You can reduce the prefiltering by using a 55 gal drum (blue plastic food grade) as a settling tank. Similar pipe path to septic, low in high out. Put a drain valve at bottom to sludge flush when it gets about 25% full of gunk.
Tim, my island nation (Tonga Island in the South Pacific) just had a volcano erupted a week ago which caused a tsunami. The main source of drinking water is rain water. Due to no warning about the looming eruption, all drinking water had been contaminated by volcanic ashes. Your suggestion here might be a helpful solution to my people with their lack of drinking water. If your system will allow Tongan to filter out the volcanic ashes from their tank...man it will be a miracle for my island people. Do you have a video of what you talking about here?
One quick tip I've found useful. After you take the filters off, put the wing-nut back on the filter. Just screw it down so that it's completely on, but still at the end. This prevents the nut from getting lost, and protects the threads on the filter - they won't accidentally get dented/scratched.
Yup I bought one of these water treatment systems last summer, the Berkey one. I am soooo happy with it. My whole family drinks tons of pure delicious-tasting water now, whereas before it was just sugary soft drinks. Best Ebay purchase I ever made!!
We have been using the BigBerkey for 2 yrs now, daily. and LOVE it! Also bought the Fluoride removal filter, too.. Bought 3 yrs extra fiters as well. The Berkey is the OLDEST and was invented for Queen Elizabeth's Court. Also, the missionaries take the Berkeys into the remote locales of the world and filter swamp water .. Just clean the filters with a 3 M green pad every 9 to 12 weeks, we have used the same 2 filter sofr 2 yrs now..
I used one for 26 months in Peace Corps. Never had any problems with periodic cleaning of the unit and ceramic 'candles' with FILTERED water and baking soda.
Cody, Love your channel since I stumbled upon it looking for a ram pump design that was easy to follow. I am fortunate enough to be a potter in my spare time, and I make my own ceramic filters with porcelain clay just fired to 1100'celcius. I use regular garden irrigation fittings that I seal to the bottom with non toxic sealant. As you say, nothing beats that filtered taste of water. All the best from South Africa. Charl Joubert
Being a big guy, 6'4" 300lbs. The hardest thing I have had to learn in my life is to NOT over tighten things. It made me chuckle when Cody was reminding me of that because he sounded just like my Grandpa.
For the cost of these filters, which do not reflect the cost of materials they are made from,they should be made with stainless parts instead of plastic,definitely some price gouging going on,stainless bases would alleviate breakage of these parts.
I saw your original video right when you first published it and have thought about buying this product ever since. Advance to present (Dec 2015) and I have been living off-grid for 5 months now. My water comes from the stream, even though it's "clean" there has been reported cases of nastiness in other local waterways. So, I am so glad I came across this video and will be buying this product or the Berkey in January. Thanks for the information and follow-up video.
I live in TN, and am on well water. I have grown to like the taste of minerals in the water over the years, never thought about the health effects though.
I live off of municipal water and I personally use the berkey. I believe the expected lifespan of the ceramic filters is about 10 years, 3 years for the fluoride filters. Thank you Wranglerstar for all of your firsthand use reviews.
I'm glad to see someone promoting this technology. As a Sat Com engineer I have worked all over Africa and we ALWAYS have several of these shipped with each new job. We found that boiling the water first sort of guarantees safety. This gets out bio evils but does little to remove chemical pollution, so be sure you know where the water is from to begin with. Drive the river or around the lake or the larger area for a well. I live in FL and on a well & consider this a must.
Cody, ceramic filters can be hand made! These are used in my country for waters contaminated with arsenic and other (in)organic contaminants. Usually made with a bowl form, is filled and naturally drips filtered water. It lasts for years and can be cleaned. Usually the end of life comes from breaking accidents rather than exhaustion. The mix is incredibly simple, consisting of clay sand and sawdust. It requires cooking but can be done in a wood-fired oven. I really recommend investigating it.
I have a Brazilian earthenware clay version of this system with evaporation on the outside to keep the water cold.These filters have bisc fired ceramic with activated charcoal inside to be precise. This system with the 4 filters seems like a nice fast version. My clay pot version only has one of thee filters inside but i keep topping it and always have clean water to drink . You can also use a tank and ballfloat ( mini ones that has the same screw fittings as the filters) on the inside ending on the bottom of the filters stopping overflow. This stainless steel 4 cylinder version is a Lamborgini !
You know Cody, onestly, you could probably some frame that will hold the upper part of them and will make the whole thing significantly more stable and much more bullet proof. In addition, something I've been thinking about A LOT lately and will probably make a video on it myself is the usage of Spirulina fabric. It basically looks like a bandana but it sieves out microscopic things. That can be used as a pre-filter by simply stretching it at the top or adding a third level with it. Excellent
I bought six of the berky-style ceramic filters, and put them into a food grade plastic bucket (5 gal), with a second food grade bucket under it to catch and dispense. It moves the water pretty well with six filters, but what I did to make it even faster is I took the pump from a pump sprayer and installed it into the center of the top lid. Now I can pressurize the top bucket, and filter more than three gallons in about 10 minutes. I hate to wait. :)
We have the Berkey filter, and we have been pleased with it. We purchased the additional filters for fluoride (I believe it also filters out arsenic but don't quote me on that). No funny tasting water. We used to buy ice at the grocery store, because we would get floaties if we used tap water to make ice. No more. Good investment for our family.
I watched a video where berkey says to put a teaspoon of red food coloring in 3 gal. of water and run through the filter. If any dye makes it through the filters need replaced.
That is correct and it also tells the user if there are any leaks between the filter threads stainless steel plate and screw. I have 8 of these filters on my Berkey and it works well.
Ya I have heard the same from others. I tested about a dozen different water filtration systems to see which was best and would pass first time out of the box including the red dye test. I only had luck with Sawyers. I own many different Sawyer brands now. I also bought a couple of the larger, silver impregnated ceramic filters and built my own gravity system with 5 gallon pails.
The "mud sediment" is normal on used filters it makes the filtration more and more effective until water production is reduce to almost zero. Notice make sure you take vitamin supplements because drinking distilled or extremely low total dissolved solids(tds) water can cause you to become low on basic minerals. Never connect sewer/septic line to a water treatment device such as this without a proper testable back flow prevention device. Purchase a tds meter to verify system functionality. -Water plant operator and certified backflow technician.
I enjoy your videos greatly. I also appreciate reading the comments of the viewers that use the opportunity to add helpful additional information. In that regard, using saran wrap or other plastic wrap will allow you to cover the discharge port and hold it in place with the mounting nut while cleaning. Keep up the great work.
Remember when you're looking for filters to get a specific one tailored for your area. I live in Canada where they banned the adding of flouride to our water supplies, but we have a bunch of other nasties in our water. Always do a lot of research in your area before going out and buying one that's going to be absolutely useless for yourself.
Great to get so much relevant info. I've dug a well in the "outback" here in the UK.,and living off-grid. Been advised to give it 6 months to settle,so gravity feeding a constant trickle from it . Been advised to give it 6 months to settle out, then get water tested. Loads of iron in it,both ferrous and ferric which is a pain, along with a waxy film,which I think is manganese. Looking to use Berkey, but not really feasible for baths. Apart from oxygenation to convert to ferric, any low tech/natural ways to get iron out. .. perhaps 'creating a spring" from the siphoned water and a reedbed to clear water? Thanks.
Wow - they still have some in stock at Aqua Rain. Thanks for the review! Says out of stock on Amazon and most other places, but they are selling them directly still from the manufacturer.
We are on city water which has a lot of chlorine. My wife is allergic to chlorine and our Aqua Rain removes it. We've used the same filters every day for over a year and appreciate the value of the Aqua Rain system.
This may sound silly, but does hot water damage the ceramic at all compared to cold or cool water? The reason I ask is, if you had to use rainwater catchment systems to collect water and you were storing it in a rainbarrel or plastic tank of some kind, the water heats up quickly as most of them are dark colors to try and avoid algae blooms...in the summer I'd imagine the water could easily get over 100 degrees...great video and information as always.
Its not simply the diameter of the candle filter to determine when to replace the filters, its a time-issue as well as bacteria can develop on the inside within a years time. What happens if you don't change the filters at least once-a-year, is the filtered water could become almost worse than the source.
In Thailand and the Philippines the UN has local potters make filters that utilize a 5 gallon bucket with a spout and a filter that amounts to a large 3-4gallon flowerpot that fits snugly into the top of the 5gal bucket... when molding the filter/flowerpot finely ground rice husk four is added to the raw clay... the flour is converted to pure carbon when it is fired. Works better than these expensive filters and they sell for about $15.
I just made 4 of these set ups with food grade barrels and $25 ceramic filters. The cost per set up, with 1 filter each (does 3000 gallons), was less than $40 each. I have them just for cooking/drinking water and for the animals (indoor dogs and cats) water.
We originally bought our Big Berkey to use in the motorhome while traveling as the various waters were questionable. Now we have it and would use it when needed. You did make me think though that my son has nasty water and buys water maybe one of these would work for them and save him a bunch. I love ours and if the water here was not so good (well water) I would also use mine all the time. We have a softener and it works great. Thanks for the video as always it was a good one
hey cody i had a thought that may help with the longgevity of you filters if you made a still and distilled yourown water (or bought distiled water) so that you could backflush your fillters which should clean more of the silt out of your fillters prolonging the life without damaging the filter
There's 55-gallon food-grade barrels out there, I think i'd want to be able to put water in that. Expand your water tower, maybe add another pump, and divert some of that flow off into a filter system so you have more like 50 gallons of fresh drinking water at any given time, instead of just two or three. Might be easier to use that way, and you could clean it with the already clean water, and not have to worry about keeping it pointed down. Might look into it.
Have you considered soaking the caps in vinegar/water before you apply it to the bottom (clean side) of the can? I may help reduce "germs" from your hand and or whatever you have it sitting on before you tighten it down.
Always make sure your filters are NSF certified as this is the agency that approves filters, not the EPA. I use a Watts filter at home and a Platypus Gravity Works with a Sawyer in-line carbon filter for the field. Alway add some type of chlorite in the field to kills the viruses that filters don't generally filter out.
Cody what do you think about using the (1314 Drill Pump 750) from home depot in conjunction with a hand crank or bicycle in a pressurized ceramic water filter system. a modified pressure canner, maybe
You clean the filters every three months. The manufacture says they will last for about two hundred cleanings and that is without a pre filter. So figure that you double the life time of the filters with a pre filter. Yep, good for about a hundred years. Thanks for doing this video I was debating on getting one of these. Now there is no debate after learning how long the filters will potentially last.
With preparedness in mind and the fact the cost of those filters will most likely just continue to increase over time. Buying another set of 4 filters might not be such a bad idea.
You can make your own with two 5 gallon buckets instead of the stainless steel containers they use. There's a video on UA-cam how to do it. It's basically two buckets and then replacement filters for one of these brands. There's a couple off brands that make the same filters as pretty cheap that work just as good. For about 80 bucks you can build your own that's just as effective
My Propur will filter fluoride with the filters that I bought. My well water, here in the Ozarks, I suspect contains Gyphosate (Roundup) at the very least and that is the reason that I filter my well water. Filling all 4 holes with filters rather than plugs is smart. My Propur leaks a small amount through the 2 holes that are only plugged, so if there were pathogens in the top water, it would contaminate my "filtered" water. Mine holds 4 gallons and I can usually only have to fill it once a week (one person). It's better to let it go empty and then you don't have to guess on how much water to add. It also puts equal wear on the filters.
Cody - I'm picturing a cool project adding a float valve with a filtered water inlet from the well, that would allow you to do hands free refills until each cleaning... just a thought!
I'm new to this stuff, so may sound ignorant...how is just rinsing the outside of the filter sufficient to "renew" the filter? Doesn't stuff get trapped deeper into the filter medium?Maybe rinsing from the INSIDE column of the filter with pressurized water to push particulates back out would be better?
Keep in mind that hanging pieces of silver (pure silver coins) in your water will provide additional bacterial eradication. Silver is the only metal that kills bacteria on contact. Also fantastic to put on wounds so they don’t become infected. Hope this helps God bless.
Bone char (charcoal made from bone) removes fluoride. Regular charcoal removes other chemicals. Bone char can be pricey and the efficacy is so iffy IDK if it would be worth it. RO supposedly removes fluoride. The Ceramic filters will last a very long time as long as they are not cracked which seems to be the biggest complaint.
Ceramic filters are inferior. RO wastes a a lot of water, have bacteria build up issues, are expensive, require pressure, remove beneficial minerals, etc. Get a BLACK Berkey
All homes in Brazil have gravity fed ceramic filters and how we clean the is with sugar...either course or refined. Wet the candle....pour sugar in your hand and gently rub the candle till its white again. Works great.
My only point was that the contaminants get washed off the outside of the filter element, but the contaminants that get caught inside the filter have to be cleaned as well. I am not a pro by any stretch, but I just know hydraulic, oil, fuel filters get tossed after so much time because the filter is full of contaminants. I have seen sonic type cleaners for some filters (all metal) though...
Good review. Ive had an AlexaPure set up for a while but havent really used it that much. Ive always been curious how it would hold up under constant use. Good video, thank you
From the aquarain website "Enclosed within the hard ceramic shell we have incorporated a concentrated bed of Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) that contains a self-sterilizing metallic silver. The silvered GAC bed will adsorb various organic chemicals such as MTBE and pesticides, remove chlorine compounds including carcinogenic halogens, and improve the taste and odor of the water." He doesn't mention the carbon filtration, but it seems it is there nonetheless
I just ordered a Berky and stumbled on to your video. Great tips. I'll definitely consider getting the see-through spigot later if needed, and 2 more filters if the flow is an issue. But since I live alone, I have a feeling 2 may be enough for my use. Wish I knew about these systems sooner.
Great vid. This Aqua Rain looks more sturdy than the Berkey when you take the filters in to consideration. I dont trust the Burkey because if their black filter is carbon I dont see how it could possibly last as long as they say. 6 months is the max for carbon filters.
The following applies to most water filters. Gravity / Ceramic cartridge filters are designed to remove certain pathogens from perfectly clear water such a mountain stream. If there is any silt in the water they will plug up and not allow water to flow through. You can scrub the cartridge, but soon you will reduce the thickness of the media and then it will not remove all of the pathogens. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST PRE-FILTER THE WATER UNTIL IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR. This can be done by a combination of settling, flocculation, sand filtering, and/or common cartridge type sediment filters that are easily available. If you don't believe this, take out all but one of your ceramic cartridges, plug the other holes, add some dirty water like what you will have to use during a crisis, see how much water you can run through it before it plugs up your ceramic cartridge. You will ruin one cartridge but you will know the truth! Another issue: if there is water in a ceramic cartridge, even a little, and that cartridge is allowed to freeze, a fine crack can occur that will allow pathogens through. You may not know it as you cannot see the crack. NEVER ALLOW YOU CARTRIDGES TO FREEZE!
The reverse osmosis in addition to wasting water removes all the minerals leaving the water dead of any mineral that you might need . Some units waste as much as nine gallons to one . I like your style filter best .
+Norman Means If that filter is catching mineral precipitates then it's probably got a lot of heavy metals in it - Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, &c. I wouldn't clean it without a thick set of disposable gloves and I wouldn't use the silt for anything.
Thanks . I am going to look into getting a Gravity Water Filter's. I like what you had to say . Very informative. I love to watch your video's a lot.. I learn a lot. Thanks Ylee
Noticed the same thing on my Berkey elements,cleaned the same way works fine,did think about using a sand filter before using the diy Berkey, to clean up any water that wasn't tap.
@@xxxdrcarlxxx can u answer a question plz. All comments say get the biggest but I’m a senior and live with my dog…. no really four legged dog. Anyway, can it set several days, after it has dripped down thru filters, not submerged, til next use? Or will filters dry out or what? Would appreciate your help here. This from Houston……Linda.
I'm going to try collecting rain water in 55 gallon drums, draining it off with a spigot into a 5 gallon bucket, filtering it out with a sawyer filter, THEN running the water through a royal berkey filter. I think that will likely extend the life of my system...
You can reduce the prefiltering by using a 55 gal drum (blue plastic food grade) as a settling tank. Similar pipe path to septic, low in high out. Put a drain valve at bottom to sludge flush when it gets about 25% full of gunk.
Tim, my island nation (Tonga Island in the South Pacific) just had a volcano erupted a week ago which caused a tsunami. The main source of drinking water is rain water. Due to no warning about the looming eruption, all drinking water had been contaminated by volcanic ashes. Your suggestion here might be a helpful solution to my people with their lack of drinking water. If your system will allow Tongan to filter out the volcanic ashes from their tank...man it will be a miracle for my island people. Do you have a video of what you talking about here?
One quick tip I've found useful. After you take the filters off, put the wing-nut back on the filter. Just screw it down so that it's completely on, but still at the end. This prevents the nut from getting lost, and protects the threads on the filter - they won't accidentally get dented/scratched.
Remember to sanitize the entire threaded nipple and the wing nut too.
I have used the Dome Ceramic Filter and made a five gallon bucket set up for around thirty dollars...Been doing it for five years now
We absolutely LOVE our Berkey!!!!! Coffee, tea and water taste so much better!!!! Thank you Wranglerstar!!!
Yup I bought one of these water treatment systems last summer, the Berkey one. I am soooo happy with it. My whole family drinks tons of pure delicious-tasting water now, whereas before it was just sugary soft drinks. Best Ebay purchase I ever made!!
We have been using the BigBerkey for 2 yrs now, daily. and LOVE it! Also bought the Fluoride removal filter, too.. Bought 3 yrs extra fiters as well. The Berkey is the OLDEST and was invented for Queen Elizabeth's Court. Also, the missionaries take the Berkeys into the remote locales of the world and filter swamp water .. Just clean the filters with a 3 M green pad every 9 to 12 weeks, we have used the same 2 filter sofr 2 yrs now..
I used one for 26 months in Peace Corps. Never had any problems with periodic cleaning of the unit and ceramic 'candles' with FILTERED water and baking soda.
Cody you can also use window screen to clean the filters. It is less abrasive and works well.
Cody,
Love your channel since I stumbled upon it looking for a ram pump design that was easy to follow. I am fortunate enough to be a potter in my spare time, and I make my own ceramic filters with porcelain clay just fired to 1100'celcius. I use regular garden irrigation fittings that I seal to the bottom with non toxic sealant. As you say, nothing beats that filtered taste of water. All the best from South Africa. Charl Joubert
Charl Joubert
Do you have a video showing how you make them... I'd love to see the process!
Man, you’ve reviewed everything. I just picked up a Berkey after stumbling on your video. Thanks for pushing me over the edge.
Being a big guy, 6'4" 300lbs. The hardest thing I have had to learn in my life is to NOT over tighten things. It made me chuckle when Cody was reminding me of that because he sounded just like my Grandpa.
For the cost of these filters, which do not reflect the cost of materials they are made from,they should be made with stainless parts instead of plastic,definitely some price gouging going on,stainless bases would alleviate breakage of these parts.
I saw your original video right when you first published it and have thought about buying this product ever since. Advance to present (Dec 2015) and I have been living off-grid for 5 months now. My water comes from the stream, even though it's "clean" there has been reported cases of nastiness in other local waterways. So, I am so glad I came across this video and will be buying this product or the Berkey in January. Thanks for the information and follow-up video.
+Eddie Christie Thanks for reporting back. Hope your off-grid is going well.
Just be aware that those types of filters don´t get rid of viruses.
If thats not a concern, happy using, but if it is, those do nothing about it.
I live in TN, and am on well water. I have grown to like the taste of minerals in the water over the years, never thought about the health effects though.
I live off of municipal water and I personally use the berkey. I believe the expected lifespan of the ceramic filters is about 10 years, 3 years for the fluoride filters. Thank you Wranglerstar for all of your firsthand use reviews.
+Brandon Woodward it's 4-5 years for the main filters and one year for the flouride filter
I'm glad to see someone promoting this technology. As a Sat Com engineer I have worked all over Africa and we ALWAYS have several of these shipped with each new job. We found that boiling the water first sort of guarantees safety. This gets out bio evils but does little to remove chemical pollution, so be sure you know where the water is from to begin with. Drive the river or around the lake or the larger area for a well. I live in FL and on a well & consider this a must.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It helped me to make a good decision.
+Mr. Mrs. Scott ProsperInHealth great.
I got a feeling this man knows a lot more than he has to say here. Nov 2021, liked. Thank you.
Yes I think these filters will perform for years and years.
Cody, ceramic filters can be hand made! These are used in my country for waters contaminated with arsenic and other (in)organic contaminants.
Usually made with a bowl form, is filled and naturally drips filtered water. It lasts for years and can be cleaned. Usually the end of life comes from breaking accidents rather than exhaustion.
The mix is incredibly simple, consisting of clay sand and sawdust. It requires cooking but can be done in a wood-fired oven.
I really recommend investigating it.
As a young girl We (family) clean the filter rubbing sugar , the filter gets clean like new.
I have a Brazilian earthenware clay version of this system with evaporation on the outside to keep the water cold.These filters have bisc fired ceramic with activated charcoal inside to be precise. This system with the 4 filters seems like a nice fast version. My clay pot version only has one of thee filters inside but i keep topping it and always have clean water to drink . You can also use a tank and ballfloat ( mini ones that has the same screw fittings as the filters) on the inside ending on the bottom of the filters stopping overflow. This stainless steel 4 cylinder version is a Lamborgini !
I habe a Crown
Berkey 6 gallon stainless Steel we purchassed colapsable 5 gallon Water containers Form Wallmart 25 of them just in Case!
God bless you
You know Cody, onestly, you could probably some frame that will hold the upper part of them and will make the whole thing significantly more stable and much more bullet proof.
In addition, something I've been thinking about A LOT lately and will probably make a video on it myself is the usage of Spirulina fabric. It basically looks like a bandana but it sieves out microscopic things. That can be used as a pre-filter by simply stretching it at the top or adding a third level with it.
Excellent
I bought six of the berky-style ceramic filters, and put them into a food grade plastic bucket (5 gal), with a second food grade bucket under it to catch and dispense. It moves the water pretty well with six filters, but what I did to make it even faster is I took the pump from a pump sprayer and installed it into the center of the top lid. Now I can pressurize the top bucket, and filter more than three gallons in about 10 minutes. I hate to wait. :)
We have the Berkey filter, and we have been pleased with it. We purchased the additional filters for fluoride (I believe it also filters out arsenic but don't quote me on that). No funny tasting water. We used to buy ice at the grocery store, because we would get floaties if we used tap water to make ice. No more. Good investment for our family.
I use a Berkey and am thoroughly satisfied with my purchase
Great video Cody. Clean water is a fundamental necessity of life.
I watched a video where berkey says to put a teaspoon of red food coloring in 3 gal. of water and run through the filter. If any dye makes it through the filters need replaced.
That is correct and it also tells the user if there are any leaks between the filter threads stainless steel plate and screw. I have 8 of these filters on my Berkey and it works well.
No water filters, activated charcoal, or reverse osmoses traps Arsenic, or Arsenic 3.
Ya I have heard the same from others. I tested about a dozen different water filtration systems to see which was best and would pass first time out of the box including the red dye test. I only had luck with Sawyers. I own many different Sawyer brands now. I also bought a couple of the larger, silver impregnated ceramic filters and built my own gravity system with 5 gallon pails.
Wow Cody even 7 years ago you were making great videos. You look so young 😊
Our municipality recently removed the fluoride after years of debate. Good review will check these out.
I was an outboard mechanic in high school. I have been out of it to long. I don't know which you should get. As to the hand gun a Glock 19 of course.
The "mud sediment" is normal on used filters it makes the filtration more and more effective until water production is reduce to almost zero. Notice make sure you take vitamin supplements because drinking distilled or extremely low total dissolved solids(tds) water can cause you to become low on basic minerals. Never connect sewer/septic line to a water treatment device such as this without a proper testable back flow prevention device. Purchase a tds meter to verify system functionality. -Water plant operator and certified backflow technician.
I enjoy your videos greatly. I also appreciate reading the comments of the viewers that use the opportunity to add helpful additional information. In that regard, using saran wrap or other plastic wrap will allow you to cover the discharge port and hold it in place with the mounting nut while cleaning. Keep up the great work.
Remember when you're looking for filters to get a specific one tailored for your area. I live in Canada where they banned the adding of flouride to our water supplies, but we have a bunch of other nasties in our water. Always do a lot of research in your area before going out and buying one that's going to be absolutely useless for yourself.
What type of filter do you suggest? Which province or city are located in? And what are some of the nasties
@@adebisisaid8616 isn't the best just the cheap activated carbon ones?
@@hassanjamal4212 i don’t know. Please let me know which product you’re referring to so i can do more research
@@adebisisaid8616 its just activated carbon...basically finely crushed charcoal powder.
@@hassanjamal4212isn’t Brita also activated carbon
You could extend the life of those by putting a 5 micron filter inline after the 10 micron filters.
Great to get so much relevant info. I've dug a well in the "outback" here in the UK.,and living off-grid. Been advised to give it 6 months to settle,so gravity feeding a constant trickle from it . Been advised to give it 6 months to settle out, then get water tested. Loads of iron in it,both ferrous and ferric which is a pain, along with a waxy film,which I think is manganese. Looking to use Berkey, but not really feasible for baths. Apart from oxygenation to convert to ferric, any low tech/natural ways to get iron out. .. perhaps 'creating a spring" from the siphoned water and a reedbed to clear water? Thanks.
We have the Berkey set up, and we like and appreciate it very much!
Wow - they still have some in stock at Aqua Rain. Thanks for the review! Says out of stock on Amazon and most other places, but they are selling them directly still from the manufacturer.
How mu h are they?
He said about 175 for his. Im finding them over 200, like 299
Yes this a good way to go.
We are on city water which has a lot of chlorine. My wife is allergic to chlorine and our Aqua Rain removes it. We've used the same filters every day for over a year and appreciate the value of the Aqua Rain system.
Old skool DubStar. Love it. Looking into one of these and remembered you did this video a long time ago and wanted a refresher on it.
Well Sir, what about now. It's been 7 years.
I've loved mine for a decade
My grandparents had a well, the minerals in the water made it taste so good. Some times I crave that water. 😩
love my Berkey. ours is the 3 gallon and has 2 filters. I need to make the 5 gallon bucket kit for outdoor use.
There seems to be a design flaw weak point with the filter connection for Berkey vs the other filters that are shorter/thicker.
This may sound silly, but does hot water damage the ceramic at all compared to cold or cool water? The reason I ask is, if you had to use rainwater catchment systems to collect water and you were storing it in a rainbarrel or plastic tank of some kind, the water heats up quickly as most of them are dark colors to try and avoid algae blooms...in the summer I'd imagine the water could easily get over 100 degrees...great video and information as always.
Its not simply the diameter of the candle filter to determine when to replace the filters, its a time-issue as well as bacteria can develop on the inside within a years time. What happens if you don't change the filters at least once-a-year, is the filtered water could become almost worse than the source.
Thanks for the review, I think the majority of folks would be surprised at the quality of the water that their families consume.
In Thailand and the Philippines the UN has local potters make filters that utilize a 5 gallon bucket with a spout and a filter that amounts to a large 3-4gallon flowerpot that fits snugly into the top of the 5gal bucket... when molding the filter/flowerpot finely ground rice husk four is added to the raw clay... the flour is converted to pure carbon when it is fired. Works better than these expensive filters and they sell for about $15.
That is a very good idea.
I know a lot of people who swear by the Berkey. Thanks again for your efforts.
You'r timing is very good. I have something in the works.
My sister and I just bought the Patriot brand, haven't used it yet but excited to see how it works
I just made 4 of these set ups with food grade barrels and $25 ceramic filters. The cost per set up, with 1 filter each (does 3000 gallons), was less than $40 each. I have them just for cooking/drinking water and for the animals (indoor dogs and cats) water.
Why ceramic and not activated carbon which is organic and harmless?
We have a berkey and it is awesome! I was told it takes all of the bad stuff out and keeps the good for you minerals in it.
Researching about Berkey filters and this video came up! Wow 7y ago. Thanks Cody.
We originally bought our Big Berkey to use in the motorhome while traveling as the various waters were questionable. Now we have it and would use it when needed. You did make me think though that my son has nasty water and buys water maybe one of these would work for them and save him a bunch. I love ours and if the water here was not so good (well water) I would also use mine all the time. We have a softener and it works great. Thanks for the video as always it was a good one
Fantastic help very informative...We chose the Aqua Rain over Berkey. We are excited it is coming this week!
+My Cat Heard they are both good. glad that was helpful....
Great video Cody. As always, thank you for your content. I have had a Crown Berkey for 3 years and love it.
hey cody i had a thought that may help with the longgevity of you filters if you made a still and distilled yourown water (or bought distiled water) so that you could backflush your fillters which should clean more of the silt out of your fillters prolonging the life without damaging the filter
I believe distilled water is acidic and not as healthy. Check in to it before investing in that process.
There's 55-gallon food-grade barrels out there, I think i'd want to be able to put water in that. Expand your water tower, maybe add another pump, and divert some of that flow off into a filter system so you have more like 50 gallons of fresh drinking water at any given time, instead of just two or three. Might be easier to use that way, and you could clean it with the already clean water, and not have to worry about keeping it pointed down. Might look into it.
Have you considered soaking the caps in vinegar/water before you apply it to the bottom (clean side) of the can? I may help reduce "germs" from your hand and or whatever you have it sitting on before you tighten it down.
Thanks for the vid, we are trying to decide between this model and the Berkey and was glad to see you had a vid covering this topic.
Have you try back flushing these ceramic filter? Wonder if it will even extend the life of it further out
Always make sure your filters are NSF certified as this is the agency that approves filters, not the EPA. I use a Watts filter at home and a Platypus Gravity Works with a Sawyer in-line carbon filter for the field. Alway add some type of chlorite in the field to kills the viruses that filters don't generally filter out.
Cody what do you think about using the (1314 Drill Pump 750) from home depot in conjunction with a hand crank or bicycle in a pressurized ceramic water filter system. a modified pressure canner, maybe
You clean the filters every three months. The manufacture says they will last for about two hundred cleanings and that is without a pre filter. So figure that you double the life time of the filters with a pre filter. Yep, good for about a hundred years. Thanks for doing this video I was debating on getting one of these. Now there is no debate after learning how long the filters will potentially last.
With preparedness in mind and the fact the cost of those filters will most likely just continue to increase over time. Buying another set of 4 filters might not be such a bad idea.
You can make your own with two 5 gallon buckets instead of the stainless steel containers they use. There's a video on UA-cam how to do it. It's basically two buckets and then replacement filters for one of these brands. There's a couple off brands that make the same filters as pretty cheap that work just as good. For about 80 bucks you can build your own that's just as effective
We keep our filter in the dark pantry it's always just rite.
Good point, not just a filter, but water treatment. I have a ceramic filter and it works great. Many years of use. Thanks,
My Propur will filter fluoride with the filters that I bought.
My well water, here in the Ozarks, I suspect contains Gyphosate (Roundup) at the very least and that is the reason that
I filter my well water.
Filling all 4 holes with filters rather than plugs is smart. My Propur leaks a small amount through the 2 holes that are only plugged, so if there were pathogens in the top water, it would contaminate my "filtered" water.
Mine holds 4 gallons and I can usually only have to fill it once a week (one person). It's better to let it go empty and then you don't have to guess on how much water to add. It also puts equal wear on the filters.
Proper REDUCE the fluoride. Berkeys are FAR better
Cody - I'm picturing a cool project adding a float valve with a filtered water inlet from the well, that would allow you to do hands free refills until each cleaning... just a thought!
I'm new to this stuff, so may sound ignorant...how is just rinsing the outside of the filter sufficient to "renew" the filter? Doesn't stuff get trapped deeper into the filter medium?Maybe rinsing from the INSIDE column of the filter with pressurized water to push particulates back out would be better?
Keep in mind that hanging pieces of silver (pure silver coins) in your water will provide additional bacterial eradication. Silver is the only metal that kills bacteria on contact. Also fantastic to put on wounds so they don’t become infected. Hope this helps God bless.
Bone char (charcoal made from bone) removes fluoride. Regular charcoal removes other chemicals. Bone char can be pricey and the efficacy is so iffy IDK if it would be worth it. RO supposedly removes fluoride. The Ceramic filters will last a very long time as long as they are not cracked which seems to be the biggest complaint.
Ceramic filters are inferior. RO wastes a a lot of water, have bacteria build up issues, are expensive, require pressure, remove beneficial minerals, etc. Get a BLACK Berkey
Would like to see your pre filter setup.
when your well was up and running did you have submit a sample for testing
I just purchased the Big Berkey and sight tube!
Excellent video. Very well presented. Thank you
All homes in Brazil have gravity fed ceramic filters and how we clean the is with sugar...either course or refined. Wet the candle....pour sugar in your hand and gently rub the candle till its white again. Works great.
Alexapure...you are correct, there good as gold...thank you sir...
thanks for the great video.
I just bought a berkey and just finished putting it together.
I hope it works for me.
It will
My only point was that the contaminants get washed off the outside of the filter element, but the contaminants that get caught inside the filter have to be cleaned as well. I am not a pro by any stretch, but I just know hydraulic, oil, fuel filters get tossed after so much time because the filter is full of contaminants. I have seen sonic type cleaners for some filters (all metal) though...
Still a great video and great product.
Good review. Ive had an AlexaPure set up for a while but havent really used it that much. Ive always been curious how it would hold up under constant use. Good video, thank you
Yours DOES filter fluoride
So you're being told. Have you had it tested?
From the aquarain website "Enclosed within the hard ceramic shell we have incorporated a concentrated bed of Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) that contains a self-sterilizing metallic silver. The silvered GAC bed will adsorb various organic chemicals such as MTBE and pesticides, remove chlorine compounds including carcinogenic halogens, and improve the taste and odor of the water." He doesn't mention the carbon filtration, but it seems it is there nonetheless
how about using a garden sprayer with filtered water it would be like a pressure washer but not as powerful just an idea
I think I've asked you about do you work off the homestead to support your homestead
I just ordered a Berky and stumbled on to your video. Great tips. I'll definitely consider getting the see-through spigot later if needed, and 2 more filters if the flow is an issue. But since I live alone, I have a feeling 2 may be enough for my use. Wish I knew about these systems sooner.
Flow will not be an issue
Great vid.
This Aqua Rain looks more sturdy than the Berkey when you take the filters in to consideration. I dont trust the Burkey because if their black filter is carbon I dont see how it could possibly last as long as they say. 6 months is the max for carbon filters.
California wont even allow Berkey to ship here to California. But Aqua Rain can.
I looked at the aqua rain site, and their filters contain cabon too.
The following applies to most water filters.
Gravity / Ceramic cartridge filters are designed to remove certain pathogens from perfectly clear water such a mountain stream. If there is any silt in the water they will plug up and not allow water to flow through. You can scrub the cartridge, but soon you will reduce the thickness of the media and then it will not remove all of the pathogens. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST PRE-FILTER THE WATER UNTIL IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR. This can be done by a combination of settling, flocculation, sand filtering, and/or common cartridge type sediment filters that are easily available. If you don't believe this, take out all but one of your ceramic cartridges, plug the other holes, add some dirty water like what you will have to use during a crisis, see how much water you can run through it before it plugs up your ceramic cartridge. You will ruin one cartridge but you will know the truth!
Another issue: if there is water in a ceramic cartridge, even a little, and that cartridge is allowed to freeze, a fine crack can occur that will allow pathogens through. You may not know it as you cannot see the crack. NEVER ALLOW YOU CARTRIDGES TO FREEZE!
Just got Alexipure today doing the cycling right now. How many times do i have to prime filters? Missing instructions
I had to drill a 1/32 hole at the top of the lower container of the Berkey for a vent it would tube lock and not filter
The reverse osmosis in addition to wasting water removes all the minerals leaving the water dead of any mineral that you might need . Some units waste as much as nine gallons to one . I like your style filter best .
I wonder if you could collect the silt off the surface, dry it, and use it as a very fine abrasive metal or glass polish?
+Norman Means If that filter is catching mineral precipitates then it's probably got a lot of heavy metals in it - Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, &c. I wouldn't clean it without a thick set of disposable gloves and I wouldn't use the silt for anything.
Thanks . I am going to look into getting a Gravity Water Filter's. I like what you had to say . Very informative. I love to watch your video's a lot.. I learn a lot.
Thanks Ylee
Noticed the same thing on my Berkey elements,cleaned the same way works fine,did think about using a sand filter before using the diy Berkey, to clean up any water that wasn't tap.
I love reviews AFTER people have used the item for a while. Thanks for sharing your experience with this! I really appreciate it :-)
Used mine for a decade. None better.
@@xxxdrcarlxxx can u answer a question plz. All comments say get the biggest but I’m a senior and live with my dog…. no really four legged dog. Anyway, can it set several days, after it has dripped down thru filters, not submerged, til next use? Or will filters dry out or what? Would appreciate your help here. This from Houston……Linda.
I'm going to try collecting rain water in 55 gallon drums, draining it off with a spigot into a 5 gallon bucket, filtering it out with a sawyer filter, THEN running the water through a royal berkey filter. I think that will likely extend the life of my system...
It's so helpful having this info and testimonial. Thanks!