I just purchased a Berkey^®
system but the system is hardly filtering any water at all. Am I
doing something wrong?

Typically the problem you are experiencing
is due to high water tension, which prevents the air from being
purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements.
Water tension is higher in certain parts of the country and can
change from season to season. The higher the water tension, the
more difficult it is fot the water, using gravity pressure, to
force the air from the micro-pores of a new element. Included
with your Black Berkey^® elements is a priming button
and instructions for use. Please remove and prime your
purification elements, reinstall them and that should fix the
problem.

I just purchased a Berkey^®
system but didn’t receive a priming button. Instead, I think I
received an extra black washer in the box. The instructions say
to use the tan colored priming button. What gives?
Please check in the box which held Black your Berkey
purification elements. The box should contain two (2) elements.
Attached to each element should be a rubber washer and a wing
nut. Also in the boxes should be what could looks like another
single black rubber washer. This is your priming button. It is
thicker than the washer and the center hole is smaller. This
black priming button can easily be confused with a washer; so we
asked the manufacturer to change the color of the priming button
back to tan.

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed that the PF-4
elements also remove MTBE and heavy metals. Should I use these
with my Black Berkey^® purification elements?

No, the PF2′s are used in conjunction with
the Black Berkey^® purification elements and the PF-4
elements are used in conjunction with the ceramic filters. The
Black Berkey^® elements remove MTBE and reduce heavy
metals whereas the ceramic filters do not therefore; we
incorporated MTBE and heavy metals reduction capabilities into
the PF-4 elements.

What is the life of the PF-4
filters?

Each set of four PF-4 filters is will last
for 1,000 gallons or six months whichever comes first. The
reason for the six-month limitation is that the carbon within
the PF-4 filters extracts contaminates that can be nutrients on
which bacteria can grow. If the filters are used longer than six
months “grow-through” can occur.


What is the life of the PF-2 filters?

Each set of two PF-2 filters is will last
for 1,000 gallons. Since these elements contain pure fluoride
and arsenic reduction media and no carbon, there is no six-month
limitation rule as is the case with the PF-4 elements.


How do I know when 1,000 gallons has been filtered and when its
time to replace the elements?

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

I installed my PF-2 elements
but my water is a bit cloudy and why does it have a funny taste?

The odd taste is from process dust that
may not have been washed free from the filter elements during
the conditioning process. Please remove the PF-2 elements and
re-condition them for 60 seconds on both ends. This should expel
any residual process dust and fix the problem.

Do the PF-2 elements replace
the Black Berkey^® purification elements?

No the Black Berkey^® elements
fit into the base of the upper chamber with the stems of the
filters protruding through the holes in the base of the upper
chamber. The protruding stems are threaded and the PF-2 filters
screw onto these threaded stems so that the PF-2′s hang down
into the lower chamber. The water flows from the upper chamber,
through the Black Berkey^® elements, into the PF-2
filters and then into the lower chamber. The “PF” in PF-2 stands
for Post Filter. So in answer to your question, no they do not
replace the black filters but rather work in conjunction with
them.

If I begin using use the
PF-2 elements, will I need more counter space for my system?

No, the PF-2′s attach to the stems of the
Black Berkey^® elements and hang down into the
interior of the lower chamber of the system requiring no
additional counter space.

I understand that the media
used within the fluoride reduction elements is activated
alumina, it that the same thing as aluminum?

The media used to extract the fluoride and
arsenic is activated alumina. Since fluoride is a by-product of
aluminum production, fluoride has a natural affinity to
recombine with activated alumina making it an ideal extraction
media. We are not chemists but will communicate our
understanding on the subject. Both nutritionist and lab
technicians have informed us that aluminum and alumina are two
separate animals. Aluminum can cross the blood brain barrier and
cause problems with the brain whereas alumina is inert. It is
our understanding that alumina is oxidized aluminum. Aluminum is
regulated whereas alumina is not for example, alumina is the
material used for making the paste in toothpaste. At any rate,
when testing for aluminum in water, most tests cannot
distinguish between aluminum ions and oxidized alumina. Since we
are not chemists, we tested the effluent from the filters and
included that information in our brochure. While we were not
required to do so, we felt that it was important to disclose to
our customers what our results were so that they would have the
necessary information to do further research on the issue should
they desire to do so. We think it was significant in the test we
conducted using the combination of Black Berkey^®
elements and PF-2 elements there was a net reduction in the
tested aluminum content of the source water vs. the purified
water. Again that test did not distinguish between aluminum and
alumina. The bottom line is that the media utilized is oxidized
alumina and not aluminum.

What are the dimensions of
the PF-2 and PF-4 elements?

The individual elements are 6” in length
and 2.5” in diameter.

I have high PH in my water,
will that reduce the efficiency of the PF-2 elements?
That is correct, high or low PH impedes the ability of the media
to remove fluoride.

Can I clean the filter in my Sport Berkey^®
purification bottle?


Unfortunately the Sport Berkey^® filter is not
cleanable. Replacement filters however, are available.

I have a generic Sport Berkey^® purification
bottle, does it work the same as a regular Sport Berkey^®
purification bottle?


Yes, both systems function identically; the only difference is
the generic version has no silk-screening on the exterior of the
bottle. The generic versions of the Sport Berkey^®
filters have been designed for organizations, such as
missionaries and relief organizations, wherein it is critical to
keep their costs to a minimum.

What is the capacity of the Sport Berkey^®
purification bottle?


The capacity of the bottle is 22 oz. and the bottle will
efficiently filter ~160 refills of raw untreated water and ~640
refills of municipally treated water. Always use the cleanest
source water possible as the dirtier the water, the quicker the
filter element will become clogged.

Can I put my Sport Berkey^® purification bottle in
the refrigerator?


Yes you can refrigerate the Sport Bottle, just don’t let it
freeze as freezing could expand the pores within the filter
element and could compromise the integrity of the filter
element.

Is the Sport Berkey^® purification bottle just as
powerful as the larger Berkey^® systems?


There is a slight difference. The Sport Berkey^®,
to our knowledge, is the most powerful sport bottle available.
However, because the wall thickness of the filter is thinner
than the wall thickness of the Black Berkey^® filters,
it is slightly less efficient. I doubt however, that you would
be able to discern much of a difference with normal water
supplies. If you were to put red food coloring into the water
and run it through the Sport Berkey^® bottle, most of
the food coloring will be removed. If you were to run it through
the Black Berkey^® filter elements, the food coloring
would be removed entirely.

Do you make a fluoride reduction filter for the Sport Berkey^®
purification bottle?
Unfortunately we do not make fluoride reduction filters for the
Sports bottle. Fluoride is very difficult to extract once it has
been introduced into the water supply and it requires a large
amount of media to remove just a small amount of fluoride.
Currently, it would require that most of the room within the
sport bottle be used for a fluoride filter leaving next to no
room for the source water. Until a more powerful media is
developed, it seems to us that it will be unfeasible to develop
a fluoride reduction filter for the sport bottle. We do however
make fluoride reduction filters for our larger systems because
we have more room with which to work.

I am leaving the US for a third world country; can the Sport
Berkey^® purification bottle be used instead of
bottled water?


Yes, the Sport Berkey^® was designed for use in third
world countries and can be used instead of commercial bottled
water. The Sport Berkey^® is used worldwide by
missionaries and relief organizations to transform otherwise
un-potable water into potable drinking water. We always
recommend, however that you use the cleanest water possible as
this extends the life of the filters. You may also want to
consider ordering several replacement filter elements to bring
along with you. These will come in handy in the event that you
are forced to rely on very turbid water that can more easily
clog the filter elements.

Can I filter boiling water through the Sport Berkey^®
purification bottle for making hot tea?


Hot water can break down the filter element and compromise its
efficiency so we recommend that you first filter the source
water through the Sport Berkey^® purification bottle
then afterward boil the filtered water for your tea.

What does the expanded view of your Stainless Steel systems
look like?

 

 

What does the expanded view of your Berkey Light^™
system look like?
 

 

 

 

What does the expanded view of your Black Berkey^®
Purification elements look like?
 

 

 

 

 

Is there a Berkey^® system that will accommodate
large groups?


Yes we offer two systems they are:

What is the most convenient method for filling the upper
reservoir?


Most people use a pitcher to pour water into the upper chamber
however, if you have a spray hose on your sink, using it to
refill the system is a very convenient method.

The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey^®
system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?


Yes it is normal and not unusual for the last 1/2" to 1" of
water to remain in the upper chamber.  By design the water must
pass through very fine micro pores within the elements in order
to pass from the upper chamber to the lower.  The lower the
water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure
available to force the water through the micro pores.  You might
have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than
when half full.  That is because there is more pressure.  The
only way to remedy the problem would be to enlarge the pores
within the filter elements.  That would of course, reduce the
efficiency of the purification elements.  During each cycle the
water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the
current cycle and is then purified.  You should not be concerned
about the excess water during normal use however if you
discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as
during a vacation, it would not hurt to empty the upper chamber
before departing.

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:

I will soon be leaving the country. Is there a way to test my
Berkey^® system to make sure it is working properly?


Yes, anytime you plan on taking your system out of the country
we advise that you always perform the following test prior to
leaving. You should test your filters by filling the upper
chamber with water then add a tablespoon of red food coloring
for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. If the red
food coloring is removed entirely, your filtration system is
working properly. If not, check to make sure that the wing nuts
on your elements are securely tightened then re-run the test.

By the way, always prime new purification elements before
leaving the country, as you may not have enough water pressure
to be able to prime the elements at your destination.

I just purchased a Berkey^® system but the system
is hardly filtering any water at all.  Am I doing something
wrong?


Typically the problem you are experiencing is due to high water
tension, which prevents the air from being purged from the micro
pores of the new purification elements.  Included with your
Black Berkey^® elements is a priming button and
instructions for use.  Please remove and prime your purification
elements, reinstall them and that should fix the problem.

I have found that when I boil the water or freeze it into ice
cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the
water.  What is this bacterium?


With respect to the little white floaters in the water, it is
not bacteria but rather a problem that sometimes occurs with
hard (heavily mineralized) water. When water is filtered through
your system, the Black Berkey^® purification elements
actually increase the PH of the water.  This is healthful as
Pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments
and conversely have difficulty surviving in alkaline
environments.  This is also true inside your body.  When the PH
level of the purified water is raised, the acidity of the water
goes down and the water is no longer able to hold as many
minerals in solution.  When this happens the minerals begin to
precipitate out over time and depending on the mineral
composition they will either sink to the bottom or float to the
top.  This process is known as flocculation and the precipitated
minerals are usually referred to as "white floaters".  The
bottom line is that this is nothing to be concerned about, the
white floaters are minerals that were already in your water;
they are now simply visible whereas they were previously
invisible due to their suspension in an ionic form.

I did a TDS reading on the purified water and was surprised to
find that the reading was about the same with the purified water
as it was with the unpurified water. Is my system working
properly?


Yes, a TDS meter measures only Total Dissolved Solids or
minerals; dissolved solids are simply dissolved minerals in an
ionic form.  A TDS meter does not measure the amount of
biological and chemical contaminates.  Black Berkey^®
elements are designed to leave in your water the healthful and
beneficial minerals and to extract only the unwanted heavy
metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals
such as iron oxide and aluminum.  Therefore, your TDS reading
will not change much unless you have a significant amount of
heavy metals or sedimentary minerals in your water.

In an effort to re-mineralize, the blood and lymphatic systems then begin to scavenge for minerals from other parts of the body, such as bones and other organs, and this process repeats itself every time de-mineralized hypotonic water is re-consumed. Several studies suggest that people who drink de-mineralized water (hypotonic) over a long period of time tend to be more prone to degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis.

Berkey^® Purification systems do not remove the beneficial minerals from the water but they do extract harmful heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide. Therefore, the TDS reading will not typically change much unless there are a lot of heavy metals or sedimentary minerals within the source water.
 

Is there a way to verify for myself the effects of drinking de-mineralized hypotonic water?
Yes, you can check this out for yourself during a short fast. First check the TDS reading on your RO or distilled water, which should be around 1-3ppm. Then after drinking that water for several days check the TDS reading of your urine. Remember, the TDS only measures minerals not chemicals so any minerals that the TDS meter reads are minerals that are being leached or flushed out from your body.

What is the pathological removal capability of an RO system?
With respect to Pathogenic Bacterial removal, Reverse Osmosis does not remove Pathogenic bacteria and that is why it is often necessary to add an additional UV light to the system. However, the UV sometimes does not kill all the bacteria because any turbidity in the water can create shaded spots preventing some bacteria from being exposed. Typically, the UV is installed before the bladder tank, however it is in the bladder tank that bacteria usually colonize. Therefore, if the bladder tank is not sterilized on a regular basis, it becomes a source for bacteriological contamination that is never exposed to UV. Additionally, the carcasses of the dead bacteria remain within the drinking water with an RO system whereas they are removed by the Black Berkey^® purification elements.

Which type of water will have the best taste?
With respect to taste, distilled water will taste flat unless you shake it up rigorously because the distillation process strips the oxygen from the water. The taste of RO water is typically very good. The taste of Berkey^® purified water is typically very good unless there is an excessive amount of ionized minerals in the source water. Even in such circumstances the improvement in the taste of the water is usually remarkable.

With respect to maintenance, how do the three types of systems compare?
All Berkey^® systems are easy to disassemble and clean. Typically the lower chamber should be washed in ordinary dishwater once per month. The elements need to be cleaned after 6-12 months of use.

Distillation systems need to be soaked and cleaned with vinegar solution to remove the scale, typically after each gallon or two.

Reverse Osmosis systems can have up to four filter elements, with each needing to be changed at differing intervals from four months up to two years. This requires that the water pressure be shut off and part or all of the system to be disassembled for maintenance. Additionally, the bladder tank should be washed with a chlorine solution at six-month intervals to kill any colonizing bacteria.

How do the three types of systems compare with respect to cost?
With respect to upfront cost, RO systems typically are the most expensive due to the cost of the system and the additional expense to have the system plumbed in. Next in cost would be a distillation unit. A Berkey^® system will typically be the least expensive of the three.

With respect to cost per gallon of water, calculated upon the cost per gallon for replacement filters and energy costs, Distillation systems and RO systems properly maintained typically cost between 35-65 cents per gallon. A Berkey^® system typically costs about 1.6 cents per gallon.