Berkey Light Water Filter Questions

Question 1

I’m thinking about buying a Berkey Light Water Filter since I have very hard water where I live. Will this filter help remove the minerals and soften the water?

Accepted Answer

No, the Black Berkey Filters will not remove the minerals from your water. This is actually beneficial as it is not a good idea to drink de-mineralised water over the long term, reverse osmosis will remove the minerals but the water is then de-mineralised. For a detailed comparison of Berkey purification and reverse osmosis please see: Reverse Osmosis/Distillation.

Question 2

Thank you for the Berkey water filter. I just wanted to ask about the filters. There is a small chip on the corner of one of them. Will this affect the function?

Accepted Answer

No, this won't effect the functioning or the lifespan of the filter, it's quite common and happens during the production process. The Black Berkey filters are about twice as thick as standard gravity filter elements and have a built in redundancy. If the filters have passed the red food color test then you can be assured that they're working properly.

Question 3

I have a Berkey Light and wish to use it to filter water from a stream. I would like to pre-filter the water to get out any larger particles, little animals etc. if there are any, just to keep the Berkey filters as clean as possible. Do you have any equipment for this or advice on what I should use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, that's a very good idea to pre-filter larger particles etc. I would suggest setting up 2 pails one above the other, drilling small holes in the top one and then partly filling it with clean sand. To prevent sand leaking through the holes you may need to put in a fine wire mesh on the bottom as well. Then fill it with the stream water and then put the sand filtered water through the Berkey. If a bit of sand were to get into the upper chamber of the Berkey that's not a problem as it will sink to the bottom anyways. Alternatively you could also pre-filter with a piece of cheesecloth, although I would recommend the sand method.

Question 4

I plan to leave for a few days, what do I do with the water in my Light Berkey Water Filter?

Accepted Answer

If you leave the Berkey Light Water Filter System unused for 3 - 4 days, it is recommended that any water left in the lower chamber be discarded as well as the new water that is purified in the first minute of re-use. If you plan to leave the system unused for a period longer than 3 - 4 days such as a trip or vacation, it's best to empty both reservoirs and leave them upside-down in the dish rack to dry. Upon your return you will need tore-prime the Berkey Water Filter elements.

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