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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2016 21:27
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Has anyone used this?
http://www.berkeyfilters.com/
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AK Seabee
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2016 21:43
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I have not but have been thinking about picking one up. I will watch this thread with interest.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2016 23:13 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Haven't used one but read up on them a bit. They have a long history, going back I think to the early 1800s. So they say, these are very popular with aid agencies that go to places in the world where water is dangerous to drink. It's a good, simple idea- filter through ceramic media- which will remove particles I think down to around 5 microns or less. That's an important number because giardia and cryptosporidium cysts are that small. I think Berkey claims it will remove those cysts, but I've heard skepticism of that. But they definitely remove all the other common bacteria.
Because the filters are so fine, they can clog easily, so if you have any dirt in your water you should use a pre-filter. Pre filters will take out the larger particulates but not the bacteria, that's what the Berkey does.
There are several different brands of similar filters. As well, you could easily make your own by just buying the ceramic filters themselves and drilling holes in various pots.
They take a long time to work- you pour it in the top and it gradually drips through the filters. So if you need a lot of water you'll need the big one or several of them.
I considered all this before I drilled my well, I still may get one just because my water sits in a storage tank for long periods of time.
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pizzadude
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 02:00
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Yep bldginsp
Make your own.
I'm in the process of making my own, the same way the Boss did it here:
https://youtu.be/CjGxUAOrkrM
I bought the filters, cost $107 for a pair.
My local Wal-Mart is out of stainless pots unfortunately. Just waiting for them to restock their shelves...
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Bret
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 08:11
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http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-PointONE-All-Filter-Size/dp/B01CEJF54U/ref=sr_1_9?s=outd oor-recreation&srs=3447645011&ie=UTF8&qid=1459944423&sr=1-9
Here's another to look at. Sawyer has water filters for all occasions. We have taken them for use in the Ugandan orphanage we support. Just add 5 gallon buckets and you're good to go.
Bret
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razmichael
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 11:46
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I have used (on an irregular basis) my Sawyer .02 filter for many years. At the time I got it, it far out performed the Berkey's in performance (that went for both the Sawyer .1 and especially the .02). Since that time, Berkeys seem to have upped the game a lot so I would suggest that a bunch of other factors are now more important to consider.
Sawyers are small, do not need to have a filter replaced, and, hooked up to a pump will produce clean water much faster. Portability is why much of the use cases for the Sawyers are built around portable systems for hiking, camping etc, although the bucket kit (easily self-made) is for more permanent uses - much as Bret has described. Another plus for the Sawyer is that it does not need filters (although needs to be backflushed on occasion, and it is an absolute filter - if it is overused, water just does not get through - in other words a dirty filter is not an issue. For most of us, the .02 would be overkill as the sources we would use would not likely contain a virus risk that the .1 would not deal with. My primary concern from lake water is bacteria and cysts. I have the fittings prepared at the cabin where I could insert the sawyer into the line should I need to but, currently I chlorinate the lake water for washing etc and we bring up drinking water (my wife is a bit more paranoid than I am). A big negative for the Sawyer is that, if it has been wet, don't let it freeze as it will break. In addition, it is difficult to verify if it has failed.
What the Sawyer does not do and the Berkey does is filter bad tastes, metals etc. You can't beat a carbon and ceramic filter for this stuff - but check out the price of the filters!. Again, how much of an issue this is will depend on where you are getting your water from.
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Al Burton
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 13:18
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My wife and I have been using the Big Berkey for about 3 years and have found it to be an excellent product. We haul our water from a neighbors well then store it in an IBC tote inside a mechanical/bath house. My wife puts all of our drinking water through it. We have the four filters so it filters fairly quickly. We never have an issue running out for drinking or cooking. Highly recommended.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 16:31
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A friend of mine who lives in his van has a Berkey. He takes water right out of any stream or river. No one has gotten sick yet. FYI, there are two water purity standards to look for compliance.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 19:45
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Should an ultra violet light filter be added to a system to kill pathogens as well?
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 6 Apr 2016 20:37 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Ultra violet light setups come as part of a larger filtration system. You can't really just use UV independent of a particle filtering setup, and expect it to work. Reason is that cysts and bacteria can be literally shielded from the UV light by the shadow of the dirt particles. So first you have to filter the particulates out, then send it through the UV zapper to kill the bugs. Supposedly it is very effective even against cysts, which are the hardest to get.
Systems with UV are the only type of water filtration that most health departments will accept for an approved water source if they deem that your water must be filtered. They will not accept any particle filtration system alone or chlorination because those don't get the cysts.
If you added your own UV setup to your Berkey, hmm.. wonder how you would do that- sounds like a good idea but it needs to be engineered to be effective.
You have to be on grid to use a UV filtering system because of the power requirements, but maybe a larger solar setup could handle it.
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Jasonderule
Member
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2019 15:27
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The Berkey Water Filter is excellent. I use the travel size, because it takes up less space in my apartment (and costs less.) Make sure that you get one with the optional fluoride filter! I like to fill up gallon sized, glass jugs (old apple juice jugs) so I'll always have plenty of water handy. I usually add a few drops of colloidal trace minerals to these, and rotate jars as I use them.
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