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Archive for the ‘water filters’ Category
Home Water Filters Take The Worry Away
Thursday, February 4th, 2010Every time you turn on the tap at home, chances are you find yourself wondering just what is in your water. Unsavory chemicals like chlorine, unwanted additives like fluoride, and a host of microscopic bacteria can seep into every glass. It’s become an all to often event to read frightening headlines about just what has been found in the public water supply.
When it’s time to enjoy peace of mind, home water filters can deliver. When the right system is selected, you will enjoy cleaner, safer water without having to spend a fortune in the process.
The Berkey home water filter system is favored from the British Royal house to Peace Corp camps around the world for very good reasons. Our water filters remove the things in your water that you don’t want without stripping out the vital minerals your body needs.
The gravity water filters we offer are designed to get rid of a number of major concerns in public drinking water. They are highly effective at removing such things as cysts, parasites, and harmful pathogens (to 99.99999%), while also removing many unwanted chemicals and contaminants to undetectable levels. Berkey water filter systems also significantly reduce the fluoride and arsenic levels in your water via the PF line of filters.
When the right home water filter system is used, you can be assured of several things every time you pour a glass of water for a family member. These include:
Enjoying better tasting water – Chlorine and other additives placed into public water supplies can give water a funny flavor that bothers many. When home water filters are used to get rid of the chemicals, the only taste left behind is pure, clean water. In addition to making drinks taste better, the removal of chemicals is also fantastic for the flavors of dishes cooked with water in the mix.
Gaining peace of mind – There is something very comforting about knowing an effective home water filter system is on the job. With harmful bacteria found even in municipal drinking water systems, you can never be too safe. The right water filters will remove any worries and concerns associated with grabbing water straight out of your tap.
Getting your money’s worth – Some home water filters cost a small fortune to put into operation. The Berkey system does not. Our water costs about 1.7 cents a gallon. Plus, the Berkey home water filter system does not depend on electricity to function and it is fully portable. This means it can be counted on to deliver safe, clean water even during power outages. It can also be taken on the road during camping trips and more.
It doesn’t matter whether you are on a well or have city water, turning on the tap can sometimes be a crap-shoot. If you’re ready to stop worrying about what is in your water and start enjoying a cleaner taste, then picking the right home water filter system is a great investment. Berkey water delivers the performance you’re after, at the prices you can afford.
The Black Berkey Red Food Coloring Test
Saturday, January 16th, 2010The Black Berkey red food coloring test provides the opportunity to showcase the impressive purification power of the Black Berkey elements. Many water filter companies make claims to their high quality, but Berkey water filters go one step further by making their lab test results public and presenting demonstrations such as the red food coloring test. While helpful for new customers to see the Black Berkey filters in action, it is invaluable for the existing customer base since it can be used at anytime during the life of the filters to ensure they are working to design specifications. Whether the original black berkeys have been in operation for the past 3, 7, or 10 years, one can perform this test at anytime to see if it’s time for a replacement. We recommend customers place a cup underneath each filter as this will help isolate which filter is exhausted, and which is still purifying effectively.
With other water filters, the customer must assume their system is working to specifications or spend the time and money to perform water tests. This time lapse video shows how simple the red food coloring test can be done after priming your Black Berkey filters.
Safe Drinking Water Act No Longer Protecting Our Drinking Water
Thursday, December 17th, 2009In another damning blow to our US drinking water quality, the New York Times printed another article today as part of their “Toxic Waters, Outdated Laws”, series. (Last week’s drinking water article commentary here) I stumbled across this as I raced through the airport trying to catch a flight to Nashville. There I see it, at the airport mini-mart kiosk on the front page of the NYT; That tap water is legal, but may be unhealthy. As I read these sorts of articles and scientific reports often, I was expecting some more rehashing of the usual dismal conditions of our municipal water systems. This was the case, however there was an important connection made relating the growing problem of our water quality to the shrinking amount of funds to fix it.
Drinking Water Quality Downtrend
Not only are we failing miserably in keeping pace by defining and categorizing all the chemicals that continue to show up in our drinking water. But, even if we do, the majority of municipalities are going to be unable to afford the type of upgrades or replacement treatment facilities that would be needed to remove these chemicals. This is a scary thought, trying to fix a behemoth of a problem that continues to grow fast, with limited funds and resources to do so. The reality is that the water quality challenges the US and most other developed countries are facing would be intimidating if we had unlimited funds and finances. As a society are we really ready to acknowledge the severity of this problem and fight this uphill battle? Home water filters are only a short term solution to a long term problem. Here are some of my favorite quotes that appear in the article.
“Only 91 contaminants are regulated by the Safe Water Drinking Act, yet more than 60,000 chemicals are used withing the United States according to the Environmental Protection Agency.” Mind you, the Safe Water Drinking Act is 35 years old and no additional chemicals have been added to the regulated list since 2000!
“People don’t understand that just because water is technically legal, it can still present health risks” Dr. Pankaj Parekh - Director of the water quality division for LA, California. - Speaking in regard to challenges he’s faced in trying to reduce/remove chemicals that are not on the SDWA watch list.
“For years, people said that America has the cleanest drinking water in the world. That was true 20 years ago. But, people don’t realize how many new chemicals have emerged and how much more pollution has occurred. If they did, we would see very different attitudes.” William K Reilly, EPA administrator under President George H. W. Bush
“Government scientists have evaluated 830 contaminants most often found in water supplies…and they have determined that many of them are associated with cancer or other diseases, even at small concentrations. Yet, almost none of these assessments have been incorporated into the SWDA or other federal laws”
“In May, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the Water Infrastructure Financing Act which, if approved by congress and signed by President Obama, would authorize $14.7 Billion in loans to help states improve their systems.” A step in the right direction, but the article also quotes that a new system for LA could be upwards of $800M. We simply need to move faster and act with more urgency.
Berkey Home Water Filters - Higher Quality for Less Money
Saturday, November 7th, 2009The general public is slowly beginning to understand that our water supply has been compromised. Whether it be our well water that is being affected by general pollution, or our municipal water that is being heavily treated with disinfectants, our water is not as pure and pristine as we would hope. In response, much of the population has turned to bottled water and home water filters. Unfortunately, bottled water adds to pollution, it can get expensive, and in some cases is simply municipal water that’s been bottled in a city like Atlanta. When it comes to home water filters, all water filter systems are not created equal. Many of the most popular water filters on the market remove or reduce some chemicals and contaminants, but leave gaping holes for other contaminants to pass through to our drinking glass. As I mentioned in my last home water filter post, I will be evaluating many of the other water filter solutions on the market over the next couple months, but would like to begin this journey comparing the berkey water filter against the models; Aquasana, Pur, and Brita. We’ll call them the big three.
The High Quality of the Black Berkey Filter
It seems nowadays health is a topic of conversation on everybody’s mind. The nutritional supplement and organic foods markets continue to grow by double digits year over year and is a testament to the customer’s search for higher quality and better health. Water filtration seems to be slightly behind this awareness curve and is most likely due in large part to the public just recently coming to terms with what’s really happening with our water supply. Just turn on the TV or go out on the internet and you’ll see some other type of contaminant or chemical that’s now being found in our drinking water.
The big three of Pur, Aquasana, and Brita are decent at filtering out some of the more well known disinfectants such as chlorine, but they do so only at ranges between 96-99%. Comparably, berkey water filters remove chlorine to beyond detectable levels. The Berkey also reduces heavy metals such as aluminum and lead, removes pathogenic bacteria and E-coli, nitrates and nitrites, and radon. The other water filters fail to address these contaminants and instead pass them through to your drinking glass completely. Even when it comes to very dangerous VOC’s and THM’s, that have been shown to have correlations to increases in illnesses such as cancer, only Aquasana and Pur have some impact at the 98-99% level. Yet these levels are well below the reduction levels of the Berkey which reduces both VOC’s and THM’s to beyond detectable limits. Finally, it’s important to note that one of the fastest growing water concerns of the public is the fluoridation, or the addition of fluoride, to our municipal water supplies. Again, none of the big three water filters address fluoride. Conversely, Berkey systems have an add-on filter option for the black berkey filter elements called the PF-2 filter that specifically targets both fluoride and arsenic to reduce it by over 99.75%.
Save Money When You Buy a Berkey Home Water Filter
I don’t think there’s anyone in the US or Canada that hasn’t been impacted by the economic depression. It’s been a tough couple years, and while wall street and the government talk about a recovery underway, many of us on main street simply don’t see it. Every decision we make needs to be one that maximizes that value of our hard earned dollar. That leaves many of us spending our time trying to determine how to get the highest quality the for the least amount of money. When it comes to water filtration, if you start to do the math, Aquasana, Pur, and Brita are simply not the most cost effective. A one-time investment in a standard Berkey home water filter such as the Berkey Light or the Big Berkey will cost the consumer $209 or $250 respectively, and provide at least 5 years of high quality filtration. Comparably, the big three require many filter replacements across this 5 year period and result in a total cost ranging between $560 and $658. That’s more than twice the cost for inferior water filtration. Even when the Berkey secondary fluoride filters are added on, the black berkey / PF-2 combination is still cheaper. (chart below) Addt’l details can be found at berkey home water filters comparison chart.
| Model | Big Berkey w/ 2 BB (Black Berkey Filters) | Big Berkey w/ 2 CF (Ceramic Filters) | PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic Filters (For use w/ Black Berkey Filter | PF-4 Fluoride and Arsenic Filters (For use with Ceramic Filters) | Aquasana Countertop (AQ-4000) | Pur 3 Stage Faucet Filter (FM9700) | Brita Faucet Filter w/ advanced features | Brita Pitcher Filter | |
| 1st Yr Cost 2 | $250 | $250 | $55 | $95 | $170 | $190 | $170 | $177 | |
| 2nd Yr Cost | $0 | $0 | $55 | $95 | $78 | $156 | $156 | $160 | |
| 3rd Yr Cost | $0 | $0 | $0 | $95 | $156 | $156 | $156 | $160 | |
| 4th Yr Cost | $0 | $0 | $55 | $95 | $156 | $156 | $156 | $160 | |
| 5th Yr Cost | $0 | $0 | $55 | $95 | $156 | $156 | $156 | $160 | |
| 5 Year Total Investment | $250 | $250 | $220 | $475 | $560 | $658 | $638 | $657 |
Making choices that affect the health of you and your family are some of the most important choices that you can ever make. Berkey water filters are considered one of the highest quality filtration systems on the market, and they’ll save you money while providing you the healthy drinking water your family needs. To learn more about which water filter system will suit you best, please read this article on how to choose a berkey filter system.
Dr Oz on Home Water Filters
Saturday, October 24th, 2009Just recently on Oct. 20th, 2009, Dr Oz did a segment on water quality showcasing some options for filtering your water. This is a great primer for understanding why home water filters, including a quality shower filter, are critical for the health of you and your family.
Home Water Filters Comparison
Given this is only a 7 minute segment, Dr Oz is unable to explore in detail some of the other water filtration solutions on the market. He covers filters representative of top consumer brands such as Pur, Aquasana, and Reverse Osmosis. While these are quality filters, they do lack some filtration capabilities, and their yearly costs are significantly higher than a basic Berkey water filter. I’ve gone ahead and created a berkey water filter comparison chart to stack up some of the more common and highly advertised water filters such as Pur, Aquasana, and Brita filters to our own Berkey filter. In a follow-up post, I will go into a more detailed analysis on this comparison.
