Shocking Water Filter Review & Comparison: Berkey, Doulton, Reverse Osmosis, etc.

Authorized Berkey Dealer: LDSPrepperStor...
After over two decades and $1,000 in cost buying, using and testing water filters I share my experiences and recommendations on water filters. I review the pros and cons of several water filter and purification systems including Berkey, Doulton, Reverse Osmosis, Monolithic, Just Water, Zen, and Ceramic Candle water filters. What you hear and my recommendations might just shock you.
DECEMBER 2012 UPDATE: This was a personal message sent to me, ""True story :Berkey sent my unit 2 years ago a full berkey setup for a roaving camp "near iran" snipers/SF mostly.
Used NOTHING but the berkey for 2 years. Put the most discusting water with slight radiation and horrid chemicles in it. Worked 100% every time.Sent samples to our water treatment guys....impressed the sh@@ out of them. LITERALLY we ran our berkey 24/7 .Never had one medical issue related to drinking the water. That crown is still in the field today. I am home now with a big berkey...loving it." The moral of the story is, if you have to trust you life on your water filter working, trust a Berkey filter.
To get the lowest unadvertised pricing on any Berkey system go to LDSPrepperStor...
Black Berkey® Purification Elements Test Results:
berkeywaterkb....

[@jdedmnds1]

Have had a Berkey for at least 6 years and love it. I do take it apart at least once a year and scrub (lightly) the black elements with a scotch brite pad to remove build-up on the outside of the filters. I do recommend wearing rubber gloves to do this. All the impurities and heavy metals that build-up on the filters are concentrated on the filters so don't get them on your skin and always rinse and wash them with plain tap water with the fittings pointing down. After a cleaning, I like to run a couple gallons thru them and dump these out.

[@LDSPrepper]

From a personal message sent to me. "True story :Berkey sent my unit 2 years ago a full berkey setup for a roaving camp "near iran" snipers/SF mostly. Used NOTHING but the berkey for 2 years. Put the most discusting water with slight radiation and horrid chemicles in it. Worked 100% every time.Sent samples to our water treatment guys....impressed the sh@@ out of them. LITERALLY we ran our berkey 24/7 .Never had one medical issue related to drinking the water.

[@wendyjomendy]

All it is is a hunk of coal in a tin can. Save your money and make one for twenty bux

[@12GaugePadawan]

Wendy A. You probably have mad Naked and Afraid survival skills. For me, that would be like saying: “I want a goose down jacket. Give me a goose egg.” Not gonna happen. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@angabluewellness8604]

12GaugePadawan 😂

[@tesseract42]

@@wendyjomendy t iiiiii I

[@shadigif8916]

You Berkey sales rep clown

[@oo-ux1om]

I've used my Berkey for 10 yrs to filter my rain water. I drink no other water. All my water comes from my workshop roof via two tanks, one collects at ground level and a second set of tanks sit at the top of my quarry to run back with 1/2 bar pressure. I run a swimming pool pump to top up the tanks once 200ltrs have been used. There's an automated float switch system using two floats in the top. The lower float triggers the pump and the upper cuts off. There's a low level shut off float in the bottom tank. I have a WISY filter to separate leaves and debris from the downpipe and that's the whole system. I recommend using four ceramic filters for speed of filtration. Once a year I scrub the filters with a brush to remove sediment. I am on my second set of filters as they do gradually clog up and slow filtration. I believe it is possible to reverse flush them with an ultrasound unit that will clean them but it is cheap enough to buy new. Because I have no concerns about contaminants other than microbial, I use the basic Sterasyl filter. This still removes everything above 5 microns (I believe actually less than 2μ). If you need greater fitration there are versions for metal removal etc. The filters are treated with silver to prevent bacterial growth. Like you, I'm nothing to do with the Berkey company or Sterasyl filters but after 10 years use with no other water I have had no illness that could be related to water and I drink a lot of water. The worst part of having pure water is visiting people who don't and being given a glass of tap (faucet) water that is reminiscent of swimming pool water.

[@brianzylstra3553]

+õõ õ Sounds like an awesome system. You should make a video and give instructions on how you do it.

[@oo-ux1om]

+Brian Zylstra I wouldn't know where to begin. I don't have a video camera or even a stills camera other than an app on my phone. I don't recall even trying the video app as I have no need for it. I doubt I have sufficient memory on my phone for more than a few seconds. I am not part of the tech generation. I belong to the nut and bolt generation working in 3D not virtual reality. If you want a scale model from 1:200 to 1:1 then easy. I don't even have a facebook. This is as close to idiotnet presence I have or will ever have.

[@100Review]

things you should consider before buying a water filter: plus.google.com/113992400959498149812/posts/JTPyzYRAR1e

[@truehope287]

Please come set up a rain catcher system for me! 😉

[@truehope287]

@@brianzylstra3553 We should pay him to do ours & video it for him/everyone else!

[@idahofmegal821]

I love my Berkey. I would recommend, if using lake, river or pond water, pre-filter using a coffee filter, to help prolong the life of your black filters. This is recommended by Berkey to do. Thank you for your videos.

[@idahofmegal821]

@@franceslazarovich7442 I would put mine in a canning funnel and secure it with a couple binder clips and put the canning funnel over a mason jar, a big one like a half gallon size. I’ve done that to make coffee while camping also, over a coffee cup though. Not the fastest way, but it works in a pinch!

[@anthonyjoseph8391]

Sounds good but where do you put the coffee filter please?

[@IHGChick]

@@anthonyjoseph8391 This is fairly self-explanatory. The filter goes inside the canning funnel. Nothing else makes sense.

[@TimTrimbleRRW]

could not get a berkey system due to all of them sold out,so being a welder I made my own using ss pipe and the black berkey filters.it works the same as a berkey system just a little heaver.

[@juliawei8990]

Can I buy one Berkey system from you ? How many ounces 1 oz silver if you prefer ?

[@uptownscenery9175]

I made a few. I just use 2 stock pots from wal-mart and 2 berkey filters. No welding required only holes drilled for filter and spigot

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for sharing your experience and testimony. The reason I bought the Berkey and encourage others to do the same is because you can flat out trust that it is filtering and purifying your water. There is no guess work or worrying if it is or is not working like with other filters. Again, thank you for commenting.

[@LDSPrepper]

I found if the spout leaks you need to remove it and rub a little olive oil on the washer. Let it set for about an hour. Rinse the olive oil off and reassemble. The olive oil softens the washer. It worked for me.

[@1Chimonger]

I would use coconut oil instead--it does not go rancid the same way olive oil does, and, components in coconut oil kill mold/mildew that could grow in that washer.

[@MrBilld75]

@@1Chimonger Yeah, Olive oil goes rancid in about 3 months. Coconut oil is 54% lauric acid by weight, so yeah it will kill many pathogens.

[@LDSPrepper]

Actually, the main reason plants grow "like rocket fuel" after a rain is because the rain water is loaded with nitrogen. Rain water is certainly not just distilled water. The largest source of nitrogen on the planet is in the air. The extreme heat of a lightning flash causes nitrogen to combine with oxygen of the air to form nitrogen oxides. The oxides combine with moisture in the air. The fixed nitrogen is carried by rain to the earth, where, in the form of nitrates, it is used by plants.

[@elizabethG633]

Nitrates are essential for healthy blood pressure.

[@CenturianCornelious]

@@elizabethG633 True. Also, rain is highly aerated. So it has a lot of oxygen in it, which plants take in via roots.

[@lilboosiebazz4sho]

So is rain water safe to drink if filtered or not filtered??????

[@arkrainflood]

@@lilboosiebazz4sho only if very well filtered. there is a lot of pollution/junk in the air that will be absorbed by the rain. rain collected off of a roof is even worse, and when collected in a rain barrel will have huge amounts of bacteria, fungi, etc.

[@fractalmandelbrot8021]

The chemtrails in the rain water include nano dust, aluminum, boron, barium, toxins, heave metals, lead, etc...it is not recommended for drinking.

[@LDSPrepper]

UPDATE: I just received this personal message. "US MARINE Watched Berkey vid. LOVE it.Great vid. Used a berkey in nasty bad bad bad places in iraq, Afgan and "near iran" Always worked Use one at home 24/7. We love it.Just cleaned it today. Scrubbed filters with scratchie pad and wiped inside with bleach/water.man its SOO fast now." Gunny This is the second personal message I have received from deployed military who have used the Berkey system in the field in very hard locations. Both not only rave about how well it worked but when they came home they both bought Berkeys for their families and use them every day. That says a lot. Thank you Berkey for making such awesome and life saving products.

[@wsquix58]

Thanks for the added info!

[@soeaire]

Fred Van Liew You must be referring to using Salt Water. We have lived on our boat for 21 years and have used a Pur reverse osmosis system and it works. However where else would one need such extreme water purification? River, stream or muddy puddle the Berkey works fine. Just have to clean it more often.

[@slezakcharlene]

Joseph Bennett the berkey can't clean ocean water though can it?

[@rls22jr]

Charlene Slezak No it will not clean salt water. Our tap water had the feel of softened water and the taste wasn't great so we got a Berkey. It helped with the taste but not completely - I think probably because it doesn't remove the minerals and I think there must have been some mineral salt compounds in the tap water that came through (my theory). However I would still get the Berkey again - the look of ice from the Berkey water and tap water was 100% better (obviously we didn't use the icemaker in the refrigerator!) I mainly wanted it because it would purify whatever water was available in an emergency but we used it everyday.

[@slezakcharlene]

thank you i have been using it about a week it has a great taste an i also wanted better drinking water an also a water purification system just in case the shtf i looked at all different ones an this had the best features an life span on filters than any the chorline smell is completely gone from our drinking water now i definitely would reccomend to a friend

[@kenweller2032]

I've had a Big Berkey for six years. Here's a tip if you use it daily for city water: Use a basic two stage under sink filter for chlorine and sediment before the Berkey. The Berkey filters are very high performance for removing the last iota of contamination. If you use them to remove large amounts of chlorine and sediment from straight city water, you'll waste the capacity of these expensive filters. I use a 0.5 micron spun poly sediment filter plus a carbon/KDF first to greatly extend life.

[@LDSPrepper]

One day my water didn't taste right. I did a red food color test and found the filters were just fine but I hadn't tightened down the nut on the filter and water was leaking from under the filter. I tightened the nut and my water was back to the great tasting Berkey water. It is amazing how fast you can taste the difference between Berkey filtered water and not filtered. I love my Berkey.

[@maryrenaud6732]

Will try this…my Berkey water does NOT taste good…

[@barbwilliams6989]

@@maryrenaud6732 When I bought mine, I wrote down the set up date, so I could calculate an approximate date to replace the filters. Just heard the food dye test for the first time here so will give it a tey. Also, I bought a backup set of filters (including flouride), just in case they become scarce. For redundancy, I have a few lifestraws on hand.

[@salvatorelivreri]

Have you noticed that the newer black Berkey filters (compared to perhaps 2016 or before) filter too fast? I put a new set I ordered in 2019 (which I had in storage) and it was just streaming through the filter. I ordered replacement black filters and they did the same. The filters passed the red food dye test. I am just nervous that it is not filtering out since it has little contact time. My old berkey filters (always correctly primed) filtered 5 gallons in about 12 hours. The new filters 1 gallon in about 15 minutes.

[@carolschedler3832]

@@salvatorelivreri I Teresita g observation about the newer Berkey black replacement filters. Have you learned anything more in the last 6 months? We’re they genuine Berkey? I had some in my cart on Amazon and was sure it was Berkey, but close scrutiny showed that it was not. I then went straight to a certified Berkey website and made my purchase. It arrives tomorrow!,! 🎉🎉🎉

[@k9arc955]

got my Berkey about 10 years ago, best thing i ever bought, i use 3 filters in it [i have 3 spare] and use it everyday [1 person], it still clears food colouring and the water is so awesome

[@LDSPrepper]

10 years and still going strong! Awesome. Thank you for sharing.

[@OKeefeist]

Surely your filters have a high level of bacteria in them by now? How do you clean them?

[@adrianotero7963]

If your system uses 3 filters.....then you must have camel DNA that that is a lot of water ......which system do you have ?

[@screamstress7]

After watching your videos for the last two years and seeing how great this product has worked for you and others we finally purchased a Berky ourselves two months ago. It has been the best purchase we've made for our family in years !!! Everyone is drinking so much more water now that our water tastes, smells and looks 100% better, which in turn is improving our all around health. I will NEVER drink water straight from the tap again as long as Berky is around !!! :) Thank you LDSPrepper for sharing with us all, my family enjoys watching your KZbin Channel...

[@LDSPrepper]

screamstress7 Congratulations on your new healthier water and for choosing the Berkey. We really do love the water we get from ours.

[@wsquix58]

Nice review. We were using what you refer to as the Zen filter. Very great tasting water but no tech specs on the filters efficiency that we could find, also a bit high maintenance. We replaced it with an undersink 7 Stage RO with which incorporates and Alkalysing element to negate the acidity / decalcification problem. The last problem we're trying to solve is our current inability to conduct ongoing water tests for removal of various chemicals, particularly Fluoride. Not enough people seem to know enough about this toxin which is added to drinking water other than the partial misinformation that it is good for teeth. If you want your kids to have good teeth there are far more healthier ways to achieve that such as a good diet, minimal carbonated drinks, removal of refined sugars and products from the diet etc. etc. The problem with fluoride is that it is a toxin. It is also the most powerful oxidising agent known (think damage to DNA). If too much is taken in, it even shows up as damage to the hard tissues of our bodies (teeth and bones). Now just think for a moment, if it shows up as damage in those tissues, what damage is it doing elsewhere, unseen. A study at one University in Australia has shown that fluoride produces a small but measurable reduction in IQ. Do YOU think your teeth are worth trading off a bit of IQ for? That's irrelevant in any case. The argument as to whether it is, or is not, good for teeth is also not relevant. The dangerous long term toxic and carcinogenic effects are becoming more widely understood now but this is also irrelevant to my simple argument. The only thing that is relevant to me is when my neighbours or anyone else start telling me, trying to force me, to consume something that someone thinks is good for me. If it's so good, I'll do my own research and decide for myself. What I'll do is always err on the side of cuation, particularly for my kids or anyone other than myslef. For myself, if I screw up and take something that turns out to be not so good that'e my concern. I'm not willing to take such a risk for my kids or anyone else for that matter. So why this notion of the all caring authorities. No one should buy that. Elected representatives are not fit to make decisions on the medication of individuals let alone entire puplulations. We each have a responsibility to inform others to thoroughly, dogedly, open mindedly and using their own reasoning, to investigate the notion of enforced medication whether it be fluoride or any other medication, chemical, hormone, or substance. No matter what the substance is; NO MEDICATION, FOOD, OR SUBSTANCE IS GOOD FOR ALL, NOT ONE SINGLE FOOD IS EVEN GOOD FOR ALL. We're all similar but each of us have a uniqure chemical makeup.

[@petersydow4002]

fluoride in city water is not natural therefore doesn't benfit teeth it's a carcinogen and a poison

[@GearedAndReady]

I enjoy your videos and know that you are very thorough in your reviews. There is a wealth of information out there. I would like to encourage anyone considering a gravity water filter system that utilizes candle filters such as the Berkey system to do more research. The system is 2 parts, the vessel to hold the water - stainless containers in Berkey's case, and the filters. Berkey claims to make both. It is important to note that Berkey is the US distributor for British Berkefeld Doulton. So U.S. Berkey, British Berkefeld and Doulton are all basically the same vessel/containers. Berkey changed the filter from white to black in the 1990's claiming better filtration and took off after Y2K in the U.S. Berkey did great in the U.S. for several years until a problem developed with the rubber gasket at the bottom of the filter. A quick google search will give you all the information you need. A summary is, it was leaking unfiltered water into the bottom chamber, Berkey was made aware, denied any problems and did not issue a recall. Many people purchased these filters for preparedness reasons, to use in remote area's and simply to do something good for there families, by not issuing a recall Berkey put them all at risk. Later Berkey added the Flouride filters and claimed 99% removal, this claim has been completely debunked as false by numerous independent studies. Just use google or read the Amazon reviews. I want to say I am not a Berkey hater, nor have a personal issue. I want to help those I can by sharing what I know to prevent others from making uninformed decisions. There is a study by Natural News who created a website wateriflterlabs dot com. In it they purport to test the popular filters and Berkey wins. The problem is, they add the Berkey fluoride filter attachment to the Berkey, then claim 99% removal (which no other test collaborates). They do not perform an equal comparison to the other filters. They test against filters/systems that make no claims about fluoride-as the Berkey system does. The fluoride filtration is an add-on to the system, the Berkey system by default does not reduce or remove fluoride. A system that does like Crystal Drop for instance and included in the test, Natural News does not use the filter element that is advertised to remove fluoride but they use the standard ceramic filter which like the basic Berkey does not. What is truly misleading is they use the Doulton system without the Flouride filter (which is the same as Berkey/Same parent company) to show how poor everything is compared to Berkey. If Berkey was tested the same way the Berkey would fail. Berkey makes the Flouride attachment for all candle filters not just their own. So this attachment would have fit the Crystal Drop, the Doulton ect. Why did they skew the results like this? Don't know, but they are a Berkey affiliate. Its like having a test that says "gas mileage test, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes and Toyota wins" Then finding out that it was a Prius, a F350, and a Sprinter van used in the comparison, of course Toyota wins. Berkey does what it purports to do within the parameters of its design when it works. The exception is the Fluoride filter addition does not the claims are misleading. Berkey as a company has some ethical issues it does not address. Question everything, search out the truth. Don't just swallow the pill because the Doctor says so. You need trust, as your life may depend on the claims they make.

[@esemmanuel6603]

Btw, numerous people are having problems with the Berkeley filter now. It also factors in to which dealer one goes, plus, the level of maintenance with the Berkeley which can be a pain in the neck. The Douton filters are different from the Berkeley filters (better quality). I won’t comment on the Douton gravity stand because it didn’t seem of much of a benefit ……

[@henryottis295]

Thank you for the info......... Also for taking the time. I am in the market for a water filtration system and was considering a Berkey. Your info is the second time that I have heard of the leakage. One person said to test with red food coloring in the top part reservoir for leakage. I'm curious, what brand do you own ? I'm open for suggestions. Thanks.

[@MNIU_]

Berkey and Doulton are NOT releated at all.. it's on the Doulton website.

[@petersydow4002]

berkey is an expensive garbage

[@petersydow4002]

@@henryottis295 santevia

[@girlsaves1]

After months of research & finally watching your review, I'm going to purchase the Royal Berkey. Thanks so much for the help in making this decision!

[@LDSPrepper]

I am glad you did your due diligence like I have and came to the same conclusion. I hope you are enjoying your Berkey now. If you haven't gotten one yet I update the links under my video to keep the lowest prices posted all the time.

[@endtimesign]

Thanks for an outstanding review, just exactly what I was looking for. No nonsense, no playing around, just the facts about why someone chose Berkey over the rest of the field and the cost per gallon, great review.

[@MySpitfire76]

Love it! wouldn't trade it for any other water filtration system NO ELECTRICITY REQUIRED! Best water filtration system; been using it for 9 years

[@CarrieAnn17]

My Big Berkey just arrived. How-to videos on the Berkey website were nice to watch on how to properly put it together. I wanted to make sure I did it correctly (a nice cross-check). As a single woman, I plan to use it for cooking, washing fruits & veggies, and use it in my Water-Pik vs distilled water, as I am anti-fluoride (including toothpaste). I drink Alkaline-infused water in the gallon size, as cancer cannot live in an alkaline body. I still need to test how the water tastes; I’m only on day #2 so I will check that later today.

[@LDSPrepper]

I like the stainless too. It looks great on the counter. Another advantage of the stainless is no light gets to the water so no worries about algae growing. I know you can build one out of plastic buckets but many people are very concerned about the chemicals in plastic buckets getting into their food and water. With the Berkey there is no worries about that.

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

@Denise

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

@Denise Destefanis

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

@Denise DeStefanis

[@LDSPrepper]

It has been my experience that the Berkey does a great job with pond water and many others sources of water. It our test it did a wonderful job. I did my test eight months ago and we are all still here and healthy.

[@daveberntson4081]

I have a Doulton. It looks very much like the Berkey. I installed 2 "candles", and there is room for 2 more if I want faster filtering. I have always thought that there is almost no difference between Berkey and Doulton. It would be nice if the video included a bit more explanation of how these filters work (what they are made of, etc.).

[@CherishEaDay]

Not sure whether @LDSPREPPER is still around but wanted him to know i ordered mine today. Berkey has a Black Friday Bundle offer right now that is fantastic. The stand, stainless spiget, 2 black and 2 white filters, and 6 large glass containers. I'm so excited and want to thank you for turning me on to Berkey years ago. Hope all is well and miss your posts.

[@LDSPrepper]

One thing I really like about the Berkey black filter is it is the only filter that you can test at home to ensure it is still working. It is done by simply adding a little red food dye to the upper chamber. If the water comes out clear in the bottom chamber the filter is still doing it's job. No guessing on if it is working and no worries.

[@alifewithluna4134]

This is EXACTLY what I needed to see!i was already set on the Berkey, but you have sealed the deal! Thanks for such a great video! New subbie here

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for sharing your experience. After years of experience and purchasing many different filters I too feel the Berkey is the best filter/purifier on the market. I trust my health and my family's health to it.

[@elizabethG633]

My Berkey will be here on Thursday. I am so excited. We had been using an RO system until a couple months ago, and also 2 1/2 mos ago I broke my arm. Not a wise thing to happen at 65, LOL. We did not know that system would suck the calcium out of our bones and bodies, but a good thing to know now.

[@HendersonDebbie]

Hope you are feeling better. Are you enjoying the Berkey - are you still using it?

[@jimboone6405]

RO sucks the calcium out of water?

[@tiktok11150]

@@jimboone6405 20 minutes a day in the sunshine or supplements will do much more than trying to get it out of milk and water per my doctor. I work indoors all day and do shift work so I very little in my blood because of that.

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for your comment. The plants grow well after a rain because the lightning releases nitrogen from the atmosphere and it is carried to the plants in the rainwater. It is not that the rain is stilled water that makes the plants grow so well it is the addition of the nitrogen to the plants.

[@onesimusiii]

Hi David, We bought the berkey for a bug out option for water and love it. Afterwards I found a site online that explained how to use two five gallon buckets instead of the stainless steel enclosure from Berkey and make the same filter quite inexpensively. Now do I want two five gallon buckets stack on top of each other sitting on my kitchen counter NO! But for those who can't afford the high intial cost to purchase a Berkey but need better water thats an option. Also with the five gallon bucket option you can put as many of those black filters in and increase the volume of water you are able to filter. I think I have a pdf that explains how to do that some where.

[@ichetuknee]

Count me as not impressed with most home type filtration systems. And certainly not at the price charged for them. I am a career chemist with many years of experience purifying water for both laboratories and public water systems. Berkey has a solid block activated carbon with ion exchange media filter design. Oh, and they throw in some bacteriostatic silver to boot. Big deal. What's that $15 in materials? My take: Too little filter for lots of $. Lots of hype to pump up the price. However, the solid block design is excellent, as opposed to using granular activated carbon (GAC). The problem with GAC is that water flows around the granular surface at anything faster than the speed of a glacier. Consider that proper flow for GAC treatment requires one minute of contact time. So, for the standard 1 quart GAC filter, you must stand around waiting for an agonizing 30 seconds to fill a 16 ounce glass, over a full minute for a Big Gulp cup. Most people want their glass full in 10 seconds or less. Try it out for yourself. Consequently, GAC home filters (or field filters) do not properly treat the water, in the way most people use them. This brings us to a key water treatment point: time. Good water treatment takes time. But we are unaccustomed to this. We want it now, or even sooner. So, don't go bragging about how fast the Berkey filters the water. That should be considered a negative point, because it is trading off thoroughness for speed. Look at nature. How is water purified in nature? Percolation through sand, limestone, etc. Evaporation & condensation. Settling of solids, biological purification of organic pollutants, absorption of nutrients by plants. None of these process are fast, but they are very effective. Now, how should a good purification system work? 1.) Remove solids by settling and by filtration. Larger solids fall out on their own. Smaller solids need to be filtered, preferably using a multi-stage particulate filter: coarse (10 micron), medium (1 micron) and fine (0.2 micron). The coarse filter gets plugged frequently, but it is cheap to replace. It saves the more expensive fine filter. 2.) Remove organics, ammonia, chlorine, etc. with a solid block activated carbon filter. (Problem: Now that you have removed the disinfectant, bacteria can grow feeding upon the absorbed organics.) 3.a.) Ion exchange to remove minerals and heavy metals. or 3.b.) membrane filtration (below 400 psi applied pressure) or true reverse osmosis (above 400 psi) or 3.c.) distillation. 4.) Disinfection with ultraviolet light, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, or chlorine. That is a system that will work well with any feedwater. One should not trust one's life to the Berkey design to work with contaminated water supplies. Please note that a 0.45 micron filter will remove coliform bacteria. So, those are not the most impressive organisms to challenge a 0.2 micron filter with. Ultramicrobacteria are smaller than 0.1 micron and polio and other serious viruses would also easily pass through a 0.2 micron filter.

[@LDSPrepper]

Great. I think you'll love it. I had some friends over yesterday looking at our garden. We talked about water filters too. I had them drink the Berkey water and they said it was good. Then I had them just smell not drink the tap water. They could immediately tell the difference. That alone sold them on the Berkey. One thing I really like about the Berkey is it is the only water filter registered as a purifier too because it removed viruses. You can't go wrong with a Berkey.

[@betsybarnicle8016]

@@MrMonero It's recommended to boil or purify the water after the filtering. Never put chemical (chlorine, etc.) treated water through the filters, as the chemicals can over time cause damage. So, Filter then treat. Filter then boil. Or, Boil then filter.

[@MushroomPatch]

Correct me if I'm wrong but...don't you treat the water with bleach BEFORE you put it through the ceramic filter? That way the filter cleans out the chlorine and the water comes out virus free and does not test/smell chlorine?

[@coo463]

+MushroomPatch Bleach would kill bacteria. Ceramic itself would not filter bleach, a carbon (activate charcoal) core would, however, that type of core should filter out the bacteria anyway. The bleach would probably only have the effect of reducing the lifespan of the filter.

[@sabrinaslonim6312]

We have used and loved everything about a Berkey for the last 8 years. We originally had an Imperial size but downsized housed and sold it to our friends who had a larger family. Then we bought the Royal which we have used every single day for the last 5 years. We even take our Berkey when we travel. I have loved the water filter so much that I gifted a few to people that I dearly love and recommended them to many, many friends and strangers. I also recently saw a review that says Berkey is one of 2 systems tested that removes the neuro-toxic herbicide Glyphosate (RoundUp).

[@philalfred8307]

We bought the Burkey Lite. We love it. We tried it out using river water. We did go ahead and pour the water through several old towels (into a 5 gal bucket) just to get the largest sediment, sticks, etc.) It came out crystal clear! We NEVER drink tap water. We use our Burkey water for cooking and even washing hair!

[@LDSPrepper]

+Phil Alfred Awesome! Thank you for commenting and sharing your experience.

[@emilybh6255]

You probably know now that Doulton sells a wide variety of replacement filters that take out whatever you may need.. For example, some of their ceramic filters also contain a carbon block that removes chlorine and organic chemicals. Or if the housing accomodates more than one filter, you can get a variety of filters to address your various needs. The reason it may have taken longer to filter is probably because it takes more out of the water -- which is what you want..

[@mydanshi6500]

I love my Berkey. Does a great job, is really easy to use and nice to know the filters last ages so I’m not constantly maintaining it. You won’t regret getting one.

[@LDSPrepper]

The testing documentation are available from Berkey. I have reviewed them. Excellent information. You can find them easily on the internet.

[@boulderntumble]

Thanks for the review. We've had our Berkey for 10 years now. Works great and paid for itself in less than a year. After priming the filters after a cleaning, we've found that it takes about 6-8 tank cycles (about 12 gallons) to get back to crystal clear and that great taste. Even our favorite bottled water is sub-par to this water. Never have needed to filter creek water but glad to know I can if necessary. God bless you

[@guntherferguson2369]

No you can't. You still have to treat or boil rubber water. Berkey is lying to all of us.

[@murphreport]

I have had a Berkey for three years. For medial resons, I had to have clorean free and fluoride free water. I live in a high led area. I was buying bottled water and all three bottle water companies I had access too could not promise to be chlorine free or fluoride. I test my Berkey every year even though its good for 4 plus. I know most folks won't test, but I do. Peace of mind is good, and this filter is way underpriced. Best water filter I have found that works year after year. Thank you for the this video and your time.

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for sharing the link. The more people we can help to have healthy drinking water the better.

[@LDSPrepper]

"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact." "The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine.

[@JediStockTrader]

Do does that mean it dissolves arterial plague too?

[@keithsanville2361]

Compare water to water not water to soda! pure water without toxins. We get our minerals from food.. water is a cleaning solvent. flush out used up minerals. magnesium is burnt up as a fuel every day. replaced by food alive minerals. This does not agree with bible pure living water. pure 100% h20 is the exact chemistry to hydrate and clean cells. Our kidneys filter all the extra inorganic minerals producing distilled water. Yes we need organic minerals bio available but they only come in supplements or real food. Organic wild meat has the most bio available minerals fish, bird, beef, deer, turkey, eggs, ect. Fish is my favorite! pure distilled water is ph of 7 as it sits exposed to carbon dioxide it turns acid. But all exposed water turns acid as it sits collecting carbon dioxide Add in inorganic minerals " Carbon" perfect petri dish. inorganic means dead not Alive. Distilled Water is pure water. Berkey filters almost all the impurities that distilling water does but less possibly cheaper depending situation. No need to knock distilled water because Berkey water is removing all the minerals anyway. Do a TDS to check your berkey as it gets used your ppm will rise for sure. Not knockin berkey but sticking up for distilled because it will not harm you.

[@tecnolover2642]

@@keithsanville2361 100% agree. There has been no research data to date that I'm aware of to prove distilled water harms. If anyone knows please post a link.

[@loosegear4345]

Have had my Berkey for about a year. Love It! Bought the smaller one for my 2 person family so we could take it with us camping. It works great!

[@fordwaters8335]

I bought my berkey system 5 years ago. My son bought one and told me of it. The best 350.00 I ever spent. Here in NE Tenn. Our water dept. Is always sending out their 3x5 cards that tells us the water tests conducted on their water has failed. That's very scary to hear your water has fail the test on purity. That's why I bought the Berkley system. Very pleased with it.

[@LDSPrepper]

Not knowing if your water is safe to drink day to day would absolutely be scary! I'm glad you found peace in using the Berkey. www.LDSPrepperStore.com

[@sylviah1234]

I have the Waterdrop system. After comparing to Berkey. Decided they are both the same type water filtration. I bought the Waterdrop 2.5 gallon and 4 their filters. I paid a quite a bit less and got the whole setup with the little rack to set it on, Also all stainless steel faucet and window to see water level,,whole works comes with it and paid much less for filters of same quality. After using it for a couple of months. I could not be happier with my purchase. Great tasting water and operating system. Only difference in appearance is it's not quite as shiny as the Berkey. I'm going to order another one for upstairs.

[@miteyc]

Just a heads up. The standard Puralator filter(now known as Pur) that attaches to a kitchen faucet always becomes problematic. When you switch the option from filter to regular water stream, the damn thing tends to act like its clogged up. The stream becomes very weak and you have to play with the switch to get it to operate optimally. This workaround wears off after time and you're a stuck with a sorry weak stream of non-filtered water when you need the water run with a bit more force. I've purchased 2 units and it happened to both of them. There will not be a third time as I'm sure the company must be aware functionally, they are marketing an inferior product. You've been warned.

[@LDSPrepper]

I'm glad to hear you are so happy with your new Berkey. The water does taste amazingly fresh and clean. You might want to get a couple extra arsenic filters since they filter about 1,000 gallons each vs the 3,000 gallons the black Berkey filters do.

[@cookingsavvy7407]

This was exactly what I was looking for. I needed to know what an experienced water aficionado would recommend. Thanks so much!

[@lovethespaceyouarein2035]

Hi David! I just bought my 1st Berkey from your website after I watched this video and your "Berkey Water Filter EXTREME Field Test & Review". Thank you for always calling me back to answer my questions! So excited to drink yummy water and stop spending .36 cents a gallon plus gas.

[@patwagner9308]

ProOne is a purification system, too. Its filter also filters out over 200 contaminants & fluoride. One filter does it all & does not need to be primed. (NSF/ANSI certified) There are pluses & minuses w/any system , I think. What's important is : filter your water. Do your research, figure out which system you like best. When you do the math, it isn't expensive in the long run! And you aren't drinking from plastic. Very interesting video....so glad more & more people are becoming aware of the need to filter water for safety, thanks to videos like this one. Might suggest watching Dr. Ken Berry's videos about water.....he talks about distilled & reverse osmosis.

[@emmagraceoutlaw4656]

We've had our Berkey around 6 years now. I love it, it's simple and so easy and it works so well. My only comment is that my trucker husband can't use it on the truck it's just too bouncy. I'm currently planning to DIY a whole-house system for a house garden and animals on 1 acre. I can't imagine using anything else to purify our water.

[@KimmieBullard]

Get your trucker the Berkey bottle

[@emmagraceoutlaw4656]

@@KimmieBullard We ended up taking a small Berkey. The Berkey bottles don't filter flouride.

[@LDSPrepper]

Install the Berkey. You'll be glad you did.

[@maggiecunningham9711]

LDSPrepper unfortunately I can’t get the Berkey in California. 😔

[@antonionitocosanostravakia2801]

@@maggiecunningham9711 Order a Doulton , Alexapure or Propur stainless models. You can buy ceramic filters separately that work superior to Berkey for half the price.

[@sammyellis9427]

Maggie Cunningham ordered mine off amazon 3 weeks ago, no problem. Big berkey, not digging the taste so far though.

[@fiji16g8]

Yes I just got my Berkey and it has a terrible metallic taste not sure if it's the container or the filters I have already gone through five canisters and still taste like metal.

[@antonionitocosanostravakia2801]

@@fiji16g8 It might be the filters . I would try using a better ceramic filter. The Berkeley filters are bottom of the barrel.

[@juanitabedingfield3821]

Thank you LDS Prepper. We appreciate you!

[@LDSPrepper]

I'm sorry I removed the comment you replied to. As you know it was very ignorant and offensive. Thank you for your comment and sharing your experience. Potable water is SO important. That is why I have a Berkey for my family.

[@marysisson8535]

I ordered my Berkey a few years back because of the fact that the filters last so long and getting the chemicals out. We have a lot of chlorine in our water and this system really works. I wouldn't be without my Berkey. Recommend it to a lot of folks and they also bought the Berkey System.

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you. It is easy to make an awesome review when you have an awesome product to review. We love our Berkey. It brings us peace in knowing we have healthy water to drink. Especially since we just found out my daughter-in-law is pregnant. They also have a Berkey.

[@michaelbaez3034]

Will it work in Newark NJ?

[@tregyuop]

My question to all berkey water filter system users is, has anyone ever sent their water from the berkey to their local health department for a true water test? I have been doing the research and people send in their water before filtered and then say after using the berkey or other systems say the water is better. Is this a guess or have they sent the water sample in for testing.

[@lennygid8452]

hi there, i just had a look at the reviews of the Berkey filter and purification system on the Amazon .com site , while the majority were positive to say the least there were also a good number of negative reviews also , being open minded i did a little reading of the worst reviews and they sound like they have very good points about how good the filters are and how long they filter actually last , some of the reviews get very involved by actually testing the water after it goes through the filters , the bottom line is that not all the filters work as they should , the quality of the water that comes out after a number of months can be almost the same as the water that goes through the filters, you may want to look into this your self , and please let us know of your own impression, please understand that in no way am i against your own review , i like everyone else want the best possible filtering system there is , and im currently searching for it , thank you and i will wait for your reply .

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for doing your due diligence. I hope everyone is able to install a simple Berkey filter and test it correctly. But I doubt it. Just like I hope all vehicle drivers are safe drivers. After all my testing and speaking with everyone I personally know who use the Berkey I have not found any other filter that, in real life application, does a better job at purifying and filtering my water. If there were a better filter out there I'd let you know. I too, like you, want the best for my family without taking any risks. That is why I only recommend the Berkey.

[@milliethemillinator3154]

@Black Shadow Berkey doesn't use Amazon to sell their products. They bought Chinese knock offs, that's why they were having issues.

[@clarissaalvarado-douglas9666]

Very informative. Thank you. Do you have any experience with 4Patriots system? I like the price compared to Berkey.

[@a.humphries8678]

I got the Berkey 3 years ago purely for the taste. Our city water tastes like pond water. So glad it makes it taste better AND filters out gross stuff AND would work in an emergency situation!! Love the Berkey!

[@GiffysChannel]

for how long these things have been around, I've found little to no information about the pf-2 filters they offer. I have my own unit and got the secondary pf-2 filters and they put out some white powder that made my water taste funny. I have no idea what they have in them but I did find out from another youtube video of someone who got the water tested that they DID in fact filter out the fluoride but to do so, the filter uses aluminum. Now that bit of knowledge upset me because I believe aluminum is just as undesirable as fluoride but I'm not sure which one is worse or even if this is true about the Berkey pf-2 filters.

[@LDSPrepper]

Great question Giffy. According to the instructions that come with the pf-2 filters you are to rinse out the filters and run water through them before using them to get rid of residue dust from the manufacturing process. You are right about filters using aluminium to remove fluoride and arsenic. There are other brands of filters that actually leak huge amounts aluminium into your water through the filtering process so you end up drinking aluminium which I believe is very unhealthy. I don't want to get into a legal issue here so do your research and find the lab test results on filters you are considering using or are currently using and find the before and after results for aluminium. You might be VERY surprised.

[@GiffysChannel]

@@LDSPrepper Thank you. I'll continuing to do my own research. Do you any labs that you recommend?

[@keephiscommandmentsandlive9860]

LDSPrepper I'm about to get an "BIG Blue whole house water filtration system" just to get rid of chlorine in the shower's so it will not go in through our skin. Do you know off hand if those have Aluminum, and is Aluminum absorbed through your skin too?

[@GiffysChannel]

@@onelove5060 I did, yes. It's possible I could have been more thorough with it but I also ran many gallons through them later on. Less powder came out but I could still taste the difference. I now just run the black filters.

[@jw6180]

KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND LIVE Berkey sells shower head filters to remove chlorine. Works great!

[@AnonOmmus]

This is an older video so I'm sure someone has mentioned this before, but "potable water" does not mean city water, it means fresh non-sewage water. Lake, streams and most creeks would fall into this category. Non-potable water would be water that is contaminated with sewage or other contaminates that would make you very sick or cause death if ingested. Just thought I'd mention that cause I have drank from many mountain streams and lakes with no physical concerns but would prefer to filter even that water if given the choice just in case.

[@janicefreedom8665]

Wrong... potable water means water that is treated/filtered/sterilized. Water that comes from lakes and streams, no matter how clear and clean it looks, can have pathogens. Ever heard of rocky mountain beaver fever?

[@awiggins7031]

@@janicefreedom8665Potable water simply means water safe to drink

[@janicefreedom8665]

@@awiggins7031 and how would you know if it is safe to drink unless you filtered or sterilized it?

[@awiggins7031]

@@janicefreedom8665 Only if labeled as "POTABLE" would you know. Common on water trucks in the military and disaster relief for example. If questionable, use a Berkey if possible. As for lakes and streams - may look clear and fit to drink, but there may be a dead animal in the water upstream from you, etc.

[@LDSPrepper]

I really find having the glass tube is very convenient. It is important when filling the top water chamber to fill it all the way to the top of the filters in order to get maximum filter life and filtering. The glass tube lets me know when to do that before I run out of water in the bottom.

[@wrestlingfan4ever76]

I haven't received my filter yet but I opted to not have the glass tube because I thought it would be more likely to get damaged in an earthquake or something. Is it that important to have it or am I okay?

[@kurtisloew108]

Great video, ordering one soon. Side note, RO and distillers are fine for healthy water consumption. RO systems have a mineral adding element after filtration, before faucet. And distilled water can be mineralized with a simple pinch of Himalayan salt, or many other options. I do agree after 7 years of RO water (changing 4 filters, and poor water flow over time) Berkey is the best. I also love my water distiller, and its great for plants and gardens. Downside is it requires electricity. And wow what a great store in the link!

[@mvusoniceva432]

We watched this video 5 years ago... And decided to buy the Berkey filter... The water in Central Australia is heavily treated and comes from Mereenie aquifer system... The water has a harsh taste (local residents love it) and is mineral dense... The Berkey completely removes that taste. We bought the largest model with 4 filters. Every now and then we let it empty out and fill the bottom with a mixture of vinegar and water, leave it for a few hours to removes the accumulated calcium, it's a rather light accumulation ( do not use vinegar on the filters!). We use it daily and couldn't live without it.. we changed the filters 6 months ago... about 6 months ago the taste of the water changed slightly and we knew it was time to renew the filters... We are a family of 5, Berkey water in our main source of hydration... Previous to owning one, we would buy boxed water.. became costly... And we agree... It a big upfront cost... But it lasted is 4.5 yrs and we fill it up daily. Massive thanks to the Gillmore Family 🙏

[@eholmes9612]

As regards your comment about distilled water leaching out the minerals from your body, that is correct, inorganic minerals which your body can't and doesn't use. US sailors on submarines only drank distilled water with no ill effects, in fact it is better for you, the water inside fruits and vegetables is distilled, as is rainwater.

[@72marie]

I would not drink distilled water only. I think it is Ok to drink if you go back and forth from distilled to filtered.

[@sarasayshi]

Hello! You need to put some amazon affiliate links for Berkey in your description. You are probably missing out on a lot of income there. I watched your other berkey videos and you have sold me. Buying one today.

[@omokaroojiire]

@@SC EM She's making an investment in good health. Don't confuse that with frivolous consumption. Your health is your wealth! Good, clean water is a necessity, because water is life!!!

[@practicalguy973]

@@omokaroojiire Yeah, I guess if you need a Berkey to improve bad water it makes sense. But if you have good tap water that might be safer if it's in the USA or Canada or others in a decent area. The Berkey has issues once in a while and if you have a black filter come loose or break you ain't going to catch it before you drink some for maybe weeks especially if its a slow leak and you mostly taste filtered water. Its something that can happen and even a loose filter with city water going in is going to have a bunch of gross things building up on the filters getting into what you drink. Also there are silver particles in the black filters controlling bacteria growth and silver leaching into the body can have heath risks on its own. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211339813000889

[@sharon6871]

@@practicalguy973 To my knowledgeably, there is no safe or "good "tap water anywhere, I don't even give it to my dog.

[@barbaracrisp6121]

Skip (ie, boycott Amazon) go straight to Berkey website.

[@barbaracrisp6121]

@@practicalguy973 the days of decent tap water is gone.

[@LDSPrepper]

It is a 9" plant pot stand my wife bought at Walmart.

[@heatheraz4680]

I bought a travel Berkey a couple years ago. I wanted a larger one but could not purchase one since I live in CA. So frustrating. Anyways on a road trip April 2021 and found a store that sold them!!! I bought a 3 gallon one! This works so much better for my family of 4.

[@joedeardo2855]

I have been running my Burkey for 10 years now and just ordered my first replacement filters! The Burkey filters will always produce great water the only reason to replace your filters is the flow becomes slow as hell! It will always make good water as long as water flows through. I can afford $100 every ten years for excellent water!

[@LDSPrepper]

Thanks for sharing. Cleaning them with a ScotBrite pad when the water filtering starts to slow down really helps.

[@milliethemillinator3154]

You have to clean them.

[@joinmeinthedirt5186]

I just received my Berkey light today, I have been wanting one for 3 years. Very excited. I can't get the two plugged tight enough so water drips out of them. That means it's not completely filtered.

[@wendyjomendy]

Idk what you're filtering for water but I've had dirty water and this thing put out solids floating in my water. Looked like lemon pulp floating in my water.

[@michaelkalbow2142]

I've been looking at water filtration for a while now, and I'd love to see some actual laboratory tests done on the Berkey. Any chance you've seen anything like that?

[@LDSPrepper]

Absolutely! That is what I love about the Berkey. They give you all of the independent lab results because they are so impressive! Here is the link with all the stats. berkeywaterkb.com/black-berkey-purification-elements-test-results/

[@guntherferguson2369]

@@LDSPrepper If you actually read the virus test you will see that virus does get through the filter. There is no filter that can get rid of viruses. You still have to boil or treat river water after it's gone through a Berkey.

[@kleineroteHex]

well done, well done! though i have been using distilled water for many many years now (i substitute any loss of minerals with celtic sea salt) this Berkey sounds more and more interesting! And I KNOW you are sold on it :)

[@LDSPrepper]

I don't know of any home test for testing if water will pull minerals from bones. But as you know there is enough science and testing that has already been done so that is no longer a question. It is fact that R/O water does that. Other counter top units pretty much just remove chlorine smell and flavor. The Berkey actually cleans the water, filters out debris and removes viruses. I shared my years of experience so you don't have to repeat it or spend moeny testing like I have.

[@retiredchef238]

For the bucket system, all you needed to do was to boil the water afterwards. No mess, no fuss. You constantly fill at first, boil, cool and place clean water into another container. False on the sux to eight month time frame. You can wash and clean many times up until it no linger puts water thru.

[@LDSPrepper]

At 5:15 I recommend not getting the ZEN filter. I love my Berkey. After all the filters I tested it is by far the best.

[@ferminalarcon9787]

What's in the filter charcoal?

[@sandyk6538]

Can't agree more with you. I am from Malaysia, own a Berkey and love it so much!

[@JanColdwater]

I have a Doulton and I love it! Easy to clean AND it is NOT as SLOW as you mentioned. I don't know why you said you have to purify the water after it has been filtered because that is NOT true, it has a silver core that kills bacteria and filters standing pond water. Doulton has ALWAYS had fluoride filter cartridges, even before Berkey. Doulton is a very good water filtration system and I highly recommend it as you can actually see how dirty your filter is on the ceramic candle, and you can keep it clean by lightly scrubbing it.

[@buddhaboysmom3861]

Thanks Jan, I'm going to check this system out. Besides, one can just add collioidal silver to your water if you need additional purification.

[@frankiesun09]

Because this loser is now an Authorized seller of the Berkey Filter... So of course he will talk shit about all other filters that he is not making money from.

[@premadimauro2691]

@@frankiesun09 EXACTLY

[@BasicPoke]

Thanks for the video. Do you have any affiliation with Berkey? Do you benefit in any way from giving them such a glowing review? Do they sponsor you? This is the 2nd time I have asked.

[@LDSPrepper]

+Basic Poke I have no affiliation with Berkey. They do not sponsor me. That being said I love my Berkey and so do all my family members who have bought them. So I have decided to become a dealer in order to get the best price to groups of people who want to get the best filter on the planet at the best price. At this point I have not set that up yet but I will.

[@frankiesun09]

Yes of course he is an officially Authorized seller of the Berkey Garbaje...

[@Handmaidenofyeshua]

Thumbs up! I put my Berkey up and tried two other systems. My family is now back to Berkey. It REALLY is the least expensive and most effective to produce clean and good tasting water.

[@LDSPrepper]

Thanks for sharing!

[@guitartec]

I was going to say the same thing about my family's Doulton filter. We use the 10" Ultracarb. The use silver to kill germs, but I have no understanding how it does that. Incidentally, E Coli was just found in my town's water supply. They're telling everyone to boil the water, so we're really relying on our Doulton. So far, so good. I wish these filter companies showed 3rd party testing, and they showed examples of how the numbers decline as the filter ages. I'm going to clean mine right now!

[@jimmygiven3062]

This guy is doing an indirect smart advertisement for Berkey.

[@michelle-vl3me]

spot on

[@antonionitocosanostravakia2801]

@@michelle-vl3me Its like an infomercial. The worse part is how its the worse filter a prepper can buy.

[@jasne2992]

@@antonionitocosanostravakia2801 which filter you can recommend? Also the man is stating 10 Years Filter Lifetime...is it possible? Berkley Homepage says up to 7 years (under laboratory water conditions) .. So muddy water would shrink the lifetime to maybe 2 years?

[@ShowCat1]

@@jasne2992 Not if you properly clean the filters. I suggest this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJOQm52GapVngsU

[@LDSPrepper]

@@antonionitocosanostravakia2801 Interesting and very bold statement. Please provide documentation to backup your claim or retract it.

[@TravLast]

Thanks for your reply! It's seems hard to know what best to do when it comes to drinking health water,I though that I like to get a purifier to take out the fluoride, as a start! So what's worse Fluoride or Activated Carbon? Don't bubble bottles use carbon filters? I'd prefer drink & store spring water but then it's what to contain it in, I'm looking into glass container so far as I think it the best option. Nothing is what it seems so it's hard to find truth! What do you think?

[@eriksalmon]

Thanks for the review, I just picked up the Big Berkey after watching this and the whole family loves the taste. Thanks

[@wendyjomendy]

Look at your water it must.have.what looks like lemon pulp in it. I have a berkey. Idk how anyone figures that one piece of coal can do everything because it cannot.

[@rogerknight2267]

Purchased a Big Berkey system just a few weeks ago after MUCH research. One of the most common complaints that I’ve have found is shipping damage to the unit. When I received mine, I immediately opened the package to inspect it. Found no issues so I then placed in storage with my other prep stuff. Now I’m mapping the location of all the swimming pools in my small town. HAAAA!!!

[@egmjag]

I've had an Aqua Pour system from Nikken for several years. One of the filters that looks like a half dome like the one in this video had algae, so I removed it and washed the entire water system with bleach. I installed a new filter but this time the one that looks like a thick wafer. Didn't have any problems until...very recently when the rocks at the bottom of the water system began getting algae. I put the entire Aqua Pour system, including rocks, in the dishwasher. I sprayed some of the items (but not the rocks) with a mold~mildew spray before putting them in the dishwasher. Now the water tastes like spring water, but I just got the Berkey water system and will put the water from the Aqua Pour system into the Berkey to have an even more pure and tastier water. The Aqua Pour is bigger and downstairs and the Berkey is upstairs in a room. While the Aqua Pour is very good, the Berkey is higher quality and will be the one that I'll fill my individual glass bottles of water with.

[@sony4900]

Thanx LDS for the information! I saw your reply about a month ago dismissing the Alexapure as a knock off with no improvements. I'm new to the water filtration market, so maybe I'm missing something. The Alexapure purifies to the same 99.9999 percent level, including fluoride and arsenic without the need for extra filters for about $100 less than the Berkey. How is that not an improvement? Just because something is a knockoff (which I admit the Alexapure is) doesn't mean it isn't better. Every car manufactured in the last 100 years is essentially a knock off of the original Ford Model T, but clearly things have improved there. I'm not trying to sound sarcastic; really I just want to know what the best system is for the best price. And ignore jacob jerks.

[@IdahoDualSport]

+heloman 88 I just ordered the Alexapure Pro. After researching water filters it appears to be better than the Burkey. It filters 5000 gallons and like you said... that includes fluoride and arsenic. You can dump rainwater in it and drink it which I like a lot! I haven't to mine yet but I'm curious to hear if you have one and how you like it?

[@sony4900]

+LowlySteward No, I haven't bought one yet. I am waiting until we get settled in another home. Just one less thing to have to worry about moving/damaging. I think I will probably go with the Alexapure though. I'm sure Berkey is great, I just think the Alexapure has copied and improved on it, for a lower price. +LDSPrepper

[@goldo1107]

It doesn't filter bacteria and viruses. You know that rain water has to be either boiled or you have to put a few drops of bleach per gallon to be safe, right? Same with river and lake water. You can get sick and even die depending on your age.

[@72marie]

@@IdahoDualSport It is the same yes you made the smarter purchase.

[@katherineravnik5994]

I just bought a 1.5 gal for me & my daughter. We love it! They usually have sales on Berkey's.

[@drelbez]

Where?

[@brendablack3]

I have been using the Berkey system for years and I love it.

[@CandaceTarbat]

I've been using a Berkey for a year and a half now and I love it. The only issue that I have with it is that the base of the black filter the thread part is made of a type of plastic and is a little fragile. I've had two filters break at the top of the thread.

[@winnonadc2665]

We have had one for years and use all 4 filters. We live it !

[@witengineer6377]

I would love to see what the ppm and ph is before and after the filter.

[@dxgi3737]

If you want a minimum ppm drink distilled water. I called Berkey and asked your ppm question and they said ppm was not a criteria from them since the result is closer to spring water.

[@Diseaseisreversible]

Zero water filter👌

[@moonshotsilver]

@@Diseaseisreversible I have an English Berkfeld gravity feed and the TDS is almost the same with the doultin filters as the tap water. However the Zero water jug takes our tap water from 330 TDS to 0.10 TDS. Very impressed with Zero water. The Berkfeld can go back for a refund. I wonder what the Berky TDS is?

[@Diseaseisreversible]

@@moonshotsilver I heard that the TDS on the Berkey really doesn't matter because they aren't going for taking the solids out they want to make it purified. Yes it takes out a lot of bad things but I've heard that it's supposed to keep all of the good minerals. At least that's what Berkey claims I'm not sure how true it is though. I feel safer drinking zero water because I can actually test it for myself and know that there is minimal stuff in the water I drink. The only thing with zero water is that they are really expensive, and they go bad very fast, especially if you have a water supply that has a high TDS. My filters usually only last about a month in my house. After that the water starts tasting funny, almost sour. The pH goes down and the water becomes acidic due to the buildup of bacteria and molds in the filter. So be careful when using zero water filter you could be doing more harm than good if you don't change them accordingly

[@Diseaseisreversible]

@@moonshotsilver although if you live in a place where they treat the water with chlorine, your filter might last longer because it'll take longer for bacteria to build up. The filters don't last very long for me because I live on a well and our water isn't treated. That might have something to do with the reason my filters go bad so fast

[@LDSPrepper]

they are silver impregnated to stop bacteria growth and are self-sterlizing.

[@janna1878]

We love the Berkey system and have used it for many years. It’s incorrect for you to say that the filters last for 10 years. No! They need to be changed once per year, new filters each year. Call the company and they will tell you this. The only hassle is that priming the white, flouride filters is quite a job. The water is worth it though.

[@oldschoolwaverider]

Taken from the website: The Black Berkey revolutionary filters inside remove up to 99,999% of harmful chemicals and heavy metals from your tap water while leaving undisturbed the essentials minerals your body needs like magnesium, calcium. They will last up to 11 years before replacement filters are recommended. These set of filters are cleanable and they should be cleaned every 12 months (takes 10 minutes) and giving it the ability to take water from almost any source and produce fresh and pure drinking water. Each set of Black Berkey filters will last for up to 23,000 litres which is more than 11 years of pure and clean drinking water! Berkey Filters removes Chlorine, Viruses, Heavy Metals, Harmful pathogenic Bacteria, Cysts, Parasites and hazardous chemical contaminants and impurities while leaving undisturbed the essential minerals your body needs.

[@farnorthweaver7793]

We've had a Royal Berkey for about 5-6 years. We LOVE It!! We use 4 of the black filters and 2 of the fluoride/arsenic removal filters. Can't sing enough praises for the Berkey Water Filtration system!!!

[@LDSPrepper]

Thank you for sharing. We have loved the clean, great tasting Berkey water for years too. FYI, if you have 4 black elements and two F&A elements that means 2 black elements are letting F&A into your drinking water. You might consider getting 2 more F&A elements to keep all the F&A out of your drinking water. If you want to order some elements send me an email to [e-mail] for pricing.

[@charilynn6647]

There is a Doulton filtering system that removed viruses and fluoride. It depends on how you determine what your needs are and the water you're filtering. I know because I've used it for over 15 years.

[@sanskritmantra3652]

good video I have a big berkey problem is I am a long haul truck driver nliterally living in the truck I used the berkey for about a year but the problem is living in the truck the berley black filters are so tall and the constant vibration of the truck caused them to strip the threads on the bottom and broke the nipple so I went to a clearly filtered water pitcher does a much better job than regular filter pitchers and I got a Shaklee pitcher filter so id get bottled water in gallons and pour into the clearly filtered pitcher and then into the Shaklee pitcher it was very good water but I was bothered at how fast eht clearly filtered pitcher filtered the water made me think maybe it did not do as good a job as the berkey.. well berkey does not sell a pitcher so I found propur filter pitcher with their new one piece filter and bingo I found my perfect system for my living conditions.. I can filter swamp water like the berkey in the pitcher but still use bottled water unless im in a motel then just use the tap water in the pitchers.. now I do the propur pitcher first then into the clearly filtered pitcher and last into the Shaklee pitcher the water is amazing but then I have a nikken optimizer they don't sell them anymore but you can find used and new ones on ebay anyway I optimize my water then it goes into a bottle and the water I have is the most amazing water you could find.. but I have my berkey and a new set of black filters incase there is an emergency the berkey is totally awesome just as I said it does not work in my living situation Namaste r

[@shashakeeleh5468]

I got the ProPure also and love it!

[@chooseawaterfilter]

This is a very informative video and even though I sell Multipure filter systems I believe Berkey is a very good system and may be a good choice under certain circumstances. That said, I do have concerns about Berkey filters: 1) as I understand it Berkey has no independent Certification such as NSF or WQA which others have. Without this how do we know Berkey filters do what they say they do? To me it is important to have a non-profit organization like the NSF analyze and certify that a filter is of high quality manufacturing and analysis proves it filters x,y & z etc. contaminants. 2) Do I understand that Berkey does not reduce chloramine?? Chloramine is a major factor in tap water today and a very dangerous (imho) contaminant. I would like to be assured that a filter system I use reduces chloramine! 3) While Berkeys are said to be BPA free there is still plastic used in the filter which may leach other contaminants from the plastic. For this reason I think under most circumstances - especially where you have tap water already filtered by a Municipal water system - a Multipure NSF Certified filter may be better than a Berkey. If you live in an area that doesn't provide filtered tap water then in that case a Berkey may be your best choice. Therefore I am interested in becoming a Berkey distributor. But again for filtered City water I think Multipure is the best choice. Check out why I think so at whatsthebest waterfilter do tc om.

[@rouxchat6033]

I'm saving up for a Berkey. Thanks for reconfirming what I've found elsewhere on the net and from friends who use them. Most impressive that you've tested many other systems. Our city water contains cadmium, among other things. 😨 The city says it is at "acceptable" levels. Really? What a flippen crock! 💩

[@henryvalero9235]

From Lil Giant Thank you so much for mentioning what you did about reverse osmosis and distilled water. Chiropractor just asked me to drink distilled ir reverse osmosis water. Did not feel “good” about what he said. Also: Pointed put that many selling reverse osmosis then say, “added minerals for taste” but included aspartame, which they are not required by law to mention. Two of my sisters were getting “trigger finger” and one sent the water off to be tested. Came back with “aspartame” report. She stopped drinking that brand and her fingers stopped cramping up into the “trigger.” I had been drinking apple juice and started getting same problem with “trigger finger.”Upon examining ingredients I discovered contained aspartame. Had already heard of sister’s discovery. Stopped drinking that brand and do not have problem any longer get. This ingredient should be outlawed-or at least displayed in ingredient list at all times. Did not know about decalcification of body, or change in acid balance. Since having back (spinal) problems after a fall, that would be VERY IMPORTANT. Thank you very much .

[@vikibanaszak4881]

I have a Propure Traveler ceramic water filter. It filters out the flouride and has silver to prevent the growth of bacteria. It also doesn't need to be primed. I love it. It is more than enough for me. It also came with a metal spout and not a plastic one.