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Home appliances
Buying when your water is already low- strips minerals and wastes litres. Buying when your borewell water is hard leaves you drinking salts. The correct purifier is decided by one test, not by the salesman.
Quick answer
Test first: <200 /, 200–500 +UV, >500 RO.
7–8 L tank for a 4-person family.
keeps taste consistent if varies.
Ask yearly filter/AMC cost before buying.
In the shop
Read these off your phone at the counter. The answer tells you more than the price tag.
1.“What is my tap water's TDS, and does this model actually suit it?”
A good answer: They should test your sample. RO on low-TDS water strips minerals you need.
2.“What do the filters and membrane cost per year, and how often are they changed?”
A good answer: A yearly rupee figure. AMC contracts often cost more than the machine over five years.
A few questions about your situation, not about the product.
Add one short need not covered above.
Answer all 4 questions to see the spec sheet to shop with.
The sticker price is one part of owning a water purifier. Adjust the numbers to your own usage and tariff to see the electricity cost a star rating actually translates to.
Units per year
44 kWh
Cost per year
₹350.4 (≈$4.20)
Cost over 5 years
₹1,752 (≈$21)
Often more than the price difference between two models.
Electricity is minor here — annual filter and membrane costs dominate. Estimates only — actual consumption varies with ambient temperature, settings and unit condition. USD values are approximate.
The purifier itself is a one-time buy; filters and the TDS meter are recurring costs that affect long-term ownership.
Sediment, carbon and RO membranes have fixed lifespans — check annual replacement cost before you buy.
Lets you check input vs output TDS so you know when filters are actually spent.
These are common add-ons for this category, not recommendations. Prices and availability vary; confirm fit and compatibility on the product page before buying.
Every new appliance already carries a brand warranty. An extended plan or AMC only adds value where it covers the parts that actually fail, with on-site service in your city — so read the cover, not the discount.
Ask these five questions
Usually not covered
Rule of thumb: a plan is rarely worth it if it costs more than ~15% of the product price, if the item is cheap to repair locally, or if the brand's own service network in your city is already strong.
These are comparison links, not recommendations — we don't sell plans and we don't rank providers. Some outbound links on KnowBeforeBuy are affiliate links. Cover, exclusions and pricing change; read the plan document before you pay.
Buy it locally
Sometimes the local dealer beats online on price, installation or the exchange offer. Tell us where you are and we'll list nearby stores. We don't rank or take money from any shop; results come from Google Maps.
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How many dissolved salts and minerals are in your water, in ppm.
Why it matters
Below ~200 ppm you usually need only /. Above ~500 ppm you need . This single number picks your machine.
What to check
Get your actual supply tested — a ₹100 (≈$1.20) meter or the society's report is enough.
removes dissolved salts; kills germs; filters cysts and mud without electricity.
Why it matters
Each handles a different problem. Municipal water usually needs +; borewell and tanker water needs .
What to check
on already-soft water tastes flat and wastes 2–3 litres per litre purified.
A control that adds back some minerals after .
Why it matters
Keeps taste and essential minerals when input varies (tanker one week, municipal the next).
What to check
'Copper' and 'alkaline' stages are mostly taste and marketing — they don't replace correct filtration.
How much purified water it holds and how fast it makes more.
Why it matters
In areas with power cuts or timed supply, a 7–8 L tank matters more than any fancy stage.
What to check
Tank material — food-grade plastic vs stainless. Plastic tanks need cleaning every 6 months.
Litres of drinking water per litre of reject water.
Why it matters
Old units waste 3:1. Newer ones manage 1:1 and can route reject water to a bucket.
What to check
Ask for the recovery rate and whether the reject line can be diverted for mopping.
How often cartridges and the membrane are replaced, and what a service contract costs.
Why it matters
Filters are the real cost of ownership — often 30–50% of machine price every year.
What to check
Ask for the printed price list of each cartridge and membrane before buying.
Entry / units to premium +UV+ with copper or alkaline stages.