**Important - There are more and more "artificial-free" red food coloring dyes coming onto the market. This is great for our food consumption, but this type of dye will get through the filters and provide a false/inaccurate reading of a defective filter. We're seeing this more and more with our customers who then think their filters are defective, when in fact they are NOT.
The red food coloring MUST be artificial using reds FD&C 40 and/or 3. The test only works with this artificial red dye, and the filters are designed to remove this out. If the artificial red dye makes it through, then you have a defective filter.
The 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.
McCormick Red Food ColoringWhether 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.
Performing the Red Food Coloring Test
- Start with an empty system (upper/lower chamber) and be sure to remove any PF-2 filters that may be attached.
- Check to make sure your black berkeys are installed with a tight seal and not allowing water to bypass the filter at the wingnut/washer connection. You'll want to double check that these connections are tight.
- Place a glass in the lower chamber directly underneath each black berkey filter. So, 2 glasses if you are using 2 Black Berkey Filters.
- Next, fill your upper chamber with water and add 1 teaspoon of red food coloring for every gallon of water (only red please).
- After 5-10 minutes, look to see if any of the water in the glasses are red or have any pinkish tinge. If one does, then that particular filter above it is defective or saturated/exhausted.
Important Note For European Customers
Due to the fact that artificial red food color is banned in the UK/EU because of health concerns the instructions for the red food color test are not the same as the instructions you find on the American Berkey system assembly sheet. Do not follow the instructions on the enclosed assembly sheet.
UK/EU Red Food Coloring Test directions
Use only red food color sold in tiny 38-50ml bottles without any added glucose, sugars or thickening agents. These are available at all major supermarkets or Asian food shops. Do not use Dr. Oetker Gel Food Color Bright Red or any other gel-based food color.
Completely fill the upper chamber of a Travel, Light, Big or Royal Berkey with water, and then add a (1/4) quarter teaspoon or less of red food coloring to the upper chamber, stirring well. Add a (1/2) half teaspoon or less to the upper chamber of an Imperial or Crown Berkey. The water should have a slight pinkish tinge. If the food coloring is completely removed, your system is working properly. If not, make sure the wing nuts on the elements as well as the blocking plugs are securely tightened then re-run the test.
Once you have determined the water is running through clear for 5 -10 minutes the remainder of the colored water in the upper chamber can be discarded.
What Are Your Results?
As mentioned above, any red/pink in the filtered water indicates a need for filter replacement. If the water comes through clear, then you can be confident that the filters are performing as designed and removing contaminants from the water.
We recommend running this red food coloring test every 6 months. Besides checking that your filters are working as designed, it will also verify that the filter connections are sealed properly and everything is in working order.
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Why do you not ship to California? Do you ship to Texas?
Thank you,
Dr. C. Champion-Olson
Yes Dr. Champion-Olsen, we ship to all states with exemption of CA due to the new law, and Iowa due to the high licensing fees the state requires the seller to pay.
Will this work to test my ceramic filters?
Hi Debbie -
This test will only work with the Black Berkey elements.
Thanks
Dan
why only red food color? I used green on three filters before I found this and all have failed, is green smaller than red?
Hi JNA -
Red does not have beneficial minerals in it, so when none comes through, you know it's performing correctly. The other colors do.
Thanks
Dan
thanks Dan,
so in short a green failure is not necessarily a filter failure, correct?
Yes, that is correct!
I don't understand the above post. Why wouldn't it filter the green food color if
it filters everything so well? What do you mean when you say the green has beneficial minerals? Thanks.
Hi Vina - The media ingredients used for creation of the black berkeys do not remove beneficial minerals, thus if a food coloring dye has beneficial minerals in it like potassium, the filter will let this dye pas through. Red does not have beneficial minerals as part of it's make-up, so it will not go through the filter if the filter is working properly. If the red goes through, then the filter is not working properly, and this is why it's called the red food coloring test.
Thanks
Dan
Dan,
In your last statement I think you meant to say that the red food coloring does NOT have any beneficial minerals in it, therefore it will not be allowed to pass through the elements.
Yes JC, you are correct!! Thank you! I've updated my reply.
Why is it necessary to remove the PF-2 filters?
Hi Sharon -
The test is only for the black berkey filters. If you leave the PF-2's filters on and the black berkeys fail the test, then the red would get into the PF-2 filters. It would then take many flushes to fully wash the inside of the PF-2's of this red food coloring, and thus you'd want to try to avoid this potential of happening.
Thanks
Dan
I just got the travel Berkey. Is it necessary to perform this test on a brand new system?
Hi Jeremy -
No, it is not necessary, but many folks like to perform the test up front to make sure it is working properly.
Thanks
Dan
Is there any way to test the pf2 filters ?
Hi Mike -
Without taking teh water to a testing lab, no there is no equivalent red food coloring test for these filters.
Thanks
Dan
Could you use something that is non-toxic, yet red, such as pomegranate juice or red root tincture in alcohol? thanks
Hi Martha -
No, artificial red food coloring must be used, since if the filters are working correctly, they would be removing these particulates. Pomegranate juice, etc, would flow through as there are no toxins/chemicals present.
Thanks
Dan
What method can we use to test the quality of water such as reducing bacteria and harmful chemical?
Hi Ahn -
The red food coloring is smaller than these chemicals/bacteria and that's why it's a good indicator test your filters are working correctly. Beyond this, you would want to get the water tested as a water testing lab.
Thanks
Dan
Ok so we messed up and didn't read the "Notes" section on our PF-2 filter instructions. We didn't take our PF-2's off when we did the food color test. Everything came back clear but our filtration rate is very slow. I read that it takes many flushes to clean our the filters after this has happened. Could you go into more details? How many flushes do we need to do? Anything else we need to know to completely resolve this problem? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amanda -
Up to 10 full system flushes for the PF-2's. Make sure your PF-2's are only screwed on 8 revolutions so that water is able to flow between the filters freely.
Thanks
Dan
If you were to leave the PF-2 filters on and do the red food coloring test, would clear water on the bottom be a sign that the black filters did not fail? Basically what I am asking is, can the PF-2 filters themselves filter out the red food coloring if the black filters do not?
Hi Robert -
Always remove the PF-2 filters before performing this test. It is for the black berkey filters only and the PF-2's do not have a comparable test. Clear means the filters are working properly.
Thanks
Dan
Hi, we in Europe have many differrent red food colorings,
what is the main ingredient to look for, E124 ?
(http://www.ivyroses.com/Define/E124)
Hi -
We do not have personal experience with this food coloring, however it is synthetic in nature (which is the primary requirement), thus should be effective for this test.
Thanks
Dan
I have a Berkey Sport Bottle. Can I perform the red dye test on it and how much dye should I use?
Hi Derrick -
No, the red food coloring test only applies to the black bekrey filters.
Thanks
Dan
We did the test in our Berkey with Black Filters and the PF-2 Flouride filters (we didn't know to remove the PF-2's - now we do know). We didn't put a ton of red food coloring in, but what was odd is that the water came through slightly green. Do you know what this indicates?
Hi Chris -
This is not something we've heard of before, so we'd be guessing on why it would change color. Are you using artificial red food coloring? I would run the test again without the PF-2 filters to see if you get the same result.
Thanks
Dan
Is it necessary to perform the red food coloring test each time the Black Berkey filters and the entire system are routinely cleaned? I have been doing this (only 3 times thus far since it's a relatively new system) and last time it caught a problem with the filters which then were replaced by Berkey. I don't see that step mentioned in the routine maintenance/cleaning instructions. I don't want to continue it monthly if it isn't necessary or will more quickly wear out the filters, but still want to make sure everything is filtering properly. Thanks.
Hi Beth -
Routine red food coloring tests are not required. Testing every 3-6 months would be appropriate.
Thanks
DAn
Every time I test with the black filter it passes, when connecting the PF-2 the test fails. Is the PF-2 filter allow get the red coloring to pass through?
Hi James -
The black berkeys remove the red coloring first, so they should not make it to the PF-2's. If they are with the Pf-2's connected, it's more likley that your black berkeys are not secured properly, and when you add the PF-2's it's somehow loosing the black berkey connections up top, and ultimately letting the red water by pass the filters around the washer seal. We would check these connections and make sure they are fully tightened.
Thanks
Dan
Can another color of food coloring be used for the "red food coloring test" such as blue or green?
Hi Beverly -
No, it must be red and artificial. This type of dye properly test the pore size and integrity of the filter. Other colors and natural food dyes can make it through the filter and do not provide an accurate reading.
Thanks
Dan
The red dye test sounds brilliant! We just got a Berkey as we attempt to remove all antibacterial chemicals like chlorine from our drinking water. I notice that red food dye has the ingredient "sodium benzoate", an antibacterial chemical. Before we attempt to put sodium benzoate in the upper chamber of the Berkey, do you know where I could find out whether or not the Berkey's black filters are able to remove sodium benzoate? Thanks in advance!
Hi John -
It has not been tested for that chemical in particular, however the red food coloring is only meant as a test, so you would not be drinking the water that is used for the testing.
Thanks
Dan
This is my 2nd set of black filters. I have viewed your videos to ensure correct setup and have only hand tightened the filters to avoid overtightening. I ran 2 batches water before doing the red dye on this 2nd set of filters and the water is still pink tinged though not as red as the first defective filters. What now?
Hi Sabra -
Ok, so then you've probably made sure the washers are in the upper chamber and the wingnuts are tight. Please re-run the test, and make sure you are placing glasses underneath each filter to see which one is allowing the red through. This will help isolate the filter that may have a bad seal or be defective.
Thanks
Dan
My filters are failing the red dye test. If there is water remaining in the upper chamber following this test does that confirm there is not a problem with any of the connectors i.e. wingnuts etc.?
Hi Heather -
Not necessarily as there just may not be enough pressure at those lower water levels to expose the poor seal. First off, I would make sure you are using 2 glasses underneath your filters in the lower chamber so that they are isolated when performing the test. As an alternative, you can also prop the upper chamber up on 2 large pots in your sink and then start the red dye test again (not using the lower chamber). You can then watch in real time as water starts to filter through and check to see if you see if water leaking at the seals. As an aside, a common error is not placing the washers in the upper chamber between the filter and the stainless steel.
Thanks
Dan
My test with red food coloring results in a pink color in the filtered water. I have refitted the elements to check. They are new elements. The pink water is definitely coming through both the filters, and not leaking through the fitting. Is it possible my red dye isn't artificial enough? Listed ingredients are - water, propylene glycol, glycerine, emulsifier (polysorbate 80), colors (carmine, curcumin), acidity regulators (citric acid, potassium hydroxide)
Hi Rob -
It needs to have the artificial red dye in there like this one.
http://www.target.com/p/mccormick-red-food-color-1-oz/-/A-13353208?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Grocery+Essentials+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Grocery&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9003977&gclid=CL-vpKa8wtMCFcdWDQodPa8CKg&gclsrc=aw.ds
I would try that first before assuming both filters are defective.
Thanks
DAn
Thanks Dan for quick reply. I will get another dye.
Ok, sounds good Rob.
Yes, there are more and more zero-artificial red food colorings coming onto the market, so many customers are getting false readings in their filter tests. We appreciate your figuring this out.
Thanks
Dan
Just checked the food dye manufacturer Web page, it says no artificial colors or flavours! Guess I need a different red food dye?
I recently cleaned my one year old black filters and they started filtering fairly quickly which was great. I decided to do the red dye test and no dye got through, which is also great! But right after the test, the filters seemed to filter slower than before, even after another cleaning. Could the dye test have causes this?
Hi Eric -
No, this is most likely because of the cleaning. If you scrubbed the filters, then sometimes the scrubbing pushes the debris into the filter and can clog it more. Re-priming is recommended post cleaning if you experience this slow down in filtration.
Thanks
Dan
I have a new Berkey, and I used a neon pink food dye, it failed, but is this because i did not use "red" dye?
Hi Cindy -
Yes, it is a requirement that you use artificial red dye for the test. The size of the red dye particles are what's needed for testing the filter pore tolerances. Other dyes will not be effective for the test.
Thanks
Dan
Hi,
I just got the Royal Berkey and am doing the red dye test and the water seems to have some sort of blueish tint, sort of slightly blueish and murky. Faucet water definitely looks clearer. Is that normal?
Hi Branko -
No, this is not normal. There is no blue in the filters/system so we're not sure where this would be coming from. Are you using blue dye or red dye for the test?
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
No, I used red dye as instructed, there is no red color so it is filtering it out but the water seems lightly murkier and when you look against the light seems like it has some sort of bluish color. Definitely looks different compared to tap water that is crystal clear and colorless. I tried flushing the system 2-3 times and now have added the fluoride reduction filters and still the same. Do you have any suggestions?
Is it necessary to re-prime the filters after doing the red dye test or can I just rinse the whole upper chamber and begin enjoying my pure clean water again? There is nothing in the instructions about that.
Hi J -
You can just rinse out the upper chamber and start using it again. No need to re-prime.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
I performed red dye test with proper dye and glasses underneath and got one glass with lightly tinged pink. I retried, making sure that everything was secured correctly and got the same results. I've only had black filters for about 6 months. What are the return options for filter? I have not used excessively.
Thank you
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie -
Please contact us at customerservice@bigberkeywaterfilters.com with your full name and order number and a rep can assist in having that filter replaced under the warranty.
Thanks
Dan
Hi Dan,
I accidentally left the PF-2 filters in while performing this test. Are they still salvageable? How many flushes do you think it will take for them to clean themselves?
Hi Danica -
If the red food coloring did not get in them, then you're fine. If it did, its very difficult to fully wash it out, but it is still possible with lots of flushing.
Thanks
Dan