An under-counter water filter sits in the cupboard below your sink and sends cleaner water to its own small tap, or to the kitchen mixer. It takes out sediment, chlorine taste and smell, and with the right cartridges some metals as well. There are no bottles to carry and no jug to refill. Whether you rent a flat in Sandton, own a farmhouse near Bloemfontein or run a small coffee shop, send one request and installers in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation to accept.
Single, twin or triple: what the stages do
The number of cartridges tells you what the unit tackles:
- Single stage: usually a carbon block. It improves taste and smell and is the cheapest way to start.
- Twin stage: a sediment cartridge first to catch grit and rust flakes, then carbon. A good fit for older pipes.
- Triple stage: adds a finer cartridge, such as a block that targets lead, or a softening or scale-reducing stage.
If your water is very hard or from a borehole, an under-counter unit alone may not be enough. See borehole water filtration and reverse osmosis systems.
Will it fit under your sink?
Measure before you order. You need the width and depth of the cupboard, the height under the pipes, and the position of the waste trap. A twin or triple unit with a bracket can take most of a small cupboard, and a bin or dish rack may have to move. Ask for housings with enough room below to unscrew and swap cartridges, since a unit you cannot service will be ignored.
You also need a cold water supply point with an isolating valve, a hole in the sink or counter for the filter tap if you want a separate one, and decent water pressure. Low pressure from a roof tank is a common problem in older houses, so mention it in your request.
What drives the cost
Expect to pay from about R800 for a simple unit, plus R750 to R1,800 to install. The spread comes from the number of stages, the quality of the housings, whether the tap is included and how awkward the plumbing is. Then count the running cost: cartridges are replaced every six to twelve months in many homes, sooner on gritty water.
Ask the installer for the cartridge price and the replacement interval in writing. Cheap units with hard-to-find cartridges become expensive. For a whole-house solution, look at water filtration systems instead.
Comparing installer quotes
Send each installer the same details: the sink type, the cupboard size, your water source and any taste, smell or staining problems. Compare like for like on the number of stages, what is included in the install, the warranty and the first cartridge change. Ask whether they will test the pressure and check for leaks after fitting, and whether they offer a reminder or service plan. The cheapest quote is rarely the best if it leaves out the tap, fittings or a callback.
What to include in your request
- Sink type and the size of the cupboard below
- Where your water comes from: municipal, tank or borehole
- Any taste, smell, grit or staining you notice
- Whether you want a separate tap or the mixer
- Your suburb or town for the installation visit
Under-Counter Water Filters for different sites
- Households: a twin cartridge filter with its own tap for drinking and cooking water in the kitchen
- Offices and business parks: a filter under the pantry sink feeding a tap and a plumbed-in coffee machine
- Schools, crèches and colleges: filters under staffroom and crèche kitchen sinks, with cartridge changes timed for the school holidays
- Clinics, practices and care homes: a filter in the staff kitchen or rooms where a cleaner taste and clear water matter
- Lodges, hotels, restaurants and events: units under bar and kitchen sinks to protect coffee machines and ice makers from chlorine taste
- Factories, mines and building sites: small units for canteens and tea stations, away from the process water treatment
- Shops, gyms and refill stations: a filter under the sink in a salon, bakery or take-away for clear drinking water
- Farms, smallholdings and villages: a sediment and carbon unit after the tank or borehole pump to take out grit and smell
Frequently asked questions
Do under-counter filters make water safe to drink?
How often must the cartridges be changed?
Can I install one myself?
Do you supply the filters?
Under-Counter Water Filters by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg