Your Complete Guide to Clean, Clear, and Tasty Berkey Water

Here are 4 Great Reasons Why You Should Opt for a Berkey Water Filter:

You will be in-control of what you drink which in turn gives you confidence. Knowing that your everyday drinking water runs through elements specially formulated to address 200+ typical contaminants found in tap water, you will certainly have peace of mind.

A healthier body. When you have a great-tasting water, you will be inclined to drink more of it. Enjoying a sip of your refreshing Berkey water quite often will also equate to a healthier and more nourished body.

Better-tasting water, always within reach. Because a Berkey sits right on your counter and holds gallons at a time, refreshing filtered water is always at arm's reach—for drinking, cooking, coffee, tea, and even your pets' bowls.

No installation required. A Berkey needs no plumbing, no electricity, and no special tools. Simply set it on the kitchen counter, fill the top chamber with your tap water, and let gravity do the rest—an easy upgrade for any household, and just as easy to move if you rearrange or relocate.

1. Why choose Berkey?

There are quite a lot of gravity-fed filters on the market, and all of them claim to have superior abilities in filtering your water. So why choose Berkey? It is simple. Berkey has earned its reputation as the gold standard in gravity-fed water filtration. Berkey® systems are powerful, freestanding water filter systems that sit on a counter top or stand. Simply pour treated municipal tap water into the top chamber of the system, and dispense freshly filtered water easily from the lower chamber through a handy spigot. The systems are easy to use—no electricity, tools or plumbing needed. Enjoy clean, delicious filtered water that retains the healthy minerals your body needs for less than 2 cents per gallon.

2. What can the Black Berkey Elements filter?

Black Berkey® Elements are the heart of every Berkey system. They are specially formulated to address 200+ typical contaminants found in tap water, thanks to a proprietary blend of filtration media compressed into a compact matrix containing millions of microscopic pores.

Many water filters on the market rely on simple activated carbon alone. The Black Berkey® Elements instead combine several media types that work together to reduce a much broader range of common tap water contaminants—including chlorine, heavy metals such as lead and mercury, trihalomethanes, volatile organic compounds, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and herbicides, petroleum products, and PFAS. Performance for these contaminant categories has been verified by independent third-party laboratories, and you can review the official Black Berkey® Elements test results for the full details.

Independent third-party labs have tested the Black Berkey® Elements and shown that they remove or greatly reduce the contaminants listed below:

FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS

1. Does my Berkey Filters need power?

• No need. Berkey systems are gravity-fed: water simply flows from the upper chamber, through the filter elements, and into the lower chamber—no electricity or plumbing required.

2. How will I know when to replace my Berkey Water Filters?

• 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!

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.

3. How often do I need to top-up my filter?

• When your bottom chamber is empty, then you may fill your Berkey again up to the top of your filters. In this way, your system will be filled evenly and avoid overworking your bottom chambers.

4. How can I test the efficiency of my filter?

• You can test the Black Berkey filter elements by filling the upper chamber with water, and then adding a teaspoon of red food coloring for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. Be sure to use red, as no other color of food coloring will work. If the food coloring is removed entirely, your system is working properly. If not, make sure the wing nuts on the filters are securely tightened then re-run the test. If you have the PF-2 fluoride filters installed, remove them prior to performing the red dye test.

5. How long can I leave the filtered water in the lower chamber?

• It is recommended that any water left unused for 5 days in the lower chamber be discarded

6. Can I use Berkey Filters with Water Softeners?

• We do not recommend using your Berkey with a water softener, as it may prematurely clog the Black Berkey elements and will reduce their lifespan.

7. Does Berkey Filter make water alkaline?

• All Berkey systems use Black Berkey Filters, which will take out the unwanted, acidic substances that decrease water pH, thus increasing pH by 0.5 to 1.0. By doing this, it also serves as an alkaline water filter by increasing alkalinity.

8. Can I filter salt water with my Berkey?

• No. The concentration of salt in sea water will more than likely ruin the elements fairly quickly.