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Posts Tagged ‘berkey water filter’
Berkey Water Filter Assembly Instructions and Troubleshooting
Thursday, August 5th, 2010The 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 water leaks through the hole of the spigot, please contact us as you may need a replacement spigot.
Berkey Water Filter Economics
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010While there are a number of core reasons why the Berkey water filter is one of the fastest growing home water filters systems in the filtration industry, one of the most convincing is the economics associated with owning one. Once the initial berkey system purchase is made, customers are happy to learn that they do not need to worry about changing filters every month, every 6 months, or even every year for that matter. This means less hassle and less money leaving their pocket. The flagship black berkey filters that come standard with every Berkey water filter system last for 6000 gallons per set of 2. At 20 gallons a week, this equates to approximately 5 years, and at 10 gallons per week, these filters will last approx 10 years. When you do the math, a Berkey water filter user only pays 2 cents per gallon. In this multi-part series, we’re going to compare how these numbers stack up against the many other ways that homeowners get their drinking and cooking water.
Berkey Water Filter vs Bottled Water
Most of us are very aware of the many downsides associated with bottled water consumption: from the inconvenience of having to purchase bottled water regularly; to the negative impact bottlers have on local water resources and the surrounding communities; to the environmental impacts of used bottles ending up in landfills, on the sides of our roads, and in our oceans; and finally to the high financial costs.
- Let’s assume a 12 ounce case (24 bottles) of bottled water costs $5.
- That $5 in bottled water equates to 288 ounces or 2.25 gallons.
- On average, this equates to $2.22 per gallon of water when using bottled water.
If you’d like to become more aware of the downsides to bottled water consumption, please read our article review on “Tapped”, Exposing the Bottled Water Industry.
Berkey Water Filter vs Water Delivery Plans
Water delivery plans are still relatively popular with Poland Spring 5 Gallon jugs being one of the most notorious. This is somewhat surprising as only just 6 months ago, Poland Spring jugs were reported to contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), an endocrine disrupting chemical that leeches from certain plastics.
- We used data from the most popular Poland Spring water cooler plan.
- Their most popular plan delivers 4, 5 gallon jugs per month at a cost of $33.
- This equates to a typical water cooler plan costing an average of $1.65 per gallon of water.
As you can see in both examples above, at 2 cents per gallon, the Berkey water filter is much cheaper than both purchasing bottled water and the water delivery plan. Another way to interpret this data is that the Berkey water filter is 80-110 times cheaper per gallon of water. Combine this data with the fact that the Berkey water filter is more convenient and has significantly less impact on the environment and the decision becomes rather clear. Coming soon, in the 2nd part to our berkey water filter economics series, we will be covering how our water filters match up against some popular water filter brands.
Berkey Water Filters For Emergency Situations And Daily Health
Friday, May 7th, 2010Over the past couple decades there has been a growing concern about the quality of the water we drink. This has helped to fuel both the sales of bottled water and home water filters. However, as consumers have become more educated about their drinking water, we’ve seen a clear movement to greener product choices. Many have recognized that continually buying bottled water becomes very expensive and also has dramatic impacts on the environment, leaving millions upon millions of plastic bottles across our land and in our dumps, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Bottles Upon Bottles
In 2009, for the first time in bottled water history, the bottled water consumption uptrend took a pause, while at the same time there was an even larger increase in home water filter purchases. There are many different types of water filters available on the market these days, but one of the best available for your daily health and emergency situations is the Berkey water filter.
All Water Filters Not Created Equal
There are people who think that “a water filter is a water filter,” but that could not be farther from the truth. Simply put, there are water filters out there of basic quality, water filters of premium quality, and everything in between. The Black Berkey filter used in all our Berkey systems was specially formulated using the highest quality ingredients in balanced proportions to provide the highest in water purification quality. It’ shouldn’t come as a shock that the quality of your drinking water and ultimately your health is directly correlated to the quality of the water filter you’re using.
Many water filters on the market today are only capable of filtering treated water. If one were to try filtering untreated water from a source such as a lake or pond using one of these other filters, the end result may be water with residual pathogenic bacteria such as E-coli or Giardia. This is due to the fact that these other water filters use cheaper ingredients, is part of the reason why they need frequent replacements, and are not designed to remove the dangerous bacteria that is found in many rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds.
Water Filter For Emergency Preparation
During an emergency, or even a remote camping trip, treated water may not be available. In this situation, the Berkey water filter shines. The berkey is capable of taking raw water and removing bacteria and cysts to a Log 7 degree, which in lamens terms means water purification, a higher removal level than the term you typically read about; filtration. Even if you’ve never been camping or ever had a desire to, when an emergency strikes, it can take days and even weeks for an emergency management group to assist with basic needs like water. In these situations, you want to be fully sure your water is purified to the highest degree.
Flooding in Tennessee - May 2010
We have seen plenty of disasters in the United States over the past few years and even more recently around the world in Haiti and Chile. Just this past week we’ve had massive flooding in Tennessee that has disrupted the majority of well and municipal water sources in that region, and a major Massachusetts water pipe break that cut water availability to 2 Million people. As a result, BigBerkeyWaterFilters.com has experienced a sharp rise in orders for berkey water filters in both of these regions as residents deal with this problem head on. The Berkey water filter will not only keep you and your family supplied with safe drinkable water in events such as these, but can be used to support your friends, neighbors, and other citizens, giving you an opportunity to help others in need.
Berkey Water Filters For Peace of Mind
Even if you believe you will never be a victim of a disaster or an emergency situation, the Berkey water filter is still a great choice for daily consumption. Think about it this way; if the berkey water filter is capable of turning raw pond water into something drinkable, then just imagine how clean it will make your well or municipal water. Let’s also not forget about the fact that the Berkey does not filter out the beneficial minerals that your body needs. This is something reverse osmosis filters and distillers cannot claim.
Every time you drink a glass of water, your body washes out toxins, but it also washes out important vitamins and minerals. If you’re not putting these vitamins and minerals back into your body at the same rate, you will eventually become deficient and body function will suffer. Let me reiterate that the more water you drink, the more important it is that you feed your body with a dense nutritional diet high in vitamins and minerals to counterbalance this continual flushing. Berkey water filters leave the beneficial minerals in your water that your body needs.
The cleaner and healthier your drinking water is, the more your body will love you for it. Start enjoying peace of mind and the health benefits that the lineup of Berkey water filters has provided to countless people over many decades.
The Fluoride In Your Drinking Water is Industrial Waste
Thursday, April 8th, 2010Fluoride in our tap and municipal water continues to gain attention as a health concern for much of the public who have been exposed to this long-time practice. With that attention comes more awareness, additional research on it’s long-term affects, and a better understanding of just where the fluoride found in our city tap water originates.
It comes as a surprise to many that the fluoride added to our tap water is not the type of fluoride used at the dentists office and in toothpaste (sodium fluoride), but is rather a form of industrial waste called hydrofluorosilicic acid, a byproduct of the phosphate industry and the primary form used for water fluoridation here in the US. In 2000, Dr. J William Hirzy, Senior Vice President of EPA’s Headquarters Union in Washington DC, made the statement “If this stuff (fluoride) gets into our air, it’s a pollutant; if it gets into a river, it’s a pollutant; if it gets into a lake, it’s a pollutant; but if it goes right into your drinking water system, that’s not a pollutant. That’s amazing. There’s gotta be a better way to manage this stuff.”
This video was put together by the fluoride action network at fluoridealert.org; champions of the movement to spread the word on the dangers of fluoride in our water. Our regular readers are familiar with our writings on fluoride, but this video highlights a troublesome dimension to fluoridation covering the history behind where hydrofluorosilicic acid originates and it’s impact. Towards the end you will notice some water filters referenced that are adept at removing fluoride from water, in particular the berkey water filter. There’s a good amount of information packed in here in a short time, so if you’re like me, you may find yourself hitting the rewind button a couple times.
Berkey Water Filter Reviews
Monday, December 28th, 2009Below are 2 berkey water filter reviews that customers have recently submitted to BigBerkeyWaterFilters.com. They did not have site accounts and wanted to share their opinion of the berkey system. We thank them for their kind words.
Berkey Water Filter Review #1
I just received my first order from Big Berkey and everything was perfect. I really appreciate your time in answering my questions before I ordered, sending me a detailed receipt upon completing my internet order transaction, which was followed by a shipping conformation when package was shipped. The order was filled correctly, packed very well so there was no damage to anything. I was amazed how quickly this order arrived. You folks care and will have my repeat business when I need more supplies and I will certainly recommend your company to others.
Regards,
Larry Miller
Santa Clarita, California
Berkey Water Filter Review #2
This whole ‘trip’ has been amazing to me because I originally bought a Berkey water filter as a survival tool, just to have ‘on tap’, so to speak. If electricity goes, I thought, (as it often does here in the country) well, you know, then wells stop working. How would I be sure of safe water? One can only ‘truck in’ and store so much bottled water at home. Suppose the outage was long-lasting? Times are tenuous at best these days so the purchase of the Berkey (after much studying of what was available) was simply preparedness at that point in my mind. Since everything has a learning curve and then a comfort zone you need to achieve after that, I decided that before I really needed the Berkey water filter for survival’s sake I would familiarize myself with using it. It said in the directions that you could always dry the filters out if you wanted to put them away so I felt fine about a trial run. The directions are simple, really. The old adage is apt here: “If I can do it anyone can.”
Everyone who spent time with me BEFORE in The Berkshires in MA thought my well water was superb. But NOW with the Berkey water filter I feel as though I’ve never really tasted wonderful water before and the others agree. It’s different now. Delicious. I would almost say a treat! And the highest superlative comes from my many dogs. They are big water drinkers but now they have become HUGE water drinkers! As you know, if a ‘taste’ passes muster with an animal well, then, it’s really good.
Words fail me in impressing on anyone reading this how important this technologically advanced yet simple filtering system is for your continued good health and peace of mind. Somehow you can always find a way to have clean, sanitary, safe water. That security in itself is more important than food.
I am so grateful that I literally followed Internet chatter to discover the Berkey filter product line from New Millennium Concepts. Needless to say, it is not being put away as planned. Our house now revolves around the Berkey for any water that is used for drinking or cooking. Buying a Berkey water filter is probably potentially the biggest beneficial change I could have made in my life.
Let me close by saying I am not wealthy. I bought the Big Berkey but find this product line so important that I sacrificed in other areas of my life to ‘get it right’. Well, I didn’t exactly………. get it right, I mean. Not in the beginning. In choosing the size Berkey water filter (The Big Berkey) I needed I forgot to factor in my dogs and their constant need for water. So, yes. I have The Big Berkey now but The Imperial should be here next week sometime. Choose your unit realistically and generously. In this case ‘bigger IS better’. As it did for me, I can guarantee it will become a part of your most valued household equipment now and will also be there if a serious need arises. AND it’s easily portable if need be.
I would add here that the customer support (Dan DeBaun) is rather like dealing with a knowledgeable caring friend not a businessman. I single-handedly can attest to the fact that he cheerfully answers multiple upon multiple…….. no, MYRIADS……. of questions and never makes you feel stupid (though I know he’s heard them many times before).
So, here’s to you, Dan, and you, Berkeys all!
Mary Jane Goodrich
South Egremont MA
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.
Emergency Preparedness - Berkey Water Filters to the Rescue
Wednesday, November 12th, 2008For the majority of suburbanites and city dwellers, the food supply rests solely of the effectiveness of large scale farming, transport supply chain systems, and local supermarkets. Rarely nowadays, do we find self sufficient households with the ability to live off the land via their crops, gardens, livestock, and local water sources. Compare this to 100 years ago when self sufficiency was much more prevalent, neighbor could rely upon neighbor to barter and trade for essentials, and the local town store filled in the gaps. Today, our idea of bartering with our neighbors lies more along the lines of borrowing the snow blower for the power washer.
The more our current model of food supply evolves, the more dependent our population becomes. This is a dangerous road we’ve been traveling down for a very long time. The dilemma can be compared to that of raising an animal in the zoo for 10 years and then releasing it into the wild and expecting it to be able to fend for itself. Under those circumstances that animal will not survive, and on many levels the majority of the US population is just as vulnerable. If a natural disaster does strike and our zookeeper can’t tend to us for a few days, where’s our food and water come from? We can’t expect relief organizations to pick up immediately where the zookeeper left off as it takes days and weeks to address those in need.
The percentage of the population that is prepared and has a backup plan is sorely low and is only trending lower due to the nature of our technological pursuits and progression. Due to the fact that you can go weeks without food but only days without water, emergency preparedness begins with potable water. The popularity of Berkey Water Filters stem from the fact that they filter and clean the dirtiest of water using gravity, without the need for electricity. This fact alone speaks volumes as to the inherent value that these systems possess, not to mention the piece of mind it brings to the owner. There’s an argument to be made that a water filter such as the Big Berkey is considered the most, if not one of the most important forms of emergency preparation. Stop and adjust your perspective for a moment and this reality becomes abundantly clear. If we spent just a tenth of the time preparing for a potential emergency that we do preparing for a economic downturn, we’d have a garage stocked full of food, water, supplies, and equipment. Unfortunately, I feel as though we’ve been hypnotized by our own technological advances into a false sense of security. New Orleans residents had the wake up call of a lifetime, and my hope is that the rest of the population is still not sleeping.
Click here for more information on how many berkey filters are needed.
The Thirsty Berkey - For the Love of Clean Water
