Van Life DIY: How to Build a Budget Berkey Water Filter for Van Living
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2023
- Subscribe: / @cheaprvliving
With simple materials like BPA-free, food-grade buckets and the same high-quality Berkey filters, you can create your very own DIY water purification system for one third of the cost!
AMAZON LINKS:
-2 BPA Free Buckets with Screw on Lids
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-Berkey Water Filters
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-Berkey Clone Filters
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-Water Filter Replacement for Berkey
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-Spigot with 1/2" Hose Size
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-Gamma Lid
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-Spiral Drill Bit for Holes
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-Camco RV Faucet Water Tank Filler
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Thanks for watching!
Check your buckets for plastic type. All plastics leach chemical contaminants, but #2HDPE, #4LDPE, and #5PP are the safest.
Do not forget to NOT screw the top lid tight when using, It needs to be loose. Or else you will create a vacuum and it will not flow down to the 2nd bucket.
Not only it this way cheaper .. but I like the idea of the lids snapping on the buckets versus the other just sitting on the containers .. especially when driving 🙃 Thank you for always providing great information!! ❤(don’t forget to drill a very small hole in the receiving bucket by the lid area so the air can vent out)
oh cool call on that small hole . the real Berkley doesnt have a hole but the two sections fit together in sort of a loose way that I think allows air to vent.
Very smart solution
Alexapure pro is about $100 or so cheaper than Berkey & has very good reviews. Still can’t beat DIY. Thx Bob for all your ideas to save the community money & keep us safe.
It more about the quality of the filters.
I had a college professor just like you. He used to explain things to me that nobody else could in such a way where I couldn't believe I never understood it in the first place!
heya bob fans, drill those holes a little larger so you don't have to put pressure on the (very expensive) berkey filter screws- the filters come with gaskets to stop leaks anyway.
and don't handle the filters unless your hands are perfectly clean- try to only hold them by the screw stem if possible.
last tip, don't screw your gamma lid on tight because it'll create a vacuum and your water won't drain down. personally, i would use an easy peel-off lid rather than a gamma because the gamma rim you have to bang onto your bucket is a bacteria trap- found that out when i removed one once that i had only used for water and ~oh, so gross~!
i bought my travel berkey years ago, before they got so expensive (and still made me squirm to spend that much), but it's definitely one of the best vanlife purchase i made. my water always tastes fantastic, eliminates chlorine or musty smell of some water, and no worries about cooties.
tip on the filters: if they slow down or start looking green, you can scrub them under running water with a blue scotch brand scrubber pad and use them all over again to get literally years out of them.
Real nice, simple and inexpensive build.
You can clean the filters with a green pad or a nylon net. I do, and then i run water through them, and then i test them. As long as you can run red McCormick's food coloring in the top tank, and it comes out clear, your filters are working, regardless of gallons or age. You can use as much as one teaspoonful per gallon. I use about a half. You just don't want to see pink water, if you do, it's time to replace them.
I've had mine for over 10 years, and I LOVE IT. I also use the fluoride filters, because i filter municipal water, with chlorine and fluoride, and the Berkey removes it.
Great tip about the food colouring! Thank you!
ProOne filters have the fluoride filter in the regular filter.
I have been saving my old filters with the same idea as a backup.
great idea! it is important to be sure that the water is only going thru the filters and NOT around the seal because that allows dirty water to get past defeating the whole purpose. Berkey sells a non toxic red dye that you can put a few drops in the top and let the filter do its thing, if there is any red dye in the bottom/clean water ,then you know your seal is not good enough. this isn't something you need to do very often but I recommend doing it whenever you replace the filters especially if you are using a plastic container like this vs a metal one. personally I love my Berkley and didnt mind spending the money, the real ones are really nice to look at so instead of having a bucket sitting on my counter I have something that looks pretty nice but not everyone can or is willing tp pay that much for something like this so this is a great alternative.
Absolute thumbs-up that you continue to advocate for us to flourish as Nomads and WATER is CRITICAL because as I encounter our peoples, I almost always observe they are showing signs of dehydration.
Many of us fall to drinking canned soda and bottled sugary drinks, that are bad for us and expensive, but some are subconsciously motivated to do this because they actually do not always trust their current water.
Great video. I used bottled water initially because the Berkley was $$$ I went with WaterDrop, right now on Amo it's $ 169. and with a $40 off coupon would make it $129. and that would include the filters. The Waterdrop filters out performed other similar systems in regard to aluminum but the same otherwise. The replacement filters are less expensive than Berkey and I believe they can be used in a Berkey if you already have that system or want to build your own as Bob has done.
I don't get tired of learning about water filters. Keep making videos about filtering water.
No Bob, we are not tired of you talking about water filters! It is sooooo important. Thank you! 😊
many restaurants use dill pickles for sandwiches and would probably give you some empty buckets with lids. they are used for food so have to be food safe. my local restaurant uses 5 gallon buckets.
Great advice. I love that scenery behind you. Awesome mountains
Great video Bob! If getting your water out of a creek, ditch, or pond, take and pour your water through a t-shirt to get the big pieces out first. Then pour your water through your filtration system to get the small parts!
What blessing. Thank you!!!!
We love you Bob. You’re a treasure 😊💕. Thank u for all u do!
Alot of the time you can go to a supermarket that does cake decorating in the bakery and they get 5gallon food grade buckets full of icing and you can ask for the empty buckets for free with lids
Bought my Berkey years ago at a much cheaper price for a larger one. I use it daily and I love it. DIY is always an excellent choice. 👍🙂
Here in the US, if it's a white bucket, it's typically food grade (unless it's been used to hold something that's not food). I believe this is mostly universal, but recommended you do your own research to be sure.
That said, anywhere there's a bakery, or deli, or most other places where food is prepared and sold they will likely have them, and if you're willing and able to build a relationship you can sometimes get those buckets for free, or really cheap.
Walmart bakery gets their frosting, and sometimes a few other things in the five gallon buckets. The smaller buckets are a little harder to come by in my experience.
If that's not an option, (some Walmarts have prior arrangements for their buckets) Walmart sells these pretty cheap - lids sold separately - in their paint/home improvement department. I get them all the time, and they do have a sticker on them proclaiming they're food safe.
Great idea, but I winced when you were pounding on the gamma lid with the bucket on the ground - getting those filler outlets all filled with dirt, contaminating the clean side of the filter!
I would also not attach the lid to the bottom of the top bucket, but just put larger holes in the lid for the filter outlets, so you could nest the buckets when you're not using them.
Thank you so much for the DYI I will do that hope to meet in-person someday. Be careful stay safe
evey now and then i just have to comment to you Bob that i appreciate you greatly. you are a cascade of good. a sincere thank you for all you do.
Beautiful place! Holy moly!
Wow!!!! Great job of explaining how to build the water filter.
Brilliant! Thanks so much for this.
Thank you Bob
Good video, I purchased a travel Berkey from their scratch & dent online department for $300 only because I was able to made flexible payments with their payment option from affirm or klarna. No visible scratches or dents.
Splendid job!!
Nice ❣️ thank you for sharing 🙏🕊🌏🤟
THANK YOU!!🎉
You are a lifesaver! Now I know what my next project will be.
You are the go to GOAT when it comes to RV and nomad living.
Thank you so much for all the excellent advice.
Keep on keepin' on, Bob!
Outstanding video. Thank you
I’ve wanted a Burkett for years but to expensive! Thank you Bob! I love your idea better than the original! 🙋♀️👍
outstanding!
Awesome Bob, thanks.
Great video❤
Great idea Bob, thanks for this!
I've had my Big Berkey for 20 years or more, and it's still perfect. A terrific purchase.
I helped a friend of mine and I told him I didn't want paid. To my surprise he gave me Berkey (never been used)! Yep anywhere you can get water, you can have pure water to drink!
You are awesome ! Thank you!
Awesome idea!!!❤❤❤❤
Thank you, Mr. Bob
Thanks Bob! U explain everything so easily so I know I can do it myself!
Awesome, Bob!
love this dyi water filtering video. I was in the market for the Birky. tyvm
Great guide to engineering my own filter. Thanks!
That is pretty cool. I'm going to do this and paint a nice design on the outside.
Just wanted to say your channel is awesome❤
Thanks for the video
Nice! ❤
Very interesting information - always nice to see some budget ideas for van travel! “Keep making memories & adventure on!” ~Karen & Shannon WOY
Revisiting this, wish you included the fluoride filter, too. Great video
Great video, Bob. Well, one of my dreams is to go to the RTR and also meet you, so God willing, I will be there for the first time in January. Thank you for all that you do.
Try a different filter, Berkey has been shown by independent testing to introduce aluminum in the filtered water because they use aluminum oxide in the filter medium.
Hi, Can you reference this information please? Thanks so much!
I was looking for someone to point this out. Aluminum nano particles go straight to the brain and is the major cause of old age dementia and alzheimers as tested in lab mice. Buy a Berkey if you wanna lose your mind.
I am curious as to where you got this information? Where did it come from? I would love to see the lab reports that say this .
Great idea. 2 1/2 gallon bucket kits would be great in a smaller rug.
This is awesome. Plus I would imagine the buckets are less susceptible to road damage than the metal Burkey canister. Nice!
always good 👍👍👍 and usefull!!!
Hello from Puerto Rico Bob and all friends
Wow Berkey has significantly raised their prices. I bought my Big Berkey pre-pandemic and paid around $250. The filters were also far cheaper then. At the time, I thought the steel container was way more expensive than it should be. I also buy the fluoride filters. Love the quality but really don’t like getting gouged.
7 years I’ve been quietly looking@Berkey. Can’t get it to make sense. I think lots of YT people were given them to spread the word. Like the recent SoloStoves. There’s an over priced product every year.
@@stanbyme7874check out St Paul mercantile. They have them for 1/3 to 1/4 the price of buying it directly from Berkey.
It's not price gouging. They have stopped sale of nearly all of their products, anything that uses the black filters, as they work through an EPA stop order centering on their claim that they remove pesticides. Any units still being sold are not sold by Berkey directly, but are from third-party sellers who already had stock on hand. There was already a product shortage because of increased demand and supply chain issues from the pandemic. I expect that prices will settle once the company has resolved the EPA order. I've had my Big Berkey for 20 years and it's as perfect as the day it arrived. Money well spent. Only my Vitamix and Electrolux have lasted as long!
Exactly. The travel Berkey was apprx $150 prior to covid. Sadly the one I purchased was too big for Nomad life. Berkey (IMHO) aren't worth the price they're charging now.
they make sense if you have the money to burn and really like the look of them. so in my case I didn't mind buying it and it is something that will last for as long as I want to own it, there is nothing that can really go wrong with them, but I agree the price is way too much . ours is just right there in our living space so I wanted it to be something nice looking , for me it was worth it.@@stanbyme7874
wow u rock
Thank you, Mr Bob! Im in a car so im going to try this with smaller buckets.
Oh boy! I think I can do this! 😆
Thanks again for the information
Nice
I love my Berkey! The water where I live is undrinkable out of the faucet, but comes out clear and palatable from the Berkey. But I'll definitely be doing this build at some point in the future because my Berkey is plastic and has already cracked (It was in the clearance "scratch and dent" section of the Berkey website and therefore waaaaaaaayyy cheaper. But I've already had to patch it twice because it cracks around the spigot, so I've been looking for a sturdier alternative and this looks like the solution!)
🚙🚙 Good Show! ... Bruce
Very cool!
I made 2 of these 6 years ago. I use it to filter our well water. And because we have rusty pipes. I use the Dalton filters on Amazon. One thing to mention, I had leaks until I added a rubber gasket between the lid and top bucket.
I would have centered the spigot with the handle. Little nicer when your lifting the bucked.
I've had a Berkey for 3 or 4 yrs now. And about a year ago started hearing not-good things about it, the company. Also, their filters don't remove fluoride (I originally got their fluoride-removing filters, which is more expense and they sit in the filtered water, which seems ick). It seems there are no truly great options in this area. At this point, I'm considering the Pro One filters (which do remove fluoride from just the one filter) and then filtering it again in one of the pitchers (maybe Zero Water?). So with double-filtering (which I heard about on youtube) ya' somehow (hopefully) get clean water (or the best you can do with these types of filters). Plus it seems it would reduce the frequency of getting new filters for the more expensive pitcher filters. It's really sad though that it's so difficult to find a way to get truly clean water. It doesn't say a lot for the reality we've created, when the basics of life aren't even achievable.
Thanks Bob. I am a little concerned about storage though. We all know space is at a premium when you are self contained. How about a smaller version that the top and bottom store in each other to use less space.
Great Design & DIY project! Would a UV light be useful to kill any bacteria?
Thank you😊
Awesome !
I wish I had seen this before I bought my Berkey
Is there a similar filter cheaper then a berkley filter that will the same Job? I love the idea and vidoe.
Can you suggest a clone Berkey filter since Berkey filters supposedly have aluminum in them. Using Berkey filters in a DIY would still carry the same concern as using a Berkey
Do you sanitize the buckets, periodically?
Very useful video. Would have liked to know how much water can be filtered per hour.
😎🤙
I use ProOne filters. I like them better than Berkey. The fluoride filter is part of the regular filter.
😊
DUDE !!! Thank you! got a question... Was there a reason you did not include the white ceramic filters? Would you recommend using them?
Where is the location, spot, you're in? Looks beautiful with the mountains in the back.
I think I'd use a couple of stainless steel stock pots instead of plastic, tho.
Awesome video as always! I wonder if the buckets need to be bpa free?
Arrrg sorry! I should have finished the video!😂
🎉
Great video Bob. I’ve been wanting a berkey $$$. But I’m a bit confused. In the video you say the buckets are standard 2.5 gallons each. But the link for the gamma lids are for lids that fit buckets 3.5 to 7 gallon buckets. Will those gamma lids fit the 2.5 buckets? Thanks 🙏
Do you need two filters or can you use one at a time? Obviously it might be slower if you can
Add a uv light
I’m interested to start car camping in my suv. Any suggestions on mattress. Foam, or air? Thank you
If your on an even tighter budget. Forgo the filters and use charcoal, sand, and cheese cloths . Filters just as well. 😊
I bought a # 2 bucket for a water bucket to keep outside for my dog when shes out there. I have to clean it every two days because it start to get green. Will that be a problem with the water filter buckets?
Don’t forget to prime your filters… very important because when Berkey makes the filters they might put some dust inside ..
I was wondering if there’s a lotta BPA residue from those plastics buckets?
Can you put river or pond water in there and drink it?
I am not being negative Bob, but would adding more than 1 filter mean you would get more water faster and we would also have to change both filters at the same time? Both are filtering the same amount of water. Twice the filters twice the price. That's how I am processing the concept. 1 filter would make filtering slower but less expensive. What are your thoughts?
Udahman Bob!