A Big Berkey Water Filter is something I would never want to go without! The Big Berkey filters chlorine, floruide and pesticides found in common tap water.
Is That a Huge Coffee Pot?
I get asked if my Berkey Water Filter is a coffee pot fairly frequently. And whenever company comes over, and somebody spots the big silver thing on my counter, someone is likely to ask,
“Is that a coffee maker?!”
Haha. No, but that would be kind of cool. Coffee on tap, all day long.
It does take up a little extra room that I could probably use for something else, but I’m so used to it now that I barely even notice it. I guess if you have never seen one before, you might wonder what that big stainless steel thing is.
So if you read on, I’ll share with you why I don’t plan on getting rid of it…EVER!
BERKEY WATER FILTER VIDEO
Is the Big Berkey Worth the Investment?
We started researching water filtration systems shortly after we got married. Since we were expecting our first baby, I wanted to get a good quality filter that would take all of the chlorine and chemicals from out tap water. I was fairly certain that city tap water wasn’t the healthiest for a growing family, and I missed the fresh taste of my family’s deep well water from back home.
I read up on water filters for a couple of weeks, and after that for me to confirm that the tap water we were drinking was something I definitely didn’t want my family consuming on a regular basis. Also, being the health nuts we were, we were drinking a LOT water.
Safe Water is a Priority
I was concerned learning about how much chlorine lead, arsenic, fluoride and bacteria/viruses could be found in drinking water.
Our local city water has so much chlorine in it that it smells like a swimming pool when I fill the tub up for the kids. And I didn’t want my little babies (or my husband and myself!) drinking that!
It didn’t take me long to find out that there were a ga-zillion different types of water filters…fridge pitcher systems, reverse osmosis, whole house systems, under counter set-ups…the list is long.
I soon decided on the Berkey filter, and we have loved it ever since! Along with my Vitamix and Omega Juicer, it is the top kitchen items I refuse to do without!
The Three Main Reasons I Choose a Berkey Water Filter
3) Price was a big one
I didn’t want to deal with having to replace filters every couple of months. There are some filters that are cheaper up front, but the require changing out the filters frequently. An example is the Brita water filter. Also, Berkey has posted the cost per gallon on their website and they have found that the cost per gallon is approximately 1.6 cents. Most of the other brands I looked into averaged between 6 and 8 cents. That’s quite a difference when you add up the water your entire family drinks over ten years!
2) Better filter quality
The MAIN reason I decided to even look into water filters was because the municipal water we were drinking is full of chemicals no one should be putting into their body, including chlorine and fluoride. I know the subject of fluoride can be a touchy subject for some, but I personally like to have control over the amounts my children are ingesting on a regular basis. The Berkey met all of the requirements I was looking for, and then some. In addition to chemicals, it also filters out viruses and bacteria, which most other filters don’t. You could literally take it camping and pour pond water through it and drink it. Seriously, that’s pretty cool!
3) Testing is easy
The Berkey water filter lets you easily test the filters to be sure they are working optimally. (I’ll talk more about this down below). One time my 4 year old knocked the entire thing off the counter. So after I got it set back up, I ran the “food dye” test to make sure there weren’t any hairline fractures in my filters. I love this about the Berkey. With most other systems, you just have to trust that the filters are working, and it’s hard to tell when they have met their life span capability.
No Electricity Needed!
Some other things I love about the Berkey is that it doesn’t require electricity, and is completely mobile. There are some expensive reverse osmosis systems I considered as well, but (aside from the steep price) I didn’t like the idea of not being able to filter water if the electricity went out. The prepper in me likes the idea of being able to take the Berkey with us wherever we need to go and be able to filter drinking water!
Another cool thing about the Berkey is that it doesn’t remove beneficial minerals. It gets out the bad but leaves the good. I didn’t find that in any other filters.
(This post contains referral links and Amazon affiliate links. I only recommend products I use and love! Read my full disclosure here)
FAQ ABOUT THE BERKEY WATER FILTER SYSTEM
How Do You Do the Food Dye Test with The Berkey Water Filter?
- Take off the top part of the stainless steel system, while leaving the black filters securely attached.
- Put the bottom tip of each filter into a glass jar or container.
- Add 8-10 cups of water and about 10 drops of food coloring to the top container and give it a swirl.
- Watch as the water come out into the glass jars below. It should be completely clear.
What Does The Big Berkey Filter Out?
I looked this up directly on the Berkey website. It says Berkeys filter out over 99.99% chlorine, more than 99.99% bacteria and viruses, lead, VOC’s, THM’s, lindane, benzene and atrizine.
Will The Berkey Remove Lead?
Yes! It removes over 96% of the lead found in water.
Does The Berkey Remove Fluoride?
The Berkey water filter is one of the few systems aside from a Reverse Osmosis system that removes fluoride. And then you will also need to purchase the Fluoride filters, if filtering fluoride is important to you.
How Often Do You Need To Change The Berkey Filters?
Each of the black filters will last for 3,000 gallons. The filter system will hold up to four of the black filters, or two black filters and two fluoride filters. Since we have 2 of each on ours, that gives a lifetime filtration amount of 6k gallons. I estimate that my filters to last between 2-4 years.
How Do You Clean the Berkey Water Filter?
Cleaning the Berkey filter is simple. First, empty all the water from the Berkey system. Next, take the filters out by unscrewing the wing nuts that hold them in place. After that, just scrub the filter down with a scotch brite pad under cold running water.
When and How Often Do You Change The Water In a Berkey Water Filter?
It depends on how much water you use, but we fill our Berkey up several times a day. To get the last bit of water before refilling, tip it forward slightly toward the spout.
Shop the Berkey water filter that we have HERE
In conclusion, I strongly recommend the Berkey Water Filter!
Do you have a Berkey water filter? How do you like it? Let me know in the comments below!
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