Customer Reviews

Big Berkey w/ 2 Black Berkey

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I decided against distillation, since there are many cons with that process: it produces acidic water (I used to buy distilled water from the store until I started noticing my gums were getting itchy from it), and recaptures chemicals with lower boiling points than water. This was unacceptable to me since California's municipal water sources are heavily chlorinated. It's so nasty, you can smell the chlorine coming out of the taps. I can't stand the taste or smell of it. I decided against reverse osmosis because of its costs and the amount of waste water it produces. After much research, I settled on a gravity based microfilter, and Big Berkey came with lots of recommendations.

So far, after nearly filtering 200 gallons, the Big Berkey is pulling all free chlorine out of the water. Here is a pic that demonstrates:

[...]

The water on the right is tap water mixed with a chlorine/bromine indicator solution. The color indicates that the tap water in Monterey, CA has more chlorine than a healthy swimming pool. YUCK! The water on the right is from the Big Berkey. The indicator solution shows there is no detectable chlorine! SWEET!

I searched for the best water purification technique available primarily because I was shocked at the state of our drinking water and I couldn't just go on blindly dumping chemicals into my body. My criterion was to remove all added chemicals from my drinking water including Fluoride and as an Engineer with a scientific background I needed scientific backing.

Note: The usage of Fluoride in our water systems is controversial, but Ninety-seven percent of western Europe has eliminated fluoride from drinking water. goggle "Fluorosis" and "fluoride side effects", read the article on "about dot com" on "fluoride removal". Read the article on "livestrong dot com" on "side effects of fluoride ingestion". I quote, "Fluoride ingestion has been associated with adverse health effects such as IQ deficits in children, depression, weight gain and heart disease. The "Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics" reports that "high fluoride intake has a damaging effect on intellectual ability," and human studies from China, India, Iran and Mexico found that elevated levels of fluoride in children resulted in reduced performance and impaired development of intelligence. The U.S. National Research Council has also found that fluoride affects normal endocrine function, which may contribute to hypothyroidism, or reduced activity of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can lead to fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle pains and heart disease.

I started off with on a friends recommendation the Nikken Pi-Mag which i soon rejected because they independent lab results were not available, fluorine was not removed from the water and I could not trust a MLM companies claims' that were not scientifically verifiable.

I looked at Aquasana and Multipure's product line but I became obvious that the life expectancy was about a year and I would deal with leaks, and defective housing. The reviews for the New Wave were 10Stage Filter were promising on amazon and I bought it right away, but soon grew suspicious of their claims as there were no results posted on their website either. I called New Wave customer service which I must add was great and friendly and asked for the independent lab results, which they emailed. After analyzing the results I was disappointed to see that a company that makes water filters provided results from a lab called, Truesdale lab but back in 1995 (15yrs ago!). Surely they can get this tested recently since both regulations and water quality have changed since then and made this readily available to their customers via their website. Anyway the results they provided showed that it was tested for Cyst Removal (based on the 1988 NSF standard), Lead, Choloform and Lindane removal. Fluorine was not removed which for me was not good enough.

I returned the New Wave Environ and finally found the Berkey filter system which has an additinal fluoride filter as well. Although more expensive (about 250 inclusive of a set of flouride filters), the Berkey filters would be cheaper in the long run as they last between 3,400 gallons to 19,500 gallons depending on water quality, unlike the New Wave Filter's 1500 gallons. Furthermore I liked openness and readily accessible lab results by independent labs such as the University of Arizona, LSU and Spectrum labs (google Berkey lab results). Furthermore they are used by emergency organizations like the Redcross and Unicef.

I must add that there is no perfect system, the fluoride filters usually use an activated alumina filter media and Aluminia has been associated with Alzheimers. I was concerned about any aluminum dust residue left in the water and a little more research revealed the residue to me negligible.

Here is a comparison:

Water boiled in an Aluminium pan for 5mins had: 2.791 ppm aluminum
Colgate toothpaste: 52.878 ppm aluminum.
The Berkey flouride filter after 10 cycles had .037 ppm aluminum and after 20 Cycles: .029 ppm aluminum which in my opinion was negligible and safe.

I hope this helps you and saves you time!


*****update 6 months into using it - a filter cartilage just broke! i emailed the company for a replacement and am waiting to hear back! if you can get a RO machine. Dropping the product from 4stars to 3stars.

I L O V E T H I S W A T E R F I L T E R . . . ! Gravity makes it work (no electrical cost and works during power outages), two black Berkey filters lasts a year if you purify 3 gallons a day. CHEAP! I have two PF-2 filters added to mine to filter out the fluoride added to our city tap water (and any arsenic).

I have a sense of peace and satisfaction I have never gotten from another product other than maybe my first car. (I have mostly retired my car do the cost.)

Buy one of these babies SOON because there is and is no doubt going to be a run on good water filters. You'll be glad you did. (And NO I don't sell them nor do I know anyone who does -- though I sure would like to sell them).

I just read the above post in which the writer asked if there were ever any tests done and what the results from them were, and although I did not personally go and check out the results myself, here is what was posted with the product information on the Berkey on one website (Pleasant Hill Grain):

The Black Berkey® filter formulation has been tested by State & EPA accredited laboratories to exceed EPA & ANSI/NSF (Std. 53) protocol. Click to see test results from the University of Arizona, Spectrum Labs and the LSU Department of Toxicology and Environmental Science.

You can go to Pleasanthillgrain.com or to the individual websites above to see for yourself if you are interested.

Purchased this product to replace PUR faucet filter and the weekly trips lugging home bottled water. The berkey does just what it is advertised to do - filters the water. We have very hard water that is full of chlorine and minerals. The berkey leaves us with clean natural tasting water. It leaves the minerals in but removes all the chemicals and bacteria left in by our municipal water company. The taste and water quality that we get from the berkey is very very good.

Our family of 4 now drinks more water because it "tastes good" and the water we get from the berkey satisfies our thirst. The berkey does not produce "reverse osmosis" clean water - but - it does not waste 2 gallons of water for each gallon it produces. Our family is very satisfied with the berkey and we are glad we purchased it.

What we learned so far in using the berkey - keep it close to the sink - you will be filling it up everyday because everyone will be drinking more water. Get in a routine to check the water level first thing in the morning and last thing at night. That way you can fill it up when needed. We have a sink sprayer so we just grab the sprayer hose - lift the top and fill 'er up when needed. The daily amount of water produced by this model of berkey is quite adequate for our family's needs (drinking, coffee, tea, cooking). One thing I noticed is that there appear to be two types of water spigots for the berkey - one that has a handle that turns right to left and another type of spigot that pulls down from the top. We have the spigot with the handle that turns from right to left. I wonder if the other spigot might be a better choice to get and use.

Good product - I would highly recommend as a simple, elegant solution for getting high quality drinking water.

This is the best item I have bought. The water in our area smells of chlorine and is not always rated the best. People around me all have spring water deliveries and I didn't want that extra monthly bill. Buying bottled water in the supermarket really seemed like a true waste of money since it's treated water for the most part. I did a lot of research before I chose the Berkey and I'm glad I did. This unit is the best! I fill it with tap water and I get pure crisp water for drinking and cooking. See demos on U-TUBE. My tea and coffee taste so much better, I was amazed at the difference. No more need to stock bottled water for emergencies (hurricanes etc). It will pay for itself in 5 months and then it's FREE sailing.

Spigot leaked. Called company that sent the Berkey. Was sent a new spigot (which did not fit my Berkey) along with several washers. Spigot still leaked with new washers. Had nothing to lose so tried using just one washer instead of one inside and one outside. Works like a charm. Appreciated how company worked with me to resolve issue. I am very satisfied, especially now that I have the filters to remove fluoride (which company explained how to install).

I purchased the Big Berkey a few months ago. Although I found it a bit awkward to use in the beginning, I now I find to operate and work "like a charm". Technical support is wonderful and it's nice to have fresh clean water available at all times. I bought a water crock stand (oak) to support by Big Berkey so it does not have to rest at the edge of my kitchen countertop. MY BIG ISSUE? Has anyone performed any water tests on the Berkey filtered "before" and "after"????? I would like facts not just testimonials. I have performed the "red food coloring dye" test but I would like to know EXCACTLY the percentages of the contaminats "before" and "after".

Like a previous reviewer, I have had multiple issues with the spigot leaking. I have called the company 6-8 times and have utilized every suggestion: switching washers, switching them back, soaking washers in olive oil, getting TWO new spigots, and it STILL LEAKS! I wouldn't be trying so hard except I hate fluoride in my water, and this cost me 300 bucks! Wish me luck on getting the leaky spigot problem worked out. I think it is an attractive unit, but I wish it didn't leak. I have spent an inordinate amount of time trying different fixes, talking to customer service on the phone, and emailing the company.

My husband and I ordered the Big Berkley filter through Amazon. We were very happy to get it because before we used to go to the Whole Foods and fill up a dozen of plastic jugs with their filtered water. We ordered 2 black filters and 2 fluorescent filterl with the Big Berkley. The black filters seemed to be defective as the taste of water kept being pretty bad (it tasted like some sort of mold). We ordered 2 new black filters through a different website and the water miraculously came out perfectly clean, no taste whatsoever. We didn't return the defective filters as we've used them for a while and I don't know if they're returnable at this point. Anyway, this filter is really worth every penny. It uses no electricity, needs minimum (if at all) maintenance, and supplies you with clean water that costs you next to nothing. I even wash veggies and fruit with this filtered water. Also, we purchased two Berkley shower head filters (through another distributor, where we bought our new black filters) and it's so good not to have any chclorine smell after taking bath or shower! I wish I knew about Berkley long ago. If you're looking for a decent water filter that DOES do the job, consider Berkley.