Black Berkey® Purification Elements don’t necessarily need to be cleaned every time one cleans their Berkey® unit. However, this can vary depending on your area and water source. In certain areas, the water is much dirtier than normal, and will necessitate cleaning the elements more frequently; possibly even more than cleaning the rest of the system requires. If your water is muddy or really dirty we advise pre-filtering your water by running it through some type of cloth, ie: shirt, bed sheet, etc. before putting it in your Berkey® system. While this isn’t necessary, doing so keeps the cleaning schedule for the elements down by collecting debris that may clog the pores of your Black Berkey® Purification Elements.
When is it time to clean your filters?
How do you clean your filters?
If you are currently using a water softening system, we highly recommend that you obtain pre-softened water directly from the source rather than run softened water through your Black Berkey® Elements.
Each Black Berkey® Purification Element is designed to purify approximately 3000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced. A set of two elements will last approximately 6000 gallons of water before needing replacement.
We determine the typical lifespan of the Black Berkey®Purification Elements by their ability to reduce heavy metals. The breakthrough of heavy minerals can occur at about 3,000 gallons. Heavy metals can leach through beyond 3,000 gallons. However, the elements can be used beyond that point because other reductions continue well beyond 3,000 gallons.
The proprietary filter formulation used in Black Berkey® Purification Elements makes up for the incredibly small pore size by utilizing an exponentially greater number of micro pores in each purification element than that found in other filter elements. This is the reason Black Berkey® Purification Elements produce approximately 8 times more water per hour than other elements. While some of the surface pores will clog up from contaminates, it is difficult for such contamination to overwhelm all of the pores and thus clog up the filter. Eventually the majority of surface pores may clog up slowing down the flow rate of the Black Berkey® Purification Elements. When this happens the filter can be refreshed by simply brushing the outside of the element with a ScotchBrite® pad or toothbrush. This will remove the surface pores that have become clogged. Therefore, even though the filters have such small micro fine pores, the element will not clog up prematurely.
If you just purchased your Berkey® system and the filters are hardly filtering water, the problem is typically due to high water tension. This high water tension prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements. Your Black Berkey™ elements need to be primed to purge this air out and allow water to flow through them. Included with your Black Berkey™ elements is a tan priming button and instructions for priming. Please remove your elements from the unit, prime your elements and then install them back in your unit. This should fix the slow flow rate problem. If the flow rate slows down considerably at any time during the life span of the elements, the problem can be easily remedied by re-cleaning the elements. What typically causes the elements to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro- pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system and scrub the exterior of each element with a ScotchBrite® Pad or stiff toothbrush. Scrub a section of the element until you see a bit of black on the pads and then move to the next section. This simple process should take only a few minutes. Re-prime each element and then reinstall it in your unit. Your flow rate should be restored. (Never use soap or detergents).
Yes it is normal and not unusual for the last 1.3 cm. to 2.5 cm. of water to remain in the upper chamber. By design the water must pass through very fine micro pores within the elements in order to pass from the upper chamber to the lower. The lower the water level in the upper chamber, the lower the pressure available to force the water through the micro pores. You may have noticed that the system purifies much faster when full than when half full. That’s because there is more water pressure. The only way to remedy this problem would be to enlarge the pores of the filter elements. This would of course, reduce the efficiency of the Berkey purification system. During each cycle the water left from the previous cycle mixes with the water from the current cycle and is then purified. There is no need to be concerned about the excess water during normal use. Should you however discontinue using your filter for a period of time such as during a vacation, it would be best to empty both chambers before departing and leave them upside down to dry on the dish rack.
The Black Berkey™Purification elements are powerful enough to remove red food coloring from water. Performing a red food coloring test on your Black Berkey™ Purification elements allows you to ensure that your system is operating properly.
GUIDELINES
PERFORMING THE TEST
IF RED FOOD COLORING IS DETECTED, PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING: