Material used in storage tank in water purifiers plays is important because the water is stored in the tank for almost a day and sometimes for even longer duration.
All water purifier brands offer models with ABS plastic storage tanks, hence it becomes important to understand the pros and cons of ABS plastic tanks. On the other hand only a few brands offer water purifiers with stainless steel tank.
Hence, it becomes important to understand the differences between ABS food grade plastic and stainless steel water tank.
In this post, we will talk about pros and cons of both ABS plastic and stainless steel water tanks in water purifiers as well as the differences between them.
Table of Contents
Stainless Steel Water Tank
It is well known that stainless steel is one of the most durable materials that we come across in our daily lives. This makes it one of the most preferred materials when long life of the appliance/water purifier is required.
Advantages of Stainless Steel Storage Tank in Water Purifier
- Corrosion-free: Stainless steel does not corrode even in presence of water for long duration.
- Hygienic: Stainless steel does not aid in growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and protozoa. This makes stainless steel one of the best material from the point of view of hygiene.
- Non-toxic: Stainless steel is one of the safest materials in the kitchen as it is non toxic.
- Easy to clean: Steel containers are can be cleaned thoroughly with water and detergent without any risk of damage.
- Radiation–resistant: Stainless steel is highly resistant to radiations such as UV radiation. On the other hand ABS plastic is not resistant to UV rays.
- Longevity: Stainless steel tanks remain ductile even with a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Also, stainless steel water tanks have strong resistance against freezing, rusting, and cracking.
- Gaining popularity: Stainless steel is now one of the most sought after materials for water storage due to its benefits
Disadvantages of stainless steel water purifiers
- Expensive: Biggest disadvantage of stainless steel water purifier is that it is costlier than ABC plastic water purifiers.
- Heavy: Stainless steel water purifiers are heavy in weight as compared to ABS water purifiers.
- Slightly different taste of water: Water stored in stainless steel containers for long duration can taste somewhat different when compared to natural taste. However, this does not mean that the water is unfit for drinking.
- Less Availability: Despite increase in popularity, there are not many water purifiers brands and models that come with stainless steel water purifier. This means that the customer does not have as much choice in terms of variety as compared to ABS plastic water purifiers.
Related: Best Water Purifier With Stainless Steel Tank
ABS Food Grade Plastic
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene or ABS is a special category of plastic- thermoplastic. This type of plastic can be melted into liquid form and cooled back without changing its chemical composition. In short, ABS plastic can be shaped easily and it is highly resistant, so much, that even if it is melted, there is no change in its molecular structure. Due to this, ABS has a special place in the industry as it gets many useful features.
Advantages of ABS Plastic
- Highly resistant: ABS plastic is highly resistant to corrosion as it does not corrode easily even when coming in contact with abrasive materials. Hence it is a ideal material to store water.
- Recyclable: It is one of the best plastics for recycling because of this plastic can be heated again and again without damaging the chemical composition
- Can be shaped easily: ABS plastic can be liquified and shaped by injection molds without much difficulty by heating it to its boiling point.
- Safe plastic: ABS is one of the safest plastics. This is the reason why many children toys are made with ABS plastic.
- Affordable: One of the biggest advantages of ABS plastic is that it is inexpensive. This is the reason why maximum water purifiers come with ABS tanks.
- Low maintenance: Containers including water storage tanks made of ABS food-grade plastic need lower maintenance are easy to clean.
- Light weight: ABS plastic is light in weight. This makes it easy to handle and move from one place to another.
Disadvantages of ABS Plastic
- Low resistance to UV: ABS plastic offers low resistance to UV rays. This means that it can be damaged if is not protected from direct sunlight. Hence, it is best not to place the purifier/container near the window if you get direct sunlight for longer duration.
- Requires more cleaning: ABS food-grade plastic tanks must be cleaned more frequently as compared to steel tanks
- Less durable than steel: Even though the life of this plastic is quite good, its durability is not as good as stainless steel.
- Safety concerns: There were some concerns about the safety of ABS plastic. However, FDA of US has approved it as ‘FDA food contact compliant’, which means that it is safe for storing water among other things.
ABS Plastic vs Stainless Steel Water Purifier
| Factor | ABS Plastic | Stainless Steel |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | Approved by FDA for use with food | One of the safest materials |
| Durability & Resistance | Durable | More durable than ABS |
| Cost | Inexpensive | Costlier than ABS plastic |
| Variety | Wide range of models available in the market | Very less number of models available |
| Weight | Light in weight | Significantly heavier |
| Ease of Maintenance | Easy to maintain | Slightly more difficult to maintain |
| Resistance to radiation | Low resistance to radiation such as UV rays | Strong resistance to radiation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ABS plastic safe?
ABS is approved by FDA as food contact compliant. Hence, it is totally safe for storing water.
Which are the best brands for ABS plastic water purifiers?
Brands such as Kent, Eureka Forbes, HUL Pureit, AO Smith, Havells, Blue Star and Faber are one of the best ones that offer ABS plastic water purifiers.
Which brands offer stainless steel water purifiers?
LG, Eureka Forbes, Bepure offer stainless steel RO water purifiers. Also, brands such as TATA Swach, RAMA, Nexqua offer best non electric water purifiers with stainless steel body/tank.
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