Review: Aquasana AQ-5200 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023
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The Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System aka Aquasana AQ-5200 Under Sink Water Filter purifies water using two types of carbon, ion exchange resin, and submicron filtration.
It has NSF certifications for over 70 contaminants, including lead, PFOA, and VOCs. The system is easy to install and maintain, and comes reasonably priced.
Let’s talk more about the Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage and see if it’s a good buy.
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Aquasana AQ-5200 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated + Catalytic Carbon, Ion Exchange, Submicron Filtration |
| Filter Life: | 500 Gallons |
| Flow Rate: | 0.5 Gallons Per Minute |
| Annual Cost: | ~$120 |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Aquasana AQ-5200 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System – All Specs
- Model: AQ-5200
- Last Price: $125
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$120
- Filter Media/Process: Activated and Catalytic Carbon, Ion Exchange Resin, Submicron Filtration
- Filter Stages: 2
- Flow Rate: 0.5 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 500 gal
- WxHxD: 8.25”x9”x4.25”
- Water Temperature: 40-90 °F
- Water Pressure: 20-80 psi
- Fitting: 3/8″
- NSF Certifications: Standards 42, 53, 401, P473
- Warranty: 1 Year
Aquasana – Discount Code
You can use our code “AQBOS50“ to get up to 50% discount on any purchase you make on aquasana.com.
Aquasana AQ-5200 – Key Features
The Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System features a 2-stage filtration process that combines activated carbon, catalytic carbon, ion exchange, and submicron filtration.
Here’s a short breakdown:
- The first stage is pure activated carbon. It mainly removes sediments (to protect the second filter from clogging), chlorine taste and odor, and few organic chemicals.
- The second stage uses a mixture of catalytic carbon, ion exchange resin, and submicron filtration. Here, the bulk of the contaminant removal happens (chloramines, lead, mercury, cyst, asbestos, PFOA and PFOS, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, etc.).
In other words, the Aquasana AQ-5200 transforms most ordinary tap water into clean, safe drinking water.
What’s more, the under sink filter comes with a dedicated faucet in 3 finishes — chrome, brushed nickel, or oil-rubbed bronze. These are all pretty finishes that’ll add style to your kitchen. The faucets are all metal, so they’ll last long.
And lastly, the system has nice extras like a 90-day satisfaction guarantee, a one-year warranty, and if you subscribe a 15% discount on replacement filters (filter life is 500 gallons or up to six months).
Gallery
Aquasana Claryum 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System Pros
Most importantly, the Aquasana AQ-5200 Under Sink Water Filter is affordable (it costs $125 to purchase and around $120 in annual maintenance). So you won’t break the bank buying or maintaining this system.
It is also easy to install; you don’t need a plumber.
Filter replacement is also a breeze — simply twist the old filter off and slot in a new one.
Did we mention that the powerful filtration process is NSF-certified to remove 78 water contaminants? Making it easy to trust its effectiveness…
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
In a lab environment, the Aquasana Claryum 2-stage under sink filter has achieved the following reduction rates:
- Chlorine taste and odor – 97.3%
- Chloramines – 97.6%
- Particulates (Class I) – 99.6%
- Lead – 94.1-99-7%
- Mercury – 96.2-99.6%
- Cyst – 99.99%
- MTBE – 83.5%
- Asbestos – 99%
- PFOA and PFOS – 95.2%
- Microplastics – 99.6%
- Herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc. – Up to 98.9%
- VOCs – Up to 99%
The Aquasana AQ-5200 – learn more on Aquasana.com
Installation
The Aquasana AQ-5200 is easy to install; you don’t need a plumber. Thankfully, you won’t forfeit the warranty if you DIY.
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Here are the tools you’ll need:
- Adjustable wrench
- Variable speed drill and drill bits (7/32″)
- Philips head screwdriver
- Pencil for marking
- Level
- Bucket
- Hammer
- Safety glasses
Here are the installation steps:
- Close your cold water supply and open your kitchen faucet to drain pipes.
- Detach the cold water supply using a wrench.
- Connect the brass tee to the cold water supply line and shutoff valve.
- Connect the white tubing to the brass tee.
- Fix the plastic sleeve to the white tube. Use a compression nut to compress and seal the sleeve.
- Assemble the dedicated faucet by fixing all its components (rubber washer, faucet spacer, etc.).
- Then, connect the dedicated faucet. Use a wrench, but ensure not to over-tighten.
- Pick an easily accessible spot under your sink and install the system manifold. You’ll have to drill holes and use screws to attach the system to the wall.
- Remove the strip on the system’s battery to get it working.
- Connect each filter housing to its respective position on the system manifold. First, the red housing, then the yellow housing.
- Connect the faucet tube on the brass tee end to the inlet side of the filter.
- Connect the line on the faucet side to the outlet side of the filter.
- Open your cold water supply and check if there are any leaks.
- Open your faucet for about 10 minutes to flush carbon fines from the system.
Video
The Package (Parts)
- Full-Metal Faucet
- Rubber Washer
- Faucet Spacer
- Lock Washer
- Faucet Nut
- Chrome Nut
- Plastic Collar
- Plastic Tube Insert
- Poly Tubing
- Screws & Anchors
- Brass Tube Insert
- Brass Nut
- Brass Tee
- Plastic Collar
Maintenance
Filters are rated at 500 gallons. However, the system’s battery alarm will notify you every six months.
Filter replacements are easy; basically a simple twist-off. And Aquasana allows you to DIY without forfeiting the warranty.
As mentioned, we have around $120 in yearly cost, which can be deducted by 15% if you subscribe to get replacement filters delivered on schedule.
Here’s a brief take-through:
- Close the water valve and open the dedicated faucet to drain water.
- Unbox and unwrap your new filters.
- Turn each filter housing to the left and drag it down to remove it from the manifold.
- Place the filter housing over a sink and twist the bottom anti-clockwise to open it. Drag the old filter down to remove it from the housing.
- Fix each replacement filter to the respective housing.
- Reconnect each filter housing to the system manifold.
- Replace the system’s battery.
- Slowly open the water valve and then check for leaks.
- Run the faucet for ten minutes to flush out carbon fines.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The Aquasana AQ-5200 is NSF-certified by the WQA against NSF standards 42, 53 + P473, and 401. NSF 42 covers aesthetic pollutants like chlorine taste and odor, NSF 53 + P473 covers harmful contaminants like lead, mercury, and PFOA/PFOS, while NSF 401 covers emerging chemicals including detergents, herbicides, and pesticides.
Earlier Product Versions
As far as we know, this product has no earlier versions.
But there are similar versions of it:
- There’s also the Aquasana AQ-5300, a 3-stage under sink filter system with an additional 20-micron sediment pre-filter.
- And the AQ-5300+ which uses the same but larger cartridges than the AQ-5300 (for higher water flow).
Aquasana 2-Stage Cons
The Aquasana 2-stage under sink filter has a 0.5 gpm flow rate, which is relatively slow. It’s understandable because thorough filtration takes time, but having to wait too long to fill up your cup is still annoying.
Then, the filter life is only six months or 500 gallons, which is pretty short compared to other under sink water filters on the market.
We also found complaints about the system leaking after some time. Some past buyers also complained of poor customer support when their filters leaked or had other issues.
Aquasana AQ-5200 Review: Our Verdict + Best for
In our opinion, this product is worth 4.0 stars. It’s powerful, NSF-certified, easy to install and maintain, backed by a 90-day satisfaction guarantee, and it comes at a fair price.
The only major issue is the slow 0.5 gpm flow rate, but the Aquasana uses a dedicated faucet, so that’s less of a big deal. All in all, it’s a good under sink water filter!
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 4.5/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 4.5/5.0
Get Up to 50% Off! Use Code: AQBOS50
Comparison to Other Under Sink Water Filters
Finally, let’s compare the Aquasana AQ-5200 Under Sink Water Filter to the Clearly Filtered 3-stage and the Epic Smart Shield.
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon + Proprietary Blend |
| Filter Capacity: | 2,000 gal |
| Water Flow: | Not Specified |
| Annually: | $440 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 10% Off! Use Code: |
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Epic Smart Shield |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon Block |
| Filter Capacity: | 651 gal |
| Water Flow: | 1.25 gpm |
| Annually: | $115 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 20% Off! Use Code: |
|
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Aquasana AQ-5200 |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated + Catalytic Carbon, Ion Exchange, Submicron Filtration |
| Filter Capacity: | 500 gal |
| Water Flow: | 0.5 gpm |
| Annually: | ~$120 |
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Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get Up to 50% Off! Use Code: |
|
The Clearly Filtered (CF) under sink system uses three filter stages of different filter media. The first stage is granular activated carbon; the second is a media blend that captures heavy metals, VOCs, radiation, PFAS, and many other kinds of harmful contaminants; the third traps fluoride and arsenic. The CF under sink filter removes a wide range of water contaminants, with NSF tests for over 200 of them. It also has other excellent features like a 12-month filter life, a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, a limited lifetime warranty, and an easy-to-install inline setup. Plus, it’s made in the USA. However, the CF is expensive to buy and maintain.
The Epic Smart Shield under sink system is another inline filter but with a single carbon block. It is NSF-tested/certified to reduce chloramine, chlorine, asbestos, cyst, lead, mercury, MTBE, VOCs, turbidity, Bisphenol A, pharmaceuticals, and more. It costs about the same as the Aquasana under sink filter (cheaper than the Clearly Filtered system), and it’s easy to install and maintain. Other features are the lifetime warranty and return policy. You can even recycle three old filters to get a free new filter from the company. At 1.25 gpm, the Epic has a lower flow rate than the Clearly Filtered but is faster than the Aquasana.
The bottom line? The Clearly Filtered is the best but also the most expensive. Epic Smart Shield is cheaper and still effective, with many NSF certifications and testing. Aquasana removes slightly more contaminants than Epic but has a slower flow rate. So Aquasana and Epic are on the same level. It depends on what’s high on your list — broad contaminant removal or a higher flow rate.
More Aquasana Reviews:
This completes our review of the Aquasana AQ-5200 2-Stage Under Sink Water Filter System. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
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