The first names that usually come to mind when discussing water purifiers are Kent and Aquaguard. These are two of the most popular brand names in water purifiers. So, let us compare these two brands and see which of these brands suits our requirements better.
Kent vs Aquaguard – A Tabular comparison
This table should make our job of comparing these water purifier brands simpler. We shall select the most popular models from these brands for comparison: Sure from Aquaguard Delight NXT and Kent Supreme.
| Brand | Kent | Aquaguard |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Kent Supreme | Sure From Aquaguard Delight NXT |
| Water Purification Technology | RO + UF + TDS Control + UV in tank | RO + UV + UF + MTDS |
| Ideal for | All types of water | All types of water |
| Can handle TDS levels | Up to 2000 ppm | Up to 2000 ppm |
| Purification Stages | 7-stage water purification | 8-stage purification |
| Storage Tank Capacity | 8 liters | 6 liters |
| Special features | The company claims zero water wastage. | The company claims it saves up to 60% water. |
| Mineral enrichment | TDS controller | MTDS – inbuilt taste enhancer |
| LED Indicators | Yes. In-tank UV LED for enhanced water purification | Yes. Tank full, service due, and cartridge replacement |
| Installation | Wall mount and countertop | Wall mount and countertop |
| Warranty | One-year plus 3-year extended warranty (optional) | One-year |
| AMC Costs | Approximately Rs 5000 | Approximately Rs 4500 |
| Pricing | Amazon Price | Amazon Price |
Our Verdict
Kent Supreme is available in five different models, depending on the purification technology. However, RO is common in all the models. When you have RO, you must contend with water wastage. But Kent claims that its unique Zero Water Wastage technology eliminates water wastage. It is not entirely true because this process recycles the rejected water. Besides this issue and high maintenance costs, the Kent Supreme is a good buy.
Aquaguard offers many water purifier models. We have chosen Sure from Aquaguard Delight NXT for our comparison. This model also wastes water, but Eureka Forbes claims that its latest technology saves up to 60% water. But this machine does not have any specific feature to support these claims. Nevertheless, this water purifier model is popular because of its excellent purification performance and reasonable pricing.
Pros and Cons of Kent and Aquaguard water purifiers
Here are the Pros and cons of the Kent Supreme water purifier.
Pros
- The in-tank UV LED feature ensures water purity after storage.
- The 8L storage capacity suits the requirements of medium-sized families.
- The stylish Kent Supreme model suits the modern Indian kitchen ambiance.
- The water purification performance is top-class.
Cons
- As usual, RO water purifiers waste a lot of water despite Kent Zero Water Wastage technology.
- This model is more expensive than the Aquaguard model.
- Maintenance and AMC costs are higher.
Pros and Cons of Aquaguard Delight NXT
Pros
- The 8-stage purification eliminates all kinds of contaminants.
- The 6L storage is perfect for small families.
- This model is budget-friendly.
- Its stylish looks enhance your kitchen’s ambiance.
- LED sensors prove helpful.
Cons
- Water wastage is high even though Eureka Forbes claims otherwise water wastage is high.
- Eureka Forbes after-sales service could be better, depending on your location.
- High maintenance and AMC costs
Installation
Usually, technicians from the respective companies come to install water purifiers. Kent provides excellent services in this regard. On the other hand, many users have complained of installation and service-related issues from Eureka Forbes. However, we did not face any problems with either company because they promptly attended to our service requests.
Kent Supreme installation is more challenging because the process involves connecting the rejected water outlet to the overhead tank. We did not go for this process because we placed a 20L water can for collecting the rejected water. You might require a pressure-reducing valve if the input water pressure is high. The valve costs around Rs 500.
Performance
Performance-wise, Kent, and Aquaguard are excellent because they can handle TDS levels up to 2000 ppm. Anything above that is not advisable for human consumption. However, I discovered that these machines work best when the input water source has moderate TDS levels between 600 ppm and 1000 ppm. Under such circumstances, the reject water percentage is one glass of water for every glass purified.
Kent does not include the sediment filter with the package. You must buy it separately if required. I advise you to install one because it reduces the load on the RO membrane and extends its lifespan.
The purification process is the same with both water purifiers. While the Aquaguard model has a separate UV lamp attachment, Kent offers an in-tank UV-LED arrangement that purifies the water stored in the tank and prevents its recontamination.
The Aquaguard water purifier model offers an additional purification stage in the I-filter to remove minute-suspended pollutants like sand and mud from groundwater before it passes the water to the RO membrane. Thus, it protects the membrane and extends its lifespan. This Chemi-block filtration technique removes chlorine and organic impurities.
Water Wastage
Kent claims that their water purifiers ensure zero water wastage. However, it is not so because all it does is recycle the rejected water to the overhead tanks. Eureka Forbes does not claim to offer 100% water saving, but we found out that the water-saving capacity of this specific model is similar to other RO water purifier models.
Nevertheless, RO water purifiers waste a lot of water, and the claims made by manufacturers are marketing gimmicks.
The water wastage percentage depends on the TDS levels in the input water source. The higher the TDS levels, the more water wastage.
Water Taste Change
RO purification removes almost all TDS from the source water. While it is excellent for eliminating heavy metals and toxic substances, the RO process removes essential minerals like magnesium, calcium, manganese, and others. The water tastes bland because it does not have any nutrients. Therefore, Kent has introduced a TDS controller feature to replenish the lost minerals. Aquaguard offers a similar facility and names it MTDS.
The TDS controller and MTDS work by adding filtered source water, bypassing the RO purification process directly to the RO purified water to replenish the lost essential minerals.
We do not recommend using water purifiers working on tDS Controller if the input source water contains toxic heavy metal impurities like arsenic, lead, and sulfur.
The normal filtration process does not eliminate these heavy metal impurities. Therefore, it amounts to re-contaminating the RO-purified water.
However, the benefit is that you can control the water flow mechanically to adjust the water taste. Post-RO activated carbon filters can reduce bad odor from water and improve its taste considerably.
Storage Tank Capacity
The Aquaguard model has a 6L storage tank capacity that should be ideal for small families. In contrast, the 8L storage tank in the Kent Supreme water purifier model can cater to the requirements of medium-sized families.
The Aquaguard model has LED indicators to display the tank’s full status. The Kent model has an in-tank UV-LED attachment to maintain the water’s purity inside the tank by eliminating bacteria and viruses before dispensing it. The Kent model has a standard tap design, whereas the Aquaguard model offers a stylish water dispensing design.
Alarms
Kent water purifier machines offer an audible alarm system to indicate it is time to change the filters and membranes. The Aquaguard has an LED option that blinks continuously if it is time to replace the filters. Hence, both these models are user-friendly and offer excellent safety precautions.
Maintenance Costs
The maintenance costs of RO water purifiers are high because replacing the RO membrane is expensive. Usually, RO membranes can purify water for around 6000 hours, after which they need replacing. Depending on the TDS levels in the input source water, you might have to replace the RO membranes annually or once in two years.
However, the other filters, like sediment filters, UF membranes, and activated carbon filters, require replacement annually. Therefore the maintenance costs can range between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,500 annually. An AMC is a better option because the company technician will attend to the machine’s problems during the AMC period.
The AMC can cost around Rs 5,000 in each case. It is a better option since they do not levy service charges during AMC.
Service-related Issues
Service-related issues depend on your location and the service contractors available at your destination. It can vary from one location to the other. In general, the services provided by Kent and Eureka Forbes are okay. However, I advise users not to use locally made RO membranes and filters in their machines because they can affect their functioning.
Pricing
The Aquaguard model is a budget appliance available at around Rs 9,000 after accounting for various discounts. The Kent Supreme model costs between Rs 13,000 and Rs 16,000. So the Aquaguard water purifier is ideal for budget-conscious users.
