How to Choose the Best Berkey Water Filter For Your Home
You may have a family of 4, 5, or 6 thirsty individuals in your home. Thus, an approach to satisfy your drinking needs is one of the priorities in your household! You would not like to use tap water. With all the shocking stories about contaminated water and different chemical compounds in water supplies, you knew you needed a great water filter. There are dozens in the market, but the Berkey Water filter system has kept its name to the utmost reputation. The system offers you water you can trust and aims to provide safe, clean, and tasty water.
Now having to purchase your next or new Berkey Water filter, you heard a lot about its range of filtration systems. You are puzzled about where to go next and what type of water filter to consider in your home.
There are many considerations for choosing the best water filter for your home. But narrowed down below are the key factors to keep in mind so, in a way, you have peace in landing on your perfect Berkey Water Filter.
Determine the Daily Consumption of Water in a Household
Determining your household’s daily water consumption is important in choosing your Berkey water filter system. Recommended consumption of an individual is one-half to a gallon of water a day. That is according to research conducted by the USDA. The average person weighs 154 pounds. Do 8oz glasses of water daily, equal to the one-half gallon per day requirement.
Most users discovered that they prefer to use filtered water for cooking once they begin using their system. Cooking with your Berkey water system practically doubles your consumption to 1 gallon for every individual daily.
After several years of tracking customer feedback, the number that is most precise for most users is 1 gallon of water for each individual each day.
Upon deciding the number of people in your home and the water consumption of each individual, refer to the chart below to select the correct size Berkey filter for your needs.
If your water requirements are two gallons per individual each day or if you plan on using the water system for something besides drinking, cooking, and cleanliness, you buy the next larger size system demonstrated on the chart below.
|
Berkey Model |
Capacity |
Number of People |
|
1 Quart |
1 – 2 people |
|
|
1.5 Gallons |
1 – 2 people |
|
|
2.75 Gallons |
2 – 5 people |
|
|
2.25 Gallons |
1 – 4 people |
|
|
3.25 Gallons |
2 – 6 people |
|
|
4.5 Gallons |
4 – 8+ people |
|
|
6 Gallons |
4 – 12+ people |
In the case of preparing for an emergency, one extra gallon gives added assurance and supplies expanded liquid requirements at higher elevations for warm weather or people with special needs. An extra one-half to 1 gallon each day is suggested for bathing, cleanliness, and washing dishes.
Identify the Flow Rate of Every Berkey Water Filter
Every Berkey Walter filter comes with a black water filter which means blocking contaminants are one of its main duties. You can speed up the process of its duties by adding more filters. The more filters your system has, the quicker your unit will produce water and the quicker it will recover from the peak or prolonged water usage.
The bigger systems are taller and produce more water pressure, which expands the flow rate. The numbers displayed on the Berkey water filter comparison chart below are for when the unit is full. The flow rate will diminish as the water level in the upper chamber drops.
|
Model |
Capacity |
Filters |
Flow Rate* |
|
1 Quart |
1 |
1 GPH |
|
|
1.5 Gallons |
2 |
2.75 GPH |
|
|
2.75 Gallons |
2 |
3.75 GPH |
|
|
2.75 Gallons |
4 |
7 GPH |
|
|
2.25 Gallons |
2 |
3.5 GPH |
|
|
2.25 Gallons |
4 |
7 GPH |
|
|
3 Gallons |
2 |
4 GPH |
|
|
3 Gallons |
4 |
8 GPH |
|
|
4.5 Gallons |
2 |
5.5 GPH |
|
|
4.5 Gallons |
6 |
16.5 GPH |
|
|
6 Gallons |
2 |
6.5 GPH |
|
|
6 Gallons |
8 |
26 GPH |
How long does it take to filter water?
If the system has two Berkey filters and the upper chamber is filled to the top, it can hypothetically filter 3.5 gallons each hour. In any case, as the water level at the top goes down, the flow rate additionally decreases. That is why it's ideal for filling it right to the top and refilling it frequently.
How to clean your filter?
The Berkey water filter will require a bit of maintenance. You can clean the stainless steel holder with gentle soap and water or diluted white vinegar.
When the black Berkey filters need a cleaning, you scrub them with plain water using one of those scratchy green cleaning pads. What's more, if the flow rate eases back way down, there's a decent possibility that you need to clean those filters. Continuously attempt that first before accepting that they're worn out.
The fluoride filters aren't washable, in case you're wondering. When they've come to an end, they ought to be replaced.
How long do the filters last?
It relies upon your usage. Each Black Berkey filter has a life of 3,000 gallons. That implies that if you have 2 filter elements and use 3 gallons daily, they will last more than 5 years. A pair of fluoride filters ought to be replaced every 1,000 gallons at 3 gallons daily, which is about once every eleven months.
The Size of the Berkey Water Filter
The best rule for picking which size of Berkey Water Filter is suitable for you is that bigger is generally better considering the space you have for it. This implies that having a bigger system is more advantageous as you will not need to fill it as regularly. Since the higher water volume in the upper chamber builds pressure upon the filters, the water, in this manner, flows through more quickly. The variation in cost between the different models is insignificant when you consider that you will use a similar model for 10 to 20+ years.
The next best consideration in picking the size of the water filter is if it has the sufficient holding capacity to address your group’s needs during peak hours. For instance, you would prefer not to run out of water during mealtime or when you have a gathering of companions over on a warm summer day. In an office setting or a yoga studio, you would prefer not to run out of drinking water during a break when everybody will need to fill a glass or water bottle quickly. As a general guideline, you prefer not to fill your Berkey more than two times daily to suit your needs.
Here is the chart for calculating your daily use.
|
Berkey Model |
Capacity |
Max per Hour |
|
1 Quart |
1 gal/hr |
|
|
1.5 Gallons |
2.75 gal/hr |
|
|
2.75 Gallons |
7 gal/hr |
|
|
2.25 Gallons |
7 gal/hr |
|
|
3.25 Gallons |
7 gal/hr |
|
|
4.5 Gallons |
16.5 gal/hr |
|
|
6 Gallons |
26 gal/hr |
For average daily usage, multiply the (number of individuals in your group) X (.5 gallons). In an emergency, increase (the number of individuals in your group) X (1 gallon). This is the suggested minimum amount of water you may expect to use every day.
- The Big Berkey is by far the most popular. It has the ideal size to serve sufficient water to a group of 4 and isn't excessively bulky for most kitchens. Another advantage is that it's as yet compact and can be moved around without issues.
- The Go Berkey is the smallest in size. It's ideal for on-the-go setups or camping adventures where not much-filtered water is required. The unit comes with the Berkey Sport water bottle.
- The Travel Berkey is somewhat greater than the Go yet compact enough to fit in many bags. It can give purified water to up to 3 individuals and is well-known among singles and individuals living in smaller apartments.
- You can consider Royal Berkey or Imperial Berkey if you need larger water.
- The Crown Berkey is the biggest unit and can hold as much as 6.5 gallons of filtered water. Its flow rate is additionally outstandingly high for a gravity-based system if you install all 8 filter elements. This way, there’s no waiting time for you at all.
- Finally, the Berkey Light for indoor and outdoor use is somewhat of a special case since it's produced without BPA-free copolyester (plastic) rather than stainless steel. Why plastic? Since it's intended for individuals on a tight budget. This is also why it uses special Berkey Earth ceramic filters, giving strong water quality at a lower price.
If you somehow happened to ask a dealer, he would reveal that bigger is, in every case, better. What's more, it bodes well: The bigger the system, the more water it can hold and the less frequently you should top off. What a convenience!
Simultaneously, the expense for a Berkey slowly increases with its size, so you must have a budget plan. In any case, when you consider that you will use it for a long time, ideally over 10 years, the price gap turns out to be practically irrelevant.