The choice of water purification technology depends on the quality of the source water. High TDS levels require RO, whereas UF should be ideal for suspended impurities. UV is ideal for neutralizing bacteria, viruses, and harmful microorganisms.
Here is a Quick Comparison table for RO, UV, and UF Water Purification technologies
| RO Water Purifier | UV Water Purifier | UF Water Purifier |
|---|---|---|
| Requires Electricity to operate | Requires Electricity to operate | No Electricity required |
| Filters all the Bacteria and Viruses from the Water. | Kills all Bacteria and Viruses but their Dead Bodies remain in the Water. | Filters all the Bacteria and Viruses from the Water. |
| Requires Electricity to Boost the Tap Water Pressure | UV Water Purifiers can work with Normal Tap Water Pressure. | UF Water Purifiers can work with Normal Tap Water Pressure. |
| Can Removes the Dissolved Salts and Metals | Cannot remove Dissolved Salts and Metals | Cannot remove Dissolved Salts and Metals |
| Size of membrane: 0.0001 Micron | No membrane | Size of membrane: 0.01 Micron |
| Suitable For High TDS Water above 300ppm | Suitable for Low TDS Water below 300ppm. | Suitable for Low TDS Water below 300ppm. |
RO Water Purifier
The Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System or RO Water Filter Requires electricity to operate, and it can remove the Total Dissolved Solids that are present in the Water.
The RO Water Purifier also offers prefiltration in case you want to purify the Dirty Water, and it also removes all the viruses and Germs, but it requires electricity to boost the pressure of the Tap Water.
Reverse Osmosis Requires a lot of Water, If you input 3 Liters of Water into an RO Purifier, you will Get 1 Litre of Pure Water and 2 Liters of reject Water.
You can make use of the reject Water for mopping the floor and cleaning the house.
The Domestic RO Purifiers that are available online are not capable of desalination which means they can’t convert the saline water to fresh water. Also, unbranded RO water purifiers do not retain natural minerals.
There are a lot of RO Water Purifiers Available online, But a Good RO filter is capable of not only removing the bad salts and hard metals but also retaining the natural minerals in the water.
UV Water Purifier
The UV Water Purifier also requires electricity to work, but it doesn’t need additional power to Boost the Tap Water Pressure. It can work with Normal Tap pressure.
The UV Water Purification system can kill all the Germs, bacteria and the Viruses present in the water but the dead bacteria will remain in the water.
UV has proven to be a reliable and cost-effective method of water purification. UV technology is chemical-free, and it does not change the taste and the colour of the water.
On top of all these features, the UV systems are compact and can be easily maintained.
UF Water Purifier
Ultrafiltration, which is termed UF, is another water purification system that works without electricity and completely kills and removes all the Bacteria, Viruses and other microorganisms from the water.
Unlike the UV Water Purifier, the UF purifier removes all the germs and dead bacteria from the water after killing them.
The UF Water purifier doesn’t require electricity since it doesn’t require Tap water pressure and works well with regular pipe water pressure.
The only lag about the UF water purifier is that it will not remove the Dissolved solids in the water. So, you can use the UF purifier only when you are sure about the Level of the Dissolved solids in the water.
You need an RO Water purification system when the Water contains a lot of Dissolved Salts. Also, If you don’t know about the TDS levels in the water, it is good to opt for a Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier.
RO vs UV
Ultra Violet Purification: How does it differ from RO?
The RO process takes care of the major aspects of purification. However, traces of contaminants like certain germs, bacteria, and microorganisms sneak through the RO filters.
These germs can cause dangerous diseases like typhoid, dysentery, and diarrhoea. The UV purification system comes to the rescue by eliminating such dangerous bacteria from the RO-purified water.
The biggest disadvantage of the RO water purifying system is that it wastes a lot of water depending on the concentration of the impurities.
On average, you have 1 part of pure water for every 2-3 parts of reject water. This can be a criminal waste because there is an extreme shortage of water resources.
Ultraviolet filters do not waste any water. They do not use chemicals to purify water thereby ensuring they maintain the taste of water.
The UV filters do not require as much maintenance as the RO filters do. However, the UV filters are not capable of removing salts, nitrates, fluorides, and heavy metal impurities like arsenic and lead.
RO vs UV vs UF
Ultrafiltration – How is it different from RO and UV?
The ultrafiltration process does not require any electricity to operate.
The UF membranes have slightly larger pores as compared to the RO membrane filters. They can take care of bacteria, viruses, and germs, but are ineffective in eliminating TDS.
The advantage of UF is that it does not require much maintenance and the filters can last long. These filters are not efficient in handling heavy metals and water with high TDS levels.
UF differs from UV in the sense that it does not make use of ultraviolet radiation to remove impurities.
Final Words – Wrapping it up
Every type of water filter, RO or otherwise has some negative aspects. A combination of RO, UV, and UF along with TDS controllers is the best one for most Indian homes. Ensure to have this combination in the water purifier you select.
Now you know the Difference Between RO – UV – UF Water Purifiers. If you have any queries regarding the water purification systems, post them in the comments section below, and I’ll be glad to answer them 🙂
