Elements
General Questions
Add 1/8 teaspoon (10 drops) of artificial red food coloring (we recommend McCormick’s Red food coloring or any artificial food coloring) for every gallon that your Berkey® System can hold into the top chamber. Place a cup under each Black Berkey® Element in the bottom chamber to catch the water. As long as the water in the cups does not have a red or pink hue, the filter elements are working properly.
Ensure that you do not have the Berkey PF-2™ Elements installed in the system when performing this test. This test should be performed upon initial setup and every six months after that.
Black Berkey® Elements
If you are going to be leaving the system unattended for 3-4 days or less, remove the elements from the top chamber and drain out any water within them. Once drained, place them in a sealable bag while the media is still damp and force out any air in the bag. Store the elements in the front of your refrigerator to maintain freshness while not exposing them to the colder temperatures in the back of the fridge. Store the filters this way for no more than two weeks. Re-prime the elements before reinstalling them in your Berkey® System.
If you will be storing your elements for more than 3-4 days, remove the filters and thoroughly dry them. You can do this by either placing them on a windowsill that’s exposed to sunlight for 1-2 days, or by drying them with the Black Berkey Primer™. Once they are bone-dry, store the filters in a sealable bag at room temperature. The elements will have an indefinite shelf-life as long as they are stored this way. Re-prime the elements before reinstalling them in your Berkey® System.
We recommend replacing Black Berkey® Elements every 3,000 gallons (6,000 per set of 2 elements). Elements may require replacement sooner based upon the quality of influent water. You can estimate your usage by calculating how many times you refill your system a week and multiplying that by how many gallons your system holds.
You may be experiencing a stripped wing nut; please contact Customer Service to replace the Black Berkey® Element wing nut within warranty. All replacements are at the discretion of NMCL.
It can be normal for the Black Berkey® Elements to have a fast flow rate. Anything from a trickle to even a steady stream of water is normal.
We recommend replacing Black Berkey® Elements every 3,000 gallons (6,000 per set of 2 elements). Elements may require replacement sooner based upon the quality of influent water. You can estimate your usage by calculating how many times you refill your system a week and multiplying that by how many gallons your system holds.
It’s most likely that the filters need to be cleaned or primed properly. This can be done by scrubbing the elements with a Scotch-Brite pad (or something similar) under running water and then re-priming them.
Berkey® Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements
The Berkey PF-4™ Fluoride and Arsenic Elements should be replaced every 1,000 gallons or at six-month intervals (whichever comes first) under normal conditions. If your water is heavily contaminated with MTBE, fluoride, lead or arsenic, the filters should be replaced in four-month intervals.
Please note that high or low pH impedes the ability of the media to reduce fluoride. For maximum fluoride reduction efficiency, maintain the water being treated between a pH level of 5 and 7.
Under normal conditions, the Berkey PF-2™ Fluoride and Arsenic Elements should be replaced after 1000 gallons of use or after 1 year (whichever comes first).
Please note that high or low pH impedes the ability of the media to remove fluoride. For maximum fluoride reduction efficiency, maintain the water being treated between a pH level of 5 and 7.
Remove the elements from your Berkey® System and drain any water within them. Place the elements in a sealable bag and store them in the front of your refrigerator. Store the elements for no longer than two weeks. Re-prime the elements from both sides before reinstalling them in your Berkey® System.
This is most likely residual media being discharged from your Berkey® Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements. The media within them is inert and non-water soluble, so it is not a health concern. To resolve the issue, we recommend re-priming your elements from both sides for 20-30 seconds (each side). This should dislodge any remaining loose media within the element and leave clear water in your bottom chamber.
You should tighten your elements no more than 8-9 full rotations. This is to protect the screen within the filter that contains the fluoride and arsenic reduction media. If you can tighten the Fluoride and Arsenic Filter all the way up the stem for the Black Berkey® Elements, Super Sterasyl Ceramic Elements, or Berkey Earth® Elements without reaching 8-9 rotations, that is perfectly fine.
The most important thing is that you do not overtighten the elements, which may cause damage to the inner screen of the elements.
Re-prime your Berkey PF-2™ Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements from both sides to force out any clogging within the filters. Prime for no longer than 30 seconds per side.
Super Sterasyl™ Ceramic Filters
No, the Super Sterasyl™ Ceramic Elements are manufacturered by British Berkefeld™. NMCL is the exclusive North American dealer for these elements.
The Super Sterasyl™ Filters are primarily composed of diatomaceous earth compressed into ceramic filter shells that effectively reduce larger common contaminants found in freshwater souces through microfiltration. The ceramic filter also contains granular activated carbon to reduce organic chemicals and improve the color, taste, and odor of drinking water. Super Sterasyl™ Filters last for 535 gallons or six months per filter.
We recommend replacing Black Berkey® Elements every 3,000 gallons (6,000 per set of 2 elements). Black Berkey® Elements may require replacement sooner based upon the quality of influent water. These elements reduce everything the Super Sterasyl™ Ceramic Elements will. In addition, Black Berkey® Elements dramatically reduce trihalomethanes, inorganic minerals, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, VOCs, petroleum products, perfluorinated chemicals, rust, silt, sediment, radiologicals and more.
Black Berkey® Elements are capable of greater contaminant reduction and a longer lifespan than virtually any of the other filter elements on the market.
Accessories
Climate, elevation and other factors can create a tighter fit, preventing air flow between chambers, which slows down or prevents water flow (a natural phenomenon known as vapor lock). To prevent vapor lock, create air flow by placing a vapor lock clip on edge of lower chamber, making sure that the long portion of the airlock clip is hanging inside of the lower chamber.
All systems may not include a vapor lock clip. If you experience vapor lock, please contact our Customer Service department to obtain a clip.
See if the leak is coming from the spout (where water is supposed to come out of), or from where the spigot meets the bottom chamber.
If the leak is coming from the spout, tighten the round pedestal underneath the lever clockwise.
If the leak is at the bottom chamber, ensure that the washers are set up properly. If so, tighten the spigot nut. If none of these solutions work Contact Customer Service to replace the spigot.