How Much Storage Capacity Should a Water Purifier Have for a Family?

This question generally comes to mind for everyone before making any purchase decision that exactly how we can determine the exact and accurate storage size, and what all points are there that we need to consider. Below, we have listed some ways that can help you in the best way possible:

• You should choose a capacity in the range of 2 to 3 litres for each member on a daily basis. Then calculate the volume by multiplying the amount according to your family size. 
• For instance, the storage requirement for 4 members will be 8-12 litres of purified water on a daily basis. 
• You should add an additional quantity of 2 to 3 litres of RO water if you need it for cooking purposes. 
• Smaller families comprising 2 to 3 members should purchase a 5-7 litre water purifier. On the other hand, 4 to 5 people require 8-10 litres of purified water.

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Find your family size below and see the best water purifier storage capacity for your home:

2-3 Members: For this particular family size, you can certainly consider choosing 5-7 litres, as it may be suitable for couples or small families. However, it efficiently covers daily drinking water needs with some extra for tea or coffee.  

4-5 Members: For families that are having this many family members, they can probably look for 8 to 10 litres to carefully cater to all their drinking and cooking needs, for the whole day without disturbance. 

More than 6 Members: If you have more than 6 members in your family, then you should pick storage capacity of 12 litres or more. Large families generally need bigger storage to effortlessly manage all their requirements because this ensures clean water for drinking and cooking activities.  

Quick tip: If power cuts happen often in your area, then you should pick 1 to 2 litres more than suggested, as this way you never run out of safe water when the purifier stops working.

If your area faces more than 2 hours of power cuts, then you should add at least 3-4 litres of extra storage for emergency situations, as a basic 8-litre tank runs empty fast when the purifier stops refilling.

Why power cuts matter: Most RO water purifiers can certainly not make clean water without electricity, and the water you have stored is all you will be having until power returns. In cities like Delhi, Pune, and Chennai, an average of 3 to 4 hours of power cuts are common in summer, which makes it really important to have sufficient backup because an empty tank means buying bottled water or using tap water.

Why peak hours matter: This is because all of us know that in the morning, 7-9 AM is rush time, as one person might be filling a water bottle to carry on the go, someone might be making tea, or cooking breakfast. And all this altogether means a family of 4 can use 3-4 litres in just 30 minutes, so to prevent them from running out of pure water, everyone must have some backup with them.

Quick tip: Check your electricity board power cut schedule, and if cuts happen daily, then you should pick the next bigger tank size. For a 4-member home, upgrade from 8L to 10-12L to save yourself from daily stress.

RO Water Purifiers: These types of water purifiers generally require large tank sizes, as RO systems make water slowly, at about 12 to 15 litres per hour, and if your tank is empty, you will have to wait for around 30-40 minutes for it to refill. That is why RO purifiers usually come with 8 to 12 litre storage tanks. 

UV Water Purifiers: This particular type works perfectly suitable with smaller tanks, as UV purifiers clean water instantly, to provide you with the required quality results. However, they often consist of 6 to 8 litre tanks because it gets refill fast if the water supply is running. Lastly, it is certainly considered ideal for homes with good TDS levels and fewer power cuts.

Gravity Water Purifiers: These are a type of non-electric purifier that usually store only 4 to 8 litres of supply and also filter the water comparatively slowly, which is around 1 to 2 litres per hour. Because of which, it is good for 1-2 people or as a backup, but not ideal for large families or peak hours.

Key takeaway: For an RO system, one can always go 1 to 2 litres bigger than you think, while for UV and gravity, match tank size to your daily drinking needs only.

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Most people pick the wrong water purifier tank size because they only count on drinking water. Below this, you can certainly find what goes wrong and how to fix it.

Mistake 1: Forgetting kitchen use. 

If you are using purified water for all your cooking needs and fruit washing needs, then it obviously adds up to 2 to 3 litres daily as an extra water requirement.

How to avoid it: Add 3 litres as an additional storage to your requirement if you cook with RO water.

Mistake 2: Ignoring guests and festivals. 

A 7-litre tank empties fast when relatives visit, as you need to serve them all the things that consist of purified water.

How to avoid it: If you are someone who has guests who come often, then you should buy one size bigger. However, a 10L tank can suit most Indian homes better than a 7L tank.

Mistake 3: Trusting “family size” labels. 

Most of the brands use this technique to increase their sales, and they assume that the family must be having perfect power and no peak demand.

How to avoid it: Check local power cuts and the morning rush, and according to that and your requirements, add 2 litres of additional storage if cuts last for more than 2 hours daily.