We love our Berkey Water Filter.  I firmly believe that we need to be drinking pure water whenever possible.  See this for why.  I don’t sell Berkey’s, but I want to get the information out about them.  I’m constantly getting questions about them, especially “How do I know when to change my filterers?”

How Berkey® Natural Water Purifiers Operate

To use, water is poured into the upper chamber. Gravity draws this water through the exclusive purification elements where contaminates are captured on and within theses micro-porous elements and are separated from the water. The purified water then collects in the lower chamber where it can be drawn through the spigot. What’s more, Berkey® elements are cleanable and can be used over and over again.
When I clean my filters, I make a point of cleaning out the inside with Thieves Household Cleaner.  I don’t rinse it out all the way.  I spray it in, scrub, rinse, then spray again and wipe with a dry paper towel.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Healthy

Berkey® systems are far superior to other filtration systems because they remove viruses, harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites as well as unhealthy chemical contaminates and impurities while leaving in the essential minerals your body needs.  Berkey® systems produce virtually the most healthful, clean and delicious water available.

Convenient

Berkey® systems assemble in minutes without tools, electricity, water pressure, or plumbing.  What’s more, they are simple to operate and maintain.

Economical

Berkey® systems are easily the most economical water purification system you can own.  Their unique design allows you to easily remove and clean the purification elements over and over again.

Powerful

Berkey® systems can easily purify ordinary tap water, yet are so powerful, they efficiently purify raw, untreated water from such sources as remote lakes and streams.  What’s more, Berkey® systems are the ideal water purification systems to have on hand in the event of natural disasters such as blackouts, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes as well as local or national emergencies when treated tap water may not be available.

Flexible

Berkey® systems are so convenient and easy to use, you can take them anywhere: on vacations, hunting and camping trips, college dorms and they are ideal systems for RVs and pleasure craft.

Elegant

The elegant high-grade polished 304 stainless steel design makes Berkey® systems an attractive addition to any kitchen or home yet each system is both rugged and durable.

Proven History

The same high quality and effectiveness of the gravity filtration process, that is utilized in Berkey® systems, has stood the test of time. Gravity filtration has been used by relief organizations such as UNICEF, the Peace Corps, Red Cross Societies Internationally, missionaries and relief workers in over 140 countries throughout the world.

How often do the Black Berkey® purification elements need to be replaced?

Each element has an expected life of 3,000 gallons or 6,000 gallons for a set of two.

I have been using my system for about six months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably.  Do I need to replace the elements?

No, unlike other filtration elements Black Berkey® purification elements are re-cleanable. What typically causes the filters to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro-pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system, scrub the exterior of each element with preferably a white ScotchBrite pad or stiff toothbrush. 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. Your problem should now be fixed.

How do I know when it is time to replace the elements in my system?

The best way to gauge when to replace the filters is to do the following:

1. Multiply the number of filters in your system by 3,000 gallons to get Total Gallons For All Filters within the system.
2. Next keep a track of how many times you need to refill the upper chamber in one week.
3. Then multiply that figure times the capacity in gallons of your particular system (for example the Berkey Light™ system is 2.75 gallons) to determine Total Gallons Used Per Week.
4. Finally divide the Total Gallons Used Per Week into the Total Gallons For All Filters and that will tell you how many weeks before the filters should be replaced.

Next calculate the future date for replacement (52 weeks per year) and write that date on a sticker and attach it to the bottom of your system for future reference. By the way, if you have been using your system for some time now, you can still use the above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count forward from the date you purchased your system.