AO Smith UV Water Purifier Review | For Tap-Municipality Water

You do not always need an RO water purifier for purifying water. Even the World Health Organization clearly states that water with TDS levels 150 to 300 ppm is excellent for human consumption.

Besides, many municipalities provide RO-purified water to the city residents. But the source water can contain bacterial contamination and other minute impurities it picks up on its way to your homes. Therefore, a UV and UF water purifier should be ideal. Let us review the AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier.

Pros

Here are the plus points of the AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier.

• The AO Smith X2 is a suitable appliance, especially if the source water has less than 300 ppm TDS levels.
• This water purifier can work in an extended water pressure range from 5psi to 30psi.
• The water filtering rate of 30lph is excellent because it does not take more than ten to twelve minutes to fill the 5L water storage tank.
• The digital display on this appliance is handy because it provides crucial information, like the filter on, the tank full, and the filter change.
• The sleek and compact design suits your kitchen ambiance and matches other kitchen equipment.
• This AO Smith X2 water purifier model does not incur much maintenance costs.
• The 5L storage is ideal for small to medium-sized Indian families.
• The UV and UF water purifier does not waste any water like RO water purifiers.
• This water purifier has a carbon filter to remove aromatic impurities and improve the water’s taste.
• The UV life alert is excellent because it alerts you in time to replace the UV light.

Let us now discuss the minus points of the AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier.

Cons

• The design has the prefilter situated inside the machine. Therefore, you have to open the appliance to replace it. This filter requires frequent replacement compared to the UF membrane and the UV lamp.
• AO Smith does not offer after-sales services in all Indian cities. So, consumers should confirm beforehand whether after-sales services are available in their towns before investing in this model.
• The AO Smith customer care services are not satisfactory. They keep delaying the installation for some flimsy reasons.
• I found the AO Smith technical personnel very unprofessional in their approach. For example, they demand money for installing the machine, whereas AO Smith offers a free installation promise on their website. However, it can vary from one place to another.

Our Opinion – A suitable appliance for the standard Indian kitchen

Performance-wise, this AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier is ideal for homes where the water source has TDS levels of less than 250 or 300 ppm. It is best recommended for places where the municipalities distribute RO-purifier water to the city residents.

Exciting features like a filter change indicator, ABS body, and 5-stage filtration make the AO Smith X2 an excellent appliance. However, this water purifier cannot remove metal impurities and salts from the water source. Instead, it kills viruses and bacteria to make drinking water healthy.

The carbon block filter filters aromatic impurities to maintain the water taste. So, it is a perfect water purifier for water with low TDS levels. Secondly, this machine does not waste water like RO water purifiers. The maintenance is low. Hence, this appliance is ideal for your kitchen.

However, we advise you to discard the first 10L of water after its installation. Subsequently, the purified water is suitable for human consumption.

Installation – Supposedly free

Unlike non-electric gravity water purifiers, you cannot install these UV and UF water purifying appliances. It requires professional handling. AO Smith offers free installation on its website.

However, AO Smith service centers are not available in all Indian cities. So, they depend on third-party service providers who might charge money for installing these machines.

The machine can be hung on the wall, but you need an electrical supply point nearby because the device does not have an extended lead wire. Secondly, the appliance should be as close as possible to the water source in the kitchen. Using long pipes can affect the water pressure, especially if it is low in your home.

Alternatively, you can place the machine on your kitchen platform. However, the water purifier is bulky and requires a lot of space.

Design – Good but comparatively large dimensions

This water purifier has a compact design with a sturdy ABS plastic body. Generally, water purifiers have an external sediment filter attachment. However, this AO Smith water purifier differs from others because the prefilter is inside the machine. Though it looks decent, this arrangement can pose problems because replacing the sediment filter would require opening the device.

AO Smith provides an innovative water dispenser arrangement better suited for filling regular-sized glasses or bottles. The design requires you to push the lever with the glass for the water to start flowing into it. Since Indian vessels come in different shapes and sizes, you might have to use both hands when filling them up with water.

This water purifier has a 5L capacity that should be ideal for a small to medium-sized Indian family. The advantage of electric water purifiers is that the water supply is automatic. There is no manual operation involved in its functioning.  

The digital display on the device is excellent because it provides crucial information like filter change, machine on, a tank full, etc.

Performance – Good, does not waste water.

The AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier delivers a decent performance. Since it is not an RO water purifier, it does not waste water. However, you must check the TDS levels in the water source before investing in this appliance because it cannot remove salts. But it can kill viruses and bacteria in the water. Therefore, this appliance is best suited for water with TDS levels of less than 250 to 300 ppm.

This machine can work in an extensive water pressure range from 5psi to 30psi. However, if the pressure exceeds 30psi, you must install a pressure-reducing valve. On the other hand, if the water pressure is less than 5psi, this machine requires a pressure pump.

This water purifier has a water purification rate of 30lph at 25psi. So, the 5L water tank could take around ten to twelve minutes to fill.

The AO Smith X2 water purifier has a 5-stage purification system comprising a sediment filter, a UV chamber, a UF membrane, a fine sediment filter, and a carbon block. The UV life alert and the advanced alert technology indicating the time for changing the filters are positive aspects that enhance the machine’s performance.

Water Quality – Taste remains the same but with improvement in quality

The AO Smith X2 UV UF water purifier can kill viruses and bacteria in the water to provide healthy water for consumption. However, it cannot remove TDS. Therefore, this machine best suits water with TDS levels up to 300ppm.

Usually, people living in cities and receiving RO-purified water from their municipalities go for this product. Since it does not remove salts, the tap water taste does not change. However, the UV radiation and UF membrane remove minute impurities and kill bacteria. So, the water’s hygiene quality improves.

Maintenance – Reasonable

Since this machine does not have an RO membrane, it does not have heavy maintenance costs. However, the other filters, like sediment filters and UF membranes, require replacement regularly. On the other hand, the UV lamp lasts comfortably long.

This machine has a filter alert and UV lamp life alert system that informs you that it is time to replace them much in advance. Accordingly, you can replace them and ensure a healthy water supply for your family.

AO Smith offers a one-year warranty on the machine. But the warranty does not cover the UV lamp and filters.

AMC plans are available that users can choose according to their preferences. The AMC costs around Rs 1400. However, AO Smith does not offer after-sales customer service in all Indian cities. So, buyers should be careful about this aspect before purchasing this model.

Conclusion

Water with TDS levels below 300ppm does not need RO purification. A UV or UF filter like the AO Smith X2 should suffice. We have reviewed the AO Smith X2 and found it suitable for your kitchen. It is reasonably priced and does not require much maintenance. Since AO Smith does not have service centers in all Indian cities, customer care services get affected. Otherwise, this appliance’s performance is excellent.