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Integrated water purification systems are becoming increasingly popular in many households. UV water purifiers remain one of the top choices available in this market, providing a high degree of effectiveness in neutralizing microorganisms in the water supply without breaking the bank.
The cost of running a UV water purifier in your home depends on 3 factors: the price of the filtration system itself, installation cost, as well as any ongoing maintenance expenses.
In many cases, the total comes down to less than $2000, in many cases even half of that, especially if you decide to do the installation yourself.
Want all the details? Here is our guide on the cost of a UV water filtration system!
Contents
TL;DR
- Costs range from $100 to $400 for a UV water filtration system for the point of use. These are systems that only disinfect water for a single faucet.
- With point of entry UV water purifiers, $200 is the bare minimum. The most dependable units cost north of $500. This type of system will purify all the water in your house.
Typical UV Water Filter Price
So, how much does a UV water filter cost?
Well, your main expense will be the purchase of the water purification system. There are different models available on the market, with different capacities and flow rates that can fit the needs of most households. UV water purification systems are divided into two main categories: point-of-entry and point-of-use systems.
Point-of-Use vs Point-of-Entry Filtration
Point-of-use UV water purifiers are installed close to a specific water access point in your home, hence the name. For example, they can be hooked up to the faucet in your kitchen. Thus, they only purify water coming out at that point. POU UV water purifiers are priced at around $100-$400.
Point-of-entry systems, sometimes also called whole house systems, are designed to treat your home’s entire water supply (or at least most of it). Since they treat a much larger volume of water compared to point-of-use systems and therefore require costlier components to maintain the same level of durability, they are also more expensive.
The cheapest point-of-entry systems on the market cost around $200, but it’s not until you get to the $500-$600 range that the level of quality starts to become acceptable for a medium-sized household.
Flow rate is a major factor in the price of a point-of-entry UV purification system. 12 gpm (gallons per minute) should be enough for most average-sized households, while larger ones will need systems capable of at least 15 gpm. Those UV purification systems are quite expensive, with the cheapest models costing over $1,000.
SpringWell Water, Model SPRW-UVC5-15 Whole House UV Water Purification System
Coupon Code (5% Off): Masterz5
See more product images at springwellwater.com
- Description: High end whole house UV water purifier for homes with up to 4-5 bathrooms; 30 mJ/cm² UV light intensity kills 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and cysts
- Purchase price: $1080.46 USD (January 2023 – check current price)
- Shipping: Free
- Cost for professional installation: $300-1,000 USD depending on your plumbing system
- UV lamp replacements: $113.39 USD per year (last updated: January 2023)
- Satisfaction guarantee: 6 months
- Warranty: Lifetime
Pre-Filters
To ensure the optimal performance of your UV water purifier, you often must run your water through some additional filtration steps before it reaches the UV system. Failing to do that will not only decrease the effectiveness of your UV purifier, but may also cause additional wear to its components, requiring more frequent replacements.
Pre-filtration helps remove debris, minerals, metals, and other particles and elements that decrease the quality of your water and make it more difficult to purify with UV light. Floating particles in the water will obstruct the purifier’s light and make it likely for microorganisms to pass through unharmed.
A five-micron pre-filter is usually sufficient to stop most particles that could interfere with the operation of your UV purifier. In general, you should be aiming for the following properties in your water supply:
- Turbidity[1]: < NTU
- Hardness: < 7 gpg[2]
- Manganese: < 0.05 ppm
- Iron: < 0.3 ppm
- Tannins: < 0.1 ppm
UV Water Purifier Installation Cost
Most professionals will charge you between $100 and $500 for the installation of a point-of-entry filter. However, if your house’s plumbing needs to be adapted first, this can raise the price – sometimes to more than $2,000.
If you live in a home with older plumbing, you may want to get an evaluation from a professional before investing in a UV water purifier. This will help prevent any unpleasant surprises when it comes to installation costs.
Point-of-use UV filters are cheaper to install, and shouldn’t cost you more than $300 even in more complicated cases.
Tools and Materials
Purchasing the right tools and materials before hiring a professional can help you cut down on your costs. Here are some of the things you’ll need:
- Five-micron sediment pre-filter
- Copper or PVC tubing/piping
- Fittings
- Teflon tape
The following equipment is optional but is good to prepare in any case:
- Shut-off/bypass valves
- Pressure gauges
- Soldering supplies
Professional Installation
A professional can handle the installation from start to finish for you, including mounting the system, hooking it up to your plumbing, installing any shut-off valves you may require, and ensuring everything is connected safely.
If your home’s plumbing requires additional modifications before a UV purifier can be installed in the first place, that will raise your installation costs. This includes getting rid of any currently installed appliances that might interfere with the installation.
Can You Install a UV Water Purifier Yourself?
In general, installing a UV water purifier yourself is not too difficult with some basic handyman skills. There are various free tutorials that can guide you through the process step by step.
The most complicated part of installing a point-of-use system is drilling a hole for its faucet if there’s no space available in your current countertop layout. You should do that before installing the purification system to avoid accidental damage to its casing.
With a point-of-entry system, things get trickier, as you need to work on your home’s water main.
In both cases, hiring a professional is the more reasonable option if you have even the slightest doubt about your DIY skills. It’s not just about the installation cost itself. If you mess something up, you’ll still end up calling a professional, only this time it will be much more expensive.
UV Water Purifier Maintenance Cost
Every water purification system requires some ongoing maintenance, and failing to replace certain parts on time can degrade the efficiency of your UV purifier.
How much can you expect to pay over a year on average? There are two main factors that contribute to your running costs – the UV lamp and the quartz sleeve.
- You need to replace your UV lamp at least once a year. UV lamps don’t burn out, but they do lose intensity over time. Most models lose about 40% intensity within 9,000 hours of continuous use (which is almost exactly one year). A new lamp will set you back between about $100.
- The quartz sleeve encasing the UV lamp needs to be cleaned regularly, as it accumulates a layer of grime from all the water that runs over it. Proper pre-filtration can alleviate this problem, but you’ll still need to clean the sleeve every once in a while, ideally at least once a year. Even that’s not a permanent solution, as the sleeve will lose some of its transparency permanently, and will eventually need to be replaced. A new quartz sleeve will cost you around $40-$60.
On top of buying replacement parts, you may also want to hire a professional to do the work for you. Replacing your UV lamp and quartz sleeve are both simple procedures by themselves, but they require additional work like shutting off your home’s water supply and possibly draining it completely.
If you want to ensure that the job will get done safely, you should include around $200-$400 for professional labor in your estimate.
First-Year Costs: What Do Most Households Pay?
| Type | Price | Average Installation Cost | Installation Time | Annual Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point-of-Entry | $200 – $1000 (and more) | $100 – $500 (and more) | 2 – 4 Hours | $150 | $450 – $1,650 (and more) |
| Point-of-Use | $100 – $400 | $100 – $300 | 1 – 3 Hours | $120 | $320 – $820 |
Where to Buy a UV Light Water Purifier: What Are Your Options?
You should know exactly what features you’re looking for before starting your search for a UV water purifier. This will help you narrow down your options, which can be quite helpful in a market that offers this many choices.
Directly from a Manufacturer
Buying a UV purifier straight from a manufacturer is a great option if you want to get the best price, as your purchase won’t go through any intermediate companies. You’ll also get better customer service in most cases, as most manufacturers value their reputation and will go the extra mile to assist you if you run into any problems.
Specialized Online Store
On the other hand, a specialized online store might sell their products with a small markup, but they compensate for that with a larger inventory and specialists who guide you through your purchase. If you’re not sure what exactly you need to buy, or you want to explore all options you have in your price range, this is the ideal choice.
Consult a Professional
And if you want to ensure that your UV purification system matches the needs of your household as closely as possible, you can hire a local expert to assist you with the purchase. This might cost you more, but it’s the only way to make sure that you’re not missing any crucial details. Only a local specialist familiar with the water conditions in your area will know everything relevant to your specific situation.
Hardware Store
Hardware stores are a mixed bag. Some carry a great selection of UV water purifiers and offer installation and maintenance service packages on top of the systems themselves. On the other hand, some stores have a very limited choice, and won’t provide you with much help in choosing a model that fits your needs. It’s worth checking out what your local hardware stores have to offer, but don’t set your expectations too high.
Conclusion
In conclusion, for estimating UV water filtration system cost, we need to differentiate between point-of-entry and point-of-use systems.
Point-of-entry UV water purifiers are more expensive. Good ones start at around $500 and go into the thousands. Add another $100 to $500 for installation and about $150 (+ labor) in yearly maintenance cost.
Point-of-use systems are much more affordable. You can get one for as little as $100. Installation is $100 to $300. Annual maintenance comes in at around $120 (+ labor).
Whole house or POU, if you do the installation and maintenance yourself you can save a considerable amount of money.
Further Reading
- The Best UV Water Purifiers in 2023
- The Best UV Water Purifiers for Well Water in 2023
- UV Water Purifier Maintenance Cost
- What’s a UV Water Purifier? How Does a UV Water Purifier Work?
Resources
- [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969717335994
- [2] https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=19178
Outside of his writing work, Rory enjoys photographing the Irish landscape and making music!
