Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the Black Berkey purification elements made out of and how do they work?
- How often do the Black Berkey purification elements need to be replaced?
- I heard that it is recommended to replace my Berkey water after three days. Is this true if it is refrigerated?
- Are your Black Berkey Purification Elements and Berkey® systems Vegan and/or Kosher?
- How do the Black Berkey Elements handle beneficial minerals in the water?
- Are the Black Berkey® Elements NSF certified? I see a post online these files are not NSF certified and i want to know why?
- Should I be concerned about Coliform Bacteria?
- Are the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements or Berkey PF-2™ and PF-4™ recyclable?
- How do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements handle Chloramine over time?
- How should I store my Black Berkey™ Purification Elements and how long is their shelf-life?
- Black Berkey™ Purification Elements Test Results
- Why do the log reduction levels differ for varying Berkey® element tests? Some laboratory results show testing to greater Log reduction (example: 99.9% vs. 99.99999%) than others.
- Why do your instructions say : “Do not allow filter to freeze?”
- What is the thread size for the Black Berkey™ Purification Element’s Stem?
- What are the washers for the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements made out of?
- Will the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove kerosene?
- Do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove lithium?
- Do your filters take out plastic from the water?
- I have found that after filtering when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this ''Floaters''?
- Do your Black Berkey purification elements filter out all the drugs/pharmaceuticals that are in our city-water?
- Why is my PH level higher after using the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements?
- My Water is cloudy after filtering trough the PF2 Fluoride filters? What am i doing wrong? It's been in the system for few days.
- Can I use my Berkey Waterfilter system to purify water from my home dehumidifier?
- The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?
- What are the Berkey filters made of and how can they last for so long time with constant usage ? Can you please explain for me as most filters on the market don,t last as long as the Berkey filters. Thanks
- Does my Big Berkey filter Purification Elements remove Glyphosate? I was reading about this and would like to know this thanks. I can’t find this in test results on your page.
- Have been using my system for about 12 months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably. Do I need to replace the filters? Why has this slowed down? Do i need to clean them maybe?
- I live in London and we have a water from Thames Water. I asked them about the Fluoride and they told me it,s a low level of naturally occurring fluoride in our water. Need to buy the fluoride filters or can i just use the original Black Berkey filters?
- My friend has a Reverse Osmosis filtering system. How does reverse osmosis and Berkey purifier systems compare? Are Berkey Better then Reverse Osmosis?
- What happens if I use my Black Berkey™ Purification Elements after 3,000 gallons?
- Since the filter has pores fine enough to remove viruses, does it get clogged frequently?
- How does the filter element in the Berkey® system deal with viruses?
- Do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove Chloramine?
- Do your Black Berkey™ elements reduce fluoride in the water?
- Can I use the Berkey® system with softened water?
- I have found in my water after filtering and when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this?
- Do these filters remove calcium etc which create limescale - in other words would they be suitable for my espresso machine which is particularly sensitive to limescale formation?
- Hard Water and Soft Water
- What is the TDS reading of the purified water?
- What should I do if the flow rate in my system is very slow?
- What is the red food coloring test and how do I do it?
- How do I prime the Black Berkey Purification Elements when water pressure is unavailable?
- What is the Micron rating of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements?
- As oestrogen is far more damaging than progesterone to the body, I would like to know if in fact the Berkey does remove this?
- What should I do to maintain my Berkey system?
- When will you ship my order?
- How fast will my water filter purify tap water?
- How can I store my Berkey PF-2™ or Berkey PF-4™ post filter elements after I’ve used them, but before they reach their life expectancy?
- My Berkey tap is leaking... First it was ok and now after 2 weeks of usage the tap is leaking a few drops where the washer is. Why is this happening?
- Do Berkey® Water Filter Systems Leach Aluminum Into Your Drinking Water? Activated Alumina and Aluminum are Not the Same, and Why You Need to Know the Difference.
- Does the Berkey Filters remove Hormones like Estrogen and other types of Hormones?
- Is the MS2 – Fr Coliphage still known to be a good indicator of virus filtration? Do you have tests on any other viruses?
- Is there any danger of bacteria in the water? - We tested on normal strip test and it didn’t show all bacteria was gone? Still showing small amount? Why is this?
- How often and how do i clean the Black Berkey® Purification Elements?
- Regarding the PF2 Fluoride filters - Can my in house water filter or other waterfilters on the market remove Fluoride without any additional Fluoride filters? Why do I need to buy additional Fluoride filters?
- I see a blog / website saying PF2 Fluoride filters are fake and not filtering out as they claim? Can you please respond to these claims and are they true?
- When is it time to clean your filters? How often should you clean them?
- I want to ask about mold in our Berkey that we see after few years usage?
- My Berkey filter seems to have overflowed? Why is this?
- I was reading a post about counterfeit / Fake systems being sold on online Marketplaces websites as ''Berkey'' - Does this mean my system is not original? I bought mine from Amazon few years ago
- Why is there 2 different logos between my Big Berkey and Travel Berkey systems? Is there any difference on the performance or how they work?
- I have another question not answered here.
- How do i assemble my Big Berkey Water Filter?
- How can i Prime and Clean my Black Berkey Filters??
What are the Black Berkey purification elements made out of and how do they work?Without getting too complex, several methodologies are utilized by the Black Berkey™ purification elements. The elements are composed of a formulation of more than a half dozen different media types constructed into a very fine matrix creating millions of micro-fine pores. The pores are so small that pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, sediment and sedimentary minerals are not able to pass through them. The media formulation both "absorbs" some contaminates and "adsorbs" other contaminates. Next, heavy metals ions (mineral molecules) are extracted through an Ion exchange process where they are essentially electrically bonded to the media. Finally, our filter elements are designed such that each water molecule can take several minutes to pass through the filter elements whereas these molecules passing through other filtration systems pass through those filters in literally microseconds. The longer the water molecules are in contact with any media, the greater the removal of the various contaminates. Top ↑ |
How often do the Black Berkey purification elements need to be replaced?Each element has an expected life of 3,000 Gallons (11356 Litres) or 6,000 Gallons (22712 Litres) for a set of two. Usually replacement is suggested after 7-11 years. Filters needs to be cleaned every 12 months with warm water and a soft brush and primed. (takes not more then 10-15 minutes) Top ↑ |
I heard that it is recommended to replace my Berkey water after three days. Is this true if it is refrigerated?We do recommend replacing or at least ''topping up'' your Berkey water after three days. If the water is in a cold environment, the length can be extended to a week and even a month or longer If water is kept in a Glass jug. This is a conservative estimate for caution. The reason for this is because when you filter your water, the chemicals that inhibit bacteria growth are removed. In more humid environments, bacteria growth can occur quicker. Top ↑ |
Are your Black Berkey Purification Elements and Berkey® systems Vegan and/or Kosher?Technically, in order for anything to be defined as Vegan or Kosher, it must be consumable for ingestion. Our Black Berkey™ elements and Berkey® systems are not consumable. Nonetheless, it is our understanding that these particular products may be considered to be both Vegan and Kosher, by answering the following questions:
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How do the Black Berkey Elements handle beneficial minerals in the water?Click here to learn more about how the Black Berkey elements manage beneficial minerals in the water. Top ↑ |
Are the Black Berkey® Elements NSF certified? I see a post online these files are not NSF certified and i want to know why?NSF certifications are not required but rather optional. In our opinion, NSF certifications are limited in their application with respect to our gravity fed filtration elements. NSF Standard 42 (aesthetic effects) and Standard 53 (health effects) would specifically apply to our Black Berkey filtration elements. NSF Standard 42 covers systems “designed to reduce specific aesthetic or non-health-related contaminants (such as chlorine, taste and odor, and particulates) that may be present in public or private drinking water.” This would appear to be an unnecessary certification as not only do the elements easily handle public drinking water, but also other freshwater sources, exceeding that which the standard would certify. NSF Standard 53 addresses systems designed to reduce specific health-related contaminants, such as lead, VOC’s, MTBE, and other contaminants that may be present in public or private / tap drinking water. Our elements have been tested to remove or reduce 200+ typical contaminants found in tap water and other freshwater sources—this exceeds that which the standard would certify. The tests we have conducted are much more rigorous than those required by NSF for the certifications required. Our filters have been rigorously tested by third-party independent accredited labs far surpassing the above standards 42 and 53. For example, our systems have been tested for the removal or reduction of hundreds of contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceuticals. These test results are published and available to all our consumers on our USA manufacturers website and our UK / EU sites under test results and published in our printed literature. In addition, there has also been other highly publicized and notable testing by Water Filter Lab of our filters against other similar water filtration systems which clearly back up our third-party testing. The cost for NSF certification is also very expensive. Each configuration of each system would have to be certified. If you include the sport bottle and all water filtration systems offered, that’s 16 separate certifications (times 2 standards). At an estimated cost of $10,000 per system configuration, that’s around $320,000, plus yearly maintenance fees. As you can see, it’s difficult to justify the cost required, just to obtain certifications that the elements already exceed. Waterfilterlabs.com - Toxic elements removal graph Vs other brands on the market  Top ↑ |
Should I be concerned about Coliform Bacteria?Coliform bacteria are not pathogenic (disease causing) organisms but are a natural part of the microbiology of the intestinal tract of warm-blooded mammals, including man. Total coliform bacteria are a collection of relatively harmless microorganisms. Coliform bacteria can be found virtually everywhere – in soil, on skin, on animals, insects, in lakes and rivers, etc. Coliform bacteria are indicator organisms, which are used, in water microbiological analysis. When coliforms are present in unfiltered raw water, it is presumed that the larger disease causing organisms (pathogens) accompany them. A specific subgroup of this collection is the fecal coliform bacteria, the most common member being Escherichia coli. These organisms may be separated from the total coliform and are associated only with the fecal material of warm-blooded animals. Fecal coliforms or E-Coli, is a particular type of coliform bacteria. Their presence in drinking water is more serious than other coliform bacteria because they are disease causing, and also indicate that drinking water has been contaminated by sewage or animal wastes that may contain other disease causing bacteria. Black Berkey™ purification elements have been tested with over one billion E.coli microbes per liter (lawn growth). This contamination level is greater than 10,000 times the colony formation (number of pathogens) typically used when testing a filtration element for its ability to remove E-coli. The results showed no detectable pathogens present within the filtered water (effluent). The water was then incubated. Again, no pathogens propagated and none were detectable when inspected under an electron microscope. For more information about coliform bacteria, please please click here Top ↑ |
Are the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements or Berkey PF-2™ and PF-4™ recyclable?We don’t recommend the recycling of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements, PF-2s or PF-4s. The shells of the Berkey PF-2™ and PF-4™ are made of Polypropylene, which is Recycle Code 5. Uses of Polypro (for short) include catsup bottles, yogurt containers, margarine tubs & medicine bottles. However, there is no recycle code for the Berkey PF™ elements. As we understand it, a recycle code cannot be assigned since the element is sealed and contains material inside for arsenic & fluoride reduction. To recycle, one would have to cut the element open and remove the material before recycling the plastic shell. The same issue applies to the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements. The complex matrix of materials involved in the manufacture of the BB9 elements does not allow the elements to be easily classified by a single recycle code. In addition, with both of these types of elements, there is no way of knowing what contaminants are in the media after use. Top ↑ |
How do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements handle Chloramine over time?At this time, NMCL does not have specific testing regarding Chloramine reduction, over time. However, the elements are far more than just standard carbon block or carbon-based elements. While their exact composition is a proprietary trade secret, it can be stated that one major component utilized is high grade coconut shell carbon, as opposed to regular or granulated activated carbon (GAC). Current research information indicates that Coconut Shell Carbon outperforms regular GAC for reduction of Chloramine and other potential contaminants. Another very important factor in Chloramine reduction is contact time. Many regular home filter systems operate under pressure, significantly reducing the amount of time the water is in contact with the filtration media. Since gravity is used for water filtration in a Berkey system, the contact time with the media is much longer. This extended contact time has a direct impact on the media’s ability to reduce Chloramine and other potential contaminants. NMCL is continually exploring additional element testing. One such set of tests currently under discussion includes longevity testing for such potential contaminates as Fluoride, Chloramine, Arsenic, etc. Top ↑ |
How should I store my Black Berkey™ Purification Elements and how long is their shelf-life?It is best to empty both chambers before storing because anytime water is still it becomes stagnant, which means it can produce bacteria. You may consider washing your chambers with soapy water before leaving them to dry. If you have used your elements, you should fully dry them before storing. We 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 and cleaned at the same time. Another option for drying your elements is to leave them on a window sill for one to three day and allow them to air-dry. The key is to ensure they are bone-dry before storing them, to prevent any bacterial growth. For long term storage, we recommend sealing the purification elements. This can be done with a storage bag such as a sealable sandwich bag. The elements are extremely powerful and can absorb odors and smoke from the air. By sealing them in a storage bag, they will not absorb any odors from the air. When you are ready to use use your elements, they will need to be re-primed by scrubbing them clean with a scotch brite pad or stiff brush. In theory, the shelf life of the elements is indefinite. Top ↑ |
Black Berkey™ Purification Elements Test ResultsPlease find links below to independent test results of the Black Berkey purification elements. Top ↑ |
Why do the log reduction levels differ for varying Berkey® element tests? Some laboratory results show testing to greater Log reduction (example: 99.9% vs. 99.99999%) than others.“…The quantitation limit of an individual analytical procedure is the lowest amount ofanalytein a sample which can be quantitatively determined with suitable precision and accuracy. The quantitation limit is a parameter of quantitative assays for low levels of compounds in sample matrices, and is used particularly for the determination of impurities and/or degradation products…” REFERENCE: The reduction level chosen is the lowest amount of potential contaminants in a sample that can be accurately determined, given the laboratory test equipment available. This value is determined following EPA protocols and verified by an annual EPA audit. Various laboratories offer different log reduction levels for which they can test. Typically, the higher the log level of testing, the higher the cost per contaminate. In other words, testing to Log 4 reduction levels costs much more than testing for Log 3, etc. It is a function of cost vs what log levels are necessary for customers to determine the effectiveness of our elements in removing a broad range of contaminants. For example, it may cost the same amount to test 200 contaminants at Log 3 (99.9%) reduction, 20 contaminants at Log 4, or two contaminants at log 5. The feedback from our customers indicates that most of them would prefer testing on a broader range of contaminants tested at 99.9% reduction than a much narrower list of contaminants tested at a higher log. In general, 99.9% reduction is sufficient for static contaminants such as chemicals and heavy metals whereas dynamic contaminants, such as biological contaminants, which can multiply, require greater precision testing (higher log reduction). The reduction level achieved can fall above the detection limit or below the detection limit. Either way, the actual reduction levels reported are calculated using the quantitation limit, which provides the percentage reduction levels reported by the individual laboratory. It is important to note that >99.9% reduction denotes that the actual reduction levels are “greater than” 99.9%”, which exceeds the maximum log testing target and implies a greater log reduction is taking place than that which is being reported. Moreover, the human body is a remarkable piece of engineering capable of effectively eliminating many varieties of contaminants. The purpose of water purification it to prevent the body from becoming overwhelmed with such high levels of toxins that the body can no longer effectively eliminate them. It is NMCL’s goal to provide purification and filtration systems that are able to remove and reduce as many toxic contaminants as is possible without removing the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs. Top ↑ |
Why do your instructions say : “Do not allow filter to freeze?”We strongly advise against freezing your elements as a general rule of caution. We also advise against storing the elements (even unused) in sub-freezing climates. The concern with freezing the elements is that any cold or freezing water will expand inside in the element, thereby increasing the pore size and ruining the element. Whether the elements are unused or used and fully dried out, a small amount of moisture could still exist inside the element, especially in predominately humid climates. This moisture could expand inside the element and render them unusable. Please note that this recommendation applies to ALL our Berkey® elements, including the Sport Berkey® water filter bottle element. Freezing your element and rendering it unusable will also void your warranty coverage. Top ↑ |
What is the thread size for the Black Berkey™ Purification Element’s Stem?The thread size on the stem of the Berkey Purification Elements is 11 mm. Top ↑ |
What are the washers for the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements made out of?The washers are made of Neoprene Gasket Rubber. However, keep in mind that the washers never touch the purified water. Top ↑ |
Will the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove kerosene?Petroleum based products are some of the easiest to remove from water. The Black Berkey™ Purification Elements have been tested to remove the following petroleum contaminants up to 99.9%:
For complete lab results on the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements, please see above. However, please keep in mind that it is possible to overwhelm filtration elements. For example, removing a gallon of kerosene from a 1,000 gallon pool should not be problem (time consuming, but not a problem). Removing a gallon of kerosene from 2 gallons of water & kerosene mixed would probably overwhelm any gravity fed element. Top ↑ |
Do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove lithium?It is our understanding that Lithium is a mineral. The Black Berkey™ Purification Elements do NOT remove minerals. Top ↑ |
Do your filters take out plastic from the water?There are various plastic materials that can be leeched into water and the most common are BPA ( Bisphenol A) and 1,1-Dichloroethane (11-DCA). The Black Berkey elements have been tested to remove both of these plastic materials. Please refer to our lab testing results above. Top ↑ |
I have found that after filtering when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this ''Floaters''?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. Top ↑ |
Do your Black Berkey purification elements filter out all the drugs/pharmaceuticals that are in our city-water?We have no way of knowing exactly what potential contaminants may be is in each city’s water. We do know that our Black Berkey™ purification elements filter out some drugs/pharmaceuticals. Please see above to view our most recent test results. Top ↑ |
Why is my PH level higher after using the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements?When water is filtered through our system, the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements increase the PH level of the water. This is healthful because pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments and have difficulty surviving in alkaline environments. An environment with more alkalinity does have a higher PH level. The PH level will depend on various factors including what the PH level of the pre-filtered water is. Top ↑ |
My Water is cloudy after filtering trough the PF2 Fluoride filters? What am i doing wrong? It's been in the system for few days.This means there is too much media in your PF-2’s. Otherwise, it’s bacteria build up because you are letting water sit for longer than 2 – 3 days in an area that is too warm for the Berkey. Remember, bacteria thrive in a dark, wet environment and when the lower chamber has no chemicals to protect the water, you’re going to get coliform bacteria start to grow. Make sense? Is this PF2 water or water that has been sitting? for few days? Top ↑ |
Can I use my Berkey Waterfilter system to purify water from my home dehumidifier?Dehumidifiers that use refrigeration will have cold metal tubes to turn water vapor from a gas to a liquid. According to the EPA, stagnant condensate water can harbor biological contaminants, including mold, mildew and algae, especially if the collection bucket isn’t cleaned regularly. These contaminants have the potential for causing diseases such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and humidifier fever. Evaporation trays in air conditioners, dehumidifiers and refrigerators should also be cleaned frequently. Moreover, the condensate can contain lead and other metal residues from the component parts of the dehumidifier. Unlike distilled water, dehumidifier water is never sterilized through boiling so we do not recommend this. The Black Berkey™ Purification Elements are capable of removing the various potential contaminants that are typically found in dehumidifier water. However, NMCL / Berkey Waterfilter manufacturer always recommends using the cleanest water source possible and does Not recommend using dehumidifier water in your Berkey® system on a regular basis. However, IF no other water source is available during an emergency, the water from a dehumidifier could be used, on a short term basis only. Normal Tap water or Rainwater are best to use in your Berkey System. Top ↑ |
The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?Yes it is normal as this is a gravity filters and there will always be a little water left in upper chamber, and not unusual for the last 1.3 cm. to 2.5 cm. 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 chamber. The lower the water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure available to force the water through the micro pores. You may have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than when half full. That’s because there is more water pressure. The only way to remedy this problem would be to enlarge the pores of the filter elements. This would of course, reduce the efficiency of the Berkey purification system. During each cycle the water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the current cycle and is then purified. There is no need to be concerned about the excess water during normal use. Should you however discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as during a vacation, it would be best to empty both chambers before departing and leave them upside down to dry on the dish rack. Top ↑ |
What are the Berkey filters made of and how can they last for so long time with constant usage ? Can you please explain for me as most filters on the market don,t last as long as the Berkey filters. ThanksMICROFILTRATION The first line of defense is that Berkey purification elements are composed of a proprietary formulation of more than six different media types, all constructed into a very compact matrix containing millions of microscopic pores. These pores are so small that they produce what we refer to as a “Tortuous Path” that pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, VOC’s, detergents, cloudiness, silt, sediment and sedimentary minerals, foul tastes and odors must travel through. These paths are so small that these pollutants physically cannot pass through them and become trapped, eliminating them from your drinking water. This process is known as microfiltration. ADSORPTION Secondly, our media formulation uses unique adsorption and absorption properties. Adsorption works to create an ionic barrier similar to surface tension. This barrier is perfectly suited to the micro-porous water filter because it effectively allows the tiny pores to block water contaminants that are smaller than the pore size itself. This blocking process is how theBerkey® water filter is able to remove submicron viruses that other brands of water filters cannot, without the use of obnoxious chemicals like iodine or chlorine. Next, the heavy metals ions (mineral molecules) such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, aluminum, and other dangerous heavy metals are extracted from the water through an Ion exchange process where they are attracted to and transformed by electrically bonding to the media. FLOW RATE Finally, Berkey® systems are so effective at removing contaminants from water because of the extremely long “contact period”. Other filtration systems rely on water pressure that forces water molecules through the elements at 60-90 PSI. These water molecules come into contact with the filter media for a mere fraction of a second. By comparison, water molecules passing through the structure of the Black Berkey®elements are drawn gently by gravity and stay in contact with the media for a long period of time. This allows the filter media to be more efficient in capturing contaminants. This advanced technology was developed, refined, and proven through years of diligent, investigative research and testing performed by water purification specialists, researchers, and engineers. The flow rate or time of exposure through the Black Berkey® purification elements has been calculated to yield the greatest volume of removal of viruses, toxic chemicals, and bacteria. Top ↑ |
Does my Big Berkey filter Purification Elements remove Glyphosate? I was reading about this and would like to know this thanks. I can’t find this in test results on your page.Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide & pesticide. Glyphosate is primarily released into the environment via runoff water and predominately applied as a spray for agricultural purposes. This contaminant has recently become the topic of discussion because of its association with acute or chronic exposure leading to various potential health problems. The EPA has extensive information published about Glyphosate, particularly about it being in drinking water. Black Berkey™ Purification Elements will reduce Glyphosate in your water by greater than 75%, exceeding the laboratories reporting limits. Please check out our Organic Test results as well. Additional resources for glyphosate can be found through the Environmental Working Group and the National Institutes for Health on Google. Top ↑ |
Have been using my system for about 12 months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably. Do I need to replace the filters? Why has this slowed down? Do i need to clean them maybe?No need to change the filters. Unlike other filtration elements, the Black Berkey filters are cleanable and should be cleaned every 12 months and Re Primed. What typically causes the filters to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro-pores of the elements. Simply remove the elements from your system, and clean the Black Berkey element by scrubbing the exterior of each element under medium hot running water with a Berkey Brush cleaner or a Dishwasher brush or toothbrush. (medium hard) It’s simple to do and takes less than a minute per element. Just scrum them pretty hard and make sure you scrum all sides of the filters and then Re prime and set up again. Do this every 12 months. Top ↑ |
I live in London and we have a water from Thames Water. I asked them about the Fluoride and they told me it,s a low level of naturally occurring fluoride in our water. Need to buy the fluoride filters or can i just use the original Black Berkey filters?No. The Berkey PF2 Fluoride filters are not necessary as the level of fluoride in London is really low. However a lot of people choose to use them as they don,t want any fluoride in their water and they also remove the Arsenic from their water. This fluoride filters are the most powerful fluoride filters on the market and they remove 99,7% and we highly recommend using them if your water has an added fluoride. Fluoride is added to the water in small part of UK. Then it,s added in most part of Ireland,s drinking water and Spain as well. As said before we highly recommend using the Fluoride filters to those areas with added fluoride. Top ↑ |
My friend has a Reverse Osmosis filtering system. How does reverse osmosis and Berkey purifier systems compare? Are Berkey Better then Reverse Osmosis?Reverse Osmosis uses a membrane which removes many contaminants from the water. It is usually paired with a Granulated Activated Charcoal filter to remove chlorine and many mount under the sink usually. The semipermeable membrane separates many contaminates (which usually have a larger particle size that water) from the water and rejects a large amount of water in the process. The result is a waste of several gallons of water for every gallon filtered and many naturally occurring minerals (including calcium and magnesium) are also removed from the water. These minerals are NOT removed in Berkey systems and this minerals are Essential for our bodies. Most test results and comparison sites do recommend Berkey Filters as No1 filter system on the market today so Yes we recommend Berkey filters instead of Reverse osmosis as the Berkey gives you a perfectly clean and pure drinking water without taking any good minerals out. Also. Carbon filters like Berkey are recognized by the EPA as the best option for removing chemicals like herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals VOCs and all harmful chemicals in our water.. High quality carbon block filters like Berkey will remove chemicals, pesticides, bacteria, fluoride (with PF2 Fluoride filter attachment), heavy metals, nitrate, nitrites and parasites while leaving the essential minerals in the water our body needs.. This Berkey filters are gravity based and can safely transform any type of water into safe drinking water including rain water, pond water. Top ↑ |
What happens if I use my Black Berkey™ Purification Elements after 3,000 gallons?We determine the typical lifespan of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements by their ability to reduce heavy metals. The breakthrough of heavy minerals can occur at about 23,000 liters. Heavy metals can leach through beyond 23,000 liters. However, the elements can be used beyond that point because other reductions continue well beyond 23,000 liters. Top ↑ |
Since the filter has pores fine enough to remove viruses, does it get clogged frequently?The proprietary filter formulation used in Black Berkey™ Purification Elements makes up for the incredibly small pore size by utilizing an exponentially greater number of micro pores in each purification element than that found in other filter elements. This is the reason Black Berkey™ Purification Elements produce approximately 8 times more water per hour than other elements. While some of the surface pores will clog up from contaminates, it is difficult for such contamination to overwhelm all of the pores and thus clog up the filter. Eventually the majority of surface pores may clog up slowing down the flow rate of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements. When this happens the filter can be refreshed by simply brushing the outside of the element with a ScotchBrite® pad or toothbrush. This will remove the surface pores that have become clogged. Therefore, even though the filters have such small micro fine pores, the element will not clog up prematurely. Top ↑ |
How does the filter element in the Berkey® system deal with viruses?The micro fine pores are so small that they prevent micro fine particulate such as bacteria, viruses and even food coloring particulate from passing through the tortuous path that water is able to pass through. These contaminates are trapped in the micro fine pores while the much smaller H2O molecules are not. This method separates the contaminates from the purified water. Top ↑ |
Do the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements remove Chloramine?
Please refer to the test results above.
Brand new black berkey testing results that show the Berkey removes Chloramines, Pharmaceuticals, BPA, Lead, Arsenic and other heavy metals and much more from your water. This highly anticipated round of testing was recently completed. Please see the above answer
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Do your Black Berkey™ elements reduce fluoride in the water?No, in order to reduce fluoride in your water, you will still need to use post filters that work in conjunction with the filters in your system. We have the Berkey PF-2™ Elements which are used in conjunction with the Black Berkey™ purification elements and will remove 99,999% of Fluoride from water. Top ↑ |
Can I use the Berkey® system with softened water?The Black Berkey™ purification elements are designed to remove heavy metals, but will not remove mineral salts, which are added by a water softener. The salt in softened water has the tendency to clog the pores of the BlackBerkey™ element. You can use one of our purification systems on a regular basis by bypassing your water softener to get your drinking water. Most water softeners have a bypass valve or way to get water before it passes through your softener. Therefore, we highly recommend that you obtain pre-softened water directly from the source rather than run softened water through your Black Berkey™ Elements. Top ↑ |
I have found in my water after filtering and when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this?With respect to the little white floaters in the water after filtering, 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. Top ↑ |
Do these filters remove calcium etc which create limescale - in other words would they be suitable for my espresso machine which is particularly sensitive to limescale formation?Lime scale/calcium is considered a mineral and will be read as such . – With regards the TDS reading and minerals in the water. Our technology does not remove ionic minerals from the water - it does however remove sedimentary minerals. In order to reduce the heavy metals, we use several types of media in our formulation that have a specific affinity for heavy metals. We do not include however, any media in our formulation that would remove beneficial minerals. Because the media formulation does not have an affinity for beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium, these minerals pass right on through the elements. When you test the post filtered water with your TDS meter, you are verifying that the beneficial minerals have not been removed. The ppm that is being registered in the post filtered water indicates the parts per million of beneficial minerals that remain in your water. Top ↑ |
Hard Water and Soft WaterWhat is the taste of "HARD" water? and why is limescale building up in my water kettle ?
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What is the TDS reading of the purified water?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 the healthful and beneficial minerals in your water 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. Top ↑ |
What should I do if the flow rate in my system is very slow?If you just purchased your Berkey® system and the filters are hardly filtering water, the problem is typically due to high water tension. This high water tension prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements. Your Black Berkey™ elements need to be primed and cleaned to purge this air out and allow water to flow through them. Included with your Black Berkey™ elements is a tan priming button and instructions for priming. Please remove your elements from the unit, prime your elements and then install them back in your unit. This should fix the slow flow rate problem. If the flow rate slows down considerably at any time during the life span of the elements, the problem can be easily remedied by re-cleaning the elements. What typically causes the elements to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro- pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system and scrub the exterior of each element with a ScotchBrite® Pad or stiff toothbrush or any other pad. Scrub a section of the element until you see a bit of black on the pads and then move to the next section. This simple process should take only a few minutes. Re-prime each element and then reinstall it in your unit. Your flow rate should be restored. (Never use soap or detergents). Top ↑ |
What is the red food coloring test and how do I do it?The Black Berkey™Purification elements are powerful enough to remove red food coloring from water. Performing a red food coloring test on your Black Berkey™ Purification elements allows you to ensure that your system is operating properly.. The red food coloring must be artificial food coloring. See here a Link to Original Red Food colouring from USA in our shop https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/collections/special-filters/products/artificial-usa-red-food-colouring-10ml-glass-bottle use artificial red food coloring such as McCormick (can be bought here in our store) Find the Red Food USA 10ml bottle in our shop under ''Special Filters'' or similar non-name brand (do not use natural or organic red food dye; as they will not work and give a false fail to this test even through the filters may be working 100%).
If the food colouring is organic or has mineral based ingredients, the Black Berkey Elements will read that as minerals and allow that color to come down. GUIDELINES
PERFORMING THE TEST
IF RED FOOD COLORING IS DETECTED, PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING:
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How do I prime the Black Berkey Purification Elements when water pressure is unavailable?The micro pores on the Black Berkey purification elements are extremely small, in fact they are small enough to filter food coloring out of water. The benefit from having such extremely small pores is greater efficiency at removing pathogenic bacteria and other contaminates. The downside is that too much water tension can require that the purification elements be primed before they will flow properly. When you receive the purification elements, they are dry and air is trapped within the tiny micro fine pores. In certain parts of the world, water has more water tension than in other places and this can change from season to season. The higher the water tension, the more difficult it is for the water to force the air out of the micro fine pores using gravity alone. The pores that have air trapped within them do not allow water to pass through and therefore become an inaccessible passage for the water. This then causes the system to either filter very slowly or not at all. Before traveling to and using the system in an area without water pressure we recommend that the purification elements be primed using the priming button. If this however is not possible and water pressure is not available to use the priming button method, the elements can be primed approximately 50% by using the below method. In other words using this method, the elements will not purify as fast as they will by using the priming button method however they will run significantly faster than if the elements have not been primed at all. The alternate priming method is as follows: STEP 1: If your system is assembled, remove the purification elements from the upper chamber. Next, fill the lower chamber with water, then place the purification elements into the water in the lower chamber, upside down with the stems facing upward, and put a ceramic coffee cup (or something else that will hold them under the water) on top of each purification element stem to force the element down under the water. Let the purification elements soak in the water for several hours. This will force some of the air out of the stubborn pores. NOTE: Make sure that opening in the stems of the purification elements are not underwater as we want the water to be forced through the pores rather than entering through the hole in the stem. STEP 2: The inside of the purification elements should now be full of water and significantly heavier. Try to keep as much water on the inside of the purification elements as is possible as you reassemble the purification element into the upper chamber by keeping the stems facing upward. Empty the water from the lower chamber and place the upper chamber back onto the lower chamber. Immediately fill the upper chamber with water. When the purification elements have water within the bore (inside core), more force is generated to draw water through the purification element. This is because the water that drips out of the purification elements also hydraulically pulls new water into the purification element as the purification element begins to work like a siphon. Thus, in addition to the "Push" of gravity, there is also a hydraulic "pull" and this drastically improves the ability of the water to force the air from the micro pores. The above method is less efficient than priming the purification elements with the priming button but should be about 75-80% effective in clearing the blocked micro pores. Let the water in the lower chamber run to waste and refill the upper chamber with water. Your Black Berkey elements are now primed and ready for use. Top ↑ |
What is the Micron rating of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements?With respect to the micron rating, NMCL does 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 their purchasing decisions based on a micron rating that can be legitimately distorted and to a significant degree. Based on the information above, 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™ Purification 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. Top ↑ |
As oestrogen is far more damaging than progesterone to the body, I would like to know if in fact the Berkey does remove this?I have seen a test carried out by Berkey which shows it removed progesterone in water. The test did not show anything about oestrogens but when I researched water filters Berkey came up as the only filter that removes disruptors as reverse osmosis and ionisations does not. As oestrogen is far more damaging than progesterone to the body, I would like to know if in fact the Berkey does remove this? We don’t claim drug removal from the water. What we do say about pharmaceuticals is in this Faq section above. Wish we could say otherwise – one thing is for sure then that natural progesterone that is formulated without mineral oil or propylene glycol as its wetting agents are incredibly good for men and women. Top ↑ |
What should I do to maintain my Berkey system?
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When will you ship my order?All products are shipped the same day if ordered before 3pm. For UK orders we use DPD who will deliver the following Working Day from dispatch. We will provide a tracking number on the day of dispatch for you to track your consignment on the DPD website. Top ↑ |
How fast will my water filter purify tap water?The system will purify up to 13.3 litres per hour with 2 x Black Berkey filters inside (or 26.6 Litres per hour with 4 x Black Berkey filters inside). In real terms, this equates to approximately 1 glass of water per minute. Top ↑ |
How can I store my Berkey PF-2™ or Berkey PF-4™ post filter elements after I’ve used them, but before they reach their life expectancy?As far as we know, the Berkey PF-2™ Elements can be stored in a refrigerator, short term; but definitely don’t store them in a freezer. If you do store them in this manner, we recommend re-purging the Berkey PF-2™ post filter elements, for up to 1-minute each in both directions, before using them again. Top ↑ |
My Berkey tap is leaking... First it was ok and now after 2 weeks of usage the tap is leaking a few drops where the washer is. Why is this happening?Please tight it harder. That is why it's leaking. Use a screw key to tight it in the back (inside the chamber) You can also turn the rubber washers in the opposite direction and tight it up again. This will work :) Top ↑ |
Do Berkey® Water Filter Systems Leach Aluminum Into Your Drinking Water? Activated Alumina and Aluminum are Not the Same, and Why You Need to Know the Difference.Do Berkey® Water Filter Systems Leach Aluminum Into Your Drinking Water Activated Alumina and Aluminum are Not the Same, and Why You Need to Know the Difference. Tap water quality is a major cause of concern for many consumers who are If fluoride is one of the main contaminants with which you are concerned, you may see the terms “aluminum”, “alumina (aluminum oxide)” and “activated alumina” being used interchangeably on different websites or social media posts. Sometimes this is due to innocent misunderstanding by uninformed individuals casually reviewing water filtration systems. But sometimes, mixing up the three terms and providing blatant misinformation occurs intentionally in order to create doubt and to discredit legitimate products (such as our time-proven Berkey PF-2® Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements) for the purpose of marketing their own water filtration products whether they sell directly or are paid commissions as affiliates when people purchase a product by clicking on links in their articles or links listed in the comments sections of their videos. The aim of this article is to set the record straight regarding irresponsible and false claims that some alumina-based fluoride reduction filters, such as ours, leach aluminum back into filtered water—and to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to researching water filter systems. While aluminum can pose health risks, alumina and alumina oxide are inert and their properties are as different from aluminum as chlorine is from sodium chloride (table salt). First, we’ll examine the differences between aluminum, alumina (aluminum oxide) and activated alumina, which are terms that sound very similar, but are absolutely different materials in their composition and use. Next, we’ll answer the question, “Do Berkey® systems leach aluminum into the water they are supposed to be treating?”. We’ll also take a look at the limitations of standard aluminum testing protocols and why you should properly prime Berkey PF-2® Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements to flush away traces of alumina fines, which may cause water to appear cloudy, affect taste, or be detected by a TDS meter (causing unnecessary alarm). View the full article here. Top ↑ |
Does the Berkey Filters remove Hormones like Estrogen and other types of Hormones?We do not have testing for hormones at this time. However, since the Black Berkey® Purification Elements are capable of removing viruses from a water supply, they should be able to remove hormones. See full list in any of our test results. Thank You. Top ↑ |
Is the MS2 – Fr Coliphage still known to be a good indicator of virus filtration? Do you have tests on any other viruses?MS2 and Fr Coliphage are two separate viruses with two different removal characteristics. That is why they are used as surrogates for other types of viruses. These viruses were selected, by both the EPA and the Military, because of their small size relative to other virus strains and the difficulty in removing both strains. They each are approximates 24-26 nanometers in size which makes them among the smallest of viruses. To see their relative size, we suggest that you visit The University of Utah Cell Size and Scale Chart. These viruses are comparable in size on that chart to the Rhonivirus. Therefore, MS2 and Fr Coliphage are the ideal viruses for use as indicators of a purification systems ability to remove viruses. Special Notes: To understand the difference between the size of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, we suggest the following web link as it will give you a great visual of the difference: The University of Utah Cell Size and Scale Chart. Slide the scale at the bottom to see the size of virus vs bacteria vs other potential contaminates and magnify to greater levels. The fact that Black Berkey® purification elements have been tested to remove viruses to greater than the EPA purification standards suggests that contaminates larger in size, such as bacteria, should also be removed. The MS-2 virus is 24-26 nm in size. The Fr Coliphage virus is 25nm in size. In other words, they are smaller than the hepatitis virus at 45mn and the rhinovirus at 30nm both referenced on the chart. For more information on the MS-2 virus: MS-2 – Wikipedia Top ↑ |
Is there any danger of bacteria in the water? - We tested on normal strip test and it didn’t show all bacteria was gone? Still showing small amount? Why is this?This can be tested yes. But It is extremely important to do the test via professional health lab and not with any kind of strips like u used. Top ↑ |
How often and how do i clean the Black Berkey® Purification Elements?Black Berkey® Purification Elements 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 or harder 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. Top ↑ |
Regarding the PF2 Fluoride filters - Can my in house water filter or other waterfilters on the market remove Fluoride without any additional Fluoride filters? Why do I need to buy additional Fluoride filters?
Why do I need to buy additional Fluoride filters? - Why does the Black Berkey Filters don’t filter out fluoride? - Can you please give me detailed answer of why I need to add extra filters? Beware of claims that gravity filtration elements can remove fluoride without any need for separate fluoride reduction elements i.e. “All-in-One” filter elements. Fluoride is a very difficult contaminant to remove from water, and a great deal of fluoride reduction media is required for long-term reduction. In order to validate such claims, our team had an independent lab evaluate the two most popular “all-in-one” carbon-based filter elements. Both claim they remove fluoride without any need for separate post filtration elements designed to specifically target fluoride contaminants. What the tests revealed was quite shocking. The Results
Take a look at the table below. The influent water level in this test was spiked with fluoride to 2.10 mg/L or higher. The columns “Effluent Fluoride” and “Fluoride % Reduction” show the filtered fluoride levels. The second “all-in-one” carbon-based filter element tested reduced fluoride by 83.7% at 50 gallons , and 64.4% at 100 gallons. Take a look at the table below. The influent water level in this test was spiked with fluoride to 1.84 mg/L or higher. The columns “Effluent Fluoride” and “Fluoride % Reduction” show the effluent (filtered) fluoride levels.
The Bottom Line While most carbon-based filters will initially reduce fluoride, they typically experience a drastic decline in their effectiveness usually within the first 50 gallons or less. In order to ensure long term fluoride reduction, a separate fluoride reduction filter is required, as this provides the proper amount of media and proper contact time in order for effective long term fluoride reduction to take place.
Take a look at the table below. The influent water level in this test was spiked with fluoride to 3.75 mg/L or higher. The columns “Effluent Fluoride” and “Fluoride % Reduction” show the effluent (filtered) fluoride levels.
Under normal contamination conditions, the media in a set of Berkey PF-2™ Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements has been calculated to reduce fluoride for up to 1,000 gallons. See full details on our page for PF2 Fluoride Filters here Top ↑ |
I see a blog / website saying PF2 Fluoride filters are fake and not filtering out as they claim? Can you please respond to these claims and are they true?Please be assured that there is nothing here to be worried about. Over the years we have multiple people trying to disregard the Berkey® Brand and writing up articles / blogs or social media posts with no legal claims or official test result like this post you are referring to. Berkey brand is usually rated No.1 in water purification in most countries and this brand has been around here in UK & Europe for almost 20 years now and there have been multiple official and verified laboratory tests over the years that we stand by and are official and verified. Let me explain everything to you in details below. If you take a look on your provided website, firstly you can see that the person who wrote the article is promoting another brand in the end of the article. Secondly, he did not post any official test result, so we can not take any credibility for this test results on his website. There has been many different post on the internet and on social media post / groups over the years from people trying to disregard the Berkey brand and many more water filters brands to promote their own brands of their affiliate brands / links. You can also see that he only posted a screenshot of ‘’Marketplace’’ website purchase and there are various sellers that sell Berkey product there and some of them are not verified or authorised Berkey sellers, meaning - Berkey item that are sold on online marketplaces are not always genuine Berkey filters. Unfortunately there are many lookalike and non authentic filters being sold on the internet these days and we highly recommend you check the original seller status of the seller on that marketplace website and make sure this was bought from a verified Berkey® seller - so this person who wrote the article needs to show who exactly who the seller is that he bought this from. - Seems like this purchase is from Canadian seller on online marketplace website and this is not sold through us or our network of verified sites. Online marketplace sites does not always check the authenticity of products sold on their websites through third party sellers usually. Anyone can start to sell anything on these online marketplace websites and authenticity is not always guaranteed. To see all the verified and official sellers of Berkey you need to go to manufactory website and click on International Authorised dealers and see if that seller is authorised seller or not. If not then he might have bought none authentic Berkey product or some after sale or rebranded products that is not original Berkey - Please see our article here about verifying Authenic Berkey Filters https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/pages/buyer-beware-verifying-authentic-berkey-warning-for-counterfeit-filers If you take a better look at the website in question you can clearly see that he has been recommend Berkey for removing Fluoride from water before but now he put a waring sign and put 2 online marketplace affiliate links that basically give him money for some other water purification brand that he trying to sell on his website by discredit Berkey brand. TDS Meter reading questions in same post / blog article For your concerns regarding the TDS meter When our customers use a TDS meter, what they find is that the reading both before and after the water has gone through the Black Berkey elements about the same. And they are correct. The Black Berkey elements do not take out all of the beneficial minerals. Thus, of the things that a TDS meter will actually detect, the Black Berkey elements will only remove the unwanted heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide and aluminum. A TDS meter does not measure the amount of biological and chemical contaminants. The important thing is to not simply rely on a TDS meter for your measure of whether your water is good. You can have low TDS count water that has harmful bacteria in it. You can have high TDS count water that is perfectly safe (e.g. – pure, unpolluted ocean saltwater…albeit, you wouldn’t drink it, but that’s only because the mineral is salt). Thus, make sure you know what your TDS meter is actually telling you. We will need to see official lab test results to have a better understanding of what we're dealing with, but you are correct in that a test strip is not the optimal way to test the purified water. In the United States, we recommend that our customers perform a Red Food Colouring test on the Black Berkey® Purifiers. - These drops and details can be found on our website PF-2 fluoride filter leaking chemicals? - Is this true? Regarding the PF-2 fluoride filter are leeching something dangerous in water, this would have been noticed years ago if this were true This brand as stated above has been rated as No.1 brand on most Health websites all over the world And there are multiple official laboratory test over the years and some can be found on our website. Those tests are real and verified from official laboratories So if someone does a laboratory test in their home or in their own lab on Berkey they need to show the brand on the water filter test, laboratory name , name of the specialist or technician who took the test , everything need to be official and legal and legitimate person to perform and back up the test results This website / blog link you posted is basically a post disregarding the Berkey Brand and there are no verified laboratory tests on this blog site to back this claims up It is extremely important that the water sample was collected using Berkey® Water Collection Protocols. (See link here from USA site) If these protocols are not followed to the letter, it can contaminate the sample and cause a false positive. PF-2 filters contain high-grade activated alumina (Al2O3), which currently is the most efficient media available for extracting fluoride from water. They are completely harmless the active material in the PF-2 filters is alumina which is AlO3, aluminum trioxide, this is a recognised method to remove fluoride and alumina is an inert compound and therefore has no toxic effects. An inert compound does not react chemically with living tissue. Alumina is not aluminium. - Please understand this 2 is not the same There are multiple articles about this online and we suggest you do the research yourself as well about Berkey Waterfilters and Alumina and PF2 fluoride filters performance against other fluoride filters on the market - We can not post these here as these articles are from other and independent companies and health websites - Please do online search on the internet and see for yourself the articles about this topic and tests This is explained in details from BigBerkey Waterfilters in USA on their site with references from Wikipedia + Stanford University in USA at the bottom of the article (we can not post the link here as it’s from another site not related to our company) - Please search online for this as we can not post links from other sites here Please see full and verified laboratory test results here https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk/pages/faqs#black-berkey-purification-elements-test-results For further information, around 2 months ago we have the same question from multiple customers from a social media post from a lady in Dublin who took her own water test in Dublin, Ireland and claiming that Berkey was failing test result but when our management team take a closer look it was showing that the test result don’t even show this was from Berkey brand and no proof of purchase or proof of purchase from a authorised Berkey seller was shown. - She did not want to post her sellers name as well for some reason We have the same situation here on your provided website / blog site, - we need to see the official test result from him if he is claiming all this otherwise it is no point to take this seriously. Please see again that most of these posts are people trying to discredit the brand by pushing their own affiliate links or their own products as these links are showing. - At the bottom of the article you can see this person is posting affiliate links for his own filters (that he probably gets money from or sell himself) And as stated before we have had many posts over the years but most of the time these post are from people who try to discredit Berkey brand or other water filter brands and wanted to sell their own brand. Please also find more articles for more information regarding our Berkey system here below Please see our full FAQ page for all details and full verified laboratory test results Top ↑ |
When is it time to clean your filters? How often should you clean them?Cleaning the elements should be done when you experience a drastic slow down in your flow rate. See the Video below: You may consider cleaning your elements on a consistent basis. 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. 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. 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. Please click here, for more information regarding the use of the Berkey® system with softened water. Top ↑ |
I want to ask about mold in our Berkey that we see after few years usage?Mould is never a good thing to find, especially in your Berkey water filter® System.
The good news is, mold can be easily removed and prevented. Mould growth is in the upper chamber of the Berkey® System, where the unpurified and raw water enters the system, though in some cases it can pop up in the lower chamber as well
Removing mold Remove the Black Berkey ® Purification elements and scrub them with an abrasive pad or toothbrush. Reprime the elements to flush out any old water. The Black® Purification elements are self-sterilizing, which prevents any bacterial growth inside the filter. To clean the stainless steel housing, wash both the upper and lower chambers with warm water and a few drops of plain bleach that doesn't contain any artificial scents or additives. The bleach will effectively remove the mold and kill off any bacteria in the chambers. After these steps are completed, you can reassemble the system and begin purifying your water again. Preventing mold There are two common causes of mold growth. The first is that water has been allowed to sit in the system for too long. We recommend changing the water in the system regularly . If you plan to leave town for an extended period of time, empty the system and follow the proper storage procedures for the filters.
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My Berkey filter seems to have overflowed? Why is this?
When the lower chamber is partially filled up please be careful not to overfill the upper chamber as this could cause the lower chamber to overflow.
For example, if the lower chamber is 1/2 full the upper chamber can be refilled by 1/2. If the lower chamber is 1/3 full then the upper chamber can be refilled by 2/3 etc.
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I was reading a post about counterfeit / Fake systems being sold on online Marketplaces websites as ''Berkey'' - Does this mean my system is not original? I bought mine from Amazon few years agoWe can NOT Guarantee the authenticity if your Berkey system is bought on online marketplaces. We DO NOT sell our Berkey systems on Amazon, Ebay or any of other marketplaces websites. Please check the authenticity of your purchase and make sure the seller is authorised and is selling original products if you decide to buy from online marketplaces. Top ↑ |
Why is there 2 different logos between my Big Berkey and Travel Berkey systems? Is there any difference on the performance or how they work?Berkey Manufacturer in USA introduced new logo on some systems late 2021 and there is no difference on the performance, filters or the system itself. Top ↑ |
I have another question not answered here.Please feel free to contact us and we will do our very best to help. Top ↑ |
How do i assemble my Big Berkey Water Filter?Please see the Video link below with full instruction on how to assemble your Berkey system. Top ↑ |
How can i Prime and Clean my Black Berkey Filters??Please see the video below Top ↑ |
