“What is that thing?”
Health has been on so many people’s minds in recent years, and health is more than just exercise! It’s about what you choose to put in and consume in your body…
And water plays a HUGE role!
Our water (especially city water) contains things like trihalomethanes (chloroform) inorganic materials (chloramine, chloride), heavy metals (aluminum, barium, chromium, lead, mercury, etc.), pharmaceutical drug contaminants (acetaminophen, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, etc.), arsenic, petroleum products, thallium, rust, silt, and this is not a comprehensive list.
Since probably 2015 I have been doing a deep dive on ingredients on products we consume and use in our home… Incomes water filtration & how important it is- we started with the basic like most homes have the “Brita” which is great. We then researched distilled water, alkaline water, different bottle waters (don’t even get me started on those…) which led us to the Berkey!
We are obsessed with the Berkey
The love we have for our Berkey, is real, and the great thing is it is off-grid—so we can take it camping, traveling or just keep it on our counter for daily use! The Berkey is free standing, gravity fed, no electricity (so no need to be connected)! And it removes a wide variety of contaminants from water, including heavy metals, arsenic, fluoride and more!
Our Berkey is a permanent fixture in our kitchen! And we absolutely love it! We were about to have our second daughter and we needed to ensure having clean water for formula making and our own consumption (we use to boil water for our oldest- this is so much easier and BETTER).
We want to make sure our girls have the purest healthiest possible water! City/public water is not where that happens! There are tons of filtration options to choose from so honestly something is better than nothing—but for us Berkey is the only choice!
A few facts we decided on:
- Price: I don’t want to have to remember to replace filters every couple of months! Berkey has come cost breakdowns available of cost per gallon& comparison & cost saving all on their website. This information made our decision pretty easy!
- Filter quality: Berkey not only met our requirements but even more! Ex. Viruses & bacteria, you can filter things like lake, river, and pond water to make it drinkable!
** Great option if boondocking or camping!
Keeps all beneficial minerals
There are many reasons to love the Berkey! Gets the bad out and keeps the GOOD in!
Check out the Berkey for yourself, you won’t regret it!
FAQ’s
How should I store my Black Berkey filters and how long is their shelf-life?
If you have used your elements:
If the filters will not be used between 4 to 15 days and you want to avoid the re-priming process, remove the filters from the system, place them into a sealable sandwich bag or container and place the filters in the refrigerator towards the front to ensure that they do not freeze. This will allow the filters to stay mostly saturated so that re-priming is not typically necessary. If for any reason the filters run slower than usual, re-prime them until the exterior wall of the filter begins to sweat beads of water for 10 seconds.
For long term storage, we recommend drying and sealing the filters. The key is to ensure they are bone-dry before storing them long-term, to prevent any potential bacterial growth. One option for drying your filters is to leave them on a window sill for one to three days and allow them to air-dry. We also offer a tool to assist in both priming and purging. This tool is called a Black Berkey Primer™. The benefit to purging the Black Berkey® Purification Elements is that they are dried very quickly.
Once the filters are bone-dry, place them in a storage bag such as a large, seal-able sandwich bag. The elements are extremely powerful and can absorb odors and smoke from the air. By sealing them in a storage bag, they should not absorb any odors from the air. When you are ready to re-use your filters, clean them by scrubbing the outside with a Scotch-Brite® pad or stiff brush. Then re-prime the filters either manually or with the Black Berkey Primer™ before putting them back in the system.
In theory, the shelf life of the Black Berkey® Purification Elements is indefinite.
**Please note that the storage methods above apply to the Black Berkey® Purification Elements only.
If you have never used your elements:
If the elements are unopened and in their original packaging, please ensure you do not store the elements in an area that also has strong smells to them, such as a laundry room or garage. The elements have carbon as one of their components so it is possible for them to absorb the odors of the room they are stored in. For example if they are stored in a laundry room, it is possible for the media in the elements to pick up the odor of highly fragranced items such as powdered laundry soap.
** When storing the chambers of your Berkey® system, it is best to empty both chambers before storing them, because anytime water is still, it becomes stagnant and can produce bacteria. We recommend washing your Berkey® system with soapy water before leaving it to dry.
When and how do I clean the Black Berkey Filters?
Black Berkey Filters don’t necessarily need to be cleaned every time one cleans their Berkey® unit. However, this can vary depending on your area and water source. In certain areas, the water is much dirtier than normal, and will necessitate cleaning the elements more frequently; possibly even more than cleaning the rest of the system requires. If your water is muddy or really dirty we advise pre-filtering your water by running it through some type of cloth, ie: shirt, bed sheet, bandanna, etc. before putting it in your Berkey® system.
While this isn’t necessary, doing so keeps the cleaning schedule for the elements down by collecting debris that may clog the pores of your Black Berkey® Purification Elements.
When is it time to clean your filters?
- Cleaning the elements should be done when you experience a drastic slow down in your flow rate.
- You may consider cleaning your elements on a consistent basis. For example, every 6 months. The benefit to doing so is that you won’t experience a slow flow rate. Cleaning elements on a regular schedule is at your discretion. This is a suggestion, not a requirement.
How do you clean your filters?
- First, empty and disassemble the Black Berkey® Purification Elements from the Berkey® unit.
- Use a cleaning pad similar to a Scotch Brite Pad or a stiff toothbrush and gently scrub the outside of the Black Berkey® Purification Elements under cool running water.
- Re-prime the filters. If you’re not familiar with this process please visit our YouTube channel with step by step instructions, here.
- Reassemble the Black Berkey® Purification Elements into the Berkey® unit.
- Lastly, fill your Berkey® unit and perform a red dye test as described in your instructions here to ensure the Black Berkey® Purification Elements are effective.
If you are currently using a water softening system, we highly recommend that you obtain pre-softened water directly from the source rather than run softened water through your Black Berkey® Elements.
Black Berkey Filters have been tested by accredited third-party labs that have reported that the elements address over 200 typical contaminants found in tap water and other freshwater sources.
Black Berkey Filters reduce trihalomethanes, inorganic minerals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, petroleum products, perfluorinated chemicals, rust, silt, sediment and even radiologicals.
The Black Berkey Filters have been lab tested and confirmed to address the contaminants listed below.
Lab Test Reports for Berkey Filters
- Black Berkey Filter Perfluorinated Chemical Removal Test Report
- Black Berkey Filter Chemical Reduction Test Results
- Black Berkey Filter Gross Alpha Radiological Test Results
- Black Berkey Filter Gross Beta Radiological Test Results
- Black Berkey Filter Inorganic Test Results
- Black Berkey Filter Organic Test Results
- Black Berkey Filter Uranium Radiological Test Results
Shop This Post:
Crown Berkey Gravity- Fed Setup
**This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you**