UV Water Purifier – Pros and Cons!

An Ultraviolet (UV) water purifier kills germs, bacteria, and viruses from water to make it hygienic. Usually, UV purification is the final filtration stage after the UF and RO processes to guarantee 100% drinking water purification.

A UV water purifier uses ultraviolet radiation to kill bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, making the water 100% safe to consume. Generally, we use UV water purifiers where the source water does not have significant sediment contamination.

Where is UV purification used?

UV bulb in ro water purifier
UV bulb in ro water purifier

UV purification is usually the final filtration stage after the UF and RO water purification process is completed. Therefore, it is recommended for use in places that receive RO-purified water from municipalities.

Many towns in India use RO purification and desalination plants to purify water before supplying it to their residents through pipes. This water does not have high TDS levels because RO purification and desalination remove heavy metal impurities and eliminate them.

AO Smith X2 Review
AO Smith X2 UV Water Purifier

The RO-purified water can become contaminated on its journey to your home. For example, leaking pipes can cause sewage water seepage to contaminate the drinking water. UV radiation kills bacteria, viruses, and other disease-causing organisms to make the water fit for consumption.

How does UV purification work?   

UV purification requires water to pass through ultraviolet radiation that immobilizes and kills harmful microorganisms. Thus, it purifies the water and makes it hygienically safe for consumption.

Advantages of UV water purification

  • UV water purification eliminates harmful bacteria and other microorganisms to make the water fit and hygienic for consumption. It eliminates 99.9% of microorganisms.
  • UV water purification is ideal when the water has already undergone RO purification.
  • Ultra-violet water purification is recommended when the TDS levels in water are less than 500 ppm.
  • Compared to RO water purification, UV treatment is less expensive.
  • UV water purification does not involve using chemicals for purifying water.
  • The UV water purification system does not have internal moving parts. As a result, these compact systems fit into the tightest spaces.
  • UV water purification does not affect the water’s color or taste.
  • UV water purification is highly efficient.
UV and UF filters

Disadvantages of UV water purification

  • UV purification needs electricity for its functioning. Therefore, these water purifiers cannot function without electricity.
  • Ultra-violet purification does not remove all impurities. For example, it cannot handle sediment impurities, TDS, rust, pesticides, fluoride, etc.
  • UV purification kills bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms but does not remove dead bodies.
  • The UV light does not have a shut-off facility. Since the UV light is invisible, you cannot determine whether the unit is functioning. However, UV water purifiers have LED indicators to notify users.
  • UV water purification requires pre-filtering to remove other contaminants.

UV Water Purification – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is UV-purified water better than RO water?

The water purification method depends on the source water’s TDS and other contamination levels. If the TDS levels are higher than 500 ppm, RO water purification is invariable. Otherwise, UV treatment is a better process because it can eliminate harmful microorganisms.

2. Is UV in RO harmful?

UV water purification does not harm RO-purified water. Instead, it kills the bacteria and viruses that escape the RO filtration process and contaminate the water. So, UV purification is essential for enhancing the hygiene quotient.

3. Does UV purification reduce TDS?

UV purification does not reduce TDS levels in the water. Instead, it eliminates bacteria and harmful microorganisms.

4. Do we need to boil UV water?

UV water purification kills bacteria, and so does boiling the water. Therefore, there is no need to boil UV-purified water again.

5. What is the disadvantage of UV treatment?

The major disadvantage of UV treatment is that the process cannot function without electricity.

6. Is UV water good for health?

Though UV water is hygienic, it has its demerits. For example, the UV rays that kill the bacteria do not remain in the water after purification. Therefore, any untreated microorganisms can multiply and contaminate the water again. But if the process eliminates all the bacteria, UV water is good for health.

7. Does UV change water taste?

UV treatment does not change the water’s taste or odor. In addition, it does not affect the pH levels or temperature of the water.

8. How long can the UV lamps work?

UV lamps can work for around 9000 hours. So, they require annual replacement. However, the UV light intensity reduces considerably with continuous usage.

9. What is the recommended TDS level for using a UV water purifier?

TDS levels and Usage of UV are not related. UV can kill bacteria and viruses only, it does not alter TDS in water.

10. Does UV soften water?

No. UV treatment does not soften hard water. You must pair a reliable water de-scaler with your UV water purification system to get hygienic, soft water.

50 COMMENTS

  1. We get river water directly delivered to my house without filtered. Some times the TDS is below 400 & some times above 600. In summer days to maintain water supply The town panchayat supplies mixed water (Well & River) that time the TDS is above 600 otherwise below 400 in other months. Considering this I have opted for Aquaguard NRich UV & UF water purifier. The town panchayat is installing water filter to supply filtered water to each & every home but will it work efficiently or no don’t know. I don’t want RO because there is lots of water wastage. Please help me out.

    • 400 to 600ppm TDS range is acceptable and Good. As the town Panchayat already provides you filtered water, there is no need for an RO. your UV UF model is good enough. Don’t worry.

  2. Being given to understand that life of an UV lamp is 8000 continuous burning hours. We are using Nova model filter of Ureka Fobes and we use only for one hour every day rest of the time power supply to filter is Off. Then how do I calculate the life of it’s UV lamp

  3. I have recently installed Ao Smith Z1 uv filter. My incoming water to purifier is 220ppm and water after filteration is also showing same ppm .. is it safe

    • The TDS in your water source is excellent. NO need to worry. AO Smith Z1 is an UV Water Purifier and it does not remove any salts from the water hence the TDS value will be same. Only RO water purifiers remove TDS from the water an such purifiers should be used when the TDS levels in the water is high.

    • No need to clean the UV bulb. All the water purifiers these days have an alarm. You can change the UV bulb when required.

  4. How and when to clean water storage tank in blue star elanor/opulus model
    Is really frequent cleaning is necessary ??

  5. My tds is 390. Which purifier is best for me and why, plz explain. I am expecting a baby, so do not want to take any chance

  6. How long is the UV Rays filter in Aquaguard Innovation guaranteed to function properly? The one in our home has not been changed since a year and half. Please let me know, thanks.

    • Yeah UV Bulbs work for really long time more than a year. You will get a notification if the Bulb stops working. The UF filters and any other pre-filters will last for an year.

  7. The water source in my home is from borewell and TDS is 916. I was using Kent Prime TC for last five years. During the whole period my daughter’s health remained great concern for us. She has developed stomach related problems. She is on continuous homeopathic medicine. She complains acidity, stomach pain etc on regular basis. Is it due to continuos RO water consumption?
    If yes, I wish to switch to UV UF purifier. Now, kindly suggest me if I use UV UF along with Iron remover or Heavy Metal Remover, can it control high TDS? If yes, how much?

  8. Bmc water tds is 62 which is coming in my home but after installing aqua dolphin non ro (UV Uf) its tds level gone to 72. I knw its within limit but tds level got increased… What to do now

    • TDS levels are not an exact number and there will be a slight variation every time you check the TDS in your water source. Anything below 300ppm is fine. No need to worry.

  9. My uv purifier shell leaking, only light not water, and light dot comming coming from 3 places does this leakage light harm ? ?

  10. I have both water supply, municipal and open well. Open well water is clean and potable, only some change in taste. Can I opt for uv uf ? What is the problem if water from open well passes through uv uf purifier?

  11. AO smith seem to use SCMT technology which they say is same or better than UV plus UF. You don’t seem to have mentioned AO smith as an option anywhere. Can you throw some light into their claim of SCMT tech better than others?

  12. Our open well water which we use for drinking shows TDS value of 360. We don’t have any problem with the taste of the water. Which purifier technology will be best UV or UV RO?

  13. We have an online 3M water softener as we get mostly bore well water..therefore do you think it a uv uf filter is a good choice for us? I looked at Blue star Pristina and it meets our requirements of small size uv uf water purifier..can you tell me if it is the right choice. if not, please suggest an alternative . Thank you

  14. TDS of my water is 360, and Eureka Forbes salesman suggested me dr.aquaguard magna hd UV,RO purifier.. Is this purifier is good ?? And I noticed many bad reviews towards this product in online. Please suggest me a good purifier for UV and RO

    • What is your water source? In General, the water having TDS levels around 300 – 400ppm is good and there is no need to use an RO water purifier and further reduce the TDS levels. If you get ground water or you shift from one place to other, it will be better to go with an RO water purifier. Aquaguard Magna is a good water purifier but the service provided by Eureka Forbes is not up to the mark. This is the reason for negative reviews online.
       
      If you Just want a UV UF water purifier (Suitable for Low TDS water below 500ppm), Kent Maxx is one of the best options. Kent Maxx 7 L UV UF Water Purifier
       
      You can have a look at the top RO UV models below.
       
      Kent Grand Plus
       
      Livpure Glo
       
      Pureit Mineral Classic
       
      LG WHD71RB4RP
       
      LG WW160EP
       
      BlueStar Edge
       
      Aquaguard Geneus
       
      HUL Pureit Ultima

  15. How do I measure the TDS level, I get mostly muncipal water but there are occasions when tanker water is to be depended on like the summer season. What would be the best purifier suggested in places like Mumbai suburbs

    • You can measure the TDS levels in your water using a TDS Meter or you can take water sample to the nearest lab. If the Salt Content (TDS Levels) in the water are high, It is better to go with RO water purifier like Kent Grand Plus/ACE Mineral, Pureit Mineral Classic/Ultima, Aquaguard Geneus/Magna. Livpure, AO Smith and Blue Star RO water purifiers are also good. If your water quality is already good, it is better to go with UV UF water purifier like Kent Maxx.

  16. I have my own summersable water supply(ground water) which has tds 265, i am CONFUSED in RO Or UV UF, Please suggest which one i should go. I am planning to take Usha brita Ro uv uf. Shopkeeper also telling that now a days no one is using uv uf. U should take ro and fix the tds level as u have low tds.

    • The TDS levels in your water source are good and there is no need for a Reverse Osmosis water purifier. I have not heard of the brand you have mentioned. As the TDS levels in your water source are low, it is better to opt for a UV/UF water purifier. There are good UV UF water purifier models in Kent and Aquaguard.

  17. I think there is not TDS Controller, but the TDS reduction is done only 90%. So, no need to worry. This model is recommended only if the TDS levels in your water is high.

  18. I have purchased livpure pep pro water purifier recently. It has RO UV UF Taste enhancer. does this purifier has TDS controller.
    Does output water contains necessary minerals???

  19. We reside in Hyderabad and we use Municipal water treated by them. Presently we use RO system. Now a days there is much talk about ALKALINE SYSTEMS as they increase PH value and keep us away from several diseases. Please advise whether we should switch to RO ALKALINE system? Please examine and advise

    • Alkaline water purifiers will alter the PH balance in your water. Ph balance is obtained via an electrolysis process that splits hydrogen ions and minerals in the water. These water purifiers are good but are priced a lot higher than RO water purifiers. Also, there are no Branded Alkaline water purification systems. You will not get any health benefits by drinking water having increased PH levels. Also, Patanjali products are not natural as they advertise, they are also made in factories and drinking Green Tea won’t help you in losing weight. These are Marketing Gimmicks.

      For Home Purpose, RO UV TDS water purifiers are good. The Output water having TDS around 100 ppm will be good.

  20. Hello
    I got water from jet pump I.e stored water
    And having Tds 600-750 could you suggest me which purifier is better ro, ro uv , uv
    Aquaguard company salesman came at home and told to buy for ro whereas Kent person told for ro uv

    • Even though RO is enough for removing all the dissolved impurities and bacterium, Water Purifier companies install a UV bulb to make sure that the water is 99% free from virus, bacteria. Kent Grand Plus, Kent ACE Mineral, Aquaguard Enhance, Pureit Mineral RO UV, Livpure Glo are the budget models. Pureit Ultima, Aquaguard Enhance, and Kent Superb are high-end models.

  21. Hi Chaitanya,
    We get Municipal Water. I would like to purchase Water Purifier for both Municipal and also Borewell. Also I want to make sure Minerals are retained. I am thinking RO UV TDS would be better. Kindly suggest good water purifiers at low price which is available in the market now.

    • Yes, RO UV TDS is required to retain natural minerals. Pureit Classic, Pureit Mineral RO UV, Kent ACE, Kent Grand Plus, Live Pep Pro , Aquaguard Enhance are some of the best budget models that can work with all kinds of water sources like Overhead tank, borewells and tap water also.

  22. The simple answer is No. UV bulb can only kill Virus, bacteria and other micro organisms. It can’t remove salts from the water.

    • The TDS levels in your water are low. You can opt for an UV UF water purifier. Kent Maxx is one of the best UV UF water purifiers available right now. If you get ground water or you move places frequently, It is better to opt for an RO water purifier. Kent, Pureit, Aquaguard, Livepure are some of the top brands.

  23. There are some purifies having UV and UF technology. I believe this is better and provide full feature of UF. Please confirm.

    • UV and UF combination is great for Soft water with low TDS levels. IF the water contain more TDS levels, you need an RO water purifier.

  24. So you mean uv as remains with dead bodies of micro organisms are not good for drinking, or is it????.
    As per comparision UF is btr than UV, but the UF purifier body tends to break down faster.
    UV purifier water is drinkable or not?????

    • UV water is good. But if the water contain dust particles, UV rays can not penetrate through bacterium. So, UV UF is the good combination.

  25. I get water from Tubewel and the tds level is 360 but it does not taste salty or brackish. So what type of water purifier do I need?

  26. My tube well tds level is 360 and does not taste salty or brackish. So what type of water purifier do I need?

    • If you are sure about the TDS levels in your water, you can opt for an UV water purifier. UV UF is good combination in case the water contains suspended particles.

      RO water purifier is suitable if you get water from bore well or any other source with more TDS levels.

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