Now you can enjoy virtually the Most Delicious, Freshest, Healthiest drinking water possible for pennies a day...

Berkey® Systems are the World's Most Powerful and Economical Personal Water purification Systems Providing Reliable and User-friendly Water Purification in Both Normal and Hostile Filtration Environments.

Moreover, Berkey® systems are capable of purifying both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. So powerful, this system is able to remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Perfect for everyday use and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available. Berkey® Natural Purification Systems are the ultimate in water purification and the ideal personal protection and traveling companions. Used worldwide for normal, hostile and emergency environments to provide the purest, sparkling clean water possible... For generations, health-conscious people around the world have recognized that the foundation to a healthy life and healthy body is clean, fresh drinking water. This important essential element is the basis for enjoying your longest, healthiest life. No amount of vitamins or supplements can substitute for the vital life-sustaining properties found in nourishing, healthful drinking water. It is truly the foundation of life.

Unfortunately, securing your access to good tasting, sparkling, wholesome drinking water can be harder than you might expect. Water is often laced with chlorine, lead, high levels of harmful bacteria, and other unwanted chemicals and contaminants. Frequently these produce unpleasant tastes and odors. Even bottled water can contain these same contaminants, and moreover it is very expensive. Other filtration systems are inferior. Most do not remove pathogenic bacteria and many remove the beneficial minerals that your body needs.

Perhaps that's why Berkey® systems have long been recognized as the world's ultimate in water purification. This simple, highly effective method of using gravity was developed almost 200 years ago... yet it still produces some of the finest, most healthful drinking water available.

How Berkey® Natural Water Purifiers Operate

To use, water is poured into the upper chamber. Gravity draws this water through the exclusive purification elements where contaminates are captured on and within theses micro-porous elements and are separated from the water. The purified water then collects in the lower chamber where it can be drawn through the spigot. What's more, Berkey® elements are re-cleanable and can be used over and over again.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

  • HEALTHY - Berkey® systems are far superior to other filtration systems because they remove harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites as well as unhealthy chemical contaminates and impurities while leaving in the essential minerals your body needs. Berkey® systems produce virtually the most healthful, clean and delicious water available.
  • CONVENIENT - Berkey® systems assemble in minutes without tools, electricity, water pressure, or plumbing. What's more, they are simple to operate and maintain.
  • ECONOMICAL - Berkey® systems are easily the most economical water purification system you can own. Their unique design allows you to easily remove and re-clean the purification elements over and over again.
  • POWERFUL - Berkey® systems can easily purify ordinary tap water, yet are so powerful, they efficiently purify raw, untreated water from such sources as remote lakes and streams. What's more, Berkey® systems are the ideal water purification systems to have on hand in the event of natural disasters such as blackouts, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes as well as local or national emergencies when treated tap water may not be available.
  • FLEXIBLE - Berkey® systems are so convenient and easy to use, you can take them anywhere: on vacations, hunting and camping trips, college dorms and they are ideal systems for RVs and pleasure craft.
  • ELEGANT - The elegant high-grade polished 304 stainless steel design makes Berkey® systems an attractive addition to any kitchen or home yet each system is both rugged and durable.
  • PROVEN HISTORY - The same high quality and effectiveness of the gravity filtration process, that is utilized in Berkey® systems, has stood the test of time. Gravity filtration has been used by relief organizations such as UNICEF, the Peace Corps, Red Cross Societies Internationally, missionaries and relief workers in over 140 countries throughout the world.
Berkey® Really is the Ultimate in Water Purification

The Berkey® Secret

Have you ever wondered how Berkey® purification systems remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites while extracting chemicals including herbicides, pesticides, organic solvents, VOCs, detergents, cloudiness, silt, sediment, foul tastes and odors? Or, how Berkey® systems are able to reduce heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, aluminum and other dangerous heavy metals, as well as nitrates and nitrites without removing the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs?

And finally, how is this system is able to remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs?

The unique Berkey® design combines the age-old process of micro-porous filtration coupled with modern state-of-the-art technology and the highest quality materials to bring you the finest water purification system available anywhere. The micro-pores within the self-sterilizing and re-cleanable Black Berkey® purification elements are so small that pathogenic bacteria are simply not able to pass through them.

The media within the elements remove contaminants by a surface phenomenon known as “adsorption” which results from the molecular attraction of substances to the surface of the media. The exclusive purification elements are also impregnated with proprietary “absorbing” media that promote IONIC “absorption” of pollutants within the micro-porous elements.

Another reason Berkey® systems are so effective in removing contaminants from water is the extremely long “contact period”. Other filtration systems rely on water pressure that forces water molecules through the filter elements at 60-90 PSI. These water molecules come into contact with the filter media for a mere fraction of a second. By comparison water molecules, passing through the “Tortuous Path” structure of the Black Berkey® purification elements, are drawn gently by gravity and stay in contact with the media for a long period of time. This allows the filter media to be more efficient in capturing contaminates. For example, if you were to hurl 100 steel ball bearings at a large magnet, some would stick but most would bounce off. However, if you were to walk over and gently place the ball bearings on the magnet most, if not all, would adhere to the magnet. Berkey® systems fully utilize this principle.

This advanced technology was developed, refined, and proven through years of diligent, investigative research and testing performed by water purification specialists, researchers and engineers. The flow rate or time of exposure through the exclusive Black Berkey® purification elements has been calculated to yield the greatest volume removal of toxic chemicals and pathogenic bacteria found in nature and caused by pollution from industry and agriculture.

Berkey LightTM FAQ'S

What are the dimensions of the Berkey LightTM System?

Height x Diameter (inches) 26.5 x 9.25 (base included); The system can also be used without the base and stands 21"; Empty Weight 5(lbs); Holding capacity: Aprox. 2.75 Gallons.

The weight of the Berkey LightTM system is 5 lbs.

I can't get the chambers to snap together, am I doing something wrong?

Please make sure you are aligning the seams, as most of the systems will not snap together unless the seams are aligned. If that doesn't solve the problem, please measure the opening on the lower chamber from seam to seam. The diameter should be at least 7 15/16" or greater. If it is less than that please call our customer service line at 888-803-4438.

What is the most convenient method for filling the upper reservoir?

Most people use a pitcher to pour water into the upper chamber however, if you have a spray hose on your sink, using it to refill the system is a very convenient method.

The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey® system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?

Yes it is normal and not unusual for the last 1/2" to 1" of water to remain in the upper chamber. By design the water must pass through very fine micro pores within the elements in order to pass from the upper chamber to the lower. The lower the water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure available to force the water through the micro pores. You might have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than when half full. That is because there is more pressure. The only way to remedy the problem would be to enlarge the pores within the filter elements. That would of course, reduce the efficiency of the purification elements. During each cycle the water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the current cycle and is then purified. You should not be concerned about the excess water during normal use however if you discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as during a vacation, it would not hurt to empty the upper chamber before departing.

I have been using my system for about six months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably. Do I need to replace the elements?

No, unlike other filtration elements Black Berkey® purification elements are re-cleanable. What typically causes the filters to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro-pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system, scrub the exterior of each element with preferably a white ScotchBrite® pad or stiff toothbrush. Simply scrub a section of the filter until you see a bit of black on the white pad then move to the next section. It's simple to do and takes less than a minute. Then re-prime each element and reinstall them. Your problem should now be fixed.

How do I know when it is time to replace the elements in my system?

The best way to gauge when to replace the filters is to do the following:
  1. Multiply the number of filters in your system by 3,000 gallons to get Total Gallons For All Filters within the system.
  2. Next keep a track of how many times you need to refill the upper chamber in one week.
  3. Then multiply that figure times the capacity in gallons of your particular system (for example the Berkey LightTM system is 2.75 gallons) to determine Total Gallons Used Per Week.
  4. Finally divide the Total Gallons Used Per Week into the Total Gallons For All Filters and that will tell you how many weeks before the filters should be replaced.
  5. Next calculate the future date for replacement (52 weeks per year) and write that date on a sticker and attach it to the bottom of your system for future reference.
By the way, if you have been using your system for some time now, you can still use the above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count forward from the date you purchased your system.

I will soon be leaving the country. Is there a way to test my Berkey® system to make sure it is working properly?

Yes, anytime you plan on taking your system out of the country we advise that you always perform the following test prior to leaving. You should test your filters by filling the upper chamber with water then add a tablespoon of food coloring for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. If the food coloring is removed entirely, your filtration system is working properly. If not, check to make sure that the wing nuts on your elements are securely tightened then re-run the test.

By the way, always prime new purification elements before leaving the country, as you may not have enough water pressure to be able to prime the elements at your destination.

I just purchased a Berkey® system but the system is hardly filtering any water at all. Am I doing something wrong?

Typically the problem you are experiencing is due to high water tension, which prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements. Included with your Black Berkey® elements is a priming button and instructions for use. Please remove and prime your purification elements, reinstall them and that should fix the problem.

I have found that when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this bacterium?

With respect to the little white floaters in the water, it is not bacteria but rather a problem that sometimes occurs with hard (heavily mineralized) water. When water is filtered through your system, the Black Berkey® purification elements actually increase the PH of the water. This is healthful as Pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments and conversely have difficulty surviving in alkaline environments. This is also true inside your body. When the PH level of the purified water is raised, the acidity of the water goes down and the water is no longer able to hold as many minerals in solution. When this happens the minerals begin to precipitate out over time and depending on the mineral composition they will either sink to the bottom or float to the top. This process is known as flocculation and the precipitated minerals are usually referred to as "white floaters". The bottom line is that this is nothing to be concerned about, the white floaters are minerals that were already in your water; they are now simply visible whereas they were previously invisible due to their suspension in an ionic form.

I did a TDS reading on the purified water and was surprised to find that the reading was about the same with the purified water as it was with the unpurified water. Is my system working properly?

Yes, a TDS meter measures only Total Dissolved Solids or minerals; dissolved solids are simply dissolved minerals in an ionic form. A TDS meter does not measure the amount of biological and chemical contaminates. Black Berkey® elements are designed to leave in your water the healthful and beneficial minerals and to extract only the unwanted heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide and aluminum. Therefore, your TDS reading will not change much unless you have a significant amount of heavy metals or sedimentary minerals in your water.

Stainless Steel Systems FAQ'S

What grade of Stainless Steel is used in Berkey® systems?

High grade polished 304-stainless steel.

Is there a Berkey® system that will accommodate large groups?

Yes we offer two systems they are:
  1. The Imperial Berkey® system, when configured with six Black Berkey® purification elements can purify up to 400 gallons per day (~17 gallons per hour) when the upper chamber is full. This is enough to provide for up to 200 people on a sustained basis and up to 800 people on a short-term emergency basis.
  2. The Crown Berkey® system, when configured with eight Black Berkey® purification elements can purify up to 650 gallons per day (~27 gallons per hour) when the upper chamber is full. This is enough to provide for up to 325 people on a sustained basis and up to 1,300 people on a short-term emergency basis.

What is the most convenient method for filling the upper reservoir?

Most people use a pitcher to pour water into the upper chamber however, if you have a spray hose on your sink, using it to refill the system is a very convenient method.

The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey® system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?

Yes it is normal and not unusual for the last 1/2" to 1" of water to remain in the upper chamber. By design the water must pass through very fine micro pores within the elements in order to pass from the upper chamber to the lower. The lower the water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure available to force the water through the micro pores. You might have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than when half full. That is because there is more pressure. The only way to remedy the problem would be to enlarge the pores within the filter elements. That would of course, reduce the efficiency of the purification elements. During each cycle the water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the current cycle and is then purified. You should not be concerned about the excess water during normal use however if you discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as during a vacation, it would not hurt to empty the upper chamber before departing.

I have been using my system for about six months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably. Do I need to replace the elements?

No, unlike other filtration elements Black Berkey® purification elements are re-cleanable. What typically causes the filters to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro-pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system, scrub the exterior of each element with preferably a white ScotchBrite pad or stiff toothbrush. Simply scrub a section of the filter until you see a bit of black on the white pad then move to the next section. It's simple to do and takes less than a minute. Then re-prime each element and reinstall them. Your problem should now be fixed.

How do I know when it is time to replace the elements in my system?

The best way to gauge when to replace the filters is to do the following:
  1. Multiply the number of filters in your system by 3,000 gallons to get Total Gallons For All Filters within the system.
  2. Next keep a track of how many times you need to refill the upper chamber in one week.
  3. Then multiply that figure times the capacity in gallons of your particular system (for example the Berkey LightTM system is 2.75 gallons) to determine Total Gallons Used Per Week.
  4. Finally divide the Total Gallons Used Per Week into the Total Gallons For All Filters and that will tell you how many weeks before the filters should be replaced.
  5. Next calculate the future date for replacement (52 weeks per year) and write that date on a sticker and attach it to the bottom of your system for future reference.
By the way, if you have been using your system for some time now, you can still use the above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count forward from the date you purchased your system.

I will soon be leaving the country. Is there a way to test my Berkey® system to make sure it is working properly?

Yes, anytime you plan on taking your system out of the country we advise that you always perform the following test prior to leaving. You should test your filters by filling the upper chamber with water then add a tablespoon of food coloring for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. If the food coloring is removed entirely, your filtration system is working properly. If not, check to make sure that the wing nuts on your elements are securely tightened then re-run the test.

By the way, always prime new purification elements before leaving the country, as you may not have enough water pressure to be able to prime the elements at your destination.

I just purchased a Berkey® system but the system is hardly filtering any water at all. Am I doing something wrong?

Typically the problem you are experiencing is due to high water tension, which prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements. Included with your Black Berkey® elements is a priming button and instructions for use. Please remove and prime your purification elements, reinstall them and that should fix the problem.

I have found that when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this bacterium?

With respect to the little white floaters in the water, it is not bacteria but rather a problem that sometimes occurs with hard (heavily mineralized) water. When water is filtered through your system, the Black Berkey® purification elements actually increase the PH of the water. This is healthful as Pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments and conversely have difficulty surviving in alkaline environments. This is also true inside your body. When the PH level of the purified water is raised, the acidity of the water goes down and the water is no longer able to hold as many minerals in solution. When this happens the minerals begin to precipitate out over time and depending on the mineral composition they will either sink to the bottom or float to the top. This process is known as flocculation and the precipitated minerals are usually referred to as "white floaters". The bottom line is that this is nothing to be concerned about, the white floaters are minerals that were already in your water; they are now simply visible whereas they were previously invisible due to their suspension in an ionic form.

I did a TDS reading on the purified water and was surprised to find that the reading was about the same with the purified water as it was with the unpurified water. Is my system working properly?

Yes, a TDS meter measures only Total Dissolved Solids or minerals; dissolved solids are simply dissolved minerals in an ionic form. A TDS meter does not measure the amount of biological and chemical contaminates. Black Berkey® elements are designed to leave in your water the healthful and beneficial minerals and to extract only the unwanted heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide and aluminum. Therefore, your TDS reading will not change much unless you have a significant amount of heavy metals or sedimentary minerals in your water.

Comparison of Berkey® Systems FAQ'S

We would like to spend the least amount of money for a system that can meet the needs of a larger group, what would you recommend?

When determining the best size for your situation, please consider that the larger the systems capacity, the less often it will need to be refilled. All of our systems are available configured with two Black Berkey® Purification elements however; the four larger stainless steel systems are expandable which means that your first consideration should be to purchase the system, which has the capacity to best meet your groups needs. If at a later date you determine that you require more gallons per hour, you will not have to invest in another system, you can simply order additional purification elements to expand your current system. Below is a list of our various two element systems, their capacities and the maximum number of elements each system can accommodate.

SYSTEM TWO ELEMENTS FULLY EXPANDED
Travel Berkey® ~1.5 GALLONS 2 Elements
Berkey LightTM ~2.75 GALLONS 2 Elements
Big Berkey® ~2.25 GALLONS 4 Elements
Royal Berkey® ~3.25 GALLONS 4 Elements
Imperial Berkey® ~4.5 GALLONS 6 Elements
Crown Berkey® ~6 GALLONS 8 Elements

What is the filtration rate per hour for the various Berkey® systems?
The chart below shows the gallons per hour for each system, when configured with two Black Berkey® purification elements and when expanded to accommodate the maximum number of elements. Flow rates calculated with upper chamber full to top. Flow rate decreases as water level declines.
SYSTEM FLOW per hour FULLY EXPANDED FLOW
Travel Berkey® ~2.75 GALLONS N/A
Berkey LightTM ~4.25 GALLONS N/A
Big Berkey® ~3.5 GALLONS ~7.00 GALLONS
Royal Berkey® ~4.0 GALLONS ~8.0 GALLONS
Imperial Berkey® ~5.5 GALLONS ~16.5 GALLONS
Crown Berkey® ~6.5 GALLONS ~26.0 GALLONS

We are going to be traveling to a third world country and will require a system for a large group of people. Which system would you recommend?

As a rule of thumb you will need two gallons per day per person for sustained use and 1/2 to one gallon per day per person for short-term emergency use. The difference being that for sustained use more water is required for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and hygiene whereas for short-term emergency use, drinking water alone is calculated. Please make a determination as to the number of people within the group and whether or not the system will be used for sustained or for emergency use, then review the above FAQ's to make a determination as to the best system to meet your groups needs. You might also want to consider taking several Sport Berkey® purification bottles as well. These systems are very compact personal purification systems and were developed for use in third world countries. They often come in very handy when travel requires that you be away from the location of your larger purification system.

What are the basic differences between the in the Berkey LightTM and the other stainless steel systems?

The Berkey LightTM system is designed for outdoor use therefore it is about three pounds lighter in weight than the equivalent capacity of our stainless steel system. The Travel Berkey® system is also designed for outdoor use and is the smallest of the stainless steel systems. It is compact enough to fit within a suitcase because unlike the Berkey LightTM system, the upper chamber nests within the lower chamber during travel. This is the preferred system when mobility is a big issue.

The four-multi use systems are designed for indoor everyday use so they are of a heavier construction than the above systems but these systems can also be used outdoors or during unexpected emergencies when a source of potable water may not be available

Black Berkey® FAQ'S

What is the shelf life of the Black Berkey® purification elements?

The shelf life of the Black Berkey® elements is indefinite. In other words they will last until you need them. We would advise however, if you intend to store them for a long period of time, that you store them in a zip-lock bag. This is because they are powerful enough to absorb contaminants from the air, which could reduce their expected life if you have a lot of airborne contaminants in the area in which they are being stored. A zip-lock back will prevent the above from occurring.

How often do the Black Berkey® purification elements need to be replaced?

Each element has an expected life of 3,000 gallons or 6,000 gallons for a set of two.

I have been using my system for about six months and the flow rate has slowed down considerably. Do I need to replace the elements?

No, unlike other filtration elements Black Berkey® purification elements are re-cleanable. What typically causes the filters to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro-pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system, scrub the exterior of each element with preferably a white ScotchBrite pad or stiff toothbrush. Simply scrub a section of the filter until you see a bit of black on the white pad then move to the next section. It's simple to do and takes less than a minute. Then re-prime each element and reinstall them. Your problem should now be fixed.

How do I know when it is time to replace the elements in my system?

The best way to gauge when to replace the filters is to do the following:
  1. Multiply the number of filters in your system by 3,000 gallons to get Total Gallons For All Filters within the system.
  2. Next keep a track of how many times you need to refill the upper chamber in one week.
  3. Then multiply that figure times the capacity in gallons of your particular system (for example the Berkey LightTM system is 2.75 gallons) to determine Total Gallons Used Per Week.
  4. Finally divide the Total Gallons Used Per Week into the Total Gallons For All Filters and that will tell you how many weeks before the filters should be replaced.
  5. Next calculate the future date for replacement (52 weeks per year) and write that date on a sticker and attach it to the bottom of your system for future reference.
By the way, if you have been using your system for some time now, you can still use the above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count forward from the date you purchased your system.

I will soon be leaving the country. Is there a way to test my Berkey® system to make sure it is working properly?

Yes, anytime you plan on taking your system out of the country we advise that you always perform the following test prior to leaving. You should test your filters by filling the upper chamber with water then add a tablespoon of food coloring for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. If the food coloring is removed entirely, your filtration system is working properly. If not, check to make sure that the wing nuts on your elements are securely tightened then re-run the test.

By the way, always prime new purification elements before leaving the country, as you may not have enough water pressure to be able to prime the elements at your destination.

I just purchased a Berkey® system but the system is hardly filtering any water at all. Am I doing something wrong?

Typically the problem you are experiencing is due to high water tension, which prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements. Included with your Black Berkey® elements is a priming button and instructions for use. Please remove and prime your purification elements, reinstall them and that should fix the problem.

I just purchased a Berkey® system but didn't receive a priming button. Instead, I think I received an extra black washer in the box. The instructions say to use the tan colored priming button. What gives?

Please check in the box which held Black your Berkey purification elements. The box should contain two (2) elements. Attached to each element should be a rubber washer and a wing nut. Also in the boxes should be what could looks like another single black rubber washer. This is your priming button. It is thicker than the washer and the center hole is smaller. This black priming button can easily be confused with a washer; so we asked the manufacturer to change the color of the priming button back to tan.

How do I prime the Black Berkey® Purification Elements when water pressure is unavailable?

The micro pores on the Black Berkey® purification elements are extremely small, in fact they are small enough to filter food coloring out of water. The benefit from having such extremely small pores is greater efficiency at removing pathogenic bacteria and other contaminates. The downside is that too much water tension can require that the purification elements be primed before they will flow properly. When you receive the purification elements, they are dry and air is trapped within the tiny micro fine pores. In certain parts of the world, water has more water tension than in other places and this can change from season to season. The higher the water tension, the more difficult it is for the water to force the air out of the micro fine pores using gravity alone. The pores that have air trapped within them do not allow water to pass through and therefore become an inaccessible passage for the water. This then causes the system to either filter very slowly or not at all.

Before traveling to and using the system in an area without water pressure we recommend that the purification elements be primed using the priming button. If this however is not possible and water pressure is not available to use the priming button method, the elements can be primed approximately 50% by using the below method. In other words using this method, the elements will not purify as fast as they will by using the priming button method however they will run significantly faster than if the elements have not been primed at all. The alternate priming method is as follows:

STEP 1: If your system is assembled, remove the purification elements from the upper chamber. Next, fill the lower chamber with water, then place the purification elements into the water in the lower chamber, upside down with the stems facing upward, and put a ceramic coffee cup (or something else that will hold them under the water) on top of each purification element stem to force the element down under the water. Let the purification elements soak in the water for several hours. This will force some of the air out of the stubborn pores. NOTE: Make sure that opening in the stems of the purification elements are not underwater as we want the water to be forced through the pores rather than entering through the hole in the stem.

STEP 2: The inside of the purification elements should now be full of water and significantly heavier. Try to keep as much water on the inside of the purification elements as is possible as you reassemble the purification element into the upper chamber by keeping the stems facing upward. Empty the water from the lower chamber and place the upper chamber back onto the lower chamber. Immediately fill the upper chamber with water.

When the purification elements have water within the bore (inside core), more force is generated to draw water through the purification element. This is because the water that drips out of the purification elements also hydraulically pulls new water into the purification element as the purification element begins to work like a siphon. Thus, in addition to the "Push" of gravity, there is also a hydraulic "pull" and this drastically improves the ability of the water to force the air from the micro pores. The above method is less efficient than priming the purification elements with the priming button but should be about 75-80% effective in clearing the blocked micro pores.

Let the water in the lower chamber run to waste and refill the upper chamber with water. Your Black Berkey® elements are now primed and ready for use.

What is the Micron Rating of the Black Berkey® purification elements?

With respect to the micron rating, we do not use or publish a micron rating for the Black Berkey® elements for the following reasons.

There is much confusion with respect to nominal and absolute micron ratings. An absolute micron rating is one that states the maximum pore size expected within an element. The nominal micron rating is the average pore size within the element. This means that if 90% of the pores are .02 microns and ten percent are 2 microns, one could claim the nominal micron rating as .2 microns, which would imply that pathogenic bacteria and parasites would be totally removed. But in reality the bulk of the water would channel through the larger 2-micron pores and thereby allow both bacteria and parasites to pass through. Therefore a nominal micron-rating claim can be very misleading.

With respect to the absolute micron rating, there is also confusion because there are two different standards to determine absolute; in the US the standard is 99.9% removal, but the international standard in 99.99% removal or 10 times greater removal.

Clever marketers of products can use the confusion over the above differences to make product "A" appear to be better than product "B" when product B may be far superior in reality. For example, we used to report an absolute rating using the international standard because we have a large international customer base. Several years ago we published a rating on our ceramic filters. A particular company began to publish that our elements were .9 microns whereas theirs were .2 microns. However, our micron rating was based on absolute (international) while theirs was based on a nominal(US)rating. When tested at Spectrum Labs, it was found that at the .2 to .3 microns range our filter removed more particulate than the other brand. Unfortunately many people make there purchasing decisions based on a micron rating that can be legitimately distorted and to a significant degree.

We soon became weary of trying to explain the above to our customers and so we decided not to participate any longer in publishing a micron rating. Rather, we think an absolute pathogenic bacteria removal rate is a far better gauge because it is far more difficult to abuse. Based on that criterion, the Black Berkey® elements remove greater than 99.9999999% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli. To our knowledge, no other personal filtration element can match that capability. In fact, the Black Berkey® elements are so powerful, they are unique in their ability to mechanically remove food coloring from water.

It is time for me to replace my filter elements but I have a different brand name of gravity filter. Will the Black Berkey® elements fit my system?

Yes the Black Berkey® purification elements are interchangeable with other gravity systems and the PF-2 filters can be used as well.

The water in the upper chamber of my Berkey® system does not drain all the way. Is this normal?

Yes it is normal and not unusual for the last 1/2" to 1" of water to remain in the upper chamber. By design the water must pass through very fine micro pores within the elements in order to pass from the upper chamber to the lower. The lower the water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure available to force the water through the micro pores. You might have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than when half full. That is because there is more pressure. The only way to remedy the problem would be to enlarge the pores within the filter elements. That would of course, reduce the efficiency of the purification elements. During each cycle the water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the current cycle and is then purified. You should not be concerned about the excess water during normal use however if you discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as during a vacation, it would not hurt to empty the upper chamber before departing.

It appears that there is a slight dimple in one of my Black Berkey® elements, is this filter flawed?

No, The Black Berkey® purification elements are about twice as thick as are standard gravity filter elements. This is a built in redundancy or overkill, if you will. The minor dimple in the filter should not cause any decrease in the elements efficiency. However to check its performance, make sure the wing nuts are on tight and do the following:

Test your filters by filling the upper chamber with water then add a tablespoon of food coloring for every gallon of water within your upper chamber. If the food coloring is removed entirely, your elements are working properly. If not, check to make sure that the wing nuts on your elements are securely tightened then re-run the test.

I have found that when I boil the water or freeze it into ice cubes, I sometimes get little white floating things in the water. What is this?

With respect to the little white floaters in the water, it is not bacteria but rather a problem that sometimes occurs with hard (heavily mineralized) water. When water is filtered through your system, the Black Berkey® purification elements actually increase the PH of the water. This is healthful as Pathogenic bacteria and viruses thrive in acidic environments and conversely have difficulty surviving in alkaline environments. This is also true inside your body. When the PH level of the purified water is raised, the acidity of the water goes down and the water is no longer able to hold as many minerals in solution. When this happens the minerals begin to precipitate out over time and depending on the mineral composition they will either sink to the bottom or float to the top. This process is known as flocculation and the precipitated minerals are usually referred to as "white floaters". The bottom line is that this is nothing to be concerned about, the white floaters are minerals that were already in your water; they are now simply visible whereas they were previously invisible due to their suspension in an ionic form.

What are the Black Berkey® elements made out of and how do they work?

Without getting too complex, several methodologies are utilized by the Black Berkey® purification elements. The elements are composed of a formulation of more than a half dozen different media types constructed into a very fine matrix creating millions of micro-fine pores. The pores are so small that pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites, sediment and sedimentary minerals are not able to pass through them. The media formulation both "absorbs" some contaminates and "adsorbs" other contaminates. Next, heavy metals ions (mineral molecules) are extracted through an Ion exchange process where they are essentially electrically bonded to the media. Finally, our filter elements are designed such that each water molecule can take several minutes to pass through the filter elements whereas these molecules passing through other filtration systems pass through those filters in literally microseconds. The longer the water molecules are in contact with any media, the greater the removal of the various contaminates.

I did a TDS reading on the purified water and was surprised to find that the reading was about the same with the purified water as it was with the unpurified water. Is my system working properly?

Yes, a TDS meter measures only Total Dissolved Solids or minerals; dissolved solids are simply dissolved minerals in an ionic form. A TDS meter does not measure the amount of biological and chemical contaminates. Black Berkey® elements are designed to leave in your water the healthful and beneficial minerals and to extract only the unwanted heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide and aluminum. Therefore, your TDS reading will not change much unless you have a significant amount of heavy metals or sedimentary minerals in your water.

PF-2 and PF-4 FAQ'S

Do your filter elements reduce fluoride in the water?

No, in order to reduce fluoride in your water you will need to use post filters that work in conjunction with the filters in your system. We have two types, PF-2's, which are used in conjunction with the Black Berkey® purification elements, and the PF-4 filters that are used in conjunction with our ceramic filters.

I noticed that the PF-4 elements also remove MTBE and heavy metals. Should I use these with my Black Berkey® purification elements?

No, the PF2's are used in conjunction with the Black Berkey® purification elements and the PF-4 elements are used in conjunction with the ceramic filters. The Black Berkey® elements remove MTBE and reduce heavy metals whereas the ceramic filters do not therefore; we incorporated MTBE and heavy metals reduction capabilities into the PF-4 elements.

What is the life of the PF-4 filters?

Each set of four PF-4 filters is will last for 1,000 gallons or six months whichever comes first. The reason for the six-month limitation is that the carbon within the PF-4 filters extracts contaminates that can be nutrients on which bacteria can grow. If the filters are used longer than six months “grow-through” can occur.

What is the life of the PF-2 filters?

Each set of two PF-2 filters is will last for 1,000 gallons. Since these elements contain pure fluoride and arsenic reduction media and no carbon, there is no six-month limitation rule as is the case with the PF-4 elements.

How do I know when 1,000 gallons has been filtered and when its time to replace the elements?

The best way to gauge when to replace the filters is to do the following:
  1. Keep a track of how many times per week you need to refill your system.
  2. Then multiply that figure times the capacity in gallons of your particular system (for example the Berkey lightTM system is 2.75 gallons) to determine Total Gallons Used Per Week.
  3. Finally divide the Total Gallons Used Per Week into the 1000 gallons and that will tell you how many weeks before the filters should be replaced.
  4. Next calculate the future date for replacement (52 weeks per year) and write that date on a sticker and attach it to the bottom of your system for future reference.
By the way, if you have been using your fluoride reduction filters for some time now, you can still use the above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count forward from the date you purchased your elements.

I installed my PF-2 elements but my water is a bit cloudy and why does it have a funny taste?

The odd taste is from process dust that may not have been washed free from the filter elements during the conditioning process. Please remove the PF-2 elements and re-condition them for 60 seconds on both ends. This should expel any residual process dust and fix the problem.

Do the PF-2 elements replace the Black Berkey® purification elements?

No the Black Berkey® elements fit into the base of the upper chamber with the stems of the filters protruding through the holes in the base of the upper chamber. The protruding stems are threaded and the PF-2 filters screw onto these threaded stems so that the PF-2's hang down into the lower chamber. The water flows from the upper chamber, through the Black Berkey® elements, into the PF-2 filters and then into the lower chamber. The “PF” in PF-2 stands for Post Filter. So in answer to your question, no they do not replace the black filters but rather work in conjunction with them.

If I begin using use the PF-2 elements, will I need more counter space for my system?

No, the PF-2's attach to the stems of the Black Berkey® elements and hang down into the interior of the lower chamber of the system requiring no additional counter space.

I understand that the media used within the fluoride reduction elements is activated alumina, it that the same thing as aluminum?

The media used to extract the fluoride and arsenic is activated alumina. Since fluoride is a by-product of aluminum production, fluoride has a natural affinity to recombine with activated alumina making it an ideal extraction media. We are not chemists but will communicate our understanding on the subject. Both nutritionist and lab technicians have informed us that aluminum and alumina are two separate animals. Aluminum can cross the blood brain barrier and cause problems with the brain whereas alumina is inert. It is our understanding that alumina is oxidized aluminum. Aluminum is regulated whereas alumina is not for example, alumina is the material used for making the paste in toothpaste. At any rate, when testing for aluminum in water, most tests cannot distinguish between aluminum ions and oxidized alumina. Since we are not chemists, we tested the effluent from the filters and included that information in our brochure. While we were not required to do so, we felt that it was important to disclose to our customers what our results were so that they would have the necessary information to do further research on the issue should they desire to do so. We thin it was significant in the test we conducted using the combination of Black Berkey® elements and PF-2 elements there was a net reduction in the tested aluminum content of the source water vs. the purified water. Again that test did not distinguish between aluminum and alumina. The bottom line is that the media utilized is oxidized alumina and not aluminum.

What are the dimensions of the PF-2 and PF-4 elements?

The individual elements are 6” in length and 2.5” in diameter.

I have high PH in my water, will that reduce the efficiency of the PF-2 elements?

That is correct, high or low PH impedes the ability of the media to remove fluoride

Reverse Osmosis and Distillation FAQ'S

Which of the three methods of water filtration, Reverse Osmosis, Distillation or Berkey® Purification is the healthiest for drinking purposes?

With respect to the healthfulness of the water, most health experts, that are up to date on current research, are no longer recommending drinking RO or distilled water on a long-term basis because these methods strip out all of the beneficial minerals from the water making the water an acidic "hypotonic" solution. A chemist will tell you that any time a hypotonic (de-mineralized) solution comes into contact with a "Hypertonic" (Mineralized) solution, the minerals within the hypertonic solution will transfer out of hypertonic solution and into the hypotonic solution until equilibrium is achieved. What this means is simply that when one drinks hypotonic water, the minerals in the blood and lymphatic system, which are hypertonic, transfer into the hypotonic RO or Distilled water that is consumed and the minerals are flushed out of the body upon urination.

In an effort to re-mineralize, the blood and lymphatic systems then begin to scavenge for minerals from other parts of the body, such as bones and other organs, and this process repeats itself every time de-mineralized hypotonic water is re-consumed. Several studies suggest that people who drink de-mineralized water (hypotonic) over a long period of time tend to be more prone to degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis.

Berkey® Purification systems do not remove the beneficial minerals from the water but they do extract harmful heavy metals such as lead and mercury as well as sedimentary minerals such as iron oxide. Therefore, the TDS reading will not typically change much unless there are a lot of heavy metals or sedimentary minerals within the source water.

Is there a way to verify for myself the effects of drinking de-mineralized hypotonic water?

Yes, you can check this out for yourself during a short fast. First check the TDS reading on your RO or distilled water, which should be around 1-3ppm. Then after drinking that water for several days check the TDS reading of your urine. Remember, the TDS only measures minerals not chemicals so any minerals that the TDS meter reads are minerals that are being leached or flushed out from your body.

What is the pathological removal capability of an RO system?

With respect to Pathogenic Bacterial removal, Reverse Osmosis does not remove Pathogenic bacteria and that is why it is often necessary to add an additional UV light to the system. However, the UV sometimes does not kill all the bacteria because any turbidity in the water can create shaded spots preventing some bacteria from being exposed. Typically, the UV is installed before the bladder tank, however it is in the bladder tank that bacteria usually colonize. Therefore, if the bladder tank is not sterilized on a regular basis, it becomes a source for bacteriological contamination that is never exposed to UV. Additionally, the carcasses of the dead bacteria remain within the drinking water with an RO system whereas they are removed by the Black Berkey® purification elements.

Which type of water will have the best taste?

With respect to taste, distilled water will taste flat unless you shake it up rigorously because the distillation process strips the oxygen from the water. The taste of RO water is typically very good. The taste of Berkey® purified water is typically very good unless there is an excessive amount of ionized minerals in the source water. Even in such circumstances the improvement in the taste of the water is usually remarkable.

With respect to maintenance, how do the three types of systems compare?

All Berkey® systems are easy to disassemble and clean. Typically the lower chamber should be washed in ordinary dishwater once per month. The elements need to be cleaned after 6-12 months of use.

Distillation systems need to be soaked and cleaned with vinegar solution to remove the scale, typically after each gallon or two.

Reverse Osmosis systems can have up to four filter elements, with each needing to be changed at differing intervals from four months up to two years. This requires that the water pressure be shut off and part or all of the system to be disassembled for maintenance. Additionally, the bladder tank should be washed with a chlorine solution at six-month intervals to kill any colonizing bacteria.

How do the three types of systems compare with respect to cost?

With respect to upfront cost, RO systems typically are the most expensive due to the cost of the system and the additional expense to have the system plumbed in. Next in cost would be a distillation unit. A Berkey® system will typically be the least expensive of the three.

With respect to cost per gallon of water, calculated upon the cost per gallon for replacement filters and energy costs, Distillation systems and RO systems properly maintained typically cost between 35-65 cents per gallon. A Berkey® system typically costs about 1.6 cents per gallon.