When you want to select the best water purification system for your home, you are inevitably faced with the issue of cost. You need to consider not only the initial purchase price, but also how expensive it is to maintain it.
Below, I give you a list of the elements that should go into your cost equation. In my analysis, I make references to the most popular water purifier technologies now available, which are: Filters, Reverse Osmosis (RO) units, distillers and Ultraviolet (UV) units.
Purchase price
This varies greatly, according to the type and complexity of water purifier you choose. The determining factor for your choice of system should be the range of pollutants you need to remove from your water. You should collect this information beforehand, either through the annual water quality report provided to you by your utility, or through a private test that you can get from a water testing laboratory.
In general, the higher the number of pollutants you want to remove, the higher the number of filtration stages you want to pass the input water through. This makes the price go higher.
Just to give you an indication of the tag prices you could expect, there are simple granular carbon filters starting from just $25 and there are water purifiers combining UV, redox and carbon filters starting from $400 up to $800.
Installation cost
More often than not, the purchase price quoted does not include installation cost. This is because within a given type of water purification system different models may or may not require installation; many of them just sit on a counter top or snap onto a faucet and are ready to use.
If a water purifier does require installation, it can often be done by anyone who is handy with basic tools. If a professional installs it, expect a cost of $100 to $200 beyond the purchase price, depending on the complexity of the installation.
At any rate, always clarify with the company whether purchase price includes installation as well.
Cost per gallon
The last element in the cost equation is the ongoing cost of ownership of the purifier, measured by how much (typically between 6 to 25 cents) it costs to produce one gallon of pure water. It includes the cost of replacing and installing whatever replaceable components each technology uses, as well as the cost of electricity needed to operate and the water bill.
As far as replacing components, typically it is assumed that filters are replaced every six months, RO membranes every two years and UV lamps once a year. As for distillers, since they don't have any replaceable parts, the cost is totally dependent on the cost of electricity. Also, take into account that RO units waste a lot of water, so you should expect that your water bill will be a big part of cost per gallon for this type of water purifier.
Among the filters, the least expensive (purchase price wise) pour through pitcher filters have the highest cost per gallon because the small canister filters need to be replaced frequently, typically every six to eight weeks. In general, the larger the filter, the greater the initial expense, but the lower the cost per gallon after purchase.
In conclusion, I should say that your determining factor for your water purification system selection should be its effectiveness and efficiency for your particular case, i.e. how many contaminants it removes and to what extent from the water that you are getting at your house.
So, I will stress again that it is very important that you know what contaminants you want to remove, before you consider buying a water purifier.
After you short list all the systems that are OK with the quality criteria, then you should go for the least expensive.
To become better informed and see what I personally recommend, visit my website.
Autor: Nicos Stylianou Nicos Stylianou
Level: Platinum
Nicos Stylianou is a long time time researcher and a passionate advocate of healthy nutrition. He firmly believes that a carefully balanced diet and proper ... ...
Nicos Stylianou is a long time researcher and an expert on issues relating to healthy nutrition. To find information and what he recommends you should do to have healthy, pure water at your home, visit his website now at: http://www.your-nutrition-guide.com/pure-water.html
Added: June 10, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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