Have you ever thought about how a water purifier works?
Have you thought that there might be multiple layers for filtration and purification inside the water purifier?
Well, if not, then you might be making a huge mistake by buying a water purifier blindly. Over the years, this technology has evolved a lot. At present, they are reinforced with many different technologies, starting from activated carbon filters to extension valves. However, the main parts are the three main filters- RO, UV, and UF.
While searching for the best water purifiers, What are the essential features to look for.
Out of these three filter types, the most common and popular ones are RO and UV. So, what do these two terms mean, and how do they perform as separate units? Many of you might not know that the RO and UV filtering units are supposed to be the main pillars of a water purifier, and yet they are so different from each other.
Therefore, we have presented a comparative study about RO and UV water purifiers to make you more aware. Therefore, by the time you go through the upcoming discussion, it will clear most of your doubts with facts.
RO and UV- Terminologies and Working Explained
RO or Reverse Osmosis is the mechanism where water moves through a semipermeable membrane, from the area of high solute concentration to low solute concentration. This is against the direction flow of osmosis, so external pressure needs to be applied. In addition, to ensure maximum efficiency of the filter, the pores’ size is equivalent to that of water molecules, allowing only those molecules to pass through or those with a size lower.
UV or Ultraviolet lamp is used to pass rays through the water that kill the microorganisms and any other biological impurity. Therefore, it ensures that the water won’t cause any health concerns related to water-borne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, etc.
Also Read, RO Vs UF Water Purifier.
Benefits of having RO water purifiers
RO water purifiers are highly beneficial since they can fully remove almost 80% of contaminants and are sparingly dissolved in water. But that’s not all about these appliances. In the below section, we have described some of the main advantages of having the RO water purifier that will easily help you understand all its aspects.
- Improves the taste of the water – The RO water purifier will help improve the taste of water, thereby ensuring that you don’t have to deal with the bitterness or excess salinity of the supply water, which is common for urban areas.
- Removes heavy metal compounds – Heavy metallic compounds like mercury, lead, iron, cadmium, arsenic, and others can cause chemical poisoning in the body. Not only can this lead to severe health problems, but sometimes, it may even result in death. This is why the RO water purifiers are designed so that they can block the heavy metals and won’t allow them to pass through the semipermeable membrane.
- Transforms the hard water into soft water – Calcium and magnesium sulfate salts are the main reason the water becomes hard, won’t form a lather, and might cause scaling. People usually use a water softener which is not the appropriate option because it can alter the chemical composition of the water. This is why the RO water purifiers block these salts and, therefore, soften the water.
Benefits of having UV water purifiers
To understand how UV water purifiers will make your life smoother and help you consume potable, safe water, we have described the benefits of having such an appliance in your home.
- Saves a lot of fuel– With the UV water purifiers, you won’t have to worry about boiling the water and wasting the cooking gas unnecessarily. Besides, boiling cannot remove the microbes completely, so having such a purifier is much better.
- Reliable and long-lasting filter– The UV purifiers can last for a long time, and therefore, you don’t have to worry about the maintenance or impurities accumulating on the surface. Besides, the lamp has high lumens, so the purification is done within seconds.
- Available in two options– In some purifiers, the UV lamp is used after the RO unit to clean all the microbes from the microbe. On the other hand, there are certain products to find the UV lamp present in the storage tank. Such appliances will keep the water biologically safe for as long as it stays standing in the tank.
- Removes all biological contaminants– The UV purifiers can remove biological contaminants of all sorts, be it bacteria, protozoa, or fungi spores. Thus, you don’t have to worry about your health suffering from dire consequences.
RO Vs UV- A Comparative Study
| Features | RO water purifier | UV water purifiers |
| Function | The RO water purifiers can remove the chemical contaminants, like the heavy metals, hardness causing compounds, acid salts, and some microbes. | The UV water purifiers will primarily kill all the microorganisms bypassing the UV radiations through the water. |
| Purification efficiency | RO water purifiers are highly efficient as they remove both chemical and biological components. | The UV water purifiers can remove only the biological components and not the chemical ones. |
| Time taken | The RO membrane takes a little more time to purify water because the liquid needs to move from a high solute concentration area to the lower one. | UV purification is completed within seconds as the rays produced have enough power to kill the microbes in no time. |
| In-tank purification | RO cannot purify the water with an in-tank facility. | The UV purifiers have an in-tank facility that will keep the water safe from biological contamination for the longest time. |
| Longevity | RO water purifiers are highly durable and can last for a long time. | UV water purifiers are also durable, but they won’t last as long as the RO water purifiers. |
| Maintenance | You won’t have to worry about the maintenance of the RO water purifiers. | The UV lamps might need maintenance to some extent. |
Conclusion
Here, we have explained everything you need to know about the UV and RO water purifiers so that you can choose the exact appliance which will be suitable for you without any mistake.
Also Read, best water purifier between 10000 and 20000.
