The length of storage depends on the treatment of the water. When using the Berkey Biofilm Drops, water can be stored for up to 5 years. It is recommended for long term storage to use 16 drops (1/2 tablespoon) of chlorinated bleach per gallon of water. Both treatments will inhibit bacteria growth. Once you are ready to use the water, purify it by using your Berkey system.
It is okay to use a plastic storage container for short term storage. However, it’s best to use a sterilized glass container. We recommend storing your water in a cool and dry place.
We do recommend replacing your Berkey water after three days. If the water is in a cold environment, the length can be extended to a week. This is a conservative estimate for caution. The reason for this is because when you filter your water, the chemicals that inhibit bacteria growth are removed. In more humid environments, bacteria growth can occur more quickly.
Prior to transporting or moving any Berkey® system, the Black Berkey® Purification Elements must first be removed. Failure to remove the elements from the system can result in broken stems. Place the elements in secure and water-tight packaging. The top and bottom of the stainless steel systems nest within each other for easy transport (remove spigot from lower chamber).
Please note: Failure to remove the elements from the system can result in broken stems. This is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.
The stopper, shell, nut, and washer for our Standard Spigots and Sight Glass Spigots are made of the following materials:
The stopper inside is “FDA grade silicone”
The shell/nut is FDA grade polypropylene.
The washers are FDA grade rubber.
The Sight Glass Spigot tubes are a buffed aluminum gauge shield with a glass insert tube. The small washers in the top and bottom of the tube to the Sight Glass Spigot are FDA grade Rubber.
The Vino Spigot is built a little differently. This means it has different parts.
Washer – EPDM + Black Rubber
Back Nut- High Density Polyethylene
Body – Polypropylene
Spigot – Polypropylene
BERKEY uses only the highest quality, highly polished AISI 304 grade stainless steel, known for its high corrosion and heat-resistant properties, in our Berkey® Water systems. It is equivalent to high quality 18/8 stainless steel cookware.
This is an issue that mostly occurs with hard (heavily mineralized) water. The healthiest water has a higher PH level because it has less acidity. When the PH level of the purified water is raised, the acidity of the water goes down and the water is no longer able to hold as many minerals in solution. When this happens the minerals begin to precipitate out over time and, depending on the mineral composition, they will either sink to the bottom or float to the top. This process is known as flocculation and the precipitated minerals are usually referred to as “white floaters”. The bottom line is that this is nothing to be concerned about. The white floaters are minerals that were already in your water; they are now simply visible whereas they were previously invisible due to their suspension in an ionic form.
The Berkey water purification systems can efficiently purify raw untreated pond, lake and river water. However, always use the cleanest and clearest water possible. As an additional precaution, if using a source of water that you believe might contain extreme viral and bacteriological contamination, it is recommended by the CDC, EPA and other organizations that approximately sixteen drops of plain bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or iodine per gallon be added to treat the source water before purifying. This should kill minute pathogens such as viruses, within 30 minutes. The disinfectant will be removed from the treated water entirely with the Berkey system, including any odor or taste.
Most people use a pitcher to pour water into the upper chamber; however, if you have a spray hose on your sink, using it to refill the system is a very convenient method.
The Black Berkey Primer™ is a hand-powered priming pump that makes it possible to prime Black Berkey® Purification Elements easily offline, without the need for faucets or hose connections. Priming the Black Berkey® Purification Elements saturates the filters with water prior to use, allowing for clean water production anywhere.
The Black Berkey Primer™ also purges (or back-flushes) the Black Berkey® Purification Elements using air instead of water to clean the proprietary pores of the compressed carbon filter wall. Purging the Black Berkey® Purification Elements accomplishes three tasks: (1) it clears the pores of debris that has accumulated with use, (2) reduces the amount of time & effort needed to dry the filters prior to storing them. In addition, those who may be having difficulty priming their elements in a small sink, can use the Black Berkey Primer™ instead.
For a video on how to use the Black Berkey Primer™ is here
The Black Berkey® purification elements are designed to remove heavy metals, but will not remove mineral salts, which are added by a water softener. The salt used to soften water will not be extracted by the Black Berkey® element. You can use one of our purification systems on a regular basis by bypassing your water softener to get your drinking water. Most water softeners have a bypass valve or way to get water before it passes through your softener. Therefore, we highly recommend that you obtain pre-softened water directly from the source rather than run softened water through your Black Berkey® Elements.