cannot get rid of heavy metals.

2. Dr Aquaguard Booster: Best UV Water Purifier In India 2017
Company: Eureka Forbes
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
The technology used: UV filter
Price: Rs 11,999

Dr Aquaguard Booster is another very common model found in most homes. It uses UV technology and is enhanced with a Biotron cartridge that Breaks complex water molecules into fine clusters to give you the benefits of pure water in a quicker span of time.

Dr Aquaguard Booster works in areas where water pressure is extremely low. Its booster pump ensures it functions where water pressure is low. It has an in-built intelligent purity sensor (IPS), that monitors the purification process and stops the flow of water immediately if the level of purification is not 100%

Dr Aquaguard Booster is more suitable for areas where you have indoor water supply and the water is soft. While UV technology kills germs effectively, it cannot act against trace particles and heavy metals.

3. Kent Maxx 7-Litres: Best UV UF Water Purifier In India 2018
Kent Maxx 7-Litres UV + UF Water Purifier with detachable storage tank
Type: Purify and dispense with detachable storage
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: UV+UF filter
Price: Rs 10000

Kent Maxx is unique because it allows for detaching the storage container, which makes it a very convenient model. Kent provides double purification first by UV followed by hollow fibre UF membrane.

This purifier is designed for wall-mounting, best suited for tap/municipal water supply and domestic purposes.

This model completely kills germs and bacteria, removes the dead bacteria and virus and dispenses tasty water. Kent Maxx also has an activated carbon filter that removes all odours and retains essential minerals.

Kent Maxx is best suited for a municipality or tap water low in TDS(Total Dissolved Solids), that is, water which has low amounts of trace minerals and heavy metals.

4. Livpure Pep Star RO Water Purifier: Best RO UV UF Water Purifier In India 2018
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: RO+UV+UF+Taste Enhancer
Price: Rs 14,450

Livpure Pep Star RO Water Purifier can transform tap water into clean and healthy mineral water. It uses 7 stage purification along with UV, UF and taste enhancer. Livpure Pep Star RO Water Purifier claims the most innovative RO purifier in this segment.

This is a wall-mount model, which kills all germs by UV filtration. It uses antiscalant technology and an activated carbon filter. Livpure Pep Star RO Water Purifier can filter up to 75 litres in a day. It also has a buzzer to indicate UV filtration failure.

Livpure Pep Star RO Water Purifier is well suited for municipality water with low TDS. It kills all germs and enhances the 5. Whirlpool UTS RO Water Purifier – 15 L: Best Storage Water Purifier In India
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
The technology used: Post Carbon Enhancer
Price: Rs 16,055

Whirlpool UTS RO Water Purifier has high filtration capacity of 14 litres per hour, which makes it ideal for large scale use. It is common in company offices, restaurants and places where water is dispensed for public like parks, temples and community centres. It is also ideal for bigger families or hostels.taste. However, it will not be effective against trace minerals or heavy metals like mercury and arsenic.

Whirlpool UTS RO Water Purifier has a high storage capacity of 15 litres. It uses post-carbon enhancer technology and has high TDS filtration capacity of 2500. Hence, it is particularly well suited for areas where the water contains high amounts of heavy metal, like arsenic and mercury. If your home is in a place where the water tastes metallic or is hard or rich in iron, this is a good fit.

6. HUL Pureit Marvella RO + UV With Fruit & Vegetable Purifier: Best RO UV Water Purifier In India
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: RO+UV water purification
Price: Rs 20,000

HUL Pureit Marvella RO + UV with Fruit & Vegetable Purifier is for those who are unsure about the quality of their water supply. It uses both RO and UV filtration technology, which ensures water is free from both mineral and microbial impurities.

HUL Pureit Marvella RO + UV with Fruit & Vegetable Purifier is especially good at removing pesticides. Use the purified water to wash fruits and vegetables so that their nutrients are preserved better.

HUL Pureit Marvella RO + UV with Fruit & Vegetable Purifier is good for removing toxic chemicals like pesticides, bacteria and heavy metals. However, it is also expensive compared to other models.

7. Blue Star Majesto 8 L RO – UV Water Filter: Best Water Purifier In India For Borewell Water
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: RO+UV water purification
Price: Rs 18,500

Blue Star Majesto 8 L RO – UV Water Filter is a good fit for those who want clean water free from heavy metal particles. It offers double-layered RO and UV protection, with a six-stage purification process. Blue

Star Majesto 8 L RO – UV Water Filter also uses post carbon filtration to get rid of the odor.
It comes with child lock, so it keeps your children out of trouble.

Blue Star Majesto 8 L RO – UV Water Filter also has taste enhancers, which makes the dispensed water tasty after reverse osmosis.

8.KENT Ace: Best Alkaline Water Purifier In India
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: RO+UV/UF water purification
Price: Rs 19,500

KENT Ace comes with the company’s patented Mineral RO Technology and an inbuilt TDS controller. It is best suited for Indian homes and offices and suitable for purification of brackish or tap water/municipal corporation water supply.

KENT Ace’s filtration retains essential natural minerals in purified water using the TDS Controller, thereby providing 100% safe and tasty drinking water. It uses a double filtration system.

KENT Ace is equipped with an alarm that alerts to filter replacement time, UV filter failure and UV lamp failure. The model comes with 7-litre storage capacity.

9.Unilever Pureit Classic RO + UV: Best Water Purifier Brand In India
Type: Purify and dispense
Electricity: Yes
Technology used: RO+UV/UF water purification
Price: Rs 11,500

Pureit Classic RO + UV is probably the best model that balances technology and affordability. It is best suited for regular homes.

Pureit Classic RO + UV uses a 6 stage purification process and guarantees TDS-free water. It comes with a 5-litre storage facility and voltage stabilization technology. This protects your device from sudden voltage fluctuation ranging from 280 vacs to 100 vacs.

It also meets stringent international germ-protection guidelines. Pureit Classic RO + UV provides safe, germ-free water that is devoid of harmful metals. It uses technology that makes the dispensed water sweet.

In Conclusion:
If you want to make a purchase, educate yourself before making your choice. Make a brief study of the available water purifier models in the market.

The best thing to do is to understand the nature of the water you get supplied in your home. If it is soft water free from heavy metals, you can go for carbon filters or plain UV/UF water filters. Otherwise, you should opt for RO technology, which removes heavy metals and particles.

If you are unsure of the quality of water you receive, it is best to buy a RO+UV/UF filter, which will ensure all-around protection.