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Berkey Water Filtration

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Anyone have any 1st or 2nd hand experience with Berkey water filtration units?

I see where the filters can be damaged by freezing while wet. What is your work around with that restraint assuming no power and single digit temperatures oitside?
 
Storage of Berkey Filters"

We recommended storing the Black Berkey Filters if they will not be in use for 4 or more days. Below you will find the proper method of storing the Black Berkey Filters depending on the amount of time the filters will not be used. It is best to empty both chambers before storing because anytime water sits it becomes stagnant, which means it can grow bacteria. You may consider washing your chambers with soapy water before leaving them to dry. Unused and unopened Black Berkey Purification Elements theoretically have an indefinite shelf-life. We recommend storing them in a dry area away from anything fragrant (laundry rooms or the garage). The filters are very powerful and can absorb odors in the air. After Use Short Term: If the filters will not be used between 4 and 15 days we advise removing them from the system and placing them into a sealable sandwich bag or container and placing the filters in the refrigerator towards the front to ensure they do not freeze. This will allow the filters to stay mostly saturated so that minimal priming is required when they are ready to be used again. When you are ready to use the Black Berkey Filters again, re-prime until the exterior wall of the filter begins to sweat beads of water for 10 seconds. Long Term: If you have used your Black Berkey Filters, you should fully dry them before storing. We offer a tool to assist in both priming and purging. This tool is called a Black Berkey Primer. The benefit to purging the Black Berkey Purification Elements is that they are dried very quickly and cleaned to a degree at the same time. Alternatively, the filters can be dried by leaving them on a windowsill for one to three days allowing them to air-dry. The key is to ensure they are bone-dry before storing them, to prevent any bacterial growth. The filtration elements are extremely powerful and can absorb odors and smoke from the air. Once dry, we recommend sealing the purification elements. This can be done with a storage bag such as a sealable sandwich bag. By sealing them in a storage bag, this will aid in preventing the filter from absorbing any odors from the air. When you are ready to use your elements, they will need to be re-primed by scrubbing them clean with a 3M ScotcBrite pad or stiff brush. In theory, the shelf life of the elements is indefinite. **Please note that the storage methods above apply to the Black Berkey Purification Elements only. ** When storing the chambers of your Berkey system, it is best to empty both chambers before storing them, because anytime water is still, it becomes stagnant and can produce bacteria. We recommend washing your Berkey system with soapy water before leaving it to dry.
 
Go for it. TruPrep stocks them, so you can see them in person & buy locally. Water tastes great; I didn’t realize how much of a difference it would make in flavor, even vs our fridge filter (filters taste only). IMO, clean, safe water is one of the most important preps. We keep ours inside, so any conditions cold enough to freeze it are going to freeze any other solution, & cause a whole host of other problems. Non-factor for me.
 
Only real downside I can think of, is having to refill it every day. But it’s become routine, so that’s no real issue either.

Two pieces of advice I would give:

  • Buy one that’s at least big enough for the # of people in your house, based on their recommendation. Otherwise, you’ll refill it multiple times a day. We have the Imperial (I think) and fill it once a day for 2 adults & 2 kids. Also, the larger sizes filter faster.
  • The filters need to be pre-charged (saturated) when first installed. They provide a little gasket to do it from the faucet, but our faucet wouldn’t seal well enough to direct enough water into the filter. I used a water bottle instead of the faucet, & it worked perfectly.
 
I took the plunge and purchased one. I am no longer concerned about long-term water needs since there is plenty of river water close by. I have coffee filters and pool shock as a 1st and 2nd pass operation with the final step through the Berkey. I think that would decrease the cleaning frequency of the filters.
 
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