Confused between KENT and A.O. Smith for hard or borewell water? Discover some of the popular water purifiers from these brands and compare them by purification stages, tank capacity as well as everyday usability, so you can pick a model that actually matches your water source and household size.
Hard water is very common nowadays, especially among Indian households who are dealing with borewells, tankers or mixed municipal water. However, this bad water quality will be evidently visible by the formation of scales on kitchenware, dryness of skin after taking a bath and non-formation of foam even when using soap.
While a water purifier will not solve the problem of hardness in the pipelines, an effective RO water purifiers for home will definitely reduce the presence of dissolved solids and contaminants in drinking water.
Some of the top water purifier brands that manufacture such purifiers are KENT and A.O. Smith, which are compared here using six of their top-selling water purifiers from these brands.
Head-to-Head Comparison Between KENT vs A.O. Smith Water Purifiers: Filtration Stages, Capacity & Features
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Product Name
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Filtration Stages
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Capacity
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Suitable For
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KENT Grand RO
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RO+UV+UF+TDS Control
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8 L
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Municipal or tap water homes with standard TDS
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AO Smith Z9 Pro
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RO+SCMT+Copper+Alkaline (8-stage)
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10 L
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Households needing hot water on demand
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KENT Supreme Plus
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RO+UV+UF+Alkaline+Copper (6-stage)
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8 L
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Buyers prioritising alkaline and copper water
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AO Smith Z5
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RO+SCMT+Alkaline Min-Tech (8-stage)
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5 L
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Borewell, tanker, or mixed-source water
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KENT Supreme IoT
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RO+UV+UF+Alkaline+Copper (6-stage)
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8 L
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Buyers who want visibility into purifier performance
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AO Smith Z5 Pro
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RO+CFM Alkaline
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5 L
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Small kitchens, single or two-person households
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Maintenance & Running Costs: KENT vs A.O. Smith Water Purifier
Running costs for any water purifier largely depend on the quality of the water you are using as the input rather than the brand.
- TDS or harder water puts greater pressure on the RO membrane as well as pre-filters, which results in shorter replacement cycles compared to RO purifiers that operate on relatively cleaner municipal water.
- Purifiers such as KENT Supreme Plus and KENT Supreme IoT come with the auto-flush feature, which means less strain for the membrane during operation, but filter life will still depend on how often it needs servicing.
- Since both companies provide an annual maintenance contract through their service centres, it is better to check the pricing of the AMC offered by KENT and A.O Smith for your city before comparing the running costs, as the number might differ.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What should be the ideal TDS value of the drinking water?
As per the norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards, drinking water whose TDS value is less than 500 ppm is usually acceptable, while that which is more than 900 ppm is not recommended.
How frequently should one replace their filters in hard water situations?
Hard water or high TDS water, as in the case of borewell water supply, wears out the filters and membranes faster than soft water supplied through the municipality. Rather than sticking to any fixed date, it is better to rely on the filter change signal on your purifier or get it inspected every once in a while.
Do KENT or A.O. Smith purifiers add minerals back into the water?
Yes, the majority of units available under both brands employ mineral retention or alkaline technology like Mineral RO Technology from KENT and Min-Tech from A.O. Smith, which adds back the minerals lost by regular RO filtering while slightly increasing the pH of the water.
What is the distinction among RO, UV, and UF technologies for hard water?
RO technology separates dissolved solids and heavy metals; hence, it works for hard water because of this property. UV purification technology kills germs through radiation by UV light; however, it does not remove any dissolved solids itself. UF (ultrafiltration) removes suspended particles and certain microorganisms through the process of filtration but does not reduce TDS.