How Often Should You Change Your Berkey Filter?
If you possess a Berkey filter, you already know that these high-quality purifying systems have a lot going for them. Berkey filters are among the finest in the water filtration market, and not only because they can remove over 200 health-threatening pollutants at once.
In this article, I’ll cover all you need to know about how long Berkey filters last, whether you’re researching the Berkey water filter or you’ve purchased a Berkey system but can’t find your user manual.
What is a Gravity Water Filter?
Gravity water filters are one of the first water filtration devices, consisting of two containers piled on top of each other with various types of filter materials in between.
Water is poured from the top and falls to the bottom due to gravity. All pollutants are eliminated from the water as it travels through the filters.
Gravity water filters filter water slowly, therefore patience is essential. The minuscule network of pores implemented with these devices is responsible for the sluggish but reliable filtration process.
It’s similar to reverse osmosis systems, in which water is pushed through a semipermeable membrane under pressure. Instead of a strong force, the water can trickle down at its own speed.
What Are the Different Types of Gravity Water Filters?
Gravity water filters differ mostly in their housing, however, they all operate identically. However, the filter system as a whole is affected by their varied materials.
Ceramic gravity water filters were one of the first gravity filters. These are good for persons who are chemically sensitive.
Meanwhile, stainless steel gravity water filters, which come in a variety of sizes, have dominated the market. These gravity filters are lightweight and durable, making them great for people who are constantly on the go.
Gravity bag water filters take mobility to the next level by becoming the ideal portable water filter for everyone who enjoys traveling and being outside. They’re designed to be foldable and portable, making them the perfect water dispenser for your next camping trip.
About the Berkey Fluoride Filter
To eliminate hazardous chemicals from your water, Berkey’s Fluoride Reduction filter works in tandem with the Black Berkey filter. The Fluoride Reduction filter must be threaded onto the Black Berkey filter.
You may minimize fluoride, arsenic, and other heavy metals by up to 97 percent by doing so.
Because you must change the Berkey Fluoride filter every year, regardless of whether you reach its full 1,000-gallon capacity, it takes somewhat more care than the Black Berkey Filter.
Although it’s preferable to calculate how much water runs through your Berkey filter each day, you may use your phone to set a one-year reminder.
If you detect a decrease in the flow rate of your fluoride filter before that time, you’ll need to replace it. Otherwise, after your reminder goes off, you may alter it.
When to Use Berkey Filters?
You might be asking, “How long do Berkey filters last if I bathe in the water?” The solution isn’t quite as lengthy. This is because Berkey’s filters were not designed to cleanse bathwater.
Drinking water, cooking water, watering small plants, and water for your pets are all instances where Berkey filters are appropriate.
If you want to filter your bathing water, you’ll need to install a bigger filtration tank, such as a reverse osmosis system, in your home.
Can Berkey Water Filters Remove Fluoride?
Water fluoridation has been claimed to enhance the dental health of residents in several areas, considerably lowering tooth decay. However, too much fluoride has been linked to a variety of health issues, particularly when consumed over a long period of time.
Many common water filters do not remove fluoride, however, Berkey Water Filters is one of the few that does. The Black Berkey Purification Elements have been shown to remove 99.9% of fluoride from tap water.
However, after a few hundred gallons, this efficacy against excess fluoride would decline, which is why Berkey offers post-filters like the Berkey PF-2 Elements. A set of these can eliminate fluoride from 1000 gallons of water.
How Long Do Black Berkey Purification Elements Last?
What is the lifespan of Berkey filters? Berkey, unlike some other manufacturers, does not bury its filter lifespan information in the tiny print – and that’s because the Black Berkey components have one.
Each Berkey element has been tested and confirmed to reduce contaminants in up to 3,000 gallons of water.
To function, all Berkey systems require at least two Black Berkey filters, totalling 6,000 gallons.
Given that we should strive to drink half a gallon of water each day, it’s simple to understand why the Berkey filter components are among the finest of the lot if you’re looking for filters that don’t need to be updated very often after the original pair is purchased.
Assume you’re using a Berkey device with two filters, such as the Big Berkey. Imagine that your entire family relied on the Berkey for water for drinking, cooking, watering plants, feeding pets, etc, and that you consumed 5 gallons of water every day.
If you fill and utilize the system every day, the Black Berkey filter components will last for 1,200 days or more than 3 years. If you have a smaller household and consume less water each day, your Berkey filters last even longer.
How Long Do Berkey Fluoride Filters Last?
When it comes to longevity, Berkey’s PF 2 fluoride filters aren’t nearly as amazing as the Black Berkey filter, but they’re still fairly decent.
The filters are designed to last 1,000 gallons or one year, whichever comes first. Berkey suggests keeping track of how many liters of water pass through the fluoride filter each day by noting how many times you have to replenish your system.
You may then multiply this number by your system’s gallon capacity to get an estimate of how many gallons you consume each week. Divide this number by 1,000 to get the number of weeks before you need to change your fluoride filters.
If you don’t care about being precise, you might set aside a year from the date of purchase as an estimate for purchasing a replacement fluoride filter. If your flow rate begins to slow before the end of the year, just purchase a new filter to correct the problem as needed.
How to Extend the Lifespan of a Berkey Water Filter?
There are a few tips and methods that may help you prolong the life of your Berkey water filter, and one of the easiest is to clean them.
Berkey provides cleaning instructions for its Black Berkey water filters. Scrubbing the filters in running water from the sink or in a pail of purified water with a low-cost Scotch Brite pad or equivalent can clean them.
It’s suggested that you clean the filters every six months, or at the very least once a year. This aids in the removal of any silt or debris, as well as ensuring that the filter flow rate is enough.
Additionally, when you add a pair of new, replaced components to the system, be sure you flush and prime these replacement filters the same day you buy them.
The filters will be prepared for usage by flushing and priming. This is simple to perform and can assist guarantee that the components are used safely and effectively.
While the Black Berkey purification element is designed to eliminate or minimize a wide range of impurities, including bacteria and viruses, to avoid clogging, you should always utilize the cleanest water source possible inside your purification system.
If you’re utilizing lake or pond water in the system, it’s a good idea to pre-filter it with a cloth before adding it to the top chamber.
This will prevent the filters from having to work too hard to cleanse your water, which will increase the need for cleaning and potentially limit the lifespan of each element.
Finally, for Berkey customers, never keep filtered water in the stainless steel lower chamber for more than three days, primarily for cleanliness reasons. If you’re going to be gone from home for a long time, make sure your water filter is empty before you depart.
When Should I Replace My Berkey Filters?
On a basic level, you’ll notice that the Berkey water filtration components need to be replaced when they filter less gallons per hour than they should.
Remember that filtering 1 gallon of water using a Berkey filtration system with two Black Berkey filters takes around an hour, which is very regular for a gravity filter. If your filtration machine is taking longer to filter water, your clogged filters may need to be washed or replaced.
The food coloring test is a more effective way to determine whether you need to replace your water filter. In this experiment, you just put some red food coloring in the top chamber of your system and wait for gravity to cheval.
Because a pair of Berkey’s gravity filters can normally remove all red food coloring from tap water, the water that enters the bottom chamber should be totally filtered, colorless, and transparent.
If you use this procedure and your water still has a red or pinkish tint, the filter pores aren’t operating well enough — and if they’re not efficiently eliminating all the red dye, they’re probably not removing all the pollutants as well.
Apart from a sluggish flow rate, it’s difficult to tell when the Berkey PF-2 parts need to be replaced, and there’s no test or procedure for determining filter life.
That’s why, to have a better sense of when your filters need to be changed, maintain a diary of the date you installed them and about how much water you consume on a typical day.
Replace your filters as needed to guarantee that they continue to remove fluoride, chlorine, arsenic, heavy metals like lead, and hundreds of other health-damaging toxins from your water for the benefit of your health.
If you’re ever in doubt, I’d suggest following Berkey’s customer advice and replacing the Black Berkey components every 3,000 gallons and the fluoride filters per 1,000 gallons.
How Often Should You Replace Your Berkey Filters?
There’s still hope if math isn’t your strong suit. In that scenario, you’ll have to keep an eye on things to see whether your Berkey filtration isn’t generating as much water every hour.
Berkey filter that work properly may create one gallon of water per hour on average. If they produce less than this, it’s time to clean or replace the filters.
Putting a few drops of food coloring in your water is an even better method to see if it’s time to update your filters. When the water reaches the bottom chamber, it should be clear.
If traces of the dye remain in the final chamber, it’s a clear indicator that your filter needs to be replaced—if it’s not filtering out the dye, imagine what additional particles are left in your water.
Are the Berkey Filters Recyclable?
Unfortunately, recycling Berkey Water Filters is not suggested. Because the micropore matrix is too intricate to categorise under one material category, there is no defined recycling code for these filters.
These filters will have gathered all of the pollutants they have been screening by the time they need to be changed. They’re not only difficult to clean, but they’re also dangerous. Used filters should be discarded as soon as possible, according to Berkey.
Conclusion
Although Berkey systems are low-maintenance, they do require some attention from time to time to ensure that the filters last as long as possible.
When you replace Berkey’s filters, make sure to flush and prime them according to the directions on the filter. This will enable the filter to perform more efficiently for a longer period of time.
Finally, if you’re going to run sediment or algae-filled water through your Berkey systems, run it through a towel first. The cloth will collect big particles of debris, reducing the amount of work your filter has to do.
