Berkey, an Essential Solution
With the various challenges our planet faces day after day, it’s clear that water quality is becoming an increasing concern. Using a water purification system like Berkey is an essential solution to ensure pure and healthy water on a daily basis. Known for their remarkable effectiveness, they offer a solution tailored to the specific needs of each household by eliminating impurities, contaminants, and unwanted tastes.
Choosing the right model is a crucial step that will allow you to get the most out of your Berkey product. This article will guide you through the essential criteria for selecting the Berkey model that will perfectly match your lifestyle, ensuring superior-quality hydration for you and your family.
What size to choose?
When thinking about the best size for your family, remember that Berkey produces exceptional-quality water, but the gravity process takes time. If you run out of water, you will have to wait a while before accessing treated water again.
Therefore, it’s recommended to first buy a system with a capacity that will meet your group’s needs during peak hours. For example, you don’t want to run out of water during mealtimes when larger quantities of water are needed for cooking, or when entertaining friends on a hot summer day. In an office or yoga studio, you don’t want to run out of water during breaks when many people may want to hydrate with Berkey water in a short amount of time.
A few options to consider
Whatever size you choose, know that all Berkey systems produce 99.9% pure, decontaminated water that exceeds the strictest industry standards for filtration and purification. The only difference between models is the system’s capacity in liters.
- The Travel Berkey is ideal for 1 to 2 people who mainly use water for drinking or when kitchen space is very limited. For those who will be cooking with Berkey water, a larger system is recommended.
- The Big Berkey (1-4 people) and the Royal Berkey are our two most popular models, mainly used at home or in small offices.
- The Imperial Berkey and Crown Berkey systems are suitable for large active families, larger offices, cafés and restaurants, yoga and fitness studios, waiting rooms, clinics, and anywhere else where water can be made available. They are a much more eco-friendly and economical alternative to offering bottled water.
- If you plan to use your Berkey somewhere without access to potable water (such as a cottage), it is often practical to have a larger system like the Imperial Berkey or the Crown Berkey to always have access to potable water for drinking, cooking, personal hygiene, and more.
- When traveling abroad, the Go Berkey Kit can easily be packed in a suitcase, ensuring access to pure, decontaminated water anywhere in the world, regardless of the water source. If traveling by car, a Travel Berkey or Big Berkey fits easily in the trunk and can be great options for having a larger volume of quality water wherever you go. Keep the box for easy transport!
- The Sport Berkey water bottle can accompany you at all times during your daily activities, allowing you to produce purified water throughout the day, whether from tap water or during outdoor excursions or travel.
- For sports or outdoor activities, the Berkey Light might be an option to consider, as this model is less expensive than the stainless steel systems and is lightweight and durable.
A small tip: Don’t buy too small!
If you maintain your Berkey regularly, the stainless steel reservoirs of Berkey systems should last a lifetime. So, when choosing your Berkey, think about your future needs, not just your current ones. What will your situation be in 5 or 10 years? Will you have a larger family? Will your Berkey meet your changing needs?
The price difference between a Travel Berkey and a Big Berkey, or between a Big Berkey and a Royal Berkey, is negligible when considering the product’s lifespan. Moreover, the Travel Berkey does not allow for the addition of extra purification elements – you will always be limited to a maximum of two Black Berkey elements, whereas the larger models can accommodate 4, 6, or even 8 elements to increase the system’s production speed.
If you are hesitating between two sizes, choose the model with more capacity to give you more flexibility in the future. This way, you’ll never run out of Berkey water!
How many elements do I need?
All Berkey systems, except for the Go Berkey, come standard with two Black Berkey purification elements. The Big Berkey and larger systems allow you to add 2, 4, or even 6 more filters depending on the model. Adding more filters will increase the production speed of your system. However, this will not affect the quality of the water produced, which remains 99.9% contaminant-free, regardless of the number of Black Berkey elements used.
Start by determining how you will use your Berkey water to decide whether you are a normal or high-volume user:
- Drinking water
- Drinking and cooking water
- Personal hygiene
- Pets
- Plants and sprouting
The number of elements you will need in your Berkey system will depend on your anticipated daily water consumption.
Another factor to consider in your choice: When you have unlimited access to pure, contaminant-free water, you may end up using much more Berkey water than you currently do. This is something most new Berkey users notice. Why not give the best possible water to your family, your plants, and your pets? After all, they are all living beings!
NOTE: Adding Black Berkey elements will also extend the lifespan of your system.
Each Black Berkey element can treat up to 3,000 gallons (11,350 liters) of water, so a system with 2 elements can treat 6,000 gallons (22,700 liters) before needing filter replacement. A system with 4 elements can treat 12,000 gallons (45,400 liters), and so on. Therefore, by choosing more Black Berkey elements when purchasing your system, you will delay the need for filter replacement, saving on filter costs as well as shipping fees.
Berkey Light Plastic or Stainless Steel Berkey?
All Berkey tanks, except for the Berkey Light, are made from AISI 304 stainless steel, the highest-quality food-grade stainless steel recognized for its corrosion resistance and heat resistance.
Advantages of stainless steel over plastic:
- Berkey stainless steel systems are available in various sizes.
- Stainless steel is an extremely durable material, and if the tanks are not accidentally damaged, the system can last a lifetime.
- Stainless steel is easy to maintain.
- Stainless steel blocks light from entering the tanks, preventing the risk of algae growth on the inner walls of the water reservoir.
- Unlike plastic, with a stainless steel system, there is no risk of chemical migration from the container into the water.
- Stainless steel won’t break or crack if accidentally dropped (it may dent, but this usually won’t affect the purification system’s integrity, only its appearance).
- All stainless steel systems are designed so that the upper reservoir nests into the lower reservoir for transport, reducing the system’s height and making it easier to take your Berkey wherever you need good water.
Berkey also offers a version of its system made from BPA-free and BPS-free plastic. The Berkey Light may appeal to some users who like the appearance of a transparent system.
Advantages of plastic over stainless steel:
- Less expensive than stainless steel
- The sleek design of the Berkey Light can fit with most decors.
- Transparent reservoirs allow you to see the water levels in both the upper and lower reservoirs.
- Very lightweight, the Berkey Light can be an interesting option for sports or outdoor activities where a more robust system may be necessary.
- Resistant to breakage and denting
- The stand included with the system raises the base of the Berkey to make it easier to fill a glass or other container.
Note: Unlike the stainless steel models, the two Berkey Light reservoirs do not nest into each other to reduce the system’s volume during transport.
Pay attention to maximum flow rate
Since Berkey water purifiers operate by gravity, the amount of water in the upper reservoir will directly impact the filter flow rate. The larger the column of water in the upper reservoir, the more pressure there will be to push water through the micropores of the Black Berkey elements, and therefore the faster the water will flow. This explains why the Travel Berkey, equipped with two Black Berkey elements, does not flow at the same maximum speed as the Royal Berkey with two elements or the Crown Berkey with two elements.
On the other hand, regardless of the model or number of elements chosen, the filter flow rate will always be faster when the upper reservoir is full than when it’s half or three-quarters empty. The maximum flow rate indicated in the comparison table corresponds to the maximum flow rate when the upper reservoir is kept full, for instance, when you need to maximize the system’s production capacity in an emergency.
Finally, note that adding PF-2 fluoride filters will reduce your system’s flow rate by 15-20% and will also decrease the capacity of the lower reservoir, as each PF-2 filter takes up the space equivalent to about 350 ml of water.
Learn more about your Berkey
In short, choosing the best Berkey water filter suited to your needs is crucial in your commitment to improving your quality of life. With a variety of models designed to meet all requirements, Berkey products make no compromises on water quality.
For more information on the models and products available, we invite you to explore our full selection of Berkey products on our website.
