Water Purifiers Review
Aquaguard Select Designo UTC Review: Easy Service, Basic Tech
Our verdict
The Aquaguard Select Designo UTC is a dependable under-counter RO+UV purifier with India's widest service reach, but it offers a 1-year warranty and no app.
Buy it if
- Buyers in tier-2 and tier-3 towns who need nearby technicians
- Families who want a taste adjuster for mineral level
- Households with 500 to 1,000 ppm borewell water
Skip it if
- You want a 2-year warranty or app monitoring
- You want the lowest water wastage
- You need a tall tap for big containers
What we like
- Eureka Forbes service is the widest we found in this group
- 8 L tank with UV and an MTDS taste adjuster set at installation
- Free service plan in year one, covering a maintenance visit and repairs
- Quiet pump and a water level sensor
What we don’t
- Only 1 year of warranty, against 2 years on Boon
- No app; service alerts arrive as phone notifications only
- Roughly 2.2 L of water drained per litre purified
- Tap clearance of about 25 cm limits tall pots
- Retailer listings disagree on stage count (9 or 10)
Score breakdown
- Performance
- 7.7
- Features
- 7.0
- Energy efficiency
- 6.9
- Design
- 7.2
- Build quality
- 7.8
- Ease of use
- 8.0
- Value for money
- 7.6
- After-sales service
- 8.9
The Aquaguard Select Designo UTC is an under-counter RO+UV purifier for people who value a technician arriving next week over a long warranty or smart features. It cleans moderate-to-high TDS water well and offers a taste adjuster, but the 1-year warranty and no app make it ordinary beside the newest rivals.
Can it handle hard borewell water in Pune or Hyderabad?
Up to a point. From 450 ppm input it delivered about 35 ppm, and from 900 ppm about 60 ppm. A 1,500 ppm spike gave about 125 ppm, which is acceptable. Retailers list operation on 150 to 280 V, which suits Indian voltage swings. We would not use it above that TDS without checking Eureka Forbes first.
How does the MTDS taste adjuster work?
The MTDS (mineral TDS) adjuster is set by the technician at installation. It blends back a fixed share of minerals, so you cannot change it day to day. Our water tasted slightly firmer than the Boon’s Daily profile. If you want control in the moment, Boon’s Water Profiles are more flexible.
How fast does it fill a 20 L can?
Retailers list 15 L per hour. A 20 L can took about 50 minutes from a full 8 L tank, slower than the Boon Tap RO. For four people it is enough, and the tank keeps pressure steady for quick glasses.
How much water does it waste?
About 2.2 L of reject per litre purified at 450 ppm, and 2.9 L at 900 ppm. That is typical for the group and worse than the Boon Tap RO, so collect the drain water for mopping or plants.
Is it noisy, and what about power cuts?
The pump measured about 41 dB at 1 m. Power was about 40 W, so a small inverter will run it, and the tank dispenses without power. The water level sensor stops the pump when the tank is full.
What does service and running cost look like?
This is the Aquaguard’s selling point: Eureka Forbes has service centres in far more towns than newer brands. The first year includes a service plan with a maintenance visit and repairs. After that, we estimate about Rs 5,800 a year in filters, visits and power, based on typical brand pricing; Eureka Forbes does not publish a kit price for this model.
What do owners and installers say?
Owners praise installation speed and the taste adjuster, and the main complaints are the price of consumables after year one and the 1-year warranty. Retailer pages disagree on whether the unit has 9 or 10 stages, so ask the seller to confirm the cartridge list. Some buyers also report paying for extra fittings during installation, so ask what the fitter will charge for a countertop hole and drain clamp.
Who should look elsewhere?
If you want an app, a longer warranty or the tallest tap, the Boon Tap RO is better. If you are in a small town far from any Boon technician, this is the safer choice.
Test results
| Output TDS from 450 ppm input How we test this : Output TDS from 450 ppm input | 35 ppm |
|---|---|
| Output TDS from 900 ppm input How we test this : Output TDS from 900 ppm input | 60 ppm |
| Output TDS from 1,500 ppm input How we test this : Output TDS from 1,500 ppm input | 125 ppm |
| Reject water at 450 ppm input How we test this : Reject water at 450 ppm input | 2.2 L per L |
| Reject water at 900 ppm input How we test this : Reject water at 900 ppm input | 2.9 L per L |
| Time to fill a 20 L can How we test this : Time to fill a 20 L can | 50 min |
| Pump noise at 1 m How we test this : Pump noise at 1 m | 41 dB |
Measured on the unit we tested.
How we tested
We tested the Select Designo UTC on 450 to 900 ppm TDS hard borewell water and a 1,500 ppm salt-spiked sample. We logged output TDS with a handheld meter, timed 20 L fills, measured reject in a jug, recorded noise at 1 m and checked the MTDS taste setting.
We bought this unit at retail price.
How does the Eureka Forbes Aquaguard Select Designo UTC RO+UV+MTDS compare?
-
Boon Tap Under Sink RO Water Purifier A 9.1
The Boon Tap RO filled a 20 L can faster, wasted less water, adds an app, a longer warranty and a taller tap, and its profiles are more flexible than the fixed MTDS setting. The Aquaguard is the safer choice in a small town far from any Boon technician.
Key specs
| Type | RO + UV + MTDS with copper and zinc booster (Eureka Forbes) |
|---|---|
| Storage | 8 L (Eureka Forbes) |
| Max flow rate | 15 L per hour (retailer listing) |
| Power | About 40 W; works on 150 to 280 V AC (retailer listings) |
| Installation | Under the counter; faucet in the box |
| Warranty | 1 year, free service plan in year one (Eureka Forbes) |
Questions buyers ask
What is the capacity of the Aquaguard Select Designo UTC?
The Aquaguard Select Designo UTC has an 8 L storage tank. Retailer listings give a maximum flow rate of 15 L per hour. In our tests a 20 L can took about 50 minutes from a full tank.
Does the Aquaguard Select Designo UTC have an app?
No. The Aquaguard Select Designo UTC uses LED indicators on the unit and phone service alerts, with no app for live TDS or filter health. Boon's Tap has an app.
What is the warranty on the Aquaguard Select Designo UTC?
Eureka Forbes gives 1 year of warranty with a free service plan in the first year. Confirm exact cover at purchase, since the brand also markets longer plans on other models.
Does the Aquaguard Select Designo UTC suit high-TDS water?
It handled 900 ppm borewell water at about 60 ppm output. We would not rely on it above 1,500 ppm, and it is better for municipal and moderate borewell supply.
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