First off this is a great product that filters out all the impurities that weren''t in our water before we started dumping chemicals into our own water sources. It''s used by relief organizations in 3rd world countries (I''ve heard the Red Cross uses it specifically) to filter out impurities from water sources that make ours look pristine.
I was active duty in the military for 5 years and deployed once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. In big part due to these experiences clean water is extremely important to me and the Berkey delivers. I got the Royal Berkey with 2 black filters and 2 PF-2 flouride filters. This is the cleanest water you will get and it tastes the way water is supposed to; no funky metallic or unidentifiable after taste like with distilled (which does not remove harmful chemicals as the boiling point of most chemicals is higher than water) or reverse osmosis (which removes minerals that are beneficial to the body while NOT filtering out some minerals that are harmful) Let''s not even get into the damage the bottled water industry is doing to the environment along with the fact that they package relatively clean water in a plastic bottle made out of fossil fuels...
My only gripe with this product has to do with the plastic spigot (which I HOPE is BPA free but if it isn''t at least my water isn''t sitting in the spigot for God knows how long before I drink it). I received a well made stainless steel 2 part tank with 2 solid looking carbon filters and PF 2 flouride filters and a plastic spigot that looks like it came from the dollar store. I followed the directions for attaching it to the Berkey and it leaked like a sieve. I checked the instructions again and yes, it says place the white rubber washer on the inside and the black on the outside and tighten by hand. I quickly realized I had to find the "sweet spot" to get the spigot to stop leaking.
After not leaking for most of the day I went up to get a drink of water and pulled the Berkey closer to me by the spigot... like an idiot. It immediately started leaking again and any tweaking I tried made it worse. I had to dump it out and start over again trying to find the "sweet spot".
After looking over the instructions one more time and seeing that it said to put the white washer on the inside and the black on the outside I decided that since that wasn''t working I was going to switch them. Immediately the Berkey stopped leaking (hopefully for good as my 11 month old son decided the instructions looked like a tasty snack).
Synopsis: IF you want clean water this is the best product on the market that I''ve found (and I''ve done quite a bit of research) and it does exactly what I wanted it to do; provides TRULY clean fresh water. However, it comes with a spigot from hell; either the directions are misprinted or rubber washers are my kryptonite. I would recommend trying to reverse the washers straight off though; white on the outside, black on the inside (and test your spigot with a small amount of water before you fill the thing up to the rim.)
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*Update* 04/19/2012 I''m not sure how often you''re supposed to clean this thing as my son destroyed the instructions while I was attempting to wrestle the spigot into position, but once a month with soap and water doesn''t seem to be enough. We started out dumping it every few days and washed it out, but at about the one month mark my wife commented that it smelled like the ocean and the water started tasting funky. We cleaned it out with soap and water which did little to help the taste or the smell of the unit.
We ended up running vinegar through the filters (which worked but we probably should have diluted it). It took awhile to flush all the vinegar out of the filters after we were done with that and the water had a sour taste for awhile, but vinegar is good for digestion anyway.
I checked online for solutions and discovered a youtube video titled "Berkey water filter instructions" recommending liquid/stabilized oxygen drops to freshen up stale water in the bottom tank (a couple drops a day). We now dump the top and bottom tank every night and make sure water doesn''t have too much time to sit in the filters and become stale. I''m not sure how much the liquid oxygen helps but we''ve been using it (paid about 18$ on Amazon).
Some might also be interested in constructing their own Berkey Water Purification system. There''s a video on youtube titled "DIY Berkey Filter". The guy in the video uses food grade plastic buckets to construct the housing of the Berkey unit and installs the Black Berkey filters into his homemade Berkey. I can''t vouch for its effectiveness but it looks sturdy enough and constructing your own Berkey Unit will cut out 100 150$ of the cost.
My last point: the reviews for this product all seem to be seperate. ie: Big Berkey, Royal Berkey with 2 Black Berkey filters, Royal Berkey with 2 Black Berkey filters/2 PF 2 flouride filters, etc. seem to have their own seperate reviews and there ARE some 1 star reviews for this product. You just have to search for them. The primary issues seem to be with defective Black Berkey filters or stale tasting water.
If you are concerned about clean drinking water, this is the system for you. Over the years, I have tried a carafe filter, hauling gallons from the grocery store, & a countertop distiller. Each was expensive, a hassle, not the best taste, & I had serious doubts about the safety of the water. (Very few water filters address the issue of fluoride -the Berkey does.)
Then I discovered the Berkey. First of all, it produces the BEST tasting water I have ever had. We are all drinking more water these days, including the dogs. I use it for cooking & watering my houseplants (they love it, too). Harmful compounds are removed, but minerals are left in.
Simple to assemble (but be sure & order a sight spigot, so you can tell how much water is in the bottom compartment). I just fill it before bed & we have a full container by morning. And it is totally silent in operation. Plus, it requires zero electricity.
I love knowing that in the case of a natural disaster, I will still be able to have fresh drinking water. I did the food coloring test & it passed with flying colors. Amazing!
I did purchase a floor stand from another company, since it didn''t fit on my counter due to hanging cupboards. I actually prefer it in a corner of my kitchen.
Being it is made of stainless steel, I don''t have to worry about anything leeching into my water from plastics.
We fit the criteria to purchase a Big Berkey. After reading other reviews, I decided to upgrade to the Royal Berkey instead & I am very glad I did. You will be using more water than ever. I suggest getting the next biggest one that is recommended.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE MY ROYAL BERKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buy Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters Now
I purchased the Berkey for my girlfriend as a Christmas present because we were tired of lugging gallons of water up to the apartment. As an athlete, I like to stay hydrated, so we were constantly running out of water. Given that my girfriend can''t drink tap water (city tap water makes her sick, even with a Brita filter), we figured we''d try the Berkey. After we unpacked and primed the Berkey (with the PF-2 filter for fluoride), we gave it a try and were very impressed! The water tasted light and slightly sweet compared to what we were used to. The best parts of our switch to the Berkey:
1) No lugging jugs of water.
2) No plastic taste leeched from the bottles.
3) No running out of water (it does take a few hours for the water to "perk" down to the lower chamber).
4) The Berkey uses no electricity to operate.
5) The Berkey is extremely affordable to operate.
6) The stainless Berkey looks great in the kitchen!
We''re happy with it. I''m happy because I don''t get in trouble for drinking all of the water!
Read Best Reviews of Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters Here
I purchased the Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters as a replacement for water home delivery.
After years of having "fresh" drinking water delivered by Arrowhead Water, I decided I was tired of the hassle. Too many bottles, too few bottles, empty bottles piling up, and an inflexible management/payment system, finally pushed me over the line. Also reading up on "the need for regular cleaning of home water dispensers to avoid bacterial contamination" was a real eye-opener. If you are using a commercial water delivery system in your home or office, spend some time on the internet reading up on the reccomended dispenser cleaning techniques for safe water. This should be enough to make you RUN away from home delivery.
The Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters is an amazing system. Once it is set-up it is a model of simplicity compared to bottle delivery. Pour tap water in the top and fresh pure water drips into the bottom. That''s it. You never have to wonder how long your drinking water has been sitting around. The unit size is very manageable, and regular cleaning is simple and accessable.
Setting up the unit will take about a half-hour for someone who is used to basic household projects. The instructions are poorly written and somewhat confusing (specifically concerning the washers and avoiding leakage). You will need to do your internet research, and make sure the spigot washer is TIGHT. Priming and cleaning the filters in the sink was kind of a squirty mess, but you only need to do it once. After you attach the filters, and screw on the little knob on top of the unit, you''re good to go. There are plenty of Youtube videos to help you out.
PROS
1. The quality and flavor of the the water is wonderful! Delicious, safe, and uncontaminated.
2. Very simple maintenance. The filters last for a very LONG time before replacement. All parts are accessible for cleaning in the kitchen sink.
3. Sturdy construction and simple design mean there is really nothing to break.
4. If you are replacing a commercial delivery service the unit will quickly pay for itself.
5. Attractive design.
CONS
Assembly is a little confusing, but is not that big of a deal.
Even with the mildly confusing setup, I''m giving this product a full 5 stars. It''s that good.
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I heard about the Berkey water purifier from a friend. I really needed something like this since I found out I''m allergic to fluoride. Totally love the Berkey water system. I got the best deal from DecoSpace. There was a problem with the spigot and when I contacted them they immediately got back to me. They sent me a new one, the purifier works great! The customer service was equally as awesome!
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About 10 years ago I replaced the old furnace humdifier with Aprilaire automatic humidifier that doesn''t waste water. It is combined with these evaporator panels and is an excellent design. Never has any water gone to waste, and these panels last for as long as they can stand up to the mineral content in your water, because that is the only thing that will ever cause them to be inoperable. If you have high lime and calcium in your water, then these panels will eventually fail, but replacing the media is very easy. A 10-pack is probably a 10 year supply in my experience.
