Review: Waterdrop Under Sink Water Filter Systems (10UA, 15UA, 17UA)
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023
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In this review, we’ll take a closer look at 3 of Waterdrop’s under sink water filters: The 10UA, the 15UA, and the 17UA. They’re all very similar as you’re soon going to see.
The highly affordable inline filter systems are designed to remove contaminants common to municipal water and offer several interesting features, including fast and easy installation, 3-second filter changes, and compact size.
So, let’s take a closer look at the Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, and 17UA and see how well they compare to the competition.
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Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink Water Filter System |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Polyester Membrane, Carbon Filter Block, KDF |
| Filter Life: | 8,000-24,000 Gallons |
| Flow Rate: | 0.75 Gallons Per Minute |
| Annual Cost: | ~$15-40 |
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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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Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA & 17UA Under Sink Water Filter – All Specs
- Model: 10UA, 15UA, 17UA
- Last Price: $51.99-$90.99
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$15-40
- Filter Media/Process: Polyester Membrane, Carbon Block, KDF
- Flow Rate: 0.75 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 8,000-24,000 gal
- WxHxD: 3.6″x12.3-19.1″x3.85″
- Water Temperature: 35-100 °F
- Water Pressure: 10-100 psi
- Fitting: 3/8” or ½” Female NPT
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42 (Chlorine Reduction), 372
- Warranty: 1 Year
Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, 17UA – Key Features
The Waterdrop Under Sink Filter Water series (10UA, 15UA, 17UA) are single-stage systems designed to remove a range of contaminants common to tap water. They’ll enhance water for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables, and dishwashing.
There are three different filter sizes, although all of them feature the same combination of filter media:
- WD-10UA | 8000 Gallons or 1 year
- WD-15UA | 16000 Gallons or 2 years
- WD-17UA | 24000 Gallons or 3 years
In other words, there’s no difference between the 3 except for their size.
Each under sink filter model contains the following filter media:
- Polyester filter membrane to remove sediment, sand, silt, and other large particles.
- Activated carbon block filter to remove chlorine, foul tastes and odors, and certain organic contaminants.
- KDF filter media reduces some heavy metals as well as prevents the growth of microbes inside the filter cartridge.
The systems use an inline design, making them very easy to install. They also come with braided steel hoses for longevity and leak-free use.
As they’re single-stage filters, each one is compact enough to fit in tight spots – especially the smallest size.
Waterdrop offers a 1-year warranty along with a 30-day money-back return policy, both of which are decent for systems in this price range.
Flow rates? 0.75 gallons per minute which is rather slow.
Waterdrop Under Sink Water Filter Pros
The biggest advantage of these Waterdrop under sink water filters is their affordable price. Retailing for between $50 and $90 depending on the size selected, you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck.
Additionally, the systems are specifically designed to be easy to install and maintain, with installation taking just 3 minutes according to the manufacturer. This seems reasonable, as inline systems don’t require an additional faucet and simply hook into your existing plumbing. Changing filters takes no more than 3 seconds, which is significantly less than filter cartridges from other companies.
The cost of replacement filters is also low, totaling approximately $15 to $40 annually.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
Each Waterdrop system will remove chlorine (92.7%), foul tastes, odors, certain organic chemicals, some heavy metals including mercury, lead, and chromium, as well as sediment.
The Waterdrop 10UA – learn more on Waterdropfilter.com
Installation
As mentioned previously, one of the strong points of this Waterdrop Under Sink Water Filter series is its ease of installation. Installation can be done by just about anyone with a few basic tools. Thanks to the inline design, you won’t have to install a dedicated faucet.
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Tools and materials needed for installation:
- Drill/driver
- Teflon plumbers’ tape
To install the system:
- Turn off the cold water supply and open the faucet to drain any water remaining in the pipes.
- Mount the filter head to the installation location.
- First, plan the installation location so you have at least 2 inches of clearance for filter changes.
- Then, stick the included label to your mounting location. Drill holes at the indicated locations and then fasten the included screws leaving them partially protruding to hang the filter on.
- Mount the filter head in place.
- Now, join the cold-water inlet and outlet hose to the inlet and outlet on the system head. When connected, there will be a small 1/8” gap between the filter and hose, this is normal and not a cause for concern.
- Now you’ll need to connect the sink’s cold water supply to the other end of the inlet hose.
- If the valve outlet is 3/8” you can directly connect the inlet hose. If it’s 1/2″, you’ll need to install the included No. 1 converter beforehand.
- At this point, you’ll need to connect the end of the outlet hose to the inlet on the faucet.
- Once again, if the valve is 3/8”, you can directly connect it. Otherwise, use the included No. 2 converter if it’s 1/2″.
- The system is fully installed at this point, all that’s left to do is test for leaks and flush out the system before use.
- If you notice any leaking, first shut off the water supply.
- If the leak is coming from the connection to the faucet or cold-water supply, use Teflon plumbers’ tape on the threads.
- If the leak is coming from the connection to the system head inlet/outlet, remove the quick-connect fitting and then reconnect it, ensuring the hoses are fully joined.
- Finally, flush the filter by running the faucet for 5 minutes prior to use.
Video
The Package (Parts)
- Filter system
- Inlet + outlet hose
- 3/8″ to 1/2″ convertor set
- Screws
- Teflon tape
- Drilling sticker
Maintenance
Maintenance requirements are very low for the Waterdrop under sink filters. All that’s required is quickly changing the cartridge periodically.
- Every 8,000 gallons or 1 year for the WD-10UA
- Every 16,000 gallons or 2 years for the WD-15UA
- Every 24,000 gallons or 3 years for the WD-17UA
Cost? ~$15-40 yearly which is really cheap!
To change the filter:
- Shut off the water supply and turn the faucet on to release any built-up pressure.
- Turn the old filter a quarter turn counter-clockwise to remove it.
- Remove the new filter cartridge from its wrapper and take off its protective cap.
- Position the new cartridge in place and turn it a quarter turn to the right to install. Make sure the triangle-shaped marking on the cartridge is lined up with the mark on the filter head.
- Turn the water supply back on and open the faucet to flush the system for at least 5 minutes before use.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, and 17UA are tested and certified to NSF Standard 42 for the reduction of aesthetic effects, which refers to chlorine taste and odor.
They’re also tested and certified to NSF Standard 372, which is the standard for lead-free products used in plumbing and potable water systems.
Earlier Product Versions
To our knowledge, the Waterdrop systems have no earlier product versions.
Waterdrop Under Sink Filter Cons
While the 10UA, 15UA, and 17UA are mostly well-liked and reviewed, there are a few shortcomings worth mentioning.
Firstly, the only NSF testing and certifications about contaminant removal are for chlorine reduction. While this is a good start, we would like to have additional certifications on the other contaminants the systems claim to reduce.
Another issue is the relatively low 0.75 gallon per minute flow rate. This is below average for inline systems like this, and will likely lead to a slower-than-normal cold-water flow through the faucet. Whether or not this is an issue for you will depend on your water use and preference, but it’s something to be aware of.
Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, 17UA Review: Our Verdict + Best for
There is no doubt that this series of Waterdrop under sink water filters is one of the most affordable on the market. But the filtration isn’t really proven by NSF testing/certification except for improving how your water tastes and smells. So we would only recommend it if you are on tap water and it’s already pretty clean and you just want to improve aesthetics a bit – not really if you have a specific contamination problem that you need to get rid of.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 4.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 5.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 4.0/5.0
Comparison to Other Under Sink Water Filters
Let’s see how the Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, and 17UA stack up against similar models sold by the competition – namely the Clearly Filtered and the Epic Smart Shield under sink water filters.
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon + Proprietary Blend |
| Filter Life: | 2,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 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.
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Epic Smart Shield |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon Block |
| Filter Life: | 651 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 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.
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Waterdrop 10UA |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Polyester Membrane, Carbon Filter Block, KDF |
| Filter Capacity: | 8,000-24,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 0.75 gpm |
| Annually: | ~$15-40 |
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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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The Clearly Filtered 3-stage is a system that features a blend of different filter media. The first stage is granular activated carbon to remove chlorine/chloramine, unpleasant tastes/odors, turbidity, VOCs, and organic chemicals in general. The second stage is a special proprietary blend designed to remove heavy metals like lead and chromium, pesticides, PFAS, and certain radiological elements. The final stage is another proprietary filter media targeting fluoride and arsenic.
Clearly Filtered has tested its system against NSF standards 42, 53, and 401 for hundreds of contaminants with excellent filtration effectiveness. Additionally, the system is made in the USA, comes with a limited lifetime warranty, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and has a 12-month filter lifespan. Like the Waterdrop systems, the filter has an inline design, which means an extra faucet isn’t required.
The Epic Smart Shield is a single-stage inline carbon block filter similar to the Waterdrops – but features several significant advantages. First, it features NSF testing/certifications against Standards 42, 53, and 401 for chlorine, chloramine, lead, cysts, VOCs, BPA, mercury, etc., which is significantly more comprehensive. Additionally, it’s made in the USA, has a lifetime warranty, a return policy, and a flow rate of 1.25 – nearly double that of the Waterdrop filters. Lastly, Epic Water Filters offers a recycling program where you can send in three used filter cartridges in exchange for a free new one.
Overall, the Clearly Filtered system is the best option of the three, but it costs significantly more than the other two. The Epic Smart Shield is priced similarly to the Waterdrop systems but offers superior filtration, warranty, and other key features. This makes either of the two better options.
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This completes our review of the Waterdrop 10UA, 15UA, and 17UA under sink water filter systems. 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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