👀 Thanks for the review and constructive feedback! We do recommend removing filters when traveling to avoid damaging the Black Filter Stems, we also now have a travel tote that comes with a padded filter case! Keep up the good work, we love you too ❤️❤️
Sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me!
If you guys hadn't thought about it yet... regarding the 'lip', you guys could invert the bump (and move it to the bottom compartment) so that it pokes inwards instead of outwards, leaving the top compartment to slide 'over' the bottom compartment, thus reducing contamination issues. Should be a pretty easy design fix. This would leave a singular 'smooth' finish on the outside. Though a small additional lip around the top compartment could reduce seepage.
I've been running all my cooking and drinking water through my Berkey for over 15 years. PUR and Brita are OK, but I clean the Berkey filter every year, and replace every two or three years - rather than every two months. The Berkey is all stainless, so I clean it with BLEACH once a year. A guy selling filters at the farmer's market tested water from my Berkey and said it was the purest water he had tested.
@NumptyMagnet I use a wet non scratch pad/ sponge and lightly brush over the black filter and then rinse it. I was amazed the first time that I cleaned them at how much "gunk" they had trapped. I love my Berkey.
We bought a big berkey several years ago, running tap water through it. Works so great. Coffe, tea, soup everything taste so much better. After our 12 year old doggie passed, we got a white Maltese puppy. With regular tap water he had a bad problem of red tear eyes. When we started giving him berkey water, his red tears stopped and cleared up, pure white ever since. Love our berkey.
I made my own. It still cost $150. It's the filters that cost you. 2 food grade buckets, 2 filters, and a spigot. Works perfectly. However we don't use ours to filter already clean water. We needed a way to get potable water in case of an emergency. The berkey needs a lot of help filter lake/river/pool water. Pre-filter the water first, then run it through the berkey then add chlorine bleach 2 drops per quart. The berkey does not remove bacteria/viruses. Let it set for half an hour. Drink all you want. If you let it set 48 hours the bleach will evaporate, but whiles in there it kills all micro-organisms. You can not just start pouring lake water in the berky. The filters will clog very quickly and your water will be full of micro-organisms. Be safe everyone and happy self-sufficiency (prepping). Yes you are a pepper if your thinking about these kinds of things.
The berkey water filter removes 99.9999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of viruses. It purifies water. I have the berkey and grayl and both purify water. I have used stream water and drank it after filtering without issues.
I had one. It took up a lot of space. I ended up going back to Pur pitchers. The water tasted better and I liked the ease of cleaning and replacing filters. For me it’s all about simplicity.
both of the problems you mention can be solved by having a plastic bag that fits the bottom container and wraps around the inverted top steel container. No contaminants touch the clean insides of the storage. No filth or dust can reach the filtering drains through the closed off plastic bag ;) Still I agree that the lid fitting both possible configurations, i.e the normal filtering mode and the compact transportation mode, would be awesome to see in future upgrades! Thanks for the idea!
The Berkey first caught my eye in a cute country store. Ooh, that gorgeous shiny cylinder!! The price did shock me at first. Then, I read all the info & did some research. Cost per gallon would be MUCH less for improved filtration. I went back and bit the $200 bullet. Upfront, yes it seems a lot. But years later I have no regrets. The Berkey is not just pretty, it’s much more efficient than our filtering pitchers. Aesthetics aren’t everything, but I have to say, I enjoy having it on display! Ala Marie Kondo, it brings me joy!
Been using Berkey couple of months now, love it. My dogs seem to be drinking ALOT more water I have noticed so I know their health will benefit from the Berkey. If I get 5 years on those filters I will be thrilled.
I got my Berkey in 2011. It is one of the best things I've ever bought. Wish I had purchased it sooner. The water tastes great and will make your coffee better too!
Have used a Berkey since 1968, when the housing was ceramic. Turned a Doctor on to it and he with his friend (another doctor) ran spiced rum through it. The rum was no longer spiced. It was clear instead of brown.
@@grakkerful They had more. The rum still had an alcohol level, just not spiced any more - size of the molecule. One of those research projects done while you're 3 sheets to the wind. Although I did well in college Chem. class, because I don't use it, I forgotten most of it. Guess that's why the filter says 99.9%. Alcohol molecule is small enough to get through and I assume they knew its size before they started
I love my Berkey. I have well water, but around here everyone has septic tanks that drain onto leach fields, and uses Round-Up and other harsh chemicals regularly. Sometimes the tap water tastes terrible. The Berkey really helps and won a blind taste test with half a dozen friends. One thing, though: If using lake or river or other wild water, I'd consider using cheesecloth or even a cotton towel in some sort of a strainer arrangement too, just to keep out the larvae, eggs, and sediment blecch. It will keep your filters clean longer and give you peace of mind regarding what's living in your top chamber.
As Chief Engineer of Berkey filtration systems, I appreciate you taking the time to show us the issues you have found with our product in real world applications. We will do our very best to........just kidding I'm not an engineer, but I probably had some of you going😁
I purchased my Big Berkey in '99. We were on well water then so I'd hoped to remove or at least minimize the rotten sulphur egg smell our drinking water. The sulphur doesn't harm us to consume but who likes to smell rotting egg when you're gulping cool clear water.?..... nobody of course.!. The Berkey removed about 95% of the sulphur smell from our well water.!.!. Except for the rare prolonged power outages ... 2 since '99 ... I've run nothing but well water through my Berkey. Since I'm the kind of person who's not 'settled' if I don't live by running water, its those times I simply walked a short distance with a couple 5 gallon buckets & my family of then 6 children had plenty to drink. At the time of purchase I bought a total of 8 filter elements. I'm still using my 1st 4. My only maintenance costs during this elapsed time was for a new dispensing spigot after a visiting child used it to support his body entire weight while the Berkey sat on the counter. I support corporal punishment so the child never returned. Berkey is the one of the most sound & wise decisions you can make in life.!.!.!.
i really appreciate your review.. I'm also glad to know that you have been using the Berkley for 7-8 years, that alone is reassuring to know you still love and recommend..
@@WholeBibleBelieverWoman Pur and brita are scams. I haven't tested the Berkey but it needs to be tested.You can buy cheap PPM "thermometer" and nitrate strips to test your water easily.
@@xaza7774 I've been using Berkey for 9-10 years now. LOVE IT. I do not perceive any need for testing, but go ahead and test it. It's one of the best on the market.
@@WholeBibleBelieverWomanNSF certified pur filtered water for example was putting out 257-260 PPM (particles). Same as my tap water. Bottled water was 20-24 PPM. Also a ph test on pur water was acidic which is not good. NSF certified means nothing as it's self governed (privately owned) and not a government identity as many believe.
@@WholeBibleBelieverWoman Undecided on the Berkeley. I am currently using zero water filtration pitcher. But I'd like to use one that is connected to my kitchen faucet that works well.
Awesome video. I would still boil from streams, etc. When you consider 1 drop with a load of spiroketes, especially in years with high spirokete loads, yeah, I'd strongly recommend boiling it, after it's filtered. It's nice to know that you can flip the top into the bottom. I wasn't aware of that. It looks like an o-ring when used for camping especially, might be a good idea.... a big rubberband basically, to seal it. If you have animals, even with tap water, their bowls can get slimey with even tap water. If ANY dirty water gets into the bottom, even a drop, I'd boil it. Good info! TY!
I have in line water filter on my RV Hose then purchased a 20 cup Zero water. I just made the the best and smoothest cup of coffee ☕️ I have had. It’s smoother than Starbucks. So double filter from reasonable priced filters is really working well
Great video! I'm looking at purchasing one now. . . Your ideas are great. Berky should pay you for this practical informative video about their product! Hope they do see your ideas and use them. Thanks so much from the Goodman family NZ 👍🏽
This was excellent. Very well presented. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I ordered one 30 minutes before I saw this video, and was hoping for a positive outcome. Whew! Appreciate this very much.
The idea of making the lid with a deeper lip on it is excellent. I would still boil water from a lake, stream or river first just as an added precaution.
I have the small Berkey as part of my preparations, but use Brita for now because my municipal supply is pretty darn good, but the day that turns off, and I have to harvest rain water or something, I sleep well at night knowing that my Berkey is right there on the shelf ready to go
The Berkey has been the best purchase of my family's life. I plumbed in a pot filling spigot that's installed on the side of one of our kitchen cabinets to fill it up. It's amazing. We have the six gallon crown and fill it up about every 2-3 days.
I would think the filters should essentially last forever. They are ceramic and I don't think they lose their filtering properties with age. I know they start to clog up and just like you said to take a scotch brite pad and scrub it back to almost new. My camping/backpacking water filter is basically the same thing but pressurized and you just scrub that too, it even comes with a square of scrubbing pad.
We bought our Berkey Travel back in November when we moved into our temp home before we fulltime RV next year. We figured we’d get it early to help filter the crappy tap water we have here. Best investment ever. The filtered water has tasted excellent since we got it. I am amazed by how bad the tap water is here, the sediment builds up on the bottom of the filters. I need to clean them every 2-4 weeks. For the two of us, we keep a one gallon container full of filtered water at all times, using it for tea and coffee every day to keep it fresh, plus we will fill our water bottles and glasses from the Berkey. We go through at least 1.5 gallons a day, possibly 2. Brita is basically useless, the Berkey has already paid for itself by us not having to buy bottled water.
Sorry troll but they do work and I have used the red dye test on mine, worked like a champ. We have been using our Berkey for a few years now and are very pleased and satisfied with it performance.
Totally valid "concerns" that you made a good case for, hopefully someone will make accessory products for. Another idea is to use a fabric to cover the bucket you are pouring "pond" water into, to pre-filter/strain out some of the larger particles, before pouring that into the Berkey Filter System.
I live in the UK, in a country where tap water is completely safe to drink. If you also live there, you know that there's an ever increasing demand for bottled water despite the many alternatives.I understand filtered water solutions such as a Brita can do the job, however you would be impressed by the amount of my friends who still prefer bottled water! And usually those are immigrants or expats who lived in countries where tap water is not safe! They say bottled water is "safer, you know exactly the mineral composition of the water each time, and so it has a great taste". Filtered water should technically enhance the flavor, but it does not recreate premium bottled water, such as Evian or Volvic. Full disclaimer: I do not work for this company. Since I live in London, I came across this startup called "Sküma" claiming to recreate and miniaturize the bottled water process, at home from your tap! This seemed interesting since it limits plastic waste and recreates the same purity, mineral composition and taste as other bottled water. Being an expat myself, I can see this being a viable long-term solution for people with similar background or tap water concerns.
I live in Canada and I use a Brita but I have never changed the filter. When I bought it I never saw a difference and it’s $$ for what it does. I always end up drinking from the tap or bottles. I’m really curious about this product, have you tried it?
@@laurafidalgo485 It seems they have still not launched, I am signed up to their waitlist to secure my spot! Will try to give you an update on how it goes!!
Great review!Have a zero filter and it works great.Cartridge for the zero will last 30 days stretching it and cost between $10 and $12 each.Berky makes sense.
Thank you! 'm thinking about buying a Berkey, but I wanted a good testimonial that gave a realistic description of the pros and cons of daily use along with the reality of using it in emergency/off grid situations. Yours is the best review I've seen, and you did a great job explaining how it works in each situation. BTW, Amazon does now sell the "Big Berkey" and lots of accessories , although they, like everyone else, are sold out right now due to C-19 panic, but you may want to go ahead and link that here too. Thank you again!
Yeah, and a saran wrap around where the two vessels meet would solve the "oops, dirty water ran down the side and contaminated the bottom chamber" thing.
I live near a natural spring. Folks from all around go there with containers getting the water. I'm gonna get myself a Berkey and filter the spring water.
I can not thank you enough for educating me. I'm in my 60's and really have concerns about my cities ability to supply truly quality water . They Claim it's safe but, actually check it yourself and you will find as I did. There idea of safe quality water is not mine . So thank you again for a much safer alternative.
@Being Reality Offering an affiliate link isn't the same as selling it. Someone buys a device. They review it and then in the description put a link for you to buy it. The link will take you to the seller. The only difference will be that the link will tell the seller where you arrived at their store from (which affiliate) and then they can track which affiliates are giving them the most traffic/sales. And you can always look up the same item separately from their affiliate link once you get to the site. Although, affiliates can tread the line to being sellers when they accept payment for reviews, which I believe Amazon tries to monitor for.
Very informative video! Berkey really should be paying attention to you since you are advertising their product and also the fact that I’ve seen a lot of people, here on UA-cam, who are Mobile (RV, Vans, Tiny home living, etc) who use the Berkey system for clean water purification, it only makes sense that Berkey would want to listen, since there seems to be a large number of individuals transitioning to this lifestyle. Berkey would be wise to consider some revisions and or modifications to best address the needs for Mobile users. 👍🏼
I bought mine for $5 at a garage sale! I would just put each one in a big zip lock bag and store them separately in the camper. Berkey could make the top one to have a lip that comes over the bottom one so the dirty water won't run into the bottom one. What about overfilling them?? That is what happens at our house. I finally put a catch basin underneath, actually a glass deviled egg tray, it catches the water when we fill it to full.
For those who complain about the price, keep paying for bottled water and see how cheap that is....who buys a water filter for a short time? No one...it's a long term investment and the Berkey beats anything else out there by a country mile! After having one for over 14 years now it has easily saved me over $10,000,,,I will never be without it!
@@adondriel Most people cycle it through daily, which seems to be frequently enough not to have to worry about much, as long as you are careful not to contaminate the lower chamber, and keep the unit clean. If you like drinking cold water, just keep some quarts of it cold in the refrigerator.
I bought the Big Berkey because my well water has a colorful film floating on top. After my habitual adherence to all instructions putting the berkey together with the black filters and the fluoride filters I also followed the instructions in running the water through it the number of times it said. Even after doing this several more times than instructed the final water coming out still has the film on top after sitting in a cup for a few minutes. It doesn’t have that film when I use a Zero water filter but they don’t last as long as I’d like so I finally settled for a counter top water distiller.
I do the stream, swamp water, etc.. biggest thing you can do. Prefiltered the water through an elcheapo filter even a handmade charcoal gravel filter...
We just use the 2 black carbon cartridges and 2 white fluoride cartridges ($150 or so for all 4 ) and used two 5 gallon pickle buckets and it's worked very well for the last 9 years
2 ... 6 gallon plastic buckets with lids available for free from your HEB bakery Walmart bakery they get icing delivered in these buckets and if you're nice to the manager she will give you two of them with the lids then I get the Berkey carbon cartridges the black ones that go in the top and the white fluoride cartridges that screw onto the bottom of the carbon cartridges I screw the bottom lid to the bottom of the top bucket so there's no shifting and drill two small holes to accommodate the black filter cartridge Outlets Spigot is also available on Amazon from Berkey so you can have a $300 Berkey setup for half that price
@xeepromx I use 2 stainless steel Nuts and Bolts and I either use old Berkey filter rubber washers or I'll cut up an old inner tube to eliminate leaks between the bottom of the top bucket and the lid of the bottom bucket but the stainless steel won't rust and the 6 gallon plastic buckets are approximately three times the volume of the stainless steel Berkey Factory unit
Why wouldn't you just buy a 30 dollar Sawyer Squeeze that can also be used as a gravity feed filter? It purifies water down to 0.1 micron, and is back-flushable to last forever.
@@spuriouseffect Even better, Sawyer makes an "all in one" kit that has a portable pouch, the cleaning syringe, the filter, a bucket adapter, AND a faucet adapter...... For $50.00 And it can filter up to 540 gallons per day. With a lifespan of 100,000 gallons, using 2 gallons per day means it will last 137 years. It does seem to be a much better deal than the Berkey doesn't it? No massive water tank taking up counter space. [EDIT] and the big Berkey can only filter 3-1/2 gallons per hour(7 gallons if using double filters) compared to the Sawyers 540 per day.
Thank you so much this was really really helpful and I wasn't aware that you could use Lake water river water and that's what I want and I love that it's gravity fed so we don't have to worry about electricity!!😊
finally, a video showing how the darned thing nests inside itself for transport! i have looked everywhere, even emailed the company- who told me that you MUST take the whole thing apart before nesting to travel... considering i'm looking at a TRAVEL berkey, this should have been easier jnfo to discover. thankya!! considering the failure of the lid to cover the ends of the filters when nested, i'm already imagining looking around for a lid or shallow pan (maybe cake pan) that would fit the bill. fyi, they sell a padded travel bag for any berkey, but it's pricey, like $50. a diy would not be too challenging tho.
That lid covering it upside down is a great idea and pretty much common sense. Hopefully they will redesign it that way. Good job. Good info. I will be getting one soon.
If you are using visibly dirty water, filter those obvious particulates out with a cloth, or a t-shirt, or a coffee filter, then run it through the Berkey. Don't clog up your expensive filters and reduce their lifespan when you can easily strain out the non-microscopic stuff.
I think when Berkey refers to storage of the filter, they are referring to long term storage. At which point you should be cleaning it before and after storing it. Similar to when you store something like a dishwasher, fridge or washing machine, you need to clean them and dry them before and after storage.
The ability of the Berkey vs. Brita filter is absolutely no comparison. While the Brita may filter (in a somewhat crude way), the Berkey is a true purification system, considered the best on the market.
Great item we have one in our Motorhome it also removes plastic particles which are present in all plastic water bottles. The Peace Corps uses these all over the world!
Nice review! When you run dirty water through it, do you let it settle first in the bucket and then just pour the top half? Rather than boiling water to clean it, how about just saving a quart of the last batch of filtered water for cleaning purposes?
You make good points but i wouldn't consider this a portable/camping item unless you had it in an rv or something. I like my berkey, my biggest gripe is the plastic spout and the plastic threads on the black elements. The spout i paid for a stainless one online. The plastic threads are very delicate i don't know if they can make them coarser or of different material. It is also inconvenient to have to prime them. Mine slowed to almost no flow before i realized i have to reprime it every 4-6 weeks. Probably less often if you use more water/have the top chamber filled constantly. Still love my berkey. No more pool water from the tap for me.
We have had our Berkey since last fall and love it. I do find that where the two sections meet it will seal and I have to lift the top up a little to break the vacuum so the water comes out of the spout. It doesn't happen often but it is well worth the money. I did look at a under the sink system and for a few thousand dollars? And Berkey uses no electric. I keep about 10 gallons in jugs in case we lose electric. We have a fairly clean creek on the property so there is always a source, just in case. Thanks Much for your report on your Berkey! Peace! DaveyJO in Pa.
I used to have a client who owned a Berkey. She loved it but in filling it for her I noticed some of the exact flaws you've mentioned here. That's one of the reasons I never got one for myself. The upfront costs are also, as you say, quite high which put a damper on getting one for me as well. Counter space is also an issue for me as I live in a very small RV. As you were speaking I started wondering if they could put locking mechanisms (like you find on steamer trunks) on the outside for assisting in transporting the setup "as is" instead of taking it apart and inverting it. It also might help to actually create a threaded system between the two water bins to help keep them tight during times of movement. I definitely hope Berkey sees your review and addresses the flaws in their current design. It would be nice to finally have one of my own.
@@SergeyPogreban You can drink rainwater, but it should be filtered. because there may be dirt in the air that gets stuck on the raindrops depending on where you live. There are places on earth where they recommend people to use rainwater instead of groundwater because it is not clean. type India.
So what’s stopping a person from making their own Berkey with buckets and gravity filters rated for the same amount of gallons as the berkey filters at a fraction of the cost? You can find filters rated for around the same amount of gallons for around $20 bucks and buckets and a spigot for close to nothing
1. Never ever run unboiled river water just through a filter. You are asking for it. 2. 8 years? No dude. You have particles embedded so deep into the filter it wont flow, so you try to push contaminants through the filter by scrubbing them in. A quick rinse is all you should do. 3. People who camp should learn to make a filter that does the same thing, for FREE with only forest materials.
How do the filters prevent bacteria from growing in the filters themselves? I understand that when the filters are brand new they filter out the bacteria in addition to other things, but once the filters are exposed to bacteria on the outside, what prevents the bacteria from infiltrating the filter itself and growing in the filter?
I'm paying about $10 each for Pur filters, and changing 'em out every other month, so call it $60 a year but more like $75 a year so 2 years = 150 and 4 years = 300.
Instead of storing the Berkey water filter system by the recommended method, I would place disposable plastic bags over the top and bottom of both separated clean and dirty water units to keep sanitary conditions separated between components. I would use the bags as waste containers afterward that I could dispose of later in a recommended garbage deposit location.
you should get a "Zerowater" filter system which is another gravity-fed pitcher but it comes with a total dissolved solids tester TDS so you could use that tester to test your source water test the water after it comes out of the Berkey and then test the water after it comes out of the zero Water filter pitcher. You'll thank me later
For those dusty rides in the back of the truck: Drop your filters down inside the canister, then put the lid on. Better than wrapping it in a garbage bag.
Took my Berkey to the Amazon Jungle for 6yrs, wow I am here to write about it. When it comes to a persons health CHEAP can cost a life. 2 Berkey filters run 4,000 gals. MY LIFE IS WORTH THE $$ OF THE BERKEY FILTER. (have you had a professional test your Brita/Berkey water?)
For the problem of dirty water running down the sides when filling, just put a garbage bag around it - obviously cut a hole in the bottom of the bag then slide it over the Berkey and pour the dirty water in the center, trying not to put much on the bag. Any that slops over the sides will just run down the bag.
im moving out soon, and want a simple solution for just myself. i think i will consider the GO berkey for $175. the filter longevity is really selling it for me
Look at my post about on how to build your own 16 quart Burkey for the same price. You'll be glad you did. They're are videos on UA-cam showing how to do it
Berkey has competitors that offer much the same thing. Check out comparison videos. One competitor has a filter that lasts nearly 2x as long as the Berkey and filters out more stuff. Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/9hLPyDoISFM/v-deo.html
@@gorillagoalie23 your video is excellent, Kurt. I learned alot & plan to make one. I also have the Berkey Go, as we have hurricanes & often have to evacuate
I just bought a Berkey since I can't find distilled water anymore. But Berkey doesn't distill & I can taste it. I do have the peace of mind in knowing if utilities fail I have water I can drink and don't have to run to the store. Worth it. Looking for a way to upgrade to distilling. Berkey is my phase 1 and safety water. But I love the taste of distilled. Searching. Any resources out there?
We take our Berkey to the lake every summer. You could have put the entire Berkey into a plastic garbage bag while traveling... If you're camping you certainly have garbage bags. Or you could made your own cover for it like we did out of an Aldi bag. I cut it to size and super-glued it together at the seams and glued a velcro strap to keep it tight.
Years of disposables, do you notice how they gain weight. Like they’re trapping something. I got a Berkey a few years back for SHTF, started using it an can’t quit. An easy habit. It’s the best spigot in the House. We make n take water for hiking an such. Always good. It’s worth the wait and savings. We stopped bottle service, it payed for it in no time.
Question is Berkey filtered water cleaner then distilled water. I use a lot of distilled water in humidifier, CPAP machine etc. Distilled water is in short supply NOW so can you used Berkey filtered water in place of distilled water?
I bought one but the filters inside kept coming unglued and floating to the top, I called them and they said must have been a bad batch of filters and sent e more but they did the same thing they would come apart and float to the top. I didnt want to use common glue on them so I sold the thing
Heads up....If you read the fine print on the Brita water filters, it clearly says that it does NOT remove chlorine, but only neutralized the smell and taste. So there is still chlorine in the water after going through the Brita.
👀 Thanks for the review and constructive feedback! We do recommend removing filters when traveling to avoid damaging the Black Filter Stems, we also now have a travel tote that comes with a padded filter case! Keep up the good work, we love you too ❤️❤️
Goated
Sorry to be so offtopic but does someone know of a method to get back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid forgot the account password. I would love any help you can offer me!
@Cayson Reign instablaster ;)
If you guys hadn't thought about it yet... regarding the 'lip', you guys could invert the bump (and move it to the bottom compartment) so that it pokes inwards instead of outwards, leaving the top compartment to slide 'over' the bottom compartment, thus reducing contamination issues. Should be a pretty easy design fix. This would leave a singular 'smooth' finish on the outside. Though a small additional lip around the top compartment could reduce seepage.
@@caysonreign2079 try to reset your password. Is it connected to your phone number or email maybe. You could potentially verify that way. Good luck
My only regret with my Berkey is I didn’t buy it sooner. Love it
I've been running all my cooking and drinking water through my Berkey for over 15 years. PUR and Brita are OK, but I clean the Berkey filter every year, and replace every two or three years - rather than every two months. The Berkey is all stainless, so I clean it with BLEACH once a year. A guy selling filters at the farmer's market tested water from my Berkey and said it was the purest water he had tested.
@KK R - I use the Pure filter in my bathroom, but I suspect they are similar.
@NumptyMagnet - with a brush.
@NumptyMagnet I use a wet non scratch pad/ sponge and lightly brush over the black filter and then rinse it. I was amazed the first time that I cleaned them at how much "gunk" they had trapped. I love my Berkey.
came over to UA-cam from Amazon while researching water filter pitchers. Down the rabbit hole and this guy sold me on a Berkey system!
5:09 - If Berkey is a smart company, they're paying attention to you. Great review, by the way
Exactly what I thought!
We bought a big berkey several years ago, running tap water through it. Works so great. Coffe, tea, soup everything taste so much better. After our 12 year old doggie passed, we got a white Maltese puppy. With regular tap water he had a bad problem of red tear eyes. When we started giving him berkey water, his red tears stopped and cleared up, pure white ever since. Love our berkey.
I have a friend with a dog that has that. I'll let her know!
I made my own. It still cost $150. It's the filters that cost you. 2 food grade buckets, 2 filters, and a spigot. Works perfectly. However we don't use ours to filter already clean water. We needed a way to get potable water in case of an emergency. The berkey needs a lot of help filter lake/river/pool water. Pre-filter the water first, then run it through the berkey then add chlorine bleach 2 drops per quart. The berkey does not remove bacteria/viruses. Let it set for half an hour. Drink all you want. If you let it set 48 hours the bleach will evaporate, but whiles in there it kills all micro-organisms. You can not just start pouring lake water in the berky. The filters will clog very quickly and your water will be full of micro-organisms. Be safe everyone and happy self-sufficiency (prepping). Yes you are a pepper if your thinking about these kinds of things.
The berkey water filter removes 99.9999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of viruses. It purifies water. I have the berkey and grayl and both purify water. I have used stream water and drank it after filtering without issues.
Wouldn't you like to be a pepper too?
Haha
I had one. It took up a lot of space. I ended up going back to Pur pitchers. The water tasted better and I liked the ease of cleaning and replacing filters. For me it’s all about simplicity.
You are a gai boy
both of the problems you mention can be solved by having a plastic bag that fits the bottom container and wraps around the inverted top steel container. No contaminants touch the clean insides of the storage. No filth or dust can reach the filtering drains through the closed off plastic bag ;) Still I agree that the lid fitting both possible configurations, i.e the normal filtering mode and the compact transportation mode, would be awesome to see in future upgrades! Thanks for the idea!
The Berkey first caught my eye in a cute country store. Ooh, that gorgeous shiny cylinder!! The price did shock me at first. Then, I read all the info & did some research. Cost per gallon would be MUCH less for improved filtration. I went back and bit the $200 bullet. Upfront, yes it seems a lot. But years later I have no regrets. The Berkey is not just pretty, it’s much more efficient than our filtering pitchers. Aesthetics aren’t everything, but I have to say, I enjoy having it on display! Ala Marie Kondo, it brings me joy!
🙂
Been using Berkey couple of months now, love it. My dogs seem to be drinking ALOT more water I have noticed so I know their health will benefit from the Berkey. If I get 5 years on those filters I will be thrilled.
I got my Berkey in 2011. It is one of the best things I've ever bought. Wish I had purchased it sooner. The water tastes great and will make your coffee better too!
Have used a Berkey since 1968, when the housing was ceramic. Turned a Doctor on to it and he with his friend (another doctor) ran spiced rum through it. The rum was no longer spiced. It was clear instead of brown.
Well that's a rather fucked up thing to do to perfectly good rum.
Yes, those "doctors" need to see a doctor (psychiatrist, prefarably)! Cheers!
@@grakkerful They had more. The rum still had an alcohol level, just not spiced any more - size of the molecule. One of those research projects done while you're 3 sheets to the wind. Although I did well in college Chem. class, because I don't use it, I forgotten most of it. Guess that's why the filter says 99.9%. Alcohol molecule is small enough to get through and I assume they knew its size before they started
@@panamapatti3364 Haha, context makes all the difference! I'm sure that I would have done the same.
They made ceramic housings? I'd love to get one of those. Time to scour eBay. Or are you referring to ceramic "candle" filters?
I love my Berkey. I have well water, but around here everyone has septic tanks that drain onto leach fields, and uses Round-Up and other harsh chemicals regularly. Sometimes the tap water tastes terrible. The Berkey really helps and won a blind taste test with half a dozen friends. One thing, though: If using lake or river or other wild water, I'd consider using cheesecloth or even a cotton towel in some sort of a strainer arrangement too, just to keep out the larvae, eggs, and sediment blecch. It will keep your filters clean longer and give you peace of mind regarding what's living in your top chamber.
As Chief Engineer of Berkey filtration systems, I appreciate you taking the time to show us the issues you have found with our product in real world applications. We will do our very best to........just kidding I'm not an engineer, but I probably had some of you going😁
I purchased my Big Berkey in '99. We were on well water then so I'd hoped to remove or at least minimize the rotten sulphur egg smell our drinking water.
The sulphur doesn't harm us to consume but who likes to smell rotting egg when you're gulping cool clear water.?..... nobody of course.!.
The Berkey removed about 95% of the sulphur smell from our well water.!.!.
Except for the rare prolonged power outages ... 2 since '99 ... I've run nothing but well water through my Berkey. Since I'm the kind of person who's not 'settled' if I don't live by running water, its those times I simply walked a short distance with a couple 5 gallon buckets & my family of then 6 children had plenty to drink.
At the time of purchase I bought a total of 8 filter elements. I'm still using my 1st 4.
My only maintenance costs during this elapsed time was for a new dispensing spigot after a visiting child used it to support his body entire weight while the Berkey sat on the counter.
I support corporal punishment so the child never returned.
Berkey is the one of the most sound & wise decisions you can make in life.!.!.!.
i really appreciate your review.. I'm also glad to know that you have been using the Berkley for 7-8 years, that alone is reassuring to know you still love and recommend..
I have been using a Berkey for 10 years and I also still love it and recommend it!
@@WholeBibleBelieverWoman Pur and brita are scams. I haven't tested the Berkey but it needs to be tested.You can buy cheap PPM "thermometer" and nitrate strips to test your water easily.
@@xaza7774 I've been using Berkey for 9-10 years now. LOVE IT. I do not perceive any need for testing, but go ahead and test it. It's one of the best on the market.
@@WholeBibleBelieverWomanNSF certified pur filtered water for example was putting out 257-260 PPM (particles). Same as my tap water. Bottled water was 20-24 PPM. Also a ph test on pur water was acidic which is not good. NSF certified means nothing as it's self governed (privately owned) and not a government identity as many believe.
@@WholeBibleBelieverWoman Undecided on the Berkeley. I am currently using zero water filtration pitcher. But I'd like to use one that is connected to my kitchen faucet that works well.
Awesome video. I would still boil from streams, etc. When you consider 1 drop with a load of spiroketes, especially in years with high spirokete loads, yeah, I'd strongly recommend boiling it, after it's filtered.
It's nice to know that you can flip the top into the bottom. I wasn't aware of that.
It looks like an o-ring when used for camping especially, might be a good idea.... a big rubberband basically, to seal it.
If you have animals, even with tap water, their bowls can get slimey with even tap water.
If ANY dirty water gets into the bottom, even a drop, I'd boil it.
Good info! TY!
I have in line water filter on my RV Hose then purchased a 20 cup Zero water. I just made the the best and smoothest cup of coffee ☕️ I have had. It’s smoother than Starbucks. So double filter from reasonable priced filters is really working well
Since when was Starbucks coffee smooth?
Love my Berkey! After 9 months it finally needed the filters cleaned. Was super easy and very efficient. Worth every penny.
Does the water stay cold?
@@Crystal-od5is room temperature. I just refrigerate a pitcher full.
@@kennaoconnor4633 Thank you. 🙏
I just bought the Royal Berkey today. Thank you for the great video. I’d just cover the unit when traveling with foil
Great video! I'm looking at purchasing one now. . . Your ideas are great. Berky should pay you for this practical informative video about their product! Hope they do see your ideas and use them. Thanks so much from the Goodman family NZ 👍🏽
This was excellent. Very well presented. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I ordered one 30 minutes before I saw this video, and was hoping for a positive outcome. Whew!
Appreciate this very much.
🙂
The idea of making the lid with a deeper lip on it is excellent. I would still boil water from a lake, stream or river first just as an added precaution.
Great idea.
You can find videos on UA-cam to make your own Berkey water filtration system. You still have to buy the 2 black Berkey filters that cost $155.00 now.
It's amazing how much we leern Whit this people that take their time to teach us about something that useful... tanks
Yes!!! Very grateful to You Tube & the people who take the time to share their experience & knowledge. 💓🙏
I have the small Berkey as part of my preparations, but use Brita for now because my municipal supply is pretty darn good, but the day that turns off, and I have to harvest rain water or something, I sleep well at night knowing that my Berkey is right there on the shelf ready to go
The Berkey has been the best purchase of my family's life. I plumbed in a pot filling spigot that's installed on the side of one of our kitchen cabinets to fill it up. It's amazing. We have the six gallon crown and fill it up about every 2-3 days.
I would think the filters should essentially last forever. They are ceramic and I don't think they lose their filtering properties with age. I know they start to clog up and just like you said to take a scotch brite pad and scrub it back to almost new. My camping/backpacking water filter is basically the same thing but pressurized and you just scrub that too, it even comes with a square of scrubbing pad.
We bought our Berkey Travel back in November when we moved into our temp home before we fulltime RV next year. We figured we’d get it early to help filter the crappy tap water we have here. Best investment ever. The filtered water has tasted excellent since we got it. I am amazed by how bad the tap water is here, the sediment builds up on the bottom of the filters. I need to clean them every 2-4 weeks. For the two of us, we keep a one gallon container full of filtered water at all times, using it for tea and coffee every day to keep it fresh, plus we will fill our water bottles and glasses from the Berkey. We go through at least 1.5 gallons a day, possibly 2.
Brita is basically useless, the Berkey has already paid for itself by us not having to buy bottled water.
Sorry troll but they do work and I have used the red dye test on mine, worked like a champ. We have been using our Berkey for a few years now and are very pleased and satisfied with it performance.
Totally valid "concerns" that you made a good case for, hopefully someone will make accessory products for.
Another idea is to use a fabric to cover the bucket you are pouring "pond" water into, to pre-filter/strain out some of the larger particles, before pouring that into the Berkey Filter System.
Now I Like that 🙄
I live in the UK, in a country where tap water is completely safe to drink. If you also live there, you know that there's an ever increasing demand for bottled water despite the many alternatives.I understand filtered water solutions such as a Brita can do the job, however you would be impressed by the amount of my friends who still prefer bottled water! And usually those are immigrants or expats who lived in countries where tap water is not safe! They say bottled water is "safer, you know exactly the mineral composition of the water each time, and so it has a great taste". Filtered water should technically enhance the flavor, but it does not recreate premium bottled water, such as Evian or Volvic.
Full disclaimer: I do not work for this company.
Since I live in London, I came across this startup called "Sküma" claiming to recreate and miniaturize the bottled water process, at home from your tap! This seemed interesting since it limits plastic waste and recreates the same purity, mineral composition and taste as other bottled water.
Being an expat myself, I can see this being a viable long-term solution for people with similar background or tap water concerns.
I live in Canada and I use a Brita but I have never changed the filter. When I bought it I never saw a difference and it’s $$ for what it does. I always end up drinking from the tap or bottles. I’m really curious about this product, have you tried it?
I think bottled water should simply stop being produced aka bought! The website of skuma i think is www.skumawater.com
I don’t really trust Britta as I think people think it filters more than what is but Skuma sounds like a really good option!
@@laurafidalgo485 It seems they have still not launched, I am signed up to their waitlist to secure my spot! Will try to give you an update on how it goes!!
@@ruyaworthy2428 Absolutely, this is the exact reason I have joined their waitlist!
Great review!Have a zero filter and it works great.Cartridge for the zero will last 30 days stretching it and cost between $10 and $12 each.Berky makes sense.
The only bad thing about the zero filter is that it also removes healthy minerals where as the Berkey leaves them in, or so that's the claim
Thank you! 'm thinking about buying a Berkey, but I wanted a good testimonial that gave a realistic description of the pros and cons of daily use along with the reality of using it in emergency/off grid situations. Yours is the best review I've seen, and you did a great job explaining how it works in each situation. BTW, Amazon does now sell the "Big Berkey" and lots of accessories , although they, like everyone else, are sold out right now due to C-19 panic, but you may want to go ahead and link that here too. Thank you again!
Great idea on covering the fresh water filter ports. I pray Berkey listens. We will be new users this year. Gone are the pur filters.
Cover top with shower cap, boom, no dirt.
Or saran wrap + elastic band.
or put the whole thing inside a trashbag and seal it, no dust anywhere (including where the two halves meet, doing it that way
comes with a cover
Yeah, and a saran wrap around where the two vessels meet would solve the "oops, dirty water ran down the side and contaminated the bottom chamber" thing.
I live near a natural spring. Folks from all around go there with containers getting the water. I'm gonna get myself a Berkey and filter the spring water.
I can not thank you enough for educating me. I'm in my 60's and really have concerns about my cities ability to supply truly quality water . They Claim it's safe but, actually check it yourself and you will find as I did. There idea of safe quality water is not mine . So thank you again for a much safer alternative.
did you go for the berkey or something different? cheers
thanks for the vid, i suggest u put an amazon affiliate link so that people can buy through it and you can earn a commission
berkey water filtration system is not available on amazon. Buy it directly from Berkey company.
Katherine McChesney but the replacement filters are on amazon. Free shipping too.
It’s a good product review. It would not be unfair for him to make some coinage .
@Being Reality Offering an affiliate link isn't the same as selling it.
Someone buys a device. They review it and then in the description put a link for you to buy it. The link will take you to the seller. The only difference will be that the link will tell the seller where you arrived at their store from (which affiliate) and then they can track which affiliates are giving them the most traffic/sales. And you can always look up the same item separately from their affiliate link once you get to the site.
Although, affiliates can tread the line to being sellers when they accept payment for reviews, which I believe Amazon tries to monitor for.
Retirement move to Alaska as soon as CN/US border opens. Water is an issue. Thanks for the honest review, maybe I will take a Berkey with me
Very informative video! Berkey really should be paying attention to you since you are advertising their product and also the fact that I’ve seen a lot of people, here on UA-cam, who are Mobile (RV, Vans, Tiny home living, etc) who use the Berkey system for clean water purification, it only makes sense that Berkey would want to listen, since there seems to be a large number of individuals transitioning to this lifestyle. Berkey would be wise to consider some revisions and or modifications to best address the needs for Mobile users. 👍🏼
I bought mine for $5 at a garage sale! I would just put each one in a big zip lock bag and store them separately in the camper. Berkey could make the top one to have a lip that comes over the bottom one so the dirty water won't run into the bottom one. What about overfilling them?? That is what happens at our house. I finally put a catch basin underneath, actually a glass deviled egg tray, it catches the water when we fill it to full.
For those who complain about the price, keep paying for bottled water and see how cheap that is....who buys a water filter for a short time? No one...it's a long term investment and the Berkey beats anything else out there by a country mile! After having one for over 14 years now it has easily saved me over $10,000,,,I will never be without it!
Bottled water is crazy expensive!
Where do you store it? is it all just room temp water? or do you keep it in the fridge?
@@adondriel Most people cycle it through daily, which seems to be frequently enough not to have to worry about much, as long as you are careful not to contaminate the lower chamber, and keep the unit clean. If you like drinking cold water, just keep some quarts of it cold in the refrigerator.
I bought the Big Berkey because my well water has a colorful film floating on top. After my habitual adherence to all instructions putting the berkey together with the black filters and the fluoride filters I also followed the instructions in running the water through it the number of times it said. Even after doing this several more times than instructed the final water coming out still has the film on top after sitting in a cup for a few minutes. It doesn’t have that film when I use a Zero water filter but they don’t last as long as I’d like so I finally settled for a counter top water distiller.
xanadu1jw long term distilled water I heard is not healthy j/s.
I do the stream, swamp water, etc.. biggest thing you can do. Prefiltered the water through an elcheapo filter even a handmade charcoal gravel filter...
We just use the 2 black carbon cartridges and 2 white fluoride cartridges ($150 or so for all 4 ) and used two 5 gallon pickle buckets and it's worked very well for the last 9 years
2 ... 6 gallon plastic buckets with lids available for free from your HEB bakery Walmart bakery they get icing delivered in these buckets and if you're nice to the manager she will give you two of them with the lids then I get the Berkey carbon cartridges the black ones that go in the top and the white fluoride cartridges that screw onto the bottom of the carbon cartridges I screw the bottom lid to the bottom of the top bucket so there's no shifting and drill two small holes to accommodate the black filter cartridge Outlets
Spigot is also available on Amazon from Berkey so you can have a $300 Berkey setup for half that price
@xeepromx
I use 2 stainless steel Nuts and Bolts and I either use old Berkey filter rubber washers or I'll cut up an old inner tube to eliminate leaks between the bottom of the top bucket and the lid of the bottom bucket but the stainless steel won't rust and the 6 gallon plastic buckets are approximately three times the volume of the stainless steel Berkey Factory unit
Why wouldn't you just buy a 30 dollar Sawyer Squeeze that can also be used as a gravity feed filter? It purifies water down to 0.1 micron, and is back-flushable to last forever.
@@spuriouseffect
Even better, Sawyer makes an "all in one" kit that has a portable pouch, the cleaning syringe, the filter, a bucket adapter, AND a faucet adapter...... For $50.00
And it can filter up to 540 gallons per day.
With a lifespan of 100,000 gallons, using 2 gallons per day means it will last 137 years.
It does seem to be a much better deal than the Berkey doesn't it?
No massive water tank taking up counter space.
[EDIT]
and the big Berkey can only filter 3-1/2 gallons per hour(7 gallons if using double filters) compared to the Sawyers 540 per day.
@@spuriouseffect I checked out the Sawyer on Amazon, & this thing is incredible!
Thanks for all the info. I had no idea this type of water filter existed before seeing it in tiny house tour :P
My wife and I just bought our first Bereky, “Big Berkey” we love it. 👍🏻
We’ve been mulling over a Berkey purchase for a few months for our family. Nice to have great info like this to factor in. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much this was really really helpful and I wasn't aware that you could use Lake water river water and that's what I want and I love that it's gravity fed so we don't have to worry about electricity!!😊
Great points that only someone using this for period of time would know about. Thank you.
Love my Berkey. Going on my second year with no issues. I have a spare set of filters for "some day".
finally, a video showing how the darned thing nests inside itself for transport! i have looked everywhere, even emailed the company- who told me that you MUST take the whole thing apart before nesting to travel... considering i'm looking at a TRAVEL berkey, this should have been easier jnfo to discover. thankya!!
considering the failure of the lid to cover the ends of the filters when nested, i'm already imagining looking around for a lid or shallow pan (maybe cake pan) that would fit the bill.
fyi, they sell a padded travel bag for any berkey, but it's pricey, like $50. a diy would not be too challenging tho.
$260 for a water filter is actually a great price!! Thanks for sharing the video!
I have a travel unit and my daughter has a larger unit...water tastes is great almost as good as distilled. We also have the fluoride filters.
That lid covering it upside down is a great idea and pretty much common sense. Hopefully they will redesign it that way. Good job. Good info. I will be getting one soon.
If you are using visibly dirty water, filter those obvious particulates out with a cloth, or a t-shirt, or a coffee filter, then run it through the Berkey. Don't clog up your expensive filters and reduce their lifespan when you can easily strain out the non-microscopic stuff.
I think when Berkey refers to storage of the filter, they are referring to long term storage. At which point you should be cleaning it before and after storing it.
Similar to when you store something like a dishwasher, fridge or washing machine, you need to clean them and dry them before and after storage.
The ability of the Berkey vs. Brita filter is absolutely no comparison. While the Brita may filter (in a somewhat crude way), the Berkey is a true purification system, considered the best on the market.
Great item we have one in our Motorhome it also removes plastic particles which are present in all plastic water bottles. The Peace Corps uses these all over the world!
Nice review!
When you run dirty water through it, do you let it settle first in the bucket and then just pour the top half?
Rather than boiling water to clean it, how about just saving a quart of the last batch of filtered water for cleaning purposes?
You make good points but i wouldn't consider this a portable/camping item unless you had it in an rv or something.
I like my berkey, my biggest gripe is the plastic spout and the plastic threads on the black elements. The spout i paid for a stainless one online. The plastic threads are very delicate i don't know if they can make them coarser or of different material.
It is also inconvenient to have to prime them. Mine slowed to almost no flow before i realized i have to reprime it every 4-6 weeks. Probably less often if you use more water/have the top chamber filled constantly.
Still love my berkey. No more pool water from the tap for me.
We have had our Berkey since last fall and love it. I do find that where the two sections meet it will seal and I have to lift the top up a little to break the vacuum so the water comes out of the spout. It doesn't happen often but it is well worth the money. I did look at a under the sink system and for a few thousand dollars? And Berkey uses no electric. I keep about 10 gallons in jugs in case we lose electric. We have a fairly clean creek on the property so there is always a source, just in case. Thanks Much for your report on your Berkey! Peace! DaveyJO in Pa.
I used to have a client who owned a Berkey. She loved it but in filling it for her I noticed some of the exact flaws you've mentioned here. That's one of the reasons I never got one for myself. The upfront costs are also, as you say, quite high which put a damper on getting one for me as well. Counter space is also an issue for me as I live in a very small RV.
As you were speaking I started wondering if they could put locking mechanisms (like you find on steamer trunks) on the outside for assisting in transporting the setup "as is" instead of taking it apart and inverting it. It also might help to actually create a threaded system between the two water bins to help keep them tight during times of movement.
I definitely hope Berkey sees your review and addresses the flaws in their current design. It would be nice to finally have one of my own.
Good itea about the lid having a longer lip, makes sense to me.
Great video. I’m going to start harvesting rain water for drinking & cooking water. This will be a great way to filter it
@@SergeyPogreban You can drink rainwater, but it should be filtered. because there may be dirt in the air that gets stuck on the raindrops depending on where you live. There are places on earth where they recommend people to use rainwater instead of groundwater because it is not clean. type India.
@@SergeyPogreban Minerals are in your food you are talking nonsense.
@@PUTDEVICE agree. Capturing rain water is my next goal for back up water for plants, cleaning, etc....& drinking thru a Berkey
I have been running my Burkey for 10 years now! And I just changed my filters! I won't drink any water unless it runs through my filter!
I would advise Berkey about the hard water/filter clogging problem and get a return authorization. Possibly you are not priming filter good enough, js
The lid does fit if you unscrew the filter...
So what’s stopping a person from making their own Berkey with buckets and gravity filters rated for the same amount of gallons as the berkey filters at a fraction of the cost? You can find filters rated for around the same amount of gallons for around $20 bucks and buckets and a spigot for close to nothing
1. Never ever run unboiled river water just through a filter. You are asking for it. 2. 8 years? No dude. You have particles embedded so deep into the filter it wont flow, so you try to push contaminants through the filter by scrubbing them in. A quick rinse is all you should do. 3. People who camp should learn to make a filter that does the same thing, for FREE with only forest materials.
Very good point about the dirty water running down the side (Spilling) it Will contaminate the clean water!!!
How do the filters prevent bacteria from growing in the filters themselves? I understand that when the filters are brand new they filter out the bacteria in addition to other things, but once the filters are exposed to bacteria on the outside, what prevents the bacteria from infiltrating the filter itself and growing in the filter?
Great work on this video! Feels very real. Nothing held back. Lots of info! I’ll save for this.
Hey, any idea why my Berkey filtered water has 211 ppm and my unfiltered tap water 185 ppm? I’m really wondering why this is?
I'm paying about $10 each for Pur filters, and changing 'em out every other month, so call it $60 a year but more like $75 a year so 2 years = 150 and 4 years = 300.
? Per year would be 120 dollars.
@@TheDude111 ? Every other month = $60
Phil Fen lol I didn’t catch that. Copy.
Instead of storing the Berkey water filter system by the recommended method, I would place disposable plastic bags over the top and bottom of both separated clean and dirty water units to keep sanitary conditions separated between components. I would use the bags as waste containers afterward that I could dispose of later in a recommended garbage deposit location.
Berkey offers scratch and dent models on their website. Save about $40 on a Big Berkey. Tiny scratches that were hard to even find.
you should get a "Zerowater" filter system which is another gravity-fed pitcher but it comes with a total dissolved solids tester TDS so you could use that tester to test your source water test the water after it comes out of the Berkey and then test the water after it comes out of the zero Water filter pitcher.
You'll thank me later
Good points about the dribbles into the lower chamber. Thx
For those dusty rides in the back of the truck: Drop your filters down inside the canister, then put the lid on.
Better than wrapping it in a garbage bag.
You could slip a clean plastic bag over the filter tank before inverting it into the bottom tank for travel.
Thanks for sharing, and for showing long term costs!!! God bless
Took my Berkey to the Amazon Jungle for 6yrs, wow I am here to write about it.
When it comes to a persons health CHEAP can cost a life. 2 Berkey filters run 4,000 gals.
MY LIFE IS WORTH THE $$ OF THE BERKEY FILTER.
(have you had a professional test your Brita/Berkey water?)
ive been looking for a good water filter, this just made it so much easier!! great video :) thanks!
You're welcome
Please let me know if you have any questions.
For the problem of dirty water running down the sides when filling, just put a garbage bag around it - obviously cut a hole in the bottom of the bag then slide it over the Berkey and pour the dirty water in the center, trying not to put much on the bag. Any that slops over the sides will just run down the bag.
im moving out soon, and want a simple solution for just myself. i think i will consider the GO berkey for $175. the filter longevity is really selling it for me
Look at my post about on how to build your own 16 quart Burkey for the same price. You'll be glad you did. They're are videos on UA-cam showing how to do it
How to make m.ua-cam.com/video/CjGxUAOrkrM/v-deo.html
Berkey has competitors that offer much the same thing. Check out comparison videos. One competitor has a filter that lasts nearly 2x as long as the Berkey and filters out more stuff. Watch this: ua-cam.com/video/9hLPyDoISFM/v-deo.html
@@gorillagoalie23 your video is excellent, Kurt. I learned alot & plan to make one. I also have the Berkey Go, as we have hurricanes & often have to evacuate
I just bought a Berkey since I can't find distilled water anymore. But Berkey doesn't distill & I can taste it. I do have the peace of mind in knowing if utilities fail I have water I can drink and don't have to run to the store. Worth it. Looking for a way to upgrade to distilling. Berkey is my phase 1 and safety water. But I love the taste of distilled. Searching. Any resources out there?
We take our Berkey to the lake every summer. You could have put the entire Berkey into a plastic garbage bag while traveling... If you're camping you certainly have garbage bags. Or you could made your own cover for it like we did out of an Aldi bag. I cut it to size and super-glued it together at the seams and glued a velcro strap to keep it tight.
I bought a brand new never used Berkey system with 2 filter for $14 at goodwill. The paperwork inside the box showed the price indeed was $250.
Score!!! 🙂
Hmm... since it's all metal maybe you could boil the water _inside_ the lower chamber to clean it out initially?
Years of disposables, do you notice how they gain weight. Like they’re trapping something.
I got a Berkey a few years back for SHTF, started using it an can’t quit. An easy habit.
It’s the best spigot in the House. We make n take water for hiking an such. Always good.
It’s worth the wait and savings. We stopped bottle service, it payed for it in no time.
Great review. Nice idea regarding the lid during storage. Cheers!
Question is Berkey filtered water cleaner then distilled water. I use a lot of distilled water in humidifier, CPAP machine etc. Distilled water is in short supply NOW so can you used Berkey filtered water in place of distilled water?
A smart man! these flaws are true. Great advice!
Awesome video and great information. Berkey should hire you.
I bought one but the filters inside kept coming unglued and floating to the top, I called them and they said must have been a bad batch of filters and sent e more but they did the same thing they would come apart and float to the top. I didnt want to use common glue on them so I sold the thing
They need a backpack for it!!! Nice video, thanks for sharing!!!
Heads up....If you read the fine print on the Brita water filters, it clearly says that it does NOT remove chlorine, but only neutralized the smell and taste. So there is still chlorine in the water after going through the Brita.
1 person will use, in my experience, 2 gallons a day, one for washing and one for cooking and drinking. This is just one person.
Ever tried cheese cloth over the top as you add your river water?
If so did it work well?
It looks like you could cut the threaded portion of the filters to make them shorter and then the lid would fit on top better for travel?