*Gravity Filter Recommendations* *1. Best Overall: Big Berkey* → Buy Here: bigberkeywaterfilters.com/affiliates/aff_tools/boswater/tool/text_links/3 - Use code “BOS5” for 5% off! *2. Best for Nitrate + Best Budget Pick: Purewell* → Buy Here: amzn.to/4bNmXyM *3. Possibly the Best for Waterborne Pathogens (Aside from Berkey): British Berkefeld* → Buy Here: amzn.to/48JG4Yo
If cost is your main concern, do what I did. Buy a purewell, and install Berkey filters...simple. You get Berkey's famed filtration at a MUCH cheaper price, overall.
Is it just me or are there other people wondering why there are seven filtration devices on here when all she does is talk about Berkey? It’s like a big berkey ad.
The Berkey did best in our lab testing and there were so many things to address. We also cover the Purewell after the Berkey. And we quickly talk about the Doulton (British Berkefeld) towards the end of the video. That said, I understand where you are coming from, but if you check the lab data you will find that the other systems really didn't do a great job. I guess we should have explained that in the video.
it's _Almost IMPOSSIBLE_ to find a *TRULY Objective* "Review" of these dang Filters. *THEY ALL* sound like commercials just Selling the things. I'm trying (NOW) to find independent Testers to :RATE: the various systems/filters ..... So many UA-cam channels are probably _PAID_ 'advertisments' for specific brands. -------------- they almost NEVER have any real (independently tested) Lab Results. .... they're SELLING something................... _(NOT Testing it Publicly)_ I suppose some kind of "Ultimate Test" could be done by some _Water Guru-Gangster_ who can actually build his own Carbon Filters--- vs the "Big Names" and/or Alternative Filters. re-performing the _Claimed_ "Lab Results" that's the kind of Independent tester that's be nice to find. *To test Chemicals in the water* You'd probably need a Spectrum Analyzer, or take the water to a Lab with a spectrum analyser. Most people can get rid of *Particulates and Bacteria/Viruses* ... But Chemicals? .... that is a bit harder to Test for. (or to get OUT of the water) *But distilling water may **_BEGIN_** to help get rid of some (most?) volatiles*
@@boswater6065 Totally agree with your explanation. It seemed obvious to me once you introduced the charts. Also, doing a detailed commentary on each one would have been boring to me because I was interested in the conclusion and the charts that backed it. First time here and I subscribed. I felt you did a great job of disclosure, explanation and offering alterative ideas for specific needs.
Did you test Coldstream ceramic filters, which have to be changed every 6 months, following the company's instructions? I bought 4 of those to put in my Royal Berkey, not yet installed.
We have been using our Berkey for roughly 6 years and have been very happy but now that we can't purchase the black replacement filters creates a new problem.
Thank you for a super informative video. I appreciate the testing you did and the explanation of the process you used. I was wondering about pfas and microplastics filtering. I may have missed it. Do any filters address these? I own a Berkey system and I like it but the new information on what is in the water is not address by it. I probably won't change because of that but I am still curious. Thanks again!
You're welcome! We can't test for PFAS and microplastic reduction simply because it's extremely expensive. But PFAS are organic compounds and thus pretty easy to remove and the Berkey shouldn't have any problems here. Microplastic reduction is about physical removal. I don't think there's any test data available and it also depends on how you define microplastics (in terms of size), so I have to pass on this one.
We also cover the Purewell in detail. Reviewing all 7 products would have taken hours, and most people wouldn't be interested in watching a video that long. I'm not saying that I don't see your point, but we're trying to keep our videos short so that they appeal to a broader audience. And you can always check our Google Sheet with the full analysis including lab data!
Please post the link so we can read your findings on those grafts/ charts. When I tried the link that you have posted here, only half of the link is visible so I couldn’t copy it and put it someplace for searching later and when I tapped on “open in Safari“ it said something like-it wasn’t available anymore.🤷🏼♀️? I hope it’s still available?
I've had a Berkey for many years and it is now impossible to find the Black Berkey Element Filters. I bought one not knowing at the time that it was counterfeit and am looking for another filter I can use in my Berkey for now.
Thanks for sharing! Personally and based on our lab data, I would probably go with Purewell or Alexapure filters, although I'm not 100% certain if they are compatible.
Glysophates removal is important (as well as other). Size is important due to limited space. Most with a stand does not slide under cabinets. Have cats. Do not want to set on edge due to cats and ability to knock over.
Thank you for the analysis. It's very helpful. I was wondering how hard your unfiltered water was? Do you think a gravity filter would work (remove other impurities) for very hard tap water? Thanks again.
You're welcome! The unfiltered water was 217 ppm, which is usually classified as "hard" or "very hard". I think it depends on the type of gravity filter. I could imagine that a ceramic filter candle could clog up rather quickly.
Gravity 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 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 long it takes to plug 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!
If one item filters city treated water better than the others, why would you expect different results from non-treated water? If treating from a questionable source, boil your water first. See 20:52 where she talks about this. Best practice is to then: Filter for sediment (through a cheesecloth or similar) and lastly, run it through your countertop filter. Any questions?
Yes, several people have said this. But really, it wasn't supposed to be one. I guess we should have done a better job explaining the filtration results of the other gravity water filters which really weren't great.
I have a Berkey and switched to Epic Pure's Nanofilter pitcher for convenience and they seemed to have similar claims. I know most water pitchers don't have the same claims as the Epic Pure nano filter but I would like to see it compared to a bigger system like the Berkey
I am confused by this: If I get any specialized filter, say fluoride, then wouldn't I have to have all of the filters be fluoride? If so, then what other filtering does a fluoride filter actual filter? If not, how can the non-fluoride filters be helping? Just a bit confused here
I'm not sure if I understand all your questions. So, the fluoride filters are usually addon filters. So you have the regular filters like the Black Berkey filter elements and you add the fluoride filters to them. If a fluoride filter is based on AA, it will remove fluoride, arsenic, and also selenium but that's pretty much it afaik. Hope this helps!
Did you run a test at the end of life for the filters? What good is a filter if it stops filtering after a day or week? It would be harder to do, but seems essential to ensure the filters continue working as advertised.
I agree. But unfortunately our resources are limited, and if you think about how long it takes to filter hundreds of gallons with even a single gravity water filter, it would have taken months with 7 different models. So again, I agree with what you're saying, but it's just not possible for us right now.
@@boswater6065 she didn't test the correct Berkefeld filter that reduces fluoride and compared it to a Berkey filter with another filter attached to it lol. And the testing data/NSF for Berkey was graded 4/5 (some of the worst testing data in the industry) over Doulton that has numerous NSF certifications and WAY more elaborate testing at a 3/5. Comical really.
Been waiting for this so creating it! I currently have the waterdrop g3 ro under the sink but am afraid that it is putting nanoplastics in the water. Will probably now go with Berkey.
Berkey's fluoride filters are optional, though. Based on our lab testing, filtration performance is pretty similar - although keep in mind that we can only test for a limited number of contaminants. The Berkey is much more costly upfront. In the long run, I'd say they are quite similar provided that you would replace the Berkey filters much sooner than every 3,000 gallons. But the Black Berkey filters are often out of stock.
Do you have a review of the aquamark lx water filter from Avalon? I’m trying to find the best water filter/dispenser that I’m able to connect directly to my sink/plumbing so I can avoid needing to have one with a tank. I stumbled upon your channel and am loving all the content!
Hiya, maybe you can advise. I'm trying to learn more about Carbon filters (Granular media), just installed 1 for our brewing water to reduce chlorine and make the water taste better etc. I'm currently on the 3rd filter from the supplier and it does indeed remove the chlorine smell but it makes all water smell and taste like soot leaving a powdery feeling in the mouth. So basically it makes our water taste worse than unfiltered and I don't think the manufacturer has a clue. I've already wasted quite a few thousand liters of water flushing it through! Any tips on what carbon filtered water should taste like would be appreciated. I'm in the UK.
In the beginning, it is normal for a carbon filter to leach some of its fibers into the water. But you said you've flushed a few thousand liters already so this shouldn't be happening. You shouldn't taste the carbon at all because it shouldn't really be in the filtered water. If I were you, I'd try a different filter.
Initially it looked like this would be a thorough review of multiple water filters , however from minute 4 to minute 19 all you talked about Berkey filters. Started looking suspiciously like a Berky advertisement......
That's because the filtration results of the other filters were so bad. But you are not the first person to say this so I guess we should have done a better job explaining this.
Thank you for the thorough video. I am curious if you've heard of the Nikken gravity water filter. I inherited one and am curious how it compares to other gravity and RO systems. Thanks!
Hey guys could you please give a review to a more recent RO filter? It’s called the Bluevua RO100ROPOT-Lite(UV). It’s the cheapest one I’ve seen anywhere ($200) and I bet there’s gonna be a ton of people who buy it. Love the work you guys do, thanks!
I'm curious if there is a Berkey filter owners/users class action suite for the damage the EPA has done to the wallets of anyone trying to purchase or replace their Berkey filter elements?
Hello thanks for the video! Can you please publish your own independently tested lab results for all of the filters above? I read the google sheet, but it only includes links to the test results published by manufacturières themselves. I see you rated them on a scale of 1 to 5, but I want to form my own conclusions based on all the filters test results from the same lab.
Hi! Love your informative videos…have you ever looked at The Water Machine gravity water purifier? They claim their filters filter fluoride without the need of additional filters like the Berkey. Thank you in advance for any help.
Their product description page says the system uses "black carbon filters" which seems to be regular activated carbon. Based on our lab testing, I highly doubt that you'll achieve a very high fluoride reduction rate using one of those. But I could be wrong and we've never actually tested this water filter model.
This video is rigorous with solid logic and explanations. And the fact that you took a controversial stance and argued it well is beyond commendable. You should be proud.
I understand, but there are so many different viruses that you'd had to test for and there is no way that we'd find a water source that would contain them all. Also, we strictly advise against using any of the gravity water filters to remove viruses. With viruses, you have to remove pretty much all of them or you could still get sick, and viruses are extremely small and difficult to remove via size exclusion. Disinfection would be the way to go here.
Great question. There are no filter life indicators so you have to keep track of it yourself. Or you make a rough estimate based on your average daily water usage.
Excellent video, although may i ask, could you please test with chlorine and chloramines in the future? They are about the most toxic substances in our water, especially chloramines (chlorine bonded to ammonia - they use this in many states). I am so lost trying to work out what water filter to use in California where they have fluoride, and chloramines, nobody does any tests with chloramines and they are becoming more and more common as cities switch from chlorine to chloramines.
Thank you! We would love to test for chloramines but unfortunately it's incredibly expensive, so we simply cannot afford to test for them right now (same as with microplastics for example). Did you confirm with your water utility that they are indeed using chloramine?
@@boswater6065 Thanks yes i confirmed Chloramines are in use here, i bought a Chloramine test kit from Hanna Instruments that included "free chlorine" and "total chlorine" test kits, and the results from my own testing showed a high total chlorine and a zero free chlorine, which is a 100% positive for chloramine use (as the chlorine molecules are bound to ammonia so not "free"), and from what i read very hard to filter out unlike regular free chlorine.
In that case I'd consider a water filter that uses catalytic carbon. Maybe check out our under sink RO comparison video. It includes 3 systems that use catalytic carbon.
I just watched a video that seemed to make that claim too. I noticed they used alot of hearsay instead of lab results as they gave their recommendations
Thank you for your video! I have a Berkey, but it’s almost impossible to find filters. I decided to buy ProOne V.G3 filters, but after reviewing your spreadsheet, I’m a little concerned. What is your opinion about the G3 ProOne filters? Should I consider getting different ones? Thank you!!!!
I am looking for a filter system that will filter creek water or lake water. In an emergency situation I want to be able to filter and drink from those questionable sources.
Which brand/water filter are you using right now? Btw, not a Berkey commercial. We also cover the Purewell and the British Berkefeld (a bit). But I agree, we should have structured the video differently. The reason why we don't cover the rest is because we weren't exactly blown away by the lab results they could achieve.
@@boswater6065 In the process of choosing now. The problem, is that there is no consistancy between different forms of information. Every form of media shows different.nrand names as being better than the other.
I understand. In our opinion, the main problem is the lack of NSF certifications. Because with all the lab testing that people do nowadays, it always varies based on their water supply and how they test - and that might lead to different results. But if there was a system with NSF certifications, that wouldn't be a problem at all. Maybe look for a different type of filter?
Is the benzene leaching from the ProOne filter a concern? That's pretty carcinogenic stuff isn't it? How the heck did benzene leach out of a water filter? That's very disappointing as i am currently using ProOne filters in my Berkey and they were very expensive, i wanted filters that would do fluroride without the risk of aluminum leeching, but benzene is much much worse. It feels like you really can't win with these water filters.
Please keep in mind that we did not repeat the lab testing to confirm our findings and that the benzene leaching might be a false positive. That said, we saw similar results testing the ProOne pitcher. So based on our lab results, both ProOne models had apparently leached benzene into the filtered water, and these were the only 2 cases out of all 39 water filters we've tested so far with this issue. Could still be coincidence but personally I highly doubt it. Now, is this a concern? As usual, we used the strictest public health goal we could find and for benzene that was defined by the OEHHA: 0.15 ppb or µm/l. The OEHHA lists the following health risk category: "Carcinogenicity (leukemia)". However, they also say that the actual cancer risk level at 0.15 ppb is "10^-6 from lifetime exposure". 10 to the power of -6 = 0.0001%. In other words, if you'd consume benzene in drinking water at 0.15 ppb throughout your life, you'd still only have a cancer risk of 0.0001% according to the OEHHA. The lab report for the ProOne gravity system said 0.72 ppb so much higher than 0.15 ppb. But we assume that this leaching only happens while the filter element is still new. We know of one other lab test for the ProOne gravity filter done by the Water Filter Guru, and he didn't find any benzene, and he had primed the filters to 100 gallons before testing so any benzene might have been flushed out by then. In the end you need to decide for yourself what you make out of this. Hope this helps!
Yeah I found out about this after watching a Project Farm video years ago, absolutely shocked the first time, and Im shocked again they havent fixed/amended it STILL 🤯
Good question. For the British Berkefeld (Doulton) the concentration was 3% higher than before. I think this is just natural fluctuation. As we said, this type of before vs after testing is not an exact science. As for the Purewell with a 47% higher fluoride concentration compared to the unfiltered water, I really don't know. Might be fluctuation. The thing is, I don't know of any filter media that uses fluoride. Maybe you have an answer?
Why not run your water filters through with 500 gallons, or more, then send the samples to get tested. That would be more relevant. Your recommendation to change the filter at around 500 gallons is just a guess-timation. No disrespect intended.
You are right - 500 gal is only a guess. The reason why we didn't run 500 gallons through each system before testing was that, based on our speed test, this would have taken around 80 days of continuous filtration per system. Also, every water supply differs. So while our lab-testing can give us a basic idea of a filter's capabilities to remove contamination, you will see different results with a different water supply - even if there are the same contaminants, because they probably exist at different levels. And removing a contaminant at 10 mg/L for 500 gallons is totally different than removing it at 1 mg/L for 500 gallons. Hope this makes sense!
We've been filtering water for about 20 years. For those complaining of Aluminum in their water w/flouride removal filters, and still want a gravity system there is a workaround we used back when we were on city water. Expensive but you can diy it at a discount. It's a 2 tier system, 1st system (atop fridge, or somewhere above and over 2nd lower system) is standard 2 chambers w/ black to flouride filters Rather than drinking that de-fluoridated water with Aluminum in bottom chamber, drain it directly into the upper chamber of the 2nd system that contains Berk black filters only. The lower chamber of your 2nd system ahould now be relatively flouride and aluminum free. For decent flow this works with a total of 4black filters and 2 flouride filters. The first system's chambers (or both) can be diy'd with food grade buckets if $ is an issue. Great channel. Thanks for your vids.
@@boswater6065Good Q. Did not test. I deep researched what ever was available online at the time, including others discussing their own test results but this was about 15 years ago and dont recall whether I found definitive info on Aluminum clearence on the black Berk filter. We stopped that method long ago as we were then no longer exposed to purposefully flouridated water as we then lived outside the US, a few years ago returned and on well water now. Look forward to more of your work. Appreciate your attention to detail.
When i was a kid in the 50s-60s anything made in Japan was considered junk. Then 70s-80s it was Taiwan to hold that rep. Most recently it's China, but I'm seeing signs that the quality of their products has come way up. And the current water filters available on Amazon are majorly Chinese. How about a review of these? I would hazard a guess that the important part--the filters--are mostly made there anyway.
You are right, the majority of water filters regardless of type are made in China as far as we can tell. And I would also agree that this doesn't always induce bad quality. We have reviewed a lot of them on our channel already!
I strongly disagree. The Berkey did best in our lab testing but there was a lot that needed to be discussed about it. Besides, we also covered the Purewell. And at almost 23 minutes we felt that the video was already too long to also cover the other systems. That said, you can check our Google sheet for the full analysis of each of them.
I've concluded all gravity feed filters are over-rated. The filters simply do not last nearly as long as claimed. The fact Berkey uses aluminum to remove fluoride is sad. I have ditched my gravity feed for a multi-stage RO system then remineralize.
@croswellianprincess3590 I totally get it. Maybe there are other testers with data on lead reduction? Also, if you don't insist on a gravity filter, you could look into other types that even come with NSF certifications for lead reduction.
Easily the most concise video on this. Hurrican Helene victim here and saw ways to do a cheaper version of a Berkey, but then the filters are as much or more than buying the whole system. Don't understand'
Yes, the price for the Black Berkey filters has gone up. I'm assuming that's because they are out of stock - at least with all the official Berkey dealers I know.
Filtering tapwater is really not a test! Most tapwater is micro tested before it hit your sink. What everybody really wants to know is how well did it do with water? That’s not from the city, pond creeks, lakes, water that off critters hikers campers are going to be using. What were worried the most about is bacterial viruses, and unless I miss something you didn’t do any kind of testing for bacteria or viruses
I see where you are coming from with your comment. But there are many different types of bacteria, cyst, and viruses that you might stumble upon with microbiologically unsafe water. So unless you know which of them you're facing when sourcing water from a specific pond or creek etc. which I doubt, it would have been required for our testing to include all of them. Also, filtering germs requires pretty much 100% removal or the water is still unsafe. So as explained in the video, the safest method to treat microbiologically unsafe water is disinfection.
As mentioned in the video, just boil or disinfect the water before you pour it through the gravity filter. Then you don't have to worry about the bacteria and viruses.
At the end of the video we explain that disinfection is the best way to treat non-potable water. Of course, you can still use a gravity filter afterwards.
You won't use 185 gallons of water per year which is what the filters would cost, assuming spring water is $1 per gallon. Not seeing what the benefit is of doing this. Having that huge thing on your counter, having to clean it often. I am not seeing the benefit of these devices.
No, it's not paid advertisement. I agree, we could have done a better job covering the other filters really quick, but we just didn't like their filtration results as mentioned in the video.
To be fair, we also cover the Purewell and the British Berkefeld (a bit). But I agree, we should have structured the video differently. The reason why we don't cover the rest is because we weren't exactly blown away by the lab results they could achieve.
*Gravity Filter Recommendations*
*1. Best Overall: Big Berkey*
→ Buy Here: bigberkeywaterfilters.com/affiliates/aff_tools/boswater/tool/text_links/3 - Use code “BOS5” for 5% off!
*2. Best for Nitrate + Best Budget Pick: Purewell*
→ Buy Here: amzn.to/4bNmXyM
*3. Possibly the Best for Waterborne Pathogens (Aside from Berkey): British Berkefeld*
→ Buy Here: amzn.to/48JG4Yo
Nah, Berkey is done. Refusal to test 3rd party, to certify, and now lawsuits. Trash. We went with ProOne but might go to reverse osmosis soon.
@@VndNvwYvvSvvBoo!
THANK YOU so much for your vid!! Just bought a dented but guaranteed Big Berkey and 4 flouride filters to go with and subscribed.
If cost is your main concern, do what I did. Buy a purewell, and install Berkey filters...simple. You get Berkey's famed filtration at a MUCH cheaper price, overall.
Where are you sourcing your Black Berkey replacement filters from?
I was thinking the same….but Alexapure filters are better than Berkey
I just bought a dented but still guaranteed big berkey. Sorry, they're sold out now, or I'd send you the link.
Thank you for this! The water community needs more third party testing and clarity. Another wonderful video
Is it just me or are there other people wondering why there are seven filtration devices on here when all she does is talk about Berkey? It’s like a big berkey ad.
The Berkey did best in our lab testing and there were so many things to address. We also cover the Purewell after the Berkey. And we quickly talk about the Doulton (British Berkefeld) towards the end of the video. That said, I understand where you are coming from, but if you check the lab data you will find that the other systems really didn't do a great job. I guess we should have explained that in the video.
it's _Almost IMPOSSIBLE_ to find a *TRULY Objective* "Review" of these dang Filters. *THEY ALL* sound like commercials just Selling the things. I'm trying (NOW) to find independent Testers to :RATE: the various systems/filters ..... So many UA-cam channels are probably _PAID_ 'advertisments' for specific brands.
-------------- they almost NEVER have any real (independently tested) Lab Results.
.... they're SELLING something................... _(NOT Testing it Publicly)_
I suppose some kind of "Ultimate Test" could be done by some _Water Guru-Gangster_ who can actually build his own Carbon Filters--- vs the "Big Names" and/or Alternative Filters. re-performing the _Claimed_ "Lab Results"
that's the kind of Independent tester that's be nice to find.
*To test Chemicals in the water* You'd probably need a Spectrum Analyzer, or take the water to a Lab with a spectrum analyser. Most people can get rid of *Particulates and Bacteria/Viruses* ... But Chemicals?
.... that is a bit harder to Test for. (or to get OUT of the water)
*But distilling water may **_BEGIN_** to help get rid of some (most?) volatiles*
@@boswater6065 Totally agree with your explanation. It seemed obvious to me once you introduced the charts. Also, doing a detailed commentary on each one would have been boring to me because I was interested in the conclusion and the charts that backed it. First time here and I subscribed. I felt you did a great job of disclosure, explanation and offering alterative ideas for specific needs.
Thanks a lot for your kind words. Much appreciated!
Did you test Coldstream ceramic filters, which have to be changed every 6 months, following the company's instructions? I bought 4 of those to put in my Royal Berkey, not yet installed.
No, never heard of these before.
Great spreadsheet, very helpful. I am sure this took a lot of effort to put together.
Thank you! Glad it was helpful! Yes, it did. :)
Great video, and well presented. Thanks!
We have been using our Berkey for roughly 6 years and have been very happy but now that we can't purchase the black replacement filters creates a new problem.
Thanks for sharing!
Purewell website says they fit in all others too. Perhaps that would work.
Thank you for a super informative video. I appreciate the testing you did and the explanation of the process you used. I was wondering about pfas and microplastics filtering. I may have missed it. Do any filters address these? I own a Berkey system and I like it but the new information on what is in the water is not address by it. I probably won't change because of that but I am still curious. Thanks again!
You're welcome! We can't test for PFAS and microplastic reduction simply because it's extremely expensive. But PFAS are organic compounds and thus pretty easy to remove and the Berkey shouldn't have any problems here. Microplastic reduction is about physical removal. I don't think there's any test data available and it also depends on how you define microplastics (in terms of size), so I have to pass on this one.
I read an article somewhere online yesterday when researching different filters that will remove PFAs and Big Berkey was listed.
What is the best filtration for all flouride removal?
So far and for all the water filters we've tested, we always had some fluoride remaining in the water. But I think your best chance is an RO system.
I heard big Berkey sells an optional fluoride filter but no idea how good it is.
@vapeking466 Their optional fluoride filter was part of this video.
Outstanding, science-based analysis. Great video!
Thank you!
I thought this is a review of all the the other products it seem like it's just a review for Berkey only lol
We also cover the Purewell in detail. Reviewing all 7 products would have taken hours, and most people wouldn't be interested in watching a video that long. I'm not saying that I don't see your point, but we're trying to keep our videos short so that they appeal to a broader audience. And you can always check our Google Sheet with the full analysis including lab data!
did you not look at the lab results??
@@AJRenneyI couldn’t bring up the lab results…link not found
@patticlevenson249 That's weird. I just retested all 8 links to our gravity filter lab reports and they worked just fine... maybe try again?
@@boswater6065and outdoor water? Evidently you see no importance when the water isn't coming in your house.
Very good info! I just subscribed. 😊
Thanks for the sub!
great video one of the best i have seen so far god bless you =)
Please post the link so we can read your findings on those grafts/ charts. When I tried the link that you have posted here, only half of the link is visible so I couldn’t copy it and put it someplace for searching later and when I tapped on “open in Safari“ it said something like-it wasn’t available anymore.🤷🏼♀️? I hope it’s still available?
Do you mean the Google Sheet? docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11jZi7rASfdmgoq5M7BLJfLU-cmltzTGs2q79WAzI71U/
Great review of berkey filters, great data too. You’re nice to look at too, that helps. 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Hi again, I’ve seen some on Amazon uk, that I like. do you think Amazon uk is safe and do you believe they are a genuine product. Thanks in advance.
I would check the seller information and try to find out if it's an authorized Berkey dealer.
I've had a Berkey for many years and it is now impossible to find the Black Berkey Element Filters. I bought one not knowing at the time that it was counterfeit and am looking for another filter I can use in my Berkey for now.
Thanks for sharing! Personally and based on our lab data, I would probably go with Purewell or Alexapure filters, although I'm not 100% certain if they are compatible.
Purewell website says the filters fit all others too!
Glysophates removal is important (as well as other). Size is important due to limited space. Most with a stand does not slide under cabinets. Have cats. Do not want to set on edge due to cats and ability to knock over.
Thank you for the analysis. It's very helpful. I was wondering how hard your unfiltered water was? Do you think a gravity filter would work (remove other impurities) for very hard tap water? Thanks again.
You're welcome! The unfiltered water was 217 ppm, which is usually classified as "hard" or "very hard". I think it depends on the type of gravity filter. I could imagine that a ceramic filter candle could clog up rather quickly.
@@boswater6065 Thank you!
Have y’all tested any glass counter top filters? Or anything on stainless steel versus glass?
Only system I can think of right now is the AquaTru Carafe which uses a glass carafe to collect the RO water.
Gravity 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 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 long it takes to plug 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!
Why would we freeze our filters?
They freeze outside. Like if you get one in the mail.
Should be filtering river, pond, creak etc. not city treated water. This is not a true safety test. Do this test using the above
I agree. I was getting ready to comment on that myself, but you beat me to it. I also notice that there is no response to it yet.
If one item filters city treated water better than the others, why would you expect different results from non-treated water?
If treating from a questionable source, boil your water first. See 20:52 where she talks about this.
Best practice is to then: Filter for sediment (through a cheesecloth or similar) and lastly, run it through your countertop filter.
Any questions?
It actually sounds like a commercial for Berkeley… 🧐
Yes, several people have said this. But really, it wasn't supposed to be one. I guess we should have done a better job explaining the filtration results of the other gravity water filters which really weren't great.
I have a Berkey and switched to Epic Pure's Nanofilter pitcher for convenience and they seemed to have similar claims. I know most water pitchers don't have the same claims as the Epic Pure nano filter but I would like to see it compared to a bigger system like the Berkey
Thanks for your input!
I am confused by this: If I get any specialized filter, say fluoride, then wouldn't I have to have all of the filters be fluoride? If so, then what other filtering does a fluoride filter actual filter? If not, how can the non-fluoride filters be helping? Just a bit confused here
I'm not sure if I understand all your questions. So, the fluoride filters are usually addon filters. So you have the regular filters like the Black Berkey filter elements and you add the fluoride filters to them. If a fluoride filter is based on AA, it will remove fluoride, arsenic, and also selenium but that's pretty much it afaik. Hope this helps!
@@boswater6065 Addon, OK, so the fluoride filters are attached to the base filters' outlet? Got it, thanks.
I don't know about all of them, but the Newton fluoride ones are supposed to be the standard filter plus fluoride in the one filter.
Did you run a test at the end of life for the filters? What good is a filter if it stops filtering after a day or week?
It would be harder to do, but seems essential to ensure the filters continue working as advertised.
I agree. But unfortunately our resources are limited, and if you think about how long it takes to filter hundreds of gallons with even a single gravity water filter, it would have taken months with 7 different models. So again, I agree with what you're saying, but it's just not possible for us right now.
Finally some good ass science 🧬 we love thissss THANK YOU
Have you tested the berkefeld doulton filter ? Is this better then the Berkey?
Yes, it was part of this video but it was not better than the Berkey.
@@boswater6065 she didn't test the correct Berkefeld filter that reduces fluoride and compared it to a Berkey filter with another filter attached to it lol. And the testing data/NSF for Berkey was graded 4/5 (some of the worst testing data in the industry) over Doulton that has numerous NSF certifications and WAY more elaborate testing at a 3/5. Comical really.
@RyanHejlik I think you need to check our Google Sheet more carefully.
Been waiting for this so creating it! I currently have the waterdrop g3 ro under the sink but am afraid that it is putting nanoplastics in the water. Will probably now go with Berkey.
Glad we could help!
Excellent video. Can you please help me decide between a berkey or clearly filtered Water pitcher.
Thank you! Hm, I think this is more a question of personal preference. Are you looking for anything specific?
For quality and cost.
Maybe the clearly filtered pitcher since I don't want to mess with berkey fluoride filters
Berkey's fluoride filters are optional, though. Based on our lab testing, filtration performance is pretty similar - although keep in mind that we can only test for a limited number of contaminants. The Berkey is much more costly upfront. In the long run, I'd say they are quite similar provided that you would replace the Berkey filters much sooner than every 3,000 gallons. But the Black Berkey filters are often out of stock.
Thank you so much. Am leaning towards the pitcher but will need to review your data.
Are Berkey water filters interchangeable? If I have another counter top filtration system can I change over to Berkey filters?
Depends on the other countertop filter you have I guess, but generally I'd say you can.
Do you have a review of the aquamark lx water filter from Avalon? I’m trying to find the best water filter/dispenser that I’m able to connect directly to my sink/plumbing so I can avoid needing to have one with a tank. I stumbled upon your channel and am loving all the content!
Thank you for your kind words! I found a product called AquaMark LX but it's from ARAMARK. Is this the one?
Hiya, maybe you can advise.
I'm trying to learn more about Carbon filters (Granular media), just installed 1 for our brewing water to reduce chlorine and make the water taste better etc. I'm currently on the 3rd filter from the supplier and it does indeed remove the chlorine smell but it makes all water smell and taste like soot leaving a powdery feeling in the mouth. So basically it makes our water taste worse than unfiltered and I don't think the manufacturer has a clue. I've already wasted quite a few thousand liters of water flushing it through! Any tips on what carbon filtered water should taste like would be appreciated. I'm in the UK.
In the beginning, it is normal for a carbon filter to leach some of its fibers into the water. But you said you've flushed a few thousand liters already so this shouldn't be happening. You shouldn't taste the carbon at all because it shouldn't really be in the filtered water. If I were you, I'd try a different filter.
@@boswater6065 Thanks very much. I think a different filter / manufacturer is definitely in order. Cheers
Initially it looked like this would be a thorough review of multiple water filters , however from minute 4 to minute 19 all you talked about Berkey filters. Started looking suspiciously like a Berky advertisement......
That's because the filtration results of the other filters were so bad. But you are not the first person to say this so I guess we should have done a better job explaining this.
Thank you for the thorough video. I am curious if you've heard of the Nikken gravity water filter. I inherited one and am curious how it compares to other gravity and RO systems. Thanks!
You're welcome! No, we haven't heard of it but it looks very similar to the Santevia - that's all I can say really.
Hey guys could you please give a review to a more recent RO filter? It’s called the Bluevua RO100ROPOT-Lite(UV). It’s the cheapest one I’ve seen anywhere ($200) and I bet there’s gonna be a ton of people who buy it. Love the work you guys do, thanks!
This one is on our list already. Thank you for your kind words!
Nice video Red.
I'm curious if there is a Berkey filter owners/users class action suite for the damage the EPA has done to the wallets of anyone trying to purchase or replace their Berkey filter elements?
H, any info on PH levels regarding these filters?
Kind Regards
It's included in the Google Sheet in the filtration results tab.
I don’t see Alexapure filter system here….
It's the one right next to Sara on the left. If you look closely you can even read the name on the upper and lower tanks.
Hello thanks for the video! Can you please publish your own independently tested lab results for all of the filters above? I read the google sheet, but it only includes links to the test results published by manufacturières themselves. I see you rated them on a scale of 1 to 5, but I want to form my own conclusions based on all the filters test results from the same lab.
You're welcome! The lab reports are linked in the second tab.
Great video, thank you
Glad you liked it!
Hi! Love your informative videos…have you ever looked at The Water Machine gravity water purifier? They claim their filters filter fluoride without the need of additional filters like the Berkey. Thank you in advance for any help.
Their product description page says the system uses "black carbon filters" which seems to be regular activated carbon. Based on our lab testing, I highly doubt that you'll achieve a very high fluoride reduction rate using one of those. But I could be wrong and we've never actually tested this water filter model.
I have a Aqua Rain gravity water filter I bought in 1999. Will you test this brand next time?
I've added it to our list!
May i make a suggestion in your next round of gravity testing? Please include the Aquacera Cerametix filter.
Absolutely - I've added the system to our list!
This video is rigorous with solid logic and explanations. And the fact that you took a controversial stance and argued it well is beyond commendable. You should be proud.
My problem with your testing is the fact that you used tap water rather than non-tap water. What about viruses
I understand, but there are so many different viruses that you'd had to test for and there is no way that we'd find a water source that would contain them all. Also, we strictly advise against using any of the gravity water filters to remove viruses. With viruses, you have to remove pretty much all of them or you could still get sick, and viruses are extremely small and difficult to remove via size exclusion. Disinfection would be the way to go here.
You can't even get filters for Berkey right now, so...
It seems like they are in and out of stock every other week or so...
@@boswater6065 They in a dispute with the EPA. Berkey filters are not available unless you buy the whole system.
At least recently, on bigberkeywaterfilters.com they are in and out of stock every other week.
I switched to BOROUX from Berkey, and my family loves it!
Never heard of it, but I'll check it out!
@@boswater6065 Please do a review on it:)
@Anna-Bee I've added it to our list but I can't promise a review anytime soon!
@@boswater6065can you also add the Water machine as well?
@tracythomas913 Added!
How do you know when you've used 500 gallons?
Great question. There are no filter life indicators so you have to keep track of it yourself. Or you make a rough estimate based on your average daily water usage.
Excellent video, although may i ask, could you please test with chlorine and chloramines in the future? They are about the most toxic substances in our water, especially chloramines (chlorine bonded to ammonia - they use this in many states). I am so lost trying to work out what water filter to use in California where they have fluoride, and chloramines, nobody does any tests with chloramines and they are becoming more and more common as cities switch from chlorine to chloramines.
Thank you! We would love to test for chloramines but unfortunately it's incredibly expensive, so we simply cannot afford to test for them right now (same as with microplastics for example). Did you confirm with your water utility that they are indeed using chloramine?
@@boswater6065 Thanks yes i confirmed Chloramines are in use here, i bought a Chloramine test kit from Hanna Instruments that included "free chlorine" and "total chlorine" test kits, and the results from my own testing showed a high total chlorine and a zero free chlorine, which is a 100% positive for chloramine use (as the chlorine molecules are bound to ammonia so not "free"), and from what i read very hard to filter out unlike regular free chlorine.
In that case I'd consider a water filter that uses catalytic carbon. Maybe check out our under sink RO comparison video. It includes 3 systems that use catalytic carbon.
@@boswater6065 the downstream effects would cost more.
This is confusing. Some other videos are showing the waterdrop as the best.
Do you have some examples? And did they lab test their unit as well?
I just watched a video that seemed to make that claim too. I noticed they used alot of hearsay instead of lab results as they gave their recommendations
@@boswater6065 please do your DD and find that information
Thank you for your video! I have a Berkey, but it’s almost impossible to find filters. I decided to buy ProOne V.G3 filters, but after reviewing your spreadsheet, I’m a little concerned. What is your opinion about the G3 ProOne filters? Should I consider getting different ones? Thank you!!!!
Great question. We've never tested their new version 3 filters, so I can't provide a helpful answer here - sorry!
I am looking for a filter system that will filter creek water or lake water. In an emergency situation I want to be able to filter and drink from those questionable sources.
Why not disinfect the water first and then filter?
Lolol this is a Berkey commercial.Now. I will never get a Berkey because they are a dishonest company. This video shows this to be a fact.
Which brand/water filter are you using right now? Btw, not a Berkey commercial. We also cover the Purewell and the British Berkefeld (a bit). But I agree, we should have structured the video differently. The reason why we don't cover the rest is because we weren't exactly blown away by the lab results they could achieve.
@@boswater6065 In the process of choosing now. The problem, is that there is no consistancy between different forms of information. Every form of media shows different.nrand names as being better than the other.
I understand. In our opinion, the main problem is the lack of NSF certifications. Because with all the lab testing that people do nowadays, it always varies based on their water supply and how they test - and that might lead to different results. But if there was a system with NSF certifications, that wouldn't be a problem at all. Maybe look for a different type of filter?
@@boswater6065 That is a good point. I thank you for your input.
Absolutely!
Wish you had tested the 4Patriot Pure Ultimate system.
This one is on our list for our next round of testing.
Is the benzene leaching from the ProOne filter a concern? That's pretty carcinogenic stuff isn't it? How the heck did benzene leach out of a water filter?
That's very disappointing as i am currently using ProOne filters in my Berkey and they were very expensive, i wanted filters that would do fluroride without the risk of aluminum leeching, but benzene is much much worse. It feels like you really can't win with these water filters.
Please keep in mind that we did not repeat the lab testing to confirm our findings and that the benzene leaching might be a false positive. That said, we saw similar results testing the ProOne pitcher. So based on our lab results, both ProOne models had apparently leached benzene into the filtered water, and these were the only 2 cases out of all 39 water filters we've tested so far with this issue. Could still be coincidence but personally I highly doubt it.
Now, is this a concern? As usual, we used the strictest public health goal we could find and for benzene that was defined by the OEHHA: 0.15 ppb or µm/l. The OEHHA lists the following health risk category: "Carcinogenicity (leukemia)". However, they also say that the actual cancer risk level at 0.15 ppb is "10^-6 from lifetime exposure". 10 to the power of -6 = 0.0001%. In other words, if you'd consume benzene in drinking water at 0.15 ppb throughout your life, you'd still only have a cancer risk of 0.0001% according to the OEHHA.
The lab report for the ProOne gravity system said 0.72 ppb so much higher than 0.15 ppb. But we assume that this leaching only happens while the filter element is still new. We know of one other lab test for the ProOne gravity filter done by the Water Filter Guru, and he didn't find any benzene, and he had primed the filters to 100 gallons before testing so any benzene might have been flushed out by then.
In the end you need to decide for yourself what you make out of this. Hope this helps!
@@boswater6065 That does help, many thanks for your informative reply!
So ive been drinking flouride and aluminum....thanks berkey 😠
Yeah I found out about this after watching a Project Farm video years ago, absolutely shocked the first time, and Im shocked again they havent fixed/amended it STILL 🤯
Can we talk about how some of these INCREASED in fluoride?!?! How does THAT happen?! 😮
Good question. For the British Berkefeld (Doulton) the concentration was 3% higher than before. I think this is just natural fluctuation. As we said, this type of before vs after testing is not an exact science. As for the Purewell with a 47% higher fluoride concentration compared to the unfiltered water, I really don't know. Might be fluctuation. The thing is, I don't know of any filter media that uses fluoride. Maybe you have an answer?
I made my own berkey for $40, plus filter.
Would love to learn more!
Berkey cannot be legally sold in Iowa either.
Definitely wouldn't mind doing a review of that great hair you have, looks fantastic.
Why not run your water filters through with 500 gallons, or more, then send the samples to get tested. That would be more relevant. Your recommendation to change the filter at around 500 gallons is just a guess-timation. No disrespect intended.
You are right - 500 gal is only a guess. The reason why we didn't run 500 gallons through each system before testing was that, based on our speed test, this would have taken around 80 days of continuous filtration per system. Also, every water supply differs. So while our lab-testing can give us a basic idea of a filter's capabilities to remove contamination, you will see different results with a different water supply - even if there are the same contaminants, because they probably exist at different levels. And removing a contaminant at 10 mg/L for 500 gallons is totally different than removing it at 1 mg/L for 500 gallons. Hope this makes sense!
We've been filtering water for about 20 years. For those complaining of Aluminum in their water w/flouride removal filters, and still want a gravity system there is a workaround we used back when we were on city water.
Expensive but you can diy it at a discount.
It's a 2 tier system, 1st system (atop fridge, or somewhere above and over 2nd lower system) is standard 2 chambers w/ black to flouride filters
Rather than drinking that de-fluoridated water with Aluminum in bottom chamber, drain it directly into the upper chamber of the 2nd system that contains Berk black filters only.
The lower chamber of your 2nd system ahould now be relatively flouride and aluminum free.
For decent flow this works with a total of 4black filters and 2 flouride filters.
The first system's chambers (or both) can be diy'd with food grade buckets if $ is an issue.
Great channel. Thanks for your vids.
Thanks so much for sharing. Did you by any chance ever test how effective Berkey's Black filter elements are at removing aluminum?
@@boswater6065Good Q. Did not test. I deep researched what ever was available online at the time, including others discussing their own test results but this was about 15 years ago and dont recall whether I found definitive info on Aluminum clearence on the black Berk filter.
We stopped that method long ago as we were then no longer exposed to purposefully flouridated water as we then lived outside the US, a few years ago returned and on well water now.
Look forward to more of your work. Appreciate your attention to detail.
When i was a kid in the 50s-60s anything made in Japan was considered junk. Then 70s-80s it was Taiwan to hold that rep. Most recently it's China, but I'm seeing signs that the quality of their products has come way up. And the current water filters available on Amazon are majorly Chinese. How about a review of these? I would hazard a guess that the important part--the filters--are mostly made there anyway.
You are right, the majority of water filters regardless of type are made in China as far as we can tell. And I would also agree that this doesn't always induce bad quality. We have reviewed a lot of them on our channel already!
Is this an add for Berkeley? This is an add for Berkeley
Nothing But An Ad For Berkey Alone ? ….How Deceptive !
We also cover the Purewell and we provide our full analysis including lab reports for everyone to check out.
Ad for Berkey lol what happened to the others?
I strongly disagree. The Berkey did best in our lab testing but there was a lot that needed to be discussed about it. Besides, we also covered the Purewell. And at almost 23 minutes we felt that the video was already too long to also cover the other systems. That said, you can check our Google sheet for the full analysis of each of them.
I've concluded all gravity feed filters are over-rated. The filters simply do not last nearly as long as claimed. The fact Berkey uses aluminum to remove fluoride is sad. I have ditched my gravity feed for a multi-stage RO system then remineralize.
Nothing beats the clay made filters we have in Brazil!!
We can get ceramic filters. Those are pretty good
Metals: what about LEAD???
The test kits we use also cover lead, but so far we haven't found any lead in our water so we couldn't calculate any reduction rates for it.
@@boswater6065too bad. I live in Michigan and I am worried about lead.
@croswellianprincess3590 I totally get it. Maybe there are other testers with data on lead reduction? Also, if you don't insist on a gravity filter, you could look into other types that even come with NSF certifications for lead reduction.
Easily the most concise video on this. Hurrican Helene victim here and saw ways to do a cheaper version of a Berkey, but then the filters are as much or more than buying the whole system. Don't understand'
Yes, the price for the Black Berkey filters has gone up. I'm assuming that's because they are out of stock - at least with all the official Berkey dealers I know.
Funny that you recommend berkey but others who did LAB TESTING said it's not a good system.
Would love to take a look at their results. Could you please share who you are referring to?
Amazing video, sussed the channel videos as well. Great work, thoroughness and methodology, SUBBED!
Thank you very much!
Horrible video. Just a promotion for Berkey. Don’t waste your time like it did me.
what does the A in ABC stand for? Well it ends with a hole.
Filtering tapwater is really not a test! Most tapwater is micro tested before it hit your sink. What everybody really wants to know is how well did it do with water? That’s not from the city, pond creeks, lakes, water that off critters hikers campers are going to be using. What were worried the most about is bacterial viruses, and unless I miss something you didn’t do any kind of testing for bacteria or viruses
I see where you are coming from with your comment. But there are many different types of bacteria, cyst, and viruses that you might stumble upon with microbiologically unsafe water. So unless you know which of them you're facing when sourcing water from a specific pond or creek etc. which I doubt, it would have been required for our testing to include all of them. Also, filtering germs requires pretty much 100% removal or the water is still unsafe. So as explained in the video, the safest method to treat microbiologically unsafe water is disinfection.
As mentioned in the video, just boil or disinfect the water before you pour it through the gravity filter. Then you don't have to worry about the bacteria and viruses.
I don’t consider pouring potable water through a water filter much of a test. I quit watching the video when I heard that part.
At the end of the video we explain that disinfection is the best way to treat non-potable water. Of course, you can still use a gravity filter afterwards.
Britta has been doing this for over 20 years, why is this considered something new.
What do you mean by "this"?
@boswater6065 I mean Britta is a gravity fed system.
We didn't say that gravity filtration is something new.
You won't use 185 gallons of water per year which is what the filters would cost, assuming spring water is $1 per gallon. Not seeing what the benefit is of doing this. Having that huge thing on your counter, having to clean it often. I am not seeing the benefit of these devices.
How is no one testing a berkey at 3000 gallons
Based on our speed test that would take approx. 1 year of non-stop filtration.
Why did she not tell us the review of the other filtration systems? This might be paid advertisement by Berkeley.
No, it's not paid advertisement. I agree, we could have done a better job covering the other filters really quick, but we just didn't like their filtration results as mentioned in the video.
Alexapure is a better filter. It’s literally twice the filter.
Do you mean in terms of filter media volume?
What happened to the rest. All she is talking about is berkey.
To be fair, we also cover the Purewell and the British Berkefeld (a bit). But I agree, we should have structured the video differently. The reason why we don't cover the rest is because we weren't exactly blown away by the lab results they could achieve.
What a sharp sounding voice -
Talk too fast
Thank you for the feedback.
Yikes...
You talk Too Fast!
I feel stressed out while watching & listening...🤪
Sorry about that!