Air or Pure: which water system fits your site?
Two ways to have drinking water on tap, with no bottles and no deliveries. One makes it from the air, the other from the water line you already have. Here is how to tell which one belongs where you live or work.
The short answer.
If there is a water line you can connect to, choose Pure. If there is no line, if plumbing work is not allowed, or if you want to move the machine, choose Air. That single question, is there a pipe, settles most cases.
Pure is a reverse osmosis water dispenser connected to the existing line: it filters tap water, adds minerals back and serves it hot and cold, for as long as the line supplies water. Air is an atmospheric water generator: it needs only a socket and makes drinking water from the humidity in the air, 13, 16 or 22 litres a day on average depending on the model. Both end with the same thing in the glass: filtered drinking water with added minerals, and no plastic bottle.
Free one-week trial in Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Hua Hin. Elsewhere in Thailand, we start with a site assessment.
Air and Pure, side by side.
What each range needs, and what it gives back.
| Air | Pure | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the water comes from | The humidity in the air | The water line already in the building |
| What it needs | A socket. No pipe, no plumbing work | A water connection, and a socket |
| Best placed | An open or ventilated room, a terrace, a pool deck | Anywhere near the line, including closed, air-conditioned rooms |
| How much water | 13 L (Air Top), 16 L (Air Stand) or 22 L (Air Stand Pro) a day on average | A stable output from the water line, all day |
| Hot and cold | Hot and cold on Air Top and Air Stand, cold on Air Stand Pro | Hot and cold on both models |
| Installation | Plug in and use | Connected to the existing line in under an hour |
| When the mains fails | Keeps making water | Follows the water line |
| Moving | Moves with you | Stays where the line is |
| Buy, rent or lease-to-own | Buy with a one-year warranty, or rent for 6 months or 1 year | Buy with a one-year warranty, rent for 6 months or 1 year, or lease-to-own over 3, 5 or 7 years |
Outputs of the Air range are averages for relative humidity between 30% and 80% at 25°C; the Air Stand Pro has a maximum of 30 L a day. More on how it works in how atmospheric water generators work.
Which one, where.
Six common situations in Thailand, and the range that usually fits.
Not sure? The one-minute quiz on our online shop asks the same questions and names the machine for a home. For a business, a site assessment settles it point of use by point of use.
Then, which model.
In the Pure range, Pure Floor is the usual choice, and Pure Countertop fits where there is only a counter. Both serve hot and cold water from the line.
In the Air range, the model follows the number of people. Air Top suits one or two people or a small space, with hot and cold water on a countertop. Air Stand suits three to five people who want hot water. Air Stand Pro suits six people or more, or a smaller household with floor space that does not need hot water: 22 L a day on average, cold only.
For a home, the machines and their prices are on the online shop. For a business, the configuration and the number of units are written into a proposal after the site assessment.
Two sources, one result.
Whichever range you choose, the water is filtered where it is drunk, minerals are added back, and it is served hot or cold from a tap instead of a bottle. The site stops ordering, storing and throwing away plastic.
Both ranges are installed and serviced by the same Minairal technicians, with scheduled filter changes and a 4-hour average response. Minairal is a Thai company with more than 700 systems installed, four stores and technicians in eight cities across the country, so a site can mix Air and Pure under one service plan.
Questions about choosing Air or Pure.
More answers on the FAQ page, or compare the technologies with bottled water in air-to-water vs reverse osmosis vs bottled water.
What is the difference between Air and Pure?
Air is an atmospheric water generator: it makes drinking water from the humidity in the air and only needs a socket. Pure is a reverse osmosis water dispenser connected to an existing water line. Both add minerals back and serve the water without bottles.
Which is better for a condo in Bangkok?
Pure, in most cases. A condo kitchen has a water line, and the rooms are usually closed and air-conditioned, where an air-to-water machine makes much less water. Pure is installed on the existing line in under an hour.
Which is better on an island with water cuts?
Air, or Air alongside Pure. Air makes drinking water from the humidity in the air and needs no water connection, so it keeps producing when the mains or deliveries stop.
How much water does an Air machine make?
On average 13 litres a day for the Air Top, 16 litres for the Air Stand and 22 litres for the Air Stand Pro, which can reach 30 litres. These are averages for relative humidity between 30% and 80% at 25°C.
Can I rent or lease-to-own either one?
Every Air and Pure machine can be rented for 6 months or 1 year, with maintenance and filters included. Lease-to-own over 3, 5 or 7 years is offered on the Pure range only. A purchase comes with a one-year warranty.
Can one site use both?
Yes. Pure where there is a water line, such as a kitchen or a pantry, and Air where there is none, such as a terrace, a pool deck or a rented space. The mix is set at the site assessment.
Related pages.
From the blog.
Atmospheric water generator pros and cons: an installer's honest list
Advantages and disadvantages of an atmospheric water generator, from a Thai installer with 700+ systems: electricity, humidity, filters, price and strengths.
Read the article
RO water filter price in Thailand: what drives the cost
The price of an RO water filter in Thailand depends on the machine, the installation, the filter changes and whether the water is remineralised. How to compare.
Read the article
RO water: pros, cons and why remineralisation matters
RO water explained: what reverse osmosis removes, its real pros and cons in Thailand, why it strips minerals and how remineralisation puts them back.
Read the article
Still between the two? Taste both.
In Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Hua Hin, we install a machine on your site for a free week. Everywhere else in Thailand, a site assessment tells you which range fits each point of use.