Hi Lateef -

It can take a few system flushes for this taste to wash away, but it sounds like you may be beyond that. Go ahead and check all our filter and blocking plug fittings to make sure you do not have any leaks. Then, please perform a red food coloring test on the filters and email us with your results.

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey-water-filter/the-black-berkey-red-food-coloring-test

Thanks
Dan

Hi Kent -

This is mentioned in the FAQ below. But to your point, more important that any micron rating is actual lab testing results of the water filters by accredited facilities. This is the highest level of scrutiny that all systems must stand up to. This results are found on the filter testing page here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/helpful-resources/test-results/

From FAQ:

There is much confusion with respect to nominal and absolute micron ratings. An absolute micron rating is one that states the maximum pore size expected within an element. The nominal micron rating is the average pore size within the element. This means that if 90% of the pores are .02 microns and ten percent are 2 microns, one could claim the nominal micron rating as .2 microns, which would imply that pathogenic bacteria and parasites would be totally removed. But in reality the bulk of the water would channel through the larger 2-micron pores and thereby allow both bacteria and parasites to pass through. Therefore a nominal micron-rating claim can be very misleading.

With respect to the absolute micron rating, there is also confusion because there are two different standards to determine absolute; in the US the standard is 99.9% removal, but the international standard in 99.99% removal or 10 times greater removal.

Clever marketers of products can use the confusion over the above differences to make product "A" appear to be better than product "B" when product B may be far superior in reality. For example, we used to report an absolute rating using the international standard because we have a large international customer base. Several years ago we published a rating on our ceramic filters. A particular company began to publish that our elements were .9 microns whereas theirs were .2 microns. However, our micron rating was based on absolute (international) while theirs was based on a nominal(US)rating. When tested at Spectrum Labs, it was found that at the .2 to .3 microns range our filter removed more particulate than the other brand. Unfortunately many people make there purchasing decisions based on a micron rating that can be legitimately distorted and to a significant degree.

We soon became weary of trying to explain the above to our customers and so we decided not to participate any longer in publishing a micron rating. Rather, we think an absolute pathogenic bacteria removal rate is a far better gauge because it is far more difficult to abuse. Based on that criterion, the Black Berkey elements remove greater than 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. To our knowledge, no other personal filtration element can match that capability. In fact, the Black Berkey elements are so powerful, they are unique in their ability to mechanically remove food coloring from water.

Hi Chad

The information you've been given is not accurate. New Millennium Concepts/Berkey is a master distributor for Doulton in the United States. The Doulton products they carry are the white ceramic filters, the PF-4's, and the one model called the British Berkefeld. Many years ago these were the primary products sold, but in the late 90s, Berkey began designing, sourcing, and manufacturing its own product line separate from Doulton as a way to branch out.

Today the large majority of products sold by Berkey in the US are New Millennium / Berkey products. This would be all the stainless steel models, Berkey light, Sport Berkey, fluoride filters, shower filter, sight glass spigot, etc.. The Black Berkeys are also patented here in the US.

There is no NSF certification due to the high costs associated with obtaining and maintaining this. To keep costs as low as possible, Berkey rather decides to publish all tests for the consumer to review. This is performed at NSF/EPA accredited labs and are to the same standards of an NSF certification.

These testing results can be found below. These are for the Berkey filters, not Doulton:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/helpful-resources/test-results/

I hope this helps

Thanks
Dan

Hi Louise -

The ingredients are not published since it would be easy for a competitor to duplicate the filters. All independent test results are shown in the helpful resources section and the filters are made of food grade materials. New Millennium Concepts designs and manufacturers the product. Silver poisoning is not a concern as the filters do not add anything to the filtered water. Carbon will wash away from brand new filters for up to approx 4-5 full system flushes during break-in.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jason -

They are made in the US.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jonathan -

Yes, it will.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jennifer -

Sounds like you need to clean your black berkey filters. Details here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey-water-filter/anns-helpful-hints-for-berkey-water-filter-systems

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dawn -

Yes, the berkey filters would remove this contaminants.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Holly -

The black berkey filters are good for approx 3000 gallons per filter. The Olympic size swimming pool number is not something we've ever heard of, nor is it mentioned on this site. I cannot find you in our system, so my thought is that you purchased this from another company/dealer, and that they told you this which is incorrect.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Patrick -

No lab testing has been done on these types of liquids, so there is no official company response to this. We can tell you that we have tried some liquids such as this and it did filter it closely to water. There was still salty taste and some coloring, but it was much closer to pure water. Without testing, we can't tell you what was filtered out and what wasn't.

Thanks
Dan

Hi John -

Both would be ok, but the softened water would be slightly more recommended for the black berkeys.

Thanks
Dan

Hi George -

We appreciate the words and are glad that you have not been taken by the many marketing claims that are out there. Unfortunately, there are misleading statements by some companies out there that sway decisions. The proof is in the test results. There are no plans for a whole house system currently, but we will take your comments into consideration.

Thanks
Dan

Sure Ryan! You are more than welcome and glad we could be of assistance.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Kathleen -

The company has been in the US for over 25 years and plans to be around for a long time. The black berkey filters that come standard with the systems would take care of this runoff for you, and the Big Berkey would be a good option.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Charlie -

PPM can represent beneficial minerals also, so you do not necessarily want a 0 PPM reading. You simply want the heavy metals portion of the PPM reading removed. A comparison of the berkey and RO system can be found here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey-water-filters/berkey-water-filters-vs-reverse-osmosis

Thanks
Dan

Hi Charlie -

We are not permitted to speak to any of the ingredients inside the black berkeys as they are proprietary. What we can say is that the filters have self-sterilizing properties, the same as filters impregnated with silver.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Mark -

You can perform a red food coloring test on the black berkey filters at any time to verify if they are still operating effectively. Details can be found here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey-water-filter/the-black-berkey-red-food-coloring-test

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jill -

These are Glenn's recommendations and not ours, so we cannot speak to what he was referring to.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Don -

1) We reccomend any of our systems with the black berkeys. You only need the PF-2's if you want to remove fluoride or arsenic. The filters do not add any "taste" to the water, so you shouldn't notice anything in that respect.

2) There should be no risk of silver dangers with the berkey. The filter systems do not add anything to the water.

3) In terms of whole house, having both a whole house and a berkey for drinking water would be redundant. The berkey should last you many years and purifies your water to higher levels than a whole house system would. You may even choose to never go the route of a whole house system. Many customers do this, including myself. Starting with a Berkey is a good economical decision though to begin with.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Brian -

We cannot speak to any of the ingredients in the black berkeys since the formula is proprietary. However, they are just as effective as the ceramic filters in terms of self sterilization and preventing any bacteria growth. As for longevity, the black berkeys last approx 6000 gallons per set of 2, so this is 5 times longer than the comparable ceramic filters which also have a 6 month life replacement. This is due to the high quality of the other ingredients in the black berkeys that is also used as part of the formula.

Thanks
Dan

Hi K -

The ceramic filters last for 1200 gallons per set of 2 9" filters. The black berkeys do not contain plastic and are made of natural materials. Testing results, comparisons, etc can be found on our helpful resources page:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/helpful-resources/guides

Thanks
Dan

Hi Gemma -

Yes, this is normal. the first few flushes of the filters will release carbon into the water and increase the PPM's. This is not harmful and will subside after this dust washes away.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Carolyn -

The Pf-2's last 1000 gallons or 2 years, whichever comes first, per set of 2. If you store them during this time, the clock keeps on ticking, so you are losing your filtration window while they are stored. If you double to 4, you only increase the amount of gallons you can filter 1000 to 2000, but the 2 years remains the same. Scotch brite pad is fine, but they can help clog the filters in some cases, so always re-prime afterwards, and the potato peeler is effective.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Stuart -

The system has shown the ability to remove total chlorine in it's newest testing results. Total chlorine includes chloramines, however we are still waiting on a confirmation on what the stated choloramine level removal would be as it wasn't singled out in testing.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Mimi -

An explanation can be found here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/wordpress/berkey/help-me-choose-a-berkey-filter-system/

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jane -

Yes, both the ceramics and black berkey filters can be cleaned during their lifetime to ensure water can flow into the pores of the filters. However, both filters will reach a saturation point (irregardless of cleaning) where the media can no longer absorb contaminants and will need to be replaced.

Thanks
Dan

Hi G -

The black berkeys last 6000 gallons per set of 2 and the 9" ceramic filters last 1200 per set of 2. A good way to keep track of where you're at is to approximate how many times you fill the system with source water per day and multiply that by the gallon sized system you have and the amount of days/weeks/years you've been using it.

If filtering highly contaminated water for a long period of time, yes they will saturate quicker. In this scenario, ideally you would to choose a running water source like a stream or river so that concentrations of contaminants are lower. Typically chemical contaminants are what will exhaust a filter the quickest, not bacteria, so this would usually exhaust first. A change in taste and smell of the filtering water would be the first tip-off that they have reached saturation. Having <a href="https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/wordpress/water-filters/the-black-berkey-red-food-coloring-test/" rel="nofollow">red food coloring available</a> so that you can perform performance tests every so often would be recommended if you plan on filtering this water primarily for a long period of time. Also, as just mentioned in another reply, having a disinfection product to pre-treat the water as a 2nd layer of defense would also be recommended as part of your preparations. And finally, a back-up set of filters would also be highly recommend.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Julie -

Berkey water filters are a small grass roots family owned company that's been in business for over 25 years here in the US and more in England. They have a very small advertising budget and all primary advertising that is done is by their small dealers and they do not associate, nor sell to big box stores and the like. Being a large competitor in this market is not an objective of theirs.

The only thing that differentiates one filter from another is the type and quality of filter media that is used. All claims by berkey water filters are based off of testing that has been done and this is typically the case with other filters on the market also. The berkeys were originally designed for outdoor use and filtering dirty water and as with all filters, you technically never know if they are filtering as designed unless you perform some type of post-filtration testing. With the black berkeys, you can perform a red food coloring test at any time to make sure they are still filtering as designed, and this can be done in the outdoors, on the go, if needed.

We always recommend to customers that if they are filtering water that they know is highly contaminated with bacteria, and they are concerned about it being filtered out, they can pre-treat the water with a chlorine or bleach solution to kill the bacteria. They then would run it through the berkey afterwards and let the berkey remove any remaining bacteria, disinfection products used, and any other contaminants in that water. This is not required for filtering water with the berkey, but is suggested for customers who want to be extra cautious and add another layer of defense.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Mike -

There was a batch created in Nov of 2010 that had a higher than average defective rate (3-6%) with the silicone glue and it sounds like you may have received filters from that batch. Since that 11/10 batch, they upgraded the manufacturing process and now machine all filters onto the base and use a stronger food grade glue. Your filters are also most likely still under warranty. Please contact us at customerservice@bigberkeywaterfilters.com and we can provide direction for replacement.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Carmen -

The PF-2 filters can also go in the lower chamber of the Travel Berkey, so this is not a disadvantage. The only differences between the 2 systems is size, and with the Big Berkey you can fit 4 upper blacks and 4 lower PF-2s, while the Travel Berkey can only fit 2 upper and 2 lower; so less filter capacity.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Chris -

Yes, this most likely will occur. The more contaminated the water, the more the filters will have to remove from the water and the quicker they will become used up / saturated.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jacques -

We do not engineer or manufacture the berkey products but we will gladly relay your suggestion of the manufacturer.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Ernest -

Yes, you can.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Jeff -

The black berkey filters will last longer than the ceramic filters due to the increase amount of filtration media used in the filter.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Zach -

In a comparison of all the contaminants the Berkey filters versus the gerber water it is very similar. You would not need to boil the berkey water post filtration due to the water being in a purified state. There is no PPM % compared to standard bottled water only because the PPM level will be different and be based upon what the source water is prior to filtration. Source water with higher levels of beneficial minerals will have a higher PPM % post-filtration than that of source water that has little to no beneficial minerals.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Ursula -

Yes, they do.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Peter -

Yes, this is not a problem. In some instances you may need to re-prime the black berkey filters if a film has caked and dried on the outside of the filters. But, this is typically not the case.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Sue -

The black berkeys are a combination a more than a half dozen filtration media bonded together and attached to a food safe nylon base. The ceramic filters are a ceramic outer casing with filtration media inside attached to a food safe plastic base. The black berkeys have no plastic in them. Let me know if you need additional assistance.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Tom -

The 3000 gallons is per black berkey filter. And, yes 4 filters would be effective for approximately 12000 gallons and equally 6000 gallons for a pair.

Thanks
Dan

Hi -

You only need to clean the filters if they get clogged up. With that being said the number of times you clean the filter and how long it lasts are not related. How long the black berkeys last is dependent on the number of gallons processed and the levels of contamination in the source water.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Maryann -

Yes you can, and we recommend it for their improvement of filtration quality and longer life; being less expensive over the long term

Thanks
Dan

Hi Sharon -

The entire filter is made of the media itself. It sits on a nylon base that connects the filer to the base of the upper chamber.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Matt -

The sport berkeys have been tested and will be fine for bacteria like giardia, cryptosporidium, etc, but have not been tested for typhoid or Hep A, so we would not rely on the sport berkeys for water that may be contaminated with this.

Thanks
Dan

Hi JB -

You can clean the berkey ceramic filters with a scotchbrite pad under running water and scrub the outer surface of any matter that may be clogging up the ceramic casing. 2 ceramic filters need to be replaced approx every 6000 gallons of water.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Floyd -

No, the filters do not remove salt from the water, so they would not help with brackish water.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Suzanne -

The BB's/PF-2's filters are a better option mainly because they will remove more contaminants and last for a longer period of time in the process, thus saving you money. You can add the Berkey BB's/PF'2 with your current ceramic/PF-4 setup, however keep in mind that in your bottom clean water chamber you'll be combining slightly different grades of filtered water. As a transitional option, this would be fine.

Thanks
DAn

Hi Sue - While we have heard that customers do this with the black berkey filters, we do not recommend it as there are chemicals that can be found in pool water that the black berkeys nor the ceramics have been tested for removal up to this point.

Thx - Dan

Hi S -

Yes, they can and instructions come with the filters advising how this should be done. Also, here is an article which covers the black berkey filter cleaning also: <a href="https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/wordpress/berkey-water-filter/anns-helpful-hints-for-berkey-water-filter-systems/" rel="nofollow">

Hi Irene -

The black berkey nor the ceramic filters have been tested for such, so we do not know if they are effective in this regard.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Gus -

No, there is nothing special required for storing the sport berkey. You can just let it dry out. As for the black berkeys, they do not remove salt from the water, so salt water would no be able to be filtered. As for other poor water, the black berkeys are designed to purify this, however one can never be too safe when it comes to drinking water, so pre-treating the water prior to filtering is always a good idea.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Chuck -

Neither of the filters have been tested for removing the radioactive iodine contaminant, so at this point in time we cannot comment as to their effectivness.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Frederick -

Yes, all Berkey systems, no matter how may black berkey filters are ordered, will come with the blocking plugs for blocking the holes above and beyond the initial 2 filters. They do not come installed, so a 4 filter big berkey system would come with 2 blocking plugs. If you only want to run one filter, you would need to purchase one additional blocking plug available under the berkey filter replacement parts section, so that you can block 3 holes.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dave -

Yes the berkey ceramic filters will remove Giardia at the 99.99% level.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dave -

Yes, what happens is that any water left inside the filter will freeze and expand the interior of the filter compromising the tight pore structure. Your best bet would be to remove and take the filters with you every time you left the cabin.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Mike -

The shelf life is indefinite as long as they are not exposed to freezing or very high temperatures.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Joyce -

Yes, these conditions would be fine for the Berkey.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Steve -

Yes, this is not a problem. Please try to keep at or near room temperature to ensure a lengthy shelf life.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Frank -

We cannot state that they would protect against biological or chemical attacks. We can only makes claims of what they will remove based upon the tests that have been performed to date.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Randy -

Yes, you can drill 2 more holes and add 2 more filters. Just make sure you size the holes exactly like the other 2.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Patricia - The black berkeys are composed of the bonded media combination itself and they are mounted upon a small plastic base. The ceramic berkey filters are a ceramic casing with the media inside them, again mounted upon a small plastic base.

Hi Gator -

The black berkeys should hold up well in this environment, but please keep in mind that they will not remove the beneficial minerals from the water. As with any filter, the higher the number of contaminants in the water, the quicker they may saturate and exhaust the filter, requiring replacing. An extremely high level of iron in your water may contribute to this life reduction.

Hi Art -

The sport bottle filters are good for 160 refills of "dirty" water (rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds) and 640 refills of "clean" water (city or well water).

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dave -

A breakdown can be found here:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/berkey_filter_comparison

And test results on the different types of bacteria that have been tested for are found in the links to the test results as the bottom of this page:

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/berkey-filter-replacements-c-67/black-berkey-filters-2-p-187

If it's not listed, it means that the filters have not yet been tested for that particular bacteria, contaminant, etc.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Robert -

Yes, either the blacks or ceramics meet this criteria. In addition, if you wanted a portable filter, the <a href="https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/sport" rel="nofollow">sport berkey</a> meets this criteria also.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Ben -

We have no excuse except that we have not had a chance to get around to it. With where demand has been at, we've been focused on customer service and operations primarily. We will be building additional comparisons when things slow down some. :)

Thanks
Dan

Hi Diane -

It is not recommended for the reasons you state, however it's OK if you want to do this. Just be aware that final filtration quality will not be as high since the ceramics may be allowing things through such as lead and MTBE's. (if they are in the source water to begin with)

Thanks
Dan

Hi Bradshaw -

NSF Certification is simply a list which they charge thousands of dollars to be on. It must also be updated constantly along with costs associated. Since we use their protocols and meet those standards as shown by our viewable testing results, we feel that to pay those high charges and then having to increase our prices is simply a waste of money. We want to keep our prices as low as we possibly can so that more people can afford the products.

If interested, you will see the ceramic sterasyl filters on that NSF list under the Doulton brand, as those are the manufacturers of our ceramic filters.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Lawrence -

Thanks for the suggestion. This is on our "to do" list and we hope to have this available soon.

Thanks
Dan

Hi Dean - Please use a scotch brite pad and fully scrub the filters under luke warm running water. Upon completion, you may install them into your system. We then recommend performing a <a href="https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/blog/berkey-water-filter/the-black-berkey-red-food-coloring-test" rel="nofollow">red food coloring test</a> on the filters to ensure they are still working to design specifications.

There no special precautions to make. You can clean your ceramic filters with a brush prior to use and they should be fine. However, the PF-4 fluoride water filters only last for 6 months once they are put into use. If you had used the PF-4's 2 years ago, then they have expired by this time, and require replacement.

The black berkey filters are currently undergoing testing for chloramine removal. Also, the black berkeys are adept at removing disinfection byproducts of chlorine, but until these other chloramine dbp's have been tested for, no claims can be made.
For the ceramic water filter / PF-4 combination, we are not aware of outstanding tests that British Berkefeld is conducting for these chemicals mentioned above, so we cannot make a statement as to their efficacy in this regard.

Hi Mike - The 3000 gallon mark per black berkey element is considered a estimated point of full saturation. At this point, they should be replaced. Up and until that 3000 gallon mark, you can clean and maintain the black berkey as many times as needed. Depending on the source water, a cleaning may be required every month, once a year, or never. More than 60% of our customers are able to use the elements the entire life without a need for a cleaning.

Hi Greg -

As for the Aqua Rain water filter, we are unable to do a detailed comparison due to the fact that the Aquarain website does not provide filtration removal details across the many chemicals and contaminants that the black berkeys remove. We unfortunately also cannot find copies of test results on the site for verification of any claims. What we did find was removal rates for 3 organisms, Cryptosporidium parvum, Klebsiella terrigena, and Brevundimonas diminuta; all of which the black berkey water filters remove to log 7 purification standards.

As for other water filters, just let us know what you have in mind. We will make an effort to put a comparison together and post the results on our site for you.

Thanks - Dan

Hi Ryan - Per the manufacturer:

With respect to the micron rating, we do not use or publish a micron rating for the Black Berkey elements for the following reasons.

There is much confusion with respect to nominal and absolute micron ratings. An absolute micron rating is one that states the maximum pore size expected within an element. The nominal micron rating is the average pore size within the element. This means that if 90% of the pores are .02 microns and ten percent are 2 microns, one could claim the nominal micron rating as .2 microns, which would imply that pathogenic bacteria and parasites would be totally removed. But in reality the bulk of the water would channel through the larger 2-micron pores and thereby allow both bacteria and parasites to pass through. Therefore a nominal micron-rating claim can be very misleading.

With respect to the absolute micron rating, there is also confusion because there are two different standards to determine absolute; in the US the standard is 99.9% removal, but the international standard in 99.99% removal or 10 times greater removal.

Clever marketers of products can use the confusion over the above differences to make product "A" appear to be better than product "B" when product B may be far superior in reality. For example, we used to report an absolute rating using the international standard because we have a large international customer base. Several years ago we published a rating on our ceramic filters. A particular company began to publish that our elements were .9 microns whereas theirs were .2 microns. However, our micron rating was based on absolute (international) while theirs was based on a nominal(US)rating. When tested at Spectrum Labs, it was found that at the .2 to .3 microns range our filter removed more particulate than the other brand. Unfortunately many people make there purchasing decisions based on a micron rating that can be legitimately distorted and to a significant degree.

We soon became weary of trying to explain the above to our customers and so we decided not to participate any longer in publishing a micron rating. Rather, we think an absolute pathogenic bacteria removal rate is a far better gauge because it is far more difficult to abuse. Based on that criterion, the Black Berkey elements remove greater than 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. To our knowledge, no other personal filtration element can match that capability. In fact, the Black Berkey elements are so powerful, they are unique in their ability to mechanically remove food coloring from water.

Hi Taylor -

You would want to use one or the other type of filter. If your blacks are still functioning, we would use these until it's time to be replaced.

Thanks
Dan