Water purifiers help get rid of pollutants and ensure that the water is safe to consume. Especially as consuming polluted water can result in waterborne diseases and other health issues. However, the water purifier itself needs to be regularly maintained to achieve optimal results.
Unfortunately, keeping up with the annual maintenance charges (AMC) of your water purifier may be difficult as it can range in the thousands — ₹4,000 to ₹5,000. Depending on the brand and technology used, AMC can burn a serious hole in your wallet. Moreover, it can be close to impossible to schedule a maintenance check when you require it the most!
Fortunately, there are water purifier brands that offer hassle-free water purifier maintenance at no cost. Read our entire article for all the details.
Why is water purifier maintenance important?
As water purifiers function, the pores of the filters may clog with impurities. Depending on the type of filter, contaminants may even form a layer around it. Moreover, some filters like UV lamps may just die out. Now, if this isn’t monitored, checked, and changed regularly, your output water may very well become contaminated.
Of course, there is also the matter of the general wear and tear of the water purifier. So, regular maintenance checks are absolutely essential. The majority of the water purifier brands offer scheduled maintenance checks depending on the model. During these scheduled checks, a trained technician comes to your house to service the device.
Here are 3 important reasons why maintaining water purifiers is important to your health
Prevention of waterborne diseases
A perfectly functioning water purifier helps eliminate contaminants and prevent all kinds of harmful pathogens. So, as you can imagine, if a water purifier isn’t maintained well, it can lead to a ton of waterborne diseases that can be harmful to not only you but your family.
Helps contribute to a healthy lifestyle
Water is crucial for the optimal functioning of the human body. Unsafe water can lead to an array of disorders like dehydration, digestive issues, and much more. By just consuming the required amount of safe drinking water, you can ensure a relatively healthy lifestyle. And a water purifier does just that. It sanitises the water and ensures that the water is suitable for consumption.
Elevate your immune system
Drinking perfectly purified water can not only keep you healthy but can also help you maintain and improve your immune system. After all, perfectly purified water can keep the cells of the body at an optimal level and help fight all kinds of illnesses.
There are water purifiers out there that can even be customised to suit the input water quality of your home, ensuring that you’ll never have to consume under-purified or over-purified water. Both of which are terrible for your health.
When should you service your water purifier?
Depending on the usage and the overall wear & tear, the majority of the water purifiers would require servicing every 6–12 months.
Pushing the water purifier beyond a year without getting it serviced can result in filter jamming or the device malfunctioning.
It’s important to understand that this duration is highly dependent on the device. So, be sure to ask your water purifier technician or read up about the maintenance on the purifier website, etc.
Maintenance can vary depending on the type of water purifier
There are different kinds of water purifiers out there. And it’s important to understand how each performs as they may require varied maintenance depending on the type of technology.
Reverse osmosis (RO) water purifier
RO water purifiers are extremely popular and are known to contain a semi-permeable membrane that eliminates contaminants like heavy metals(arsenic, lead), pathogens (bacteria, virus), chemicals (chlorine, fluoride), and much more. Moreover, it’s highly effective in purifying hard water which has a high salt content.
As it purifies a majority of the pollutants, it is essential that you clean it once in at least 12 months. Depending on the brand, it may not be a simple switch of a filter. You may need to remove all the layers of the filter and insert a chemical like bleach to disinfect the housing itself. Additionally, you may need to add cold water to spread the chlorine to all sections of the device. All in all, it may take up to 5 hours to thoroughly sanitize the system.
Once done, you should drain the tank, wash it with two tanks of water before adding a new filter. It’s important to note that you should add a new filter and flush out two tanks worth of water before consumption.
Also read: RO water purifiers aren’t always the answer!
Ultraviolet water purifier
UV water purifiers, on the other hand, don’t use any permeable layer or chemicals to kill microbes that cause waterborne diseases. It is equipped with a UV lamp tube that generates UV light to kill pathogens.
So, when it comes to maintenance all you need to do is replace the UV lamp and it should ideally be replaced every year as the majority last for around 10,000 hours.
Ultrafiltration water purifier
These water purifiers are similar to RO water purifiers and use a unique hollow fiber membrane to separate water and contaminants. In fact, it can not only separate pathogens but also physical contaminants like soil. It can do all this as it this membrane has relatively larger pores than RO purifiers. This kind of water purifier needs maintenance every 12 months as well.
Activated carbon
The activated carbon filter water purifier is like the new kid on the block. This filter uses a unique form of carbon like charcoal to purify the water. This type of filter is extremely effective in eliminating heavy metals that are known to cause diseases. Additionally, it helps remove pesticides and even chlorine.
As this type of filter tends to form a contaminated film, it is extremely important to frequently replace it. Depending on the quality of the filter, it should be replaced anytime from 1 month to every 6 months. The source water quality can definitely influence this number.
Sediment filter
A sediment filter is usually used in tandem with other filters as it’s usually used to get rid of physical contaminants like mud, sand, rust, etc. These are usually made of cotton or some form of polyester fiber.
As it accumulates the contaminates, it must be replaced every 6–9 months.
While this information may provide you with an ideal timeline for each type of filter, it’s always best to depend on professionals to do it for you, rather than to wing it and fall ill.
How much do water purifiers cost in India?
Costs of water purifiers with good filtration technology will be anything above ₹20,000. It’s also important to note that this is the cost of water purifiers that are suitable for household use.
Water purifiers for offices and the entire building can cost a considerable amount of money. Usually in the lakhs.
Moreover, the price of a water purifier can vary based on factors like tank capacity, brand value, and build quality. Additionally, it can significantly increase based on parameters like service, and smart features.
However, filtration technology is still the key factor that determines the price of the majority of water purifiers.
Of course, there are highly effective water purifiers out there that you can get on a subscription basis.
Also read: How to get a water purifier in 48 hours by paying less than 2000 bucks!
What is the maintenance cost of a water purifier?
Depending on the filtration technology and various other factors, the maintenance cost of water purifiers can range from ₹4,000 to ₹5,000 per year. In some cases, the cost of filter replacement and labour can be additional.
Replacing an entire RO layer or a UV lamp usually costs around ₹2,000 to ₹3,000. Sediment filters and carbon filters, on the other hand, usually cost lesser and are available at around ₹500. Do note that these prices may vary depending on the filter brand and quality.
But does the labour cost justify the rest of the amount? Well, not really. Water purifier companies tend to charge such a high price every year for simple maintenance or a filter change that it can add up to a considerable amount over the years. In fact, this “labour” is so easy that you could probably do it yourself for a much cheaper price as long as the technology allows for it.
Most importantly, you should inquire about the AMC before buying a water purifier as it can help you get a clear idea of associated expenses.
In addition to the AMC, you will be required to notify the company if you face any issues. And the turnaround time can vary depending on the availability of the technicians. Sometimes, you may even find it difficult to reach the customer care executive. So, it’s best to keep a track of their service schedule.
Also read: Why water purifiers are hefty investments but not a solution to the drinking water quality problem
Is there a good water purifier brand that offers hassle-free maintenance?
Yes, there is. DrinkPrime offers absolutely hassle-free water purifier maintenance at zero cost. So, you won’t be stuck paying the AMC each year. In fact, since there are no other charges, you’re pretty much only paying for safe drinking water.
Additionally, you won’t have to worry about scheduling a maintenance check as the company will do it for you. DrinkPrime uses a unique IoT (Internet of Things) technology that can not only track the water purifier’s health but also schedule regular maintenance checks to fix any issues. You also have an option to reach out to them using the DrinkPrime mobile app.
Simple, isn’t it?
