What is an under-counter water purifier?
In modern families, clean and safe drinking water has become an indispensable part of people's daily lives. As an important device for improving water quality, water purifiers have been favored by more and more families in recent years. Among the many types of water purifiers, under-counter water purifiers have gradually become the mainstream choice in the market due to their concealment and high-efficiency filtering capabilities.
So, what is an under-counter water purifier? Is it worth installing? This article will answer these questions in detail for you.
What is an under-counter water purifier?
As the name suggests, an under-counter water purifier is a water purification device installed under the kitchen sink. Unlike traditional countertop water purifiers, it mainly saves space through hidden installation, and directly supplies filtered clean water through a special faucet or connected to the existing water pipe system of the home.
What are the basic components of an under-counter water purifier?
● Filtration system: The core of an under-counter water purifier is its filtration system, which is usually composed of multi-stage filtration units. These filtration units may include pre-filters, activated carbon filters, ultrafiltration membranes, reverse osmosis membranes, etc. The specific configuration depends on the function of the water purifier and the water quality requirements.
● Water purification faucet: The water purification faucet installed on the sink is the direct interface between the user and the water purifier. When using it, you can get purified drinking water by turning on the faucet. Some under-counter water purifiers also have a hot and cold water mixing function to meet different usage needs.
● Pipeline system: The under-counter water purifier introduces raw water into the water purifier through a series of pipes for filtration, and outputs the purified water to the water purification faucet or household water system. These pipes are usually made of durable materials to ensure safety and durability during long-term use.
● Water storage tank (depending on the situation): Some advanced under-counter water purifiers are equipped with a water storage tank for storing filtered clean water. This type of equipment can provide a continuous supply of clean water during peak usage hours to avoid the problem of slow filtration speed.
How does an under-counter water purifier work?
The working principle of under-counter water purifiers is similar to other water purifiers. They all remove impurities, pollutants and harmful substances in water through physical filtration, adsorption, chemical reactions and other methods. The specific process is as follows:
The tap water in the home enters the water inlet of the under-counter water purifier through the pipe. The raw water entering the water purifier first passes through the primary filter, usually a pre-filter or a PP cotton filter, which is used to remove large particles of impurities in the water, such as silt, rust, etc. The water after primary filtration flows into a multi-stage filtration system, including activated carbon filters, ultrafiltration membranes or reverse osmosis membranes. These filter elements can further remove residual chlorine, heavy metals, bacteria, viruses and organic matter in the water. Finally, the purified water after multi-stage filtration is transported to the water purification faucet through the pipe for users to drink directly or use in other daily life.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of under-counter water purifiers?
When choosing a water purifier, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different types of water purifiers to make an informed decision. The following are the main advantages and disadvantages of under-counter water purifiers.
Advantages of under-counter water purifiers
● Space saving: Since the under-counter water purifier is installed under the kitchen sink, it will not take up countertop space, nor will it affect the overall aesthetics of the kitchen. This is especially important for families with small kitchen areas.
● Efficient filtration: Under-counter water purifiers are usually equipped with a multi-stage filtration system, which can effectively remove a variety of harmful substances in the water and ensure that the water quality meets the safe drinking water standards. In particular, under-counter water purifiers with reverse osmosis membranes can provide a filtration effect close to pure water.
● Concealed installation: The equipment is installed inside the cabinet, which not only hides the complex pipes and filter elements, but also reduces noise and visual interference. In daily use, the under-counter water purifier basically does not affect the normal use of other functions in the kitchen.
● Large flow water supply: Since the under-counter water purifier is connected to the household tap water system, it can provide a continuous and large water flow, which is suitable for families with multiple people or families with a large demand for drinking water.
Disadvantages of under-counter water purifiers
● Complex installation: Compared with countertop water purifiers, under-counter water purifiers are relatively complex to install, requiring professional installers to lay pipes and debug equipment. This process may involve cabinet modifications, so the cost of initial installation is high.
● Difficult maintenance: Since the equipment is installed inside the cabinet, it is relatively difficult to replace and maintain the filter element, and the cabinet needs to be opened regularly for inspection and maintenance. Moreover, due to the hidden installation, users may ignore the daily inspection of the equipment, resulting in the accumulation of problems.
● High cost: The price of under-counter water purifiers is usually higher than that of countertop ones, especially those high-end models equipped with reverse osmosis systems and water storage tanks. In addition, the cost of later maintenance and replacement of filter elements is also high.
Is under-counter water purifier worth installing?
After understanding the working principle and advantages and disadvantages of under-counter water purifiers, the next key question to answer is: Is under-counter water purifier worth installing?
Families suitable for installing under-counter water purifiers
If you have limited kitchen countertop space at home and want to install an efficient water purifier, then under-counter water purifiers are undoubtedly an ideal choice. It can hide all water purification equipment under the sink, without taking up countertop space, while providing efficient water purification services. In addition, for families with a large family population or high requirements for drinking water quality, the multi-stage filtration and large-flow water supply advantages of under-counter water purifiers are particularly obvious. In particular, under-counter water purifiers equipped with reverse osmosis systems can effectively remove heavy metals, bacteria and viruses in water to ensure the safety of household drinking water.
Finally, due to its concealed installation characteristics, under-counter water purifiers can keep the kitchen clean and beautiful, and the overall decoration style will not be affected by the presence of water purification equipment. If you pay great attention to the visual effect of your home, the low-key design of under-counter water purifiers will satisfy you.
Situations where under-counter water purifiers are not suitable for installation
If you are very sensitive to budget, the high initial cost and maintenance costs of under-counter water purifiers may discourage you. For families with limited budgets but who need water purification equipment, you can consider more affordable countertop water purifiers or other types of water purification equipment.
If your kitchen structure is not suitable for large-scale renovation or you are unwilling to carry out complex construction to install a water purifier, the difficulty of installing an undercounter water purifier may become a major obstacle. In this case, an undercounter water purifier that is easy to install and disassemble may be more suitable.
If you don’t pay much attention to the maintenance of the equipment in your daily life, an undercounter water purifier may not be suitable for you. Due to its hidden installation location, regular inspection and replacement of the filter element may be overlooked, which will affect the filtering effect and service life of the equipment.
