Berkey Water Filters are very safe to use. Our consumers have tested the Berkey filters with waters from various sources with great results. Clean water sources are recommended to use.
For some families, they've been using their Berkey for years. However, the longevity of your Berkey Water Filters depends on how you follow the instructions of care. You still have to replace the filtering elements according to the computation stated on their site. (add link)
There are two possible methods, For the first one, it may take a little bit of a calculation. If you have a two filter Big Berkey and your used 4 gallons of water per day. You would multiply 2 (#of filters) by 3000 = 6000 (Total Life), then divide 6000 by 4 (total use) = 1500 days the filters will last, That's a little over four years! As for the second method, all you have to do is observe. The Black Berkey filters in your unit will never stop working. The rate that the filters produce water will slow down. This is an indication that the filter needs to be cleaned. This brings us to the second method. If after cleaning your elements they do not filter any faster; it is time to replace them.