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Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that we will be paid a fee if you use them to buy goods or services.
You won’t pay anything more, and the revenue supports the operation of our website.
To learn more, see the Affiliate Disclaimer.
Having access to potable water is essential whether you live in a conventional house or an RV.
The Berkey water filtering system has been in use by Kait and myself for more than nine years.
In your quest for the top water filtration system, I hope you find this Berkey water filter review to be useful.
Review Of A Berkey Water Filter
#1. Use A Berkey Water Filter System Because…
We were living in a typical house in a Los Angeles suburb when we bought the Travel Berkey water filter.
The water is treated with a number of chemicals, including fluoride, as in other large urban areas.
We need a water filtering system to remove the fluoride and other undesirable substances from the water.
After months of investigation, we discovered a wide range of solutions, including built-in reverse osmosis water filtering systems, water pitchers with carbon filters, and everything in between.
Because the Berkey water filtration system satisfied all of our water filter criteria, we ultimately chose it.
We began doing RV trips in 2015 and quickly learned that having access to clean water wasn’t always available.
We’ve visited sites where the water supply has been deemed unsafe to drink and stayed in locations where the sole water source is a neighboring lake or stream.
We can load the Berkey water filtration system with water from any source and have safe drinking water, which is a bonus.
As long as we have a water source, we can fill our Berkey water filter and have clean drinking water anytime we need it, even in the midst of a natural catastrophe or amid supply worries if the shelves are bare of bottled water.
Being prepared on the trip also includes having a decent water filter for the RV.
#2. Sizes Of Berkey Water Filters
The Berkey water filter now comes in five sizes.
- The Big Berkey, which has a 2.1-gallon storage capacity, is the most popular size.
- We offer a Travel Berkey with a 1.5 gallon storage capacity.
The Travel Berkey’s 1.5 gallon storage capacity works nicely for two persons, in our opinion.
To make sure we have adequate drinking water when we need it, Kait and I have established a method for how often we need to fill the top chamber.
For everyday usage by my aunt and me, my mum bought the Big Berkey.
The Travel Berkey would have been large enough for the two of them, but having the extra space is useful when they want to entertain guests.
If not, they would have to continuously refill the upper chamber while emptying the lower chamber of drinking water.
Between 19 and 31 inches tall are Berkey water filters.
Finding space for the Berkey might be difficult depending on the size of your kitchen.
An average of 18′′ separates the countertop from the cabinet.
In order to fill the upper section with unfiltered water, select a spot that is open and high enough.
The filtered water does take some time to get through.
The Travel Berkey can generate “up to 2.75 gallons of filtered drinking water every hour,” claims the website.
#3. How Does a Berkey Water Filter Work?
The Berkey countertop water filtration device has two primary chambers or cylinders and is gravity fed.
You pour water for filtration into the top chamber.
The Black Berkey filters, the engine of the Berkey water filtration system, are located within the chamber.
These filters allow water to pass through and into the bottom chamber, which serves as a reservoir for the filtered water.
There may be up to 4 filters in this chamber, depending on the size of the Berkey.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there are several types of water filters, including a water purifier like the Berkey.
More details: Water Purifier vs. Water Filter
Black Berkey Filters filter tap water to eliminate chemicals, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, fertilizers, and a long list of other impurities while retaining the beneficial minerals.
We discovered alternative techniques that completely eliminated all of the water’s minerals (which might be toxic), but failed to eliminate dangerous germs and viruses.
Although bacteria and viruses may not be a problem in tap water, the Berkey will filter the water in a compromised water scenario.
#4. Water Filter for Fluoride
You may upgrade your Berkey with fluoride water filters if your water is fluoridated.
In the bottom chamber, there are fluoride filters.
The fluoride filters are the last step before the water enters the bottom chamber after passing through the top chamber.
Note: We discovered that the water filtered significantly more slowly while using the fluoride filters than when not using them.
#5. Setup For A Berkey Water Filter
The Travel Berkey setup took me a half-hour.
The Berkey doesn’t seem to be much inside the box—just two stainless steel cylinders, some filters, and connections.
The machine was delivered in good condition with thorough instructions that made setup simple but time-consuming.
Cleaning everything carefully comes first.
The water spout and lid assembly is the next phase.
Priming every filter takes the most time.
If the priming tool is not included with your Berkey transaction, I strongly advise purchasing it.
It really simplified my life and prevented any problems from arising from improper priming of the filters.
Using nuts and rubber washers, the primed filters slot into the top chamber.
Add some red food coloring to the water to check that everything is secure and functioning correctly with the filters (one tsp for every gallon).
Verify the clarity of the filtered water.
The fittings for the filters will be dripping with water from priming and will be soaked when you screw them onto the top chamber.
It’s all right.
Simply keep the filters from sitting too long or they will need to be primed again.
Once the Berkey is put together, fill the top chamber with water and run a couple gallons through it.
The flavor in the first couple of gallons was noticeable, and we concluded that it was probably from the filters.
When using the Berkey for the first time, we installed the fluoride filters.
The black Berkey filters are currently installed in our travel Berkey.
Note: If your water is not fluoridated, a fluoride filter is not required.
#6. Great Tasting Berkey Water!
The water now tastes better, albeit it’s hard to put into words how.
We use the water for everything, and the coffee and tea we drink now taste different.
We always fill our water bottles with Berkey water before leaving for the day.
We used Berkey water to clean our teeth and to give to our dog.
#7. How Durable Are Berkey Filters?
According to Berkey’s website, you can estimate the longevity of your filter (s).
The total life of your filters in gallons may be calculated by multiplying the number of filters in your particular device (we have two) by 3000.
Our filters should last around 8 years with a total life expectancy of 6000 gallons at a consumption rate of 2 gallons per day.
#8. Upkeep of Berkey Water Filters
A Berkey should endure for a very long time, but regular maintenance is still necessary.
“Cleaning your Berkey stainless steel chambers regularly, and the Black Berkey Purification components every six months, or when filtering speed decreases,” advises Berkeyfilter.com.
It’s simple to clean and maintain the functionality of your Berkey with this maintenance kit.
I really like priming the black filters with the Primte Rite after cleaning them.
Cleaning a black berkey filter
Berkey: Is It Pricey?
We wholeheartedly endorse the Berkey water filtering device in spite of its drawbacks.
Despite the expensive initial cost, the filters’ lengthy lifespan makes it worthwhile.
Additionally, having a Berkey water filtering system gives you piece of mind in case of an emergency.
We are certain that the Berkey will filter whatever pool or stream water we need to utilize to make it safe for us to drink.
We Don’t Like These Things About Our Berkey
There is no water level indicator supplied.
The amount of water still in the bottom chamber can only be estimated based on the flow rate from the regular spigot.
When the bottom reservoir is almost empty, we discovered the flow rate is quite sluggish.
A sight glass on the Water View Spigot attachment, which is available for purchase, lets you see how much water is still available.
The Berkey may easily get overfilled.
When this occurs, the junction between the top and bottom chambers begins to drop water gradually.
The Best Hotel For Travelers And RVers
We advise RVers and other travelers to use the Travel Berkey size.
It is small and efficiently crams into a small area.
Additionally, we have been using it for more than nine years.
Our Class A RV, different Class B RVs, and finally our pop-up truck camper all functioned nicely with this size.
Please think about using our affiliate link for the Berkey if you found this review to be useful and decide to buy one.
The customer pays nothing more, and in exchange, we get a little cut of the proceeds.
I appreciate your help! We are very grateful.
