I have owned Kent water purifier (its the UV model named as Maxx) for last two years. After having the experience of service engineer, I'm creating this blog to inform about how the service engineers cheat the unsuspecting customers and extort huge money in the name of spare parts.
I'll not go into the details about how the water purifier system work. You can find more details about the RO model at http://kent-pearl-ro-water-purifier.blogspot.in/2012/08/kent-pearl-ro-water-purifier-review.html Mine is very simlar to RO model except that it doesnt have the RO membrane.
After using the purifier for over two years without any problems, one morning I heard the beep sound coming out from the purifier. After checking the manual, I concluded that the four short beeps after every two seconds is the alarm for changing filters. So I called the customer service and same day they sent service engineer to check the system. He opened the purifier panel and informed me that all three filters need to changed (UF+carbon+sediment). He also informed that he'll test if choke is working fine and if not then even that has to be changed. I agreed for changing the filters but not the choke. He seemed to be a little furious when I said no to change the choke which would cost a 950 rs extra. He then inserted screw-driver inside the reset hole of the choke and did someting forcefully. He said that I may not be able to use the purifier for more than 3 days if I dont change the choke. I told him to just replace the filters and gave him 1700 rs (400 for carbon filter + 400 for sediment filter + 600 for UF filter + 300 service charge).
After the service engineer left, I started the purifier. Purified water was coming out with good force but the alarm was still sounding. I opened the choke and found out that the reset switch has been broken. I realized that this was intentionally done by service engineer when he did that forceful action during servicing. Neverthless I just soldered two wires to the two end points of the switch (I could have bought this switch from an electronic shop and replaced it, but I didnt have the time to do so). I switched on the purifier and when it started beeping, I connected the two wires. After around 5 seconds, a long beep was heard and it stopped after a while. I though this must be the sound of reset. Then I switched off the purifer and swithed on again. Now the alarm was not sounding and the purified water was coming out just like its a new system.
I believe that the choke is designed to sound alarm only for 60 hours and after that it would stop power supply to the water pump and UV filter thereby stopping the filteration process completely. Am not sure if reset switch would still work after this 60 hours is over, but I did the reset before the 60 hour countdown after the alarm started first time.
So, when service engineer comes to your door and opens the system, tell him that you will do the reset. Ask him how to reset the alarm. Let him change the filters but dont allow him to touch the choke. He might break the reset switch and then you have to either replace the choke or open the choke and do the reset by either shorting the two terminals of the switch or replacing the switch depending upon your expertise in dealing with elctronic circuit board.(this may not be possible for every citizen).
Having saved 950 rs for the choke, I then suspected if the filters really required the replacement. I opened the filters and found out that UF filter and sediment filter had lot of sticky mud. I concluded that it might be possible to clean them up by passing a very forcefull water stream from each end of the filter alternately. Searching youtube, did show that its indeed possible to do so. I'm not sure if carbon filter can be cleaned up. But I noticed that sediment filter just contains a big spindle of thick rope and UF contains a small spindle of plastic material thread. But company sells them at 400 + 600 Rs. A huge rip-off. A local brand (or using the spare parts of filter made by Bhabha research center would be cheaper and also ensure the quality http://www.oorjasolution.com/water_purifier.html) would have done the job. Next time, I a'm going to try the alternatives and save on filters.
I'm posting the pictures of the filters and Choke circuit board for the curious minds.
The broken reset switch (I soldered those white wires to the two end points of the switch so that I can reset by shorting the wires)
The choke circuit board.
The three filters (The smaller one is the UF filter)
I'll not go into the details about how the water purifier system work. You can find more details about the RO model at http://kent-pearl-ro-water-purifier.blogspot.in/2012/08/kent-pearl-ro-water-purifier-review.html Mine is very simlar to RO model except that it doesnt have the RO membrane.
After using the purifier for over two years without any problems, one morning I heard the beep sound coming out from the purifier. After checking the manual, I concluded that the four short beeps after every two seconds is the alarm for changing filters. So I called the customer service and same day they sent service engineer to check the system. He opened the purifier panel and informed me that all three filters need to changed (UF+carbon+sediment). He also informed that he'll test if choke is working fine and if not then even that has to be changed. I agreed for changing the filters but not the choke. He seemed to be a little furious when I said no to change the choke which would cost a 950 rs extra. He then inserted screw-driver inside the reset hole of the choke and did someting forcefully. He said that I may not be able to use the purifier for more than 3 days if I dont change the choke. I told him to just replace the filters and gave him 1700 rs (400 for carbon filter + 400 for sediment filter + 600 for UF filter + 300 service charge).
After the service engineer left, I started the purifier. Purified water was coming out with good force but the alarm was still sounding. I opened the choke and found out that the reset switch has been broken. I realized that this was intentionally done by service engineer when he did that forceful action during servicing. Neverthless I just soldered two wires to the two end points of the switch (I could have bought this switch from an electronic shop and replaced it, but I didnt have the time to do so). I switched on the purifier and when it started beeping, I connected the two wires. After around 5 seconds, a long beep was heard and it stopped after a while. I though this must be the sound of reset. Then I switched off the purifer and swithed on again. Now the alarm was not sounding and the purified water was coming out just like its a new system.
I believe that the choke is designed to sound alarm only for 60 hours and after that it would stop power supply to the water pump and UV filter thereby stopping the filteration process completely. Am not sure if reset switch would still work after this 60 hours is over, but I did the reset before the 60 hour countdown after the alarm started first time.
So, when service engineer comes to your door and opens the system, tell him that you will do the reset. Ask him how to reset the alarm. Let him change the filters but dont allow him to touch the choke. He might break the reset switch and then you have to either replace the choke or open the choke and do the reset by either shorting the two terminals of the switch or replacing the switch depending upon your expertise in dealing with elctronic circuit board.(this may not be possible for every citizen).
Having saved 950 rs for the choke, I then suspected if the filters really required the replacement. I opened the filters and found out that UF filter and sediment filter had lot of sticky mud. I concluded that it might be possible to clean them up by passing a very forcefull water stream from each end of the filter alternately. Searching youtube, did show that its indeed possible to do so. I'm not sure if carbon filter can be cleaned up. But I noticed that sediment filter just contains a big spindle of thick rope and UF contains a small spindle of plastic material thread. But company sells them at 400 + 600 Rs. A huge rip-off. A local brand (or using the spare parts of filter made by Bhabha research center would be cheaper and also ensure the quality http://www.oorjasolution.com/water_purifier.html) would have done the job. Next time, I a'm going to try the alternatives and save on filters.
I'm posting the pictures of the filters and Choke circuit board for the curious minds.
The broken reset switch (I soldered those white wires to the two end points of the switch so that I can reset by shorting the wires)
The choke circuit board.
The three filters (The smaller one is the UF filter)
