# Warning about Big Berkey black water filters.



## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I know lots of the members here have Berkey water filters but not everybody visits the Survival & Emergency Preparedness forum. There is a thread there about faulty Berkey filters. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=421678

This thread was the first I had heard about faulty black filters. Earlier this year, Hubby and I sprung a great deal of hard earned money for a Royal Berkey and a bunch of replacement filters. It arrived, in it's shiny stainless steel glory and was immediately assembled and given a place of honor in the kitchen. We've been using it ever since.

Then I read the thread. I finally got some red food dye and mixed it with water and poured it into the top chamber. Lifted it up, and saw no water at all coming from two of the filters, and pink water running quickly from the third! We have been drinking unfiltered creek water at the ranch for months because we believed Berkey's hype!

I would like to urge everyone who has a Berkey to do the red food color test!


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I want to mention, this was originally reported as a 'bad batch'. However, yesterday, when I spoke with the young woman from Berkey, she said that "fewer than 5% of the filters are defective'. This means that it is an ongoing problem, not just a bad batch. I think that the problem is MUCH bigger. I have been searching this online, and there are people who do the red dye test, and find their filters are defective, as are their replacement filters. 

I think if everybody tests their filters, they will find quite a few that are effective.


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## gardenmom (Dec 31, 2004)

Has there been a problem with the white filters? My son and his wife bought a Berkey this year with the black filters and have had to contact the company twice for replacements for defective filters. Theirs just fell apart. The company replaced them with no problem, but I expected better.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I use the white doulton (different manufacturer) filters. Seriously, read the thread over in survival. There is too much to try to re-explain it here. I'm not sure, at this time, that the red dye test means anything more than red dye gets through. I TOTALLY understand Common Tator's concern and frustration, but my guess is that red dye will go through the doulton filter when they are working perfectly. If you SEE a crack or feel something not right, yeah, is a big problem.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

I believe that the defect in the black filters is from sloppy gluing. They use a silicone glue to hold the black filter to the plastic base, where the water flows out. What has been described by people who have had their black filters come apart, is that the glue needed to run all around the inner surface where it touches the plastic. Due to sloppy gluing, the silicone only goes part of the way around. The unglued portion creates a void which allows unfiltered water to rush past the filter, and directly into the lower chamber.

I have only heard about this happening with the black filters. Unfortunately, we are only hearing from other consumers. Berkey isn't making notification to their customers.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

Harry Chickpea said:


> I use the white doulton (different manufacturer) filters. Seriously, read the thread over in survival. There is too much to try to re-explain it here. I'm not sure, at this time, that the red dye test means anything more than red dye gets through. I TOTALLY understand Common Tator's concern and frustration, but my guess is that red dye will go through the doulton filter when they are working perfectly. If you SEE a crack or feel something not right, yeah, is a big problem.


Harry, do you have a link to the Doulton filters? Yesterday I searched and found some that LOOK like they would fit in the Berkey, but they are from a supplier in Asia. http://www.mywaterpurifier.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=118

I have no idea if they would actually fit though, and no idea of what the price is.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

These are Doulton filters. They have an available post filter, but as per my posts in the other thread, meh, don't need them.

http://www.jamesfilter.com/9ceramicfilter.aspx

FWIW, I think that brown base shown in the pic is way outdated. Mine have the black plastic like those you found from Malaysia. I do note that the surface of ours can get a few spots of black now, which I suspect to be some type of local mold. I'm not terribly concerned that it is anything but cosmetic.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

Harry Chickpea said:


> These are Doulton filters. They have an available post filter, but as per my posts in the other thread, meh, don't need them.
> 
> http://www.jamesfilter.com/9ceramicfilter.aspx
> 
> FWIW, I think that brown base shown in the pic is way outdated. Mine have the black plastic like those you found from Malaysia. I do note that the surface of ours can get a few spots of black now, which I suspect to be some type of local mold. I'm not terribly concerned that it is anything but cosmetic.


Your link says they are made by British Berkfield. At least we know they will fit in the berkey! I haven't heard of problems with the white Berkey filters.


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Pretty sure the instructions inside gave the mfg. as Doulton, but it has been a couple of years, so I might be misremembering. Kinda like the funky box. Very Brit. in styling.


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