Is Berkey The Best Water Filtration System?
Berkey offers a range of quality water filters that can be used in the home, in the office, or outdoors.
07/05/2020
Berkey may not be a huge company, but it sells a nice range of quality water filters that can be used in the home, in the office, or outdoors.
The Berkey water filter can be transported around the home with ease. The filtration occurs inside the actual container once filled with tap water. Thanks to its gravity-based system, the water makes its way through the filtration cartridge that is ultimately stored inside the storage tank.
There have been some questions regarding the company's indoor filters because they are not eligible to be sold in Iowa and California. But does that mean that its products aren't as good as they're hyped to be? Let's look at these products in more depth?
Features
Modern filter: The company claims that its filter has met the NSF/ANSO Standard 53. Furthermore, its Black Berkey filter has undergone EPA-approved laboratory testing. The results revealed an impressive list of contaminants that Black Berkey managed to filter out. Berkey claimed that it was the most expansive list the industry has ever seen. In fact, it improved the filtration standard in the water filter industry.
Size and capacity: The Berkey water filter comes in different sizes and capacity levels. They also cater for a range of uses ranging from small office usage to camping or hiking. In general, however, the functionality and concept are the same among all models.
The larger systems can take more cartridges, which speeds up filtration. Crown Berkey can take up to eight cartridges at once.
Pathogen removal: One of the main selling points of the system is pathogenic bacteria removal. This really makes the product stand out from the competition. The company claims to be able to remove 100% of pathogen to a non-detachable level.
Traditionally, only UV light can remove pathogen, but the Black Berkey can eliminate it without the use of a UV light.
Portable and no tubing: All Berkey water filters feed on gravity, which means that they don’t call for any connection to pipes. Furthermore, the system doesn’t have any tubing attached, and it can be anywhere in the home.
Filtration capability
The Black Berkey Filter is the main filter for every Berkey system.
Black Berkey: This microporous filter contains pores under 2m in diameter. The purifier element is cleanable and filters off such bacteria as viruses and pathogen in the water.
PF2 Fluoride Filter: This filter mainly absorbs arsenic, fluoride, and some heavy ions found in the water.
Simple installation
Prior to the installation, you should give your Black Berkey filters a rinse under the tap for 20 seconds.
Since the pipe doesn't require any drilling or connection, you only need to screw on both Black Berkeys, with the use of PF4/PF2 filters being optional.
Maintenance and replacement
There’s no need to regularly replace the filters. As it's possible to re-clean the Black Berkey, it typically has a long life. The advised schedule is as follows:
Black Berkey x2: 6,000 Gallons
PF2 Filters x2: 1,000 Gallons / two years
Lifetime warranty
Each Berkey offers a six months limited manufacturer warranty for defects.
It’s advisable that when you first purchase your product, you take advantage of the Berkey Care Lifetime Warranty (limited to Big, Crown, Imperial, Royal, and Travel).
Disadvantages of the products
As the filter feeds on gravity, the product's flow rate isn’t as fast as pressure-led filters. It’s advised that you refill your Berkey filter when empty, as opposed to when you feel thirsty.
Frequent cleaning: Among the main complaints
among customers is that the Black Berkey
requires frequent cleaning.
While it’s
portable, the Berkey can sometimes be bulky,
which means it can require a lot of space.
Is it a scam?
California calls for all indoor water filters to pass an independent test from a third party agency such as NSF (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) before it can be sold in the state. While Berkey adhered to California’s wishes and acquired the NSF Standard 42 and 52, the state imposed a high cost to maintain the certification. Berkey gave this some serious consideration, but ultimately opted to withdraw from selling in California.
Conclusion
Berkey ranks as the best gravity-based countertop water filter around, and one of the best overall. Here’s a quick summary of its best features.
Portability: Once the storage tank is full, it can be easily moved around.
Filtration: The quality Black Berkey cartridge can remove up to 99% of the top 20 main contaminants. Not only that, its filter can remove pathogenic bacteria without the use of a UV sterilizer.
Reasonable maintenance: When taking into account the product’s ability to remove contaminants, it’s a relatively inexpensive replacement cost for a system of this quality.
Lifetime warranty: The Berkey System offers a lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defects, along with two years for the Back Berkey Filter.