Posted on 01/29/2012 11:06:19 AM PST by passionfruit
You've heard of the Berkey water purifier, right? It is supposed to be the best of the best. And they charge according to that reputation.
For years, that reputation was well deserved. However in 2010, they had a batch of bad filters. The ceramic filter was not properly glued to the plastic base, and this allowed unfiltered water to rush around the filter, rather than through it. They thought they fixed that problem, and released more filters in early to mid 2011, that were also bad. This time, they used an adhesive that sticks to the ceramic element, but doesn't stick to it's plastic base. Sometimes they just fall over while in the Berkey, and sometimes they come apart when being handled, regardless of how gently they are held.
This is two of my filters, that fell off their plastic bases. I had been using these for several months. They had already partially separated from the base, enough to allow dirt sediment to get in to the interior of the filters.
The dirt is visible in this picture. This is the interior of the plastic filter base.
Berkey i sold in the United States by New Millenium Concepts. They recommend that you do a red food color test. You pour water with red food color into the top, and the filter is supposed to remove the food color completely as it filters the water into the lower chamber. I had a total of 10 filters. 2 fell off their plastic bases, and I tested the remaining 8 filters. In this picture,I have the top chamber of the Berkey sitting on an upturned mug in a white bowl. I used the white bowl thinking that the contrast would allow me to see the red food color better if a filter failed. In this picture, you can see red water pouring quickly from a filter that failed.
Actually, all 10 of my filters failed. I am posting this to let other Berkey users know about the defective filters, so that they will know to test and replace defective ones.
We bought this unit because at our place in the Mountains, our water comes from a creek. We thought we were drinking purified water from our Berkey. In fact, we were drinking unfiltered creek water. Berkey isn't doing a recall, or even notifying customers who bought the filters during the periods when they were producing and selling defective filters. They didn't notify us. I read about it on a survival forum, when someone said that they were hearing about a LOT of Berkey filter failures from other Berkey users.
Thanks for your post! This is a survival product, and Berky needs to issue recalls, NOW!
I had previously been extremely disappointed with the extremely cheap spout....POS.
After complaining to Berky and being ignored, I ended up paying for a new one, made a bit better, but still not the quality the consumer would expect from survival equipment.
I would like to see the test results of Berky filtration. They make ultimate claims ie drink from any water source. Bet you we would be disappointed with an actual comparison test.
Maybe it is part of the golbalist plot to infect you with the sterilents & mind control drugs in your water.
It is a survival product, but also an every day product for lots of people. Berkey needs to do a recall, but won’t. Originally, they replaced the filters, but have gotten cheap. They are keeping the defective filters a secret. If your filters have been in use for 6 months, they charge a 25% proration. After a year, 50%.
This is a document that describes how to return defective filters. http://www.berkeywater.com/Element.pdf
If you do a google search on ‘Berkey defect’, you’ll find plenty of discussions by unhappy folks who ponied up hundreds of dollars for their Berkey and filters, and now find out that not only have they been drinking unfiltered water, but they are now expected to pay again for replacements.
We bought the Berkey because the filters are ceramic. When they get clogged, you are supposed to be able to use a green scotch pad on them (gently) and reuse them, for years. So you pay a huge premium for the Berkey, but without having to buy replacement filters all the time, you actually save in the end, right? Wrong. The filters are coming apart when gently handled. They come apart while being put into the stainless steel base, so how can they survive a scrubbing?
Berkey has recently re-designed the filter, but people who have gotten the new ones are still having separation issues. Please do test your filters.
You also might want to get some food grade silicone for your survival supplies, so that if your Berkey filters in storage separate, you can repair them yourself. Right now though, I want Berkey to replace them, free of charge.
They have no business making fantastic claims about how good their purifier is, when they know good and well that they filters are defective!
Sorry to hear about this.
Cheap stuff is never a bargain, esp. when it’s expensive. Suggest you look into the Katadyn line of gravity filters. They utlilize a silver-impregnated ceramic media. With constant use they need replacing every six months. If allowed to dry between use they store indefinitely.
Ping.
Thanks for reporting this (and with good documentation!).
I was always too cheap to buy a Berkey but have a good collection of backpacking-type ceramic filters.
Giardia could be an excellent weight loss strategy.
Prepper’s ping!
I would think a application of food grade silicon sealant wold solve the problem.
Thanks for the heads up.
Ruh roh....I’ll have to check mine with the food coloring test :( I haven’t used it in a while, but I’ve also got spare filters that I’m now wondering about.
Good post
Take a look at the Aqua-Rain as an alternative.
Available here:
http://www.watercheck.biz/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=71&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=79
Good, inexpensive, reverse osmosis filter systems can be purchased on ebay. They’ll all pass the red-dye test and last for years and years.
‘Course you won’t be able to brag about how much you spent.
All you’ll have to talk about is pure water.
Berkys aren’t cheap but they aren’t any more expensive then other good systems. I’m certainly disappointed in their response to this problem but they have decades of success.
Some econo-filter off ebay isn’t something I’ll stake my life on.
Reverse osmosis is great. I’m intrigued by this new technology too. http://www.sawyer.com/SP180.htm
Hmmm, just bought one of these too.
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