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.
After reading many reviews on this site as well as prep sites etc. I bought one of these units last summer (on Amazon, from Big Fly Sports) just prior to the arrival of hurricane Irene intended as a safeguard in case of potable water loss/contamination (and because our tap water tastes like algae anyway). Well, I prepped the black filters as per the instructions and gingerly tightened the plastic nuts so that they were secure but without stripping them and filled it up; the water tasted fantastic and I felt good about the investment. There is no o-ring seal, it''s a rubber gasket and both the threaded portion of the filter outlet tube and the nut are plastic so you can''t really tighten them down much plus the steel in the base of the upper chamber isn''t thick enough to keep it from flexing. I performed the red food coloring test and the water came out with a slightly pink tinge to it but considering that the dyed water in the top chamber was dark red, I thought that it was acceptable. We kept the Big Berkey on it''s own stand, filled it with water from a pitcher, didn''t take it anywhere and it wasn''t mishandled. About a month and a half or so later when I was filling it, I noticed that the filters wobbled more than usual and one simply fell over leaving it''s base and what appeared to be silicone adhesive behind; turns out the second filter was no longer adhered to it''s base either and was simply sitting there held down by gravity. I was under the assumption that this product came from British Berkefeld, known for the performance of their ceramic filters which are used to produce safe drinking water from contaminated sources. After some research online, I found out that Fairey ceramics in the UK produce the filters for BB and Doulton, I then located the UK contacts at British Berkefeld. I emailed the company to tell them what had occurred and find out if they were aware of this issue with "their" black filters. A very nice lady emailed me within a day apologizing for my issue and told me that those filters and the units themselves were produced by a company in Florida (New Millennium Concepts) which was not a subsidiary of British Berkefeld; she even went to the trouble to get their contact info for me. I inquired as to whether I could purchase the "real" British Berkefeld ceramic filters to use with my Big Berkey and she told me that their "candles" would not fit this unit. I didn''t bother to contact the company in Florida and get a new set of filters (which cost $100 for 2) because my primary reason for buying all of this was to filter contaminated water and make it safe to drink. How can I trust that there are not contaminants/protozoa/bacteria etc. that you can''t see or taste flowing around the adhesive on the filters when I really need them to work or would the adhesive decide to completely let go and allow contaminated water to pass freely? As far as I''m concerned, I paid $260 for 2 very nice looking polished steel containers that came with filters which WERE NOT produced by the company that this product is named after and whose quality I don''t trust. For that price range I could have bought a Katadyn pocket microfiter which is proven. I would use this as a fancy water dispenser to filter funky tasting tap water but I''m not paying $100 for those filters. My Berkey is in garage, we have a $25 faucet filter that uses $11 cartridges to make the tap water taste good and I just purchased an MSR Miniworks EX micro filter system (costs almost $30 less than a set of those black filter candles and can be carried in a back pack); it uses a proven ceramic filter with carbon and has a track record of reliability. The unit doesn''t make water quickly but I TRUST what is coming out of it. MSR (Cascade Designs) states that it doesn''t filter viruses but I already have a Steripen and water purification tabs to take care of that if needed (I''m thinking that those black filters weren''t filtering out any viruses either). I decided to write this because I believe that many people considering these units are very serious about preparing for emergencies where your "must haves" include safe water to hydrate with and I wanted to relay my experience to those willing to plunk down a significant chunk of change for a reliable piece of insurance (plus, I really hate feeling like I was "suckered"). I do hope that this helps in your decision and am sorry to relay my bad news in the midst of all of these great reviews which I always read and use to determine my buying decisions, but I am just being honest.
Buy Big Berkey w/ 2 Black Berkey Filters Now
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!
Read Best Reviews of Big Berkey w/ 2 Black Berkey Filters Here
I''ve been using this for over a year now, and this water filter system is truly a pain in the arse. Before I was filtering and leaving the excess water in the Berkey, but then a mold problem formed with the filters. I started over with new filters and did not have that problem again, because I do not let water sit there overnight anymore. Basically, I filter about 6 jugs to last a few days and then empty the Berkey and let it dry. The filters are fickle, and I''ve gone through about 4 pairs in a year in a half. One thrown out from the mold problem, another set thrown out because it would just not filter, and another thrown out because after awhile the water started coming out so quickly, as if it wasn''t filtering out at all.
I no longer filter it into the stainless steel container. Instead, I set the Berkey on top of 2 glass juice pitchers as seen here:
http://www.amazon.com/Luminarc-Quadro-2-Liter-Glass-Pitcher/dp/B0013Z9NY0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328550827&sr=8-2
When you do that, you can see which filter works slower or faster than the others. It''s eye opening.
I''m already looking for a new water filter and would never recommend this one. I also agree with others, on the ancient tests this company provides, and no longer believe in the product.
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After a lot of research on water filtration systems I finally purchased the Big Berkey with 2 Black Berkey Elements in December 2010 and while the water may taste great, it''s been nothing but trouble ever since.
From day one the spout of the spigot (where the water actually comes out; not where it connects to the Berkey) would not stop dripping. I have to keep a bucket under it to catch the water (we''re not talking a few drips; more like a pint or more of excess water dripping out per fill up). I assumed maybe there was a bit of plastic or debris caught inside somewhere preventing the lever from fully closing and that it might work its way out and stop dripping at some point, Nope; it''s just gotten worse. (I have since reported this and a free replacement spigot is on its way).
Then in July 2011 I discovered both black elements had come loose from their bases. Fortunately they offered to replace them for free. But now in December 2011, just 5 months later, one of the new black elements has come loose from its base. AGAIN! Fortunately it happened within a 6 month period otherwise I would now have to PAY to have the faulty element replaced. Maybe it''s just me but it you send me something that''s faulty I should be entitled to a FREE replacement at least for the first couple of years. Just my humble opinion but at least it would encourage them to adhere to higher standards and stricter quality control.
In any case this water filtration system has left a sour taste in this user''s mouth.
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This is misnamed. It is not a candle (i.e. made of wax) it is a small container of liquid fuel with a wick. It works just like the old fashioned kerosene lamps. The light output is equivalent to a candle and it does last for about 100 hours. Be sure to keep the cap on when not using it to prevent the fuel from evaporating. A great item to have on hand for power outages. Be sure to keep a lighter or a pack of matches (sealed in a plastic bag to keep them dry) right beside it in the drawer. Unlike a candle this won''t tip over and won''t drip. I recommend it.
