Your cart is empty.
Berkey Water Filter Assembly Instructions and Troubleshooting
The Berkey Water Filter assembles in less than 10 minutes and with no tools!
Berkey Water Filter System Assembly Diagram
1. Remove the Black Berkey filter elements and parts from their protective packaging, checking each item against the diagram. Follow instructions included with Black Berkey filters to prime the filters and make them ready for use.
2. The number of filter elements supplied will depend on the type of unit ordered:
- Travel Berkey: 2 Black Berkey Filter Elements
- Big Berkey: 2-4 Black Berkey or Ceramic Filter Elements
- Royal Berkey: 2-4 Black Berkey Elements
- Imperial Berkey: 2 - 6 Black Berkey Filter Elements
- Crown Berkey: 2-8 Black Berkey Filter Elements
3. Extreme cleanliness is important. Wash hands before proceeding. Assure that contamination of the components does not take place during assembly.
4. Fit the knob (1) onto the lid (2) by inserting the screw (3) up through the hole in the lid and screwing on the knob. Hand tighten only.
5. After the Black Berkeys have been primed, place the large sealing washer (10) over the threaded part of the filter element (5).
6. Place the Black Berkey element (5) into the hole in the base of the upper chamber (4).
7. Secure filter elements in the chamber base by screwing on the wing nut (11) onto the threaded mount. Repeat #5 & #6 until all Black Berkey filter elements have been installed. Hand tighten only, no need to over-tighten. You want the filters as snug as possible to create a seal.
8. Place one small washer (8) onto the threaded part of the outlet spigot (7).
9. Insert thread of spigot (7) through hole in the side of the lower chamber (6). Place the second small washer (8) over the thread within the chamber and secure in place with the nut (9). Tighten securely by hand only.
10. Put the upper chamber (4) on top of the lower chamber (6) and place lid (2) in position.
Your Berkey Water Filter system is now ready for use! Go ahead and fill the upper chamber to the top and allow the water to filter into the bottom chamber.
If you are utilizing the PF-2 filters for removing fluoride and arsenic, you will need to prime these filters and screw them onto the stems of the Black Berkey elements. These filters hang in the lower chamber of the system. PF-2 priming instructions are included with the filters.
Berkey Water Filter Troubleshooting Tips:
All Water Not Filtering Through: There will always be about 1” of water left in the upper chamber of the system as not enough water pressure is available to push the remaining water through the filters.
Water Filtration Speed: If you feel as though the water is filtering too slowly, please understand that the water will always filter faster when there’s more water pressure in the upper chamber. Also, priming the Black Berkey filters opens the pores up to allow water in. A priming that has not been fully completed will still have closed pores and thus filter slower. Try re-priming the filters to ensure priming has been fully completed.
Weird Taste to Water: If you’re noticing a chemical taste to the water without the use of PF-2’s, please perform a red food coloring test on the black berkeys to ensure that all are working to specifications. If any fail, please contact us and we will have the manufacturer send you a replacement. Also, try washing out the lower chamber with soap and water.
If using the Berkey PF-2 filters, make sure the manufacturing dust has been fully flushed out of these PF-2’s as this can cause a cloudiness or oily texture to the filtered water and will leave an unpleasant taste.
Spigot Leaking: If leaking occurs around the washers of the spigot, make sure you have washers on both sides of the stainless steel. Tighten as much as you can and leave the spigot about 90 degrees out of phase. Then, grab onto the nut in the back with a wrench, and turn the spigot itself that last quarter turn using the spigot as leverage to get a tighter turn. If this is ineffective, please soak the washers in olive oil for approximately 1 hour. Sometimes the washers can dry out and get hard over time and the olive oil will soften them up allowing for a good seal.
If water leaks through the hole of the spigot, please contact us as you may need a replacement spigot.
Tags: berkey water filter
may i ask what the result is if one of the pf-2 filters leaks drips every now&then via one of the side parts of the faucet? what i mean is - the water drips out the dead centre - then there is that ring shaped pattern where the side of that pattern is leaking some drips. sounds abit complex to explain. im in full belief that the pf2 elements are in working order regardless. its not like they leak water out of the side the product or anything.
i have looked at the water in my see through glass after pouring it and it does look much cleaner and clear than if i were to just use tap water - although a few little small gasey looking bits do appear in the cup - its still looking much cleaner the water so im definately seeing results.
We just bought the Big Berkey. Can you fill the top chamber, let it filter, then fill it again so it filters as the water in the lower chamber is used? We have a ceramic crock with a 3.5 gallon water bottle inverted on the top. When the bottom crock is full and the 3.5 gallon bottle is full no water leaks out. I guess that’s really our question, will water seep out of the seam between the top and bottom chamber of the Big Berkey if both of them are full of water.
Hi Pam -
Yes, it will overflow at the seam, so please be careful of that. The Berkey systems cannot be airtight as water needs to move between chambers, and thus air needs to escape. The seam provides that air escape route.
Thanks
Dan
I don’t get it - do we put TWO Black FIlters in the 2 gallon model??
SInce there are TWO Holes - The diagram does not show the Filters IN PLACE -
Also Where do the Flouride Filters go?
The diagrams seem incomplete on these two items.
Hi Cindy -
If you have the Big Berkey, it comes with 4 holes and 2 blocking plugs. 2 of the holes will be filled by the black berkeys and the other 2 holes will use the blocking plugs unless you want to add in an additional 2 black berkeys. If you have the fluoride filters, they would screw onto the black berkeys and hang into the lower chamber.
Thanks
Dan
Is the Crown Berkey with 2 Black Berkey Elements the same as the Crown Berkey with 8 Black Berkey Elements? What I mean is does the one with 2 filters have an additional six holes that are plugged where I can add additional filters later on if I choose to?
Water just pours out of one of my Big Berky filters. Tightening or losening it at the base does nothing. Is the filter damaged?
Hi Michael -
Yes it is. Every Crown configuration will come with 8 holes and 6 blocking plugs.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Helen -
Some berkey filters will filter faster than others. The only way to test if your filters are working correctly is to perform a red food coloring test.
Thanks
Dan
I have 2 original black filters and 2 filters I bought a few months later. The oringal filters are just runnign water through and my water is now cloudy. Does not look nice and clear like it did before. Any suggestions? We just loved this when it worked properly but are getting a little frustrated at this point. I do not want to be purchasing filters every 6 mos when just 2 people are using this.
Hi Ann -
As mentioned above, if the water is flowing through very quickly compared to how it used to run for you, you should perform a red food coloring test to make sure they are operating properly. Two potential signs of a defective filter are a change in taste of water and/or water streaming through very quickly. These filters are under warranty and the red food coloring test will confirm for us if, and which filter, we need to have replaced for you.
Thanks
Dan
Berkey Co. has responded to my call and offered to replace the wingnuts.
Fred
we just got the Big Berkey, and had alot of problems with leakage at the spigot and initially the color test failed, got very frustrated for past few days re-doing it set up. we then followed Ann’s helpful hints and did the red food coloring test again and the water was clear in the glass under the black element so it worked.
My question is after we rid the water, cleaned the bottom canister and filled up the top chamber w/ water, the elements filtered the water from the top to bottom canister w/in about 2hours…is that too fast? ..thought it take all night for the water to filter down. pls respond. thanks ,diane
Hi Diane -
Some will filter faster than others and this can depend on a couple of variables, such as viscosity of water, and varying tolerance of filter batches. As long as they are removing the red food coloring, they are meeting the minimum tolerance levels and filtering as designed and tested.
Thanks
Dan
I’ve had my Big Berkey for about a year. Water tastes great but SOMETIMES, I find that there is a leak..which I believe comes from the area where the 2 halves meet…in the middle.
I see the water seeping out a little but then it stops. But I find a puddle of water at the bottom (and things are wet!!)
It doesn’t happen all the time and I haven’t figured out when it happens. I don’t move the Big Berkey so I don’t know how it gets “unseated” to allow the leak. Typically I have it filled up about half - 1 gallon (as I decant and put the water in another container) and replace 1 gallon at a time.
Not sure why this happens. Any ideas?
Thanks.
Hi Gen -
The water will always overflow at the seams of the 2 berkey chambers as they are not designed to be air tight. Air needs to escape out and pull into the chambers for water to be able to transfer in and out. If the chambers were airtight, this water transfer would not be able to occur. So as a rule of thumb, never add more water to the upper chamber than the lower chamber will be able to handle. We sell the berkey waterview spigot to help with this.
Thanks
Dan
Hello,
I am wondering if this works on a well pumped from the ground? We have a well system that is 250ft below ground level and I use only bottled water because of the smell and taste. even my dogs won’t drink it.
Please advise
Thank you,
Michael
We have the ceramic filters and a stainless steel Big Berkey that we haven’t used in a very long time. Have purposed to start using it again faithfully, and I’ve looked for instructions on your site for cleaning the ceramic filters and for knowing *when* they should be cleaned, but haven’t found that information. Please help.
Aha! I found what I needed to know on the FAQ.
“Simply scrub a section of the filter until you see a bit of black on the white pad then move to the next section. It’s simple to do and takes less than a minute. Then re-prime each element and reinstall them.”
However, I’m not sure how to go about re-priming the elements.
Can the red food-coloring test be done on the ceramic filters as well?
Hi Rachel -
No, the red food coloring test only works for the black berkeys.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Michael -
Yes, it should be of benefit. The question would be what is causing the smell and taste of that well water. Once this is identified, you can reference it against the list of what the black berkeys remove to see if it addressed:
http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/berkey-filter-replacements-c-67/black-berkey-filters-2-p-187
Thanks
Dan
Do I have to prime the white ceramic filters, or only the black ones?
Hi Mike -
Only the black berkeys and PF filters require priming.
Thanks
Dan
I purchased a Big Berkey at a thrift shop. It has ceramic white filters. How can I tell if the filters need changing or if the the water is clean. How can I tell what is in the water and what is not? Does it clean out radiation and aspartame?
Hi Pam -
The berkey ceramic filters are good for 1200 gallons per set of 2. There is no indicator to be able to tell when they’ve been exhausted like the black berkey filters. You would need to test the water to know what is in there. The berkey ceramic filters have not been tested for radiation or aspartame.
Thanks
Dan
I am having problems priming the filters. I cannot get much water to go in the holes. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Julie -
This article/video on priming the black berkeys water filters should help.
http://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/wordpress/berkey/priming-your-black-berkey-filter-for-use-or-storage/
Thanks
Dan
I would like to buy a Berkey filter for our cabin. When we leave the cabin in the winter, it gets below freezing. We would of course empty the water out of the unit, but since the filters will probably still have water infused in them, will they be ruined if they freeze?
Mark
Hi Mark -
Yes, this can damage the filters as the water expands during freezing. It is recommended to not let the filters be exposed to freezing temperatures.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
Does using a scotch brite pad to clean the outer surface of the black filter cartridges extend the life of the filters?
Thank you.
Hi Sara -
No, cleaning the black berkey filters would be considered a maintenence exercise and would not extend the life past the approx 6000 gallons per set of 2.
Thanks
Dan
I have a travel berkey. 2 Ceramic filters. Is it normal to take 4-6 hrs to run 1 gal thru??
The filters are not dirty. City water is the water used. Filters are 2 weeks old. I love what water I get
Simple question re: the black washer that fits over the threaded stem of the Black Berkey filter. Should this washer be placed so that it is inside the upper chamber? Or in the lower chamber right next to the wingnut?
Hi Charlie -
The black washer goes in the upper chamber with the black berkey filter.
Thanks
Dan DeBaun
Hi Charlie,
Just assembled my new Big Berkey and I think I over-tightened the PF2 filters and heard a soft “crack” sound from inside of the filters. I understand only now that I should have turned them strictly only 8 times and I actually tuned them 12 times, until the end of the threads. With only 8 turns there is a half-inch left on the thread and somehow looks “undone”.
The 8-turns-only rule should be written on the filters as an important warning as, I guess, I just ruined 2 brand new PF2 filters, a $50 value.
So, are they really ruined and should I take them out immediately? Will they leak anything harmful from the filter into the water now that the membrane nside is very likely punctured through??
Hi Andrea -
That crack you head was more likely just a filter pellet inside the casing breaking. That’s ok, and you would want to flush out the remains of that via your faucet. Otherwise, you should be able to just re-attach at the 8 revolution mark and be good to go.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Jackie -
This definitely sounds slower than normal. Please make sure your berkey upper chamber is filled all the way to the top when beginning to filter the water. It also may be that your water has a high viscocity and thus just naturally filters slower. We specialize in the black berkey generation of filters, so we unfortuantely have not heard of this issue before.
Thanks
Dan
Dan–
I’ve had a problem with the most recent set of PF2s that I bought. I followed the directions to the letter as to both priming and installation, but the filtered water still has the bitter, chemical-type taste that would be there if the filters had not been properly primed. The problem has persisted now through five or six cycles, and the taste is still just as strong. Three questions:
1. Did the manufacturer have reports of a bad lot of filters?
2. If not, what could be wrong?
3. Is there anything harmful in the water with the peculiar taste?
Thanks,
Charlie
Hi Charlie -
No, the PF-2 filters do not go defective because they are simply pellets in a plastic casing. Some filters are simply dustier than others and require a longer time priming from both ends and possible a few more system runs. You can always call or e-mail our customer service center for personal assitance also.
Thanks
Dan
Hi,
We just set up the Berkey last week, and love it. I just noticed that there is a white powder ring in the bottom section and the water has a little oily look on the top. We primed the black filters and the PF filters. What should I do now? Reprime the PF filters? Also, is there any danger in drinking the water that left a white powder ring?
Thanks.
Hi Anne -
This is this PF-2 dust and there is no danger, although it should have a bitter taste. Please dump and continue to run a couple more flushes through the system until this subsides. You can then wash any residual dust from the lower chamber with soap and water if need be.
Thanks
Dan