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FilterScored

Water filter · under-sink

Aquasana AQ-5200 Under-Sink

Certified for lead and PFAS, cheap per gallon, marketing matches the certified scope.

7.2
Mixed
Composite (0-10), water-v1.0
Confidence: Verified

Total cost of ownership

Cost / gallon
$0.148
~Annual filters
$163/yr

Certifications

Overview

The Aquasana AQ-5200 Under-Sink is a under sink water filter. It is third-party certified (WQA) to reduce lead, chlorine taste and odor, chloramine, PFOA, PFOS, VOCs. Running cost works out to about $0.148 per gallon.

By the numbers

Certified to reduce
lead, chlorine taste and odor, chloramine, PFOA, PFOS, VOCs
Format
under sink
Cartridge life
500 gallons
Cost per gallon
$0.148
Annual filter cost (~1,100 gal)
$163/yr
Flow rate
0.5 gpm
Install
under-sink, DIY
Certifications
WQA NSF/ANSI 42 (WQA certified); WQA NSF/ANSI 53 incl. P473 (WQA certified); WQA NSF/ANSI 401 (WQA certified)

Strengths

  • + Verified Contaminant Reduction: 9.0/10
  • + Certification Independence: 10.0/10
  • + Capacity & Flow Fit: 8.0/10

Watch-outs

  • - Total Cost of Ownership: 2.5/10

Who it is for

  • · Homes with lead service lines or older plumbing (certified for lead)
  • · Anyone targeting PFAS (certified for PFOA/PFOS)

What to know before buying

  • · The replacement cartridge set is part AQ-5200R (also sold as AQ-C2-R), rated for 500 gallons or roughly 6 months, whichever comes first.
  • · It is a two-stage carbon/ion-exchange system, not reverse osmosis, so it reduces specific contaminants but does not produce low-TDS or demineralized water.
  • · Note: FilterScored has flagged the exact certified scope of this model for manual confirmation; see the methodology and our notes on tested-to versus certified-to.

How it scored

Verified Contaminant Reduction

9.0/10 · 35%

Held NSF/WQA/IAPMO certifications for the contaminants that matter. A claim is not a certification.

  • +3NSF/ANSI 53 certified for lead ANSF/53 lead - Independently certified to reduce lead under NSF/ANSI 53.
  • +3Certified for PFAS (P473 or 53+401) APFOA/PFOS certified - Independently certified to reduce PFOA/PFOS.
  • +1NSF/ANSI 42 certified for chlorine ANSF/42 chlorine - Certified to reduce chlorine taste and odor.
  • +2NSF/ANSI 401 emerging contaminants ANSF/401 - Certified for emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals.

Total Cost of Ownership

2.5/10 · 25%

Computed cost per gallon vs the format-class median. The number nobody surfaces.

  • +2.5Cost per gallon vs class median A$0.148/gal (near class median) - Computed cost per gallon scored against the format-class median.

Certification Independence

10.0/10 · 15%

Certified on the official database vs self-claimed 'tested to' marketing.

  • +5Certifications verifiable on official database A3 listings - Certifications are listed on the official NSF/WQA/IAPMO database, not just a logo.
  • +3Per-contaminant reduction disclosed Bperformance data sheet - Publishes percent reduction per contaminant at rated capacity.
  • +2Marketing matches certified scope Aclaims within certified scope - Hero claims are within what the certifications actually cover.

Capacity & Flow Fit

8.0/10 · 15%

Cartridge life and flow appropriate to the format.

  • +3Cartridge life fits the format B500 gal (norm 500) - Rated cartridge life is appropriate for this filter format.
  • +3Flow / storage disclosed and adequate B0.5 gpm - Flow rate or RO storage is disclosed and adequate for the format.
  • +2Honestly rated filter life Bgallon rating matches typical use - Months claim matches the gallon rating at typical use.

Practical Fit

7.0/10 · 10%

Install, footprint, and source-water readiness.

  • +5Install type disclosed Cunder-sink, DIY - Install method and difficulty are disclosed up front.
  • +2Predictable replacement schedule Chonest life rating - Replacement schedule is predictable from the honest gallon rating.

FAQ

What replacement filter does the AQ-5200 use and how often?
It uses the AQ-5200R two-cartridge set, rated for 500 gallons or about 6 months of typical use, whichever comes first.
Is it a reverse osmosis system?
No. It is a two-stage carbon and ion-exchange filter, so it targets specific contaminants but does not reduce total dissolved solids the way reverse osmosis does.

Related guides

This score is our opinion under our published rubric, not a statement of objective fact or a lab test of this product. We score what third-party certifications prove; absence of a certification means we found no verification, not that a product fails to perform. Last reviewed 2026-05-29. Scored under water-v1.0. Prices and certifications are re-verified on a cadence; see the methodology for how each rule fires.