Are UV Water Filters Worth It? Find Out Here!
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Dec 22, 2022
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UV water filters are very popular on the market right now.
Despite that, some people still question their effectiveness and whether it’s worth investing in one.
For most households, it’s generally recommended to look into buying a UV water purifier. Even if your water currently contains relatively low amounts of bacteria, this might change in the future, and being prepared is always a good idea.
But first things first, what makes a UV water filter worth its cost?
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Key Takeaways
- UV water filters are worth it if you are searching for a way to disinfect water for human consumption eliminating harmful microorganisms.
- Investing in a UV water filter makes a lot of sense for most households, even those that don’t currently have a lot of germs in their water supply.
Do UV Water Purifiers Work, and How?
UV water purifiers work by exposing bacteria and other germs to UV light and scrambling their DNA. This effectively kills them and prevents them from reproducing.
A UV purifier accomplishes this without any physical contact with water, and without adding any chemicals to it. Many users see this as a major advantage compared to other water purification methods.
What Do UV Water Purifiers Remove?
UV purifiers remove bacteria, viruses, cysts, fungi, and algae from water supplies.
They are very effective at this particular goal, although they don’t do anything at all against other types of contamination. Most notably, they don’t remove contaminants like dirt and sediment, which could negatively impact the operation of the UV purifier if they are not filtered in advance.
This means that you’ll always need to consider pre-filtration when planning to invest in a UV disinfection system. The exact types of pre-filters you should use depend on the kinds of contaminants you’re dealing with.
To find out what you need to filter for, you should get your water tested in a laboratory.
So, Are UV Water Filters Worth It?
All things considered, it’s definitely worth investing in a UV water purifier for your household. You should ideally get your water tested to verify what kinds of contaminants you’re dealing with.
But even if you don’t have a high level of bacteria present, buying a UV purifier can still make a lot of sense. It will allow you to prepare better for any potential future developments where you end up with a heavily contaminated water supply.
Plus, a UV water filter is relatively low maintenance. You just install it once, and then you only have to swap out the UV bulb and clean the quartz sleeve every year or so. You will also have to replace the quartz sleeve occasionally. But if you have a good pre-filtration setup and take care to clean the sleeve often, you shouldn’t have to do this too much.
You don’t need to worry about the UV bulb burning out either. UV light bulbs only lose their strength over time, but don’t completely burn out after prolonged use (barring situations of equipment failure, of course). This means that you won’t accidentally find yourself in a situation where the UV light bulb has stopped working without you realizing.
Further Reading:
Pros and Cons of UV Water Purifiers
Pros
- Easy to use and maintain
- Relatively low ongoing cost
- Complete removal of bacteria and other types of microorganisms like viruses
- Fast operation
Cons
- Don’t do anything against other types of water contaminants
- Often require pre-treatment of water depending on its conditions
- Require regular replacements of the UV light bulb
- Don’t improve the taste or smell of water
If you have any thoughts about the question, are UV water filters worth it, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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