Choosing the Right Berkey

1. HOW IT WORKS

Each Berkey^® system consists of an upper and lower chamber. Water is poured into the top chamber, where gravity pushes it into the filters. The filtered water collects in the lower chamber, where it can be dispensed through a spigot.

2. CHOOSE YOUR SYSTEM

Berkey^® offers six different sized stainless steel systems and one Berkey^® Light system constructed of non-BPA copolyester. When choosing a system, please consider the following: how many people (and pets) will be drinking the water, how much space you have in the kitchen or area where it will be used, and whether the system will be used for sustained or emergency use. Please keep in mind that the larger the system, the less often it will need to be filled.

3. CHOOSE YOUR PRIMARY FILTERS

We carry two types of filters; the Black Berkey^® elements and the white Super Sterasyl ceramic filters. All of the Berkey^® systems come standard with two Black Berkey^® elements or two white Super Sterasyl filters. The Black Berkey^® elements or ceramic filters are placed in the top chamber of the Berkey^® system. If you add additional elements or filters to your system, this will increase the flow rate of the water from the top to the bottom chamber. Please note that the filtration quality of the water does not change by adding additional elements/filters, but it will increase the speed and volume of water that can be filtered. Flow rates are calculated with the upper chamber full to the top. The flow rate decreases as water level declines. As it is impractical to keep the upper chamber completely full at all times, the flow rates are in practice less than the stated optimal rate.

4. CHOOSE YOUR POST FILTERS

If you want to reduce fluoride in your water, you will need to use post filters that work in conjunction with the filters in your system. We have two types, the PF-2™, which are used in conjunction with the Black Berkey^® elements, and the PF-4™ filters that are used in conjunction with our ceramic filters.