# Big Berkey, How Often Do You Change Your Water?



## KindredSpirit (Feb 16, 2006)

I have been using my Big Berkey for a couple of years now, and wondered about this. How many of you change the water in your Berkey daily or every other day? Sometimes we don't drink all the water in there in one day, or two, but I worry that the water will end up with bacteria since it isn't refrigerated and no longer has chlorine (since it was filtered out). How often do you change yours?


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

not sure exactly what you mean by "change the water". In the top or the bottom? 

when the bottom gets somewhat low, i refill the top enough to fill the bottom up again. i never empty the bottom completely.

about once every few months when the filters need to be cleaned, i take the whole thing apart, lightly scrub the filters clean, and wash the stainless steel parts in warm soapy water, let it dry. that's it. i've never seen any slime buildup or anything in the lower part. never had a problem with the taste or anything either.

i'd guess that bacteria would need something to eat, and the filtered water probably doesn't have anything they could survive on. 

--sgl


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## Farmerwilly2 (Oct 14, 2006)

I'm not sure exactly what bacteria would get through your filter and reproduce fast enough to be a problem. Unless your cats have learned to suck water straight from the nozzel I wouldn't sweat it. Even if there was something growing in it I'd look at it more as micro nutrients and pat myself on the back for being so organic.
Then again, I support the 10 second rule for dropped food. If it don't kill me it will only make me stronger.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

I do the same as sgl42. Since I add water daily, it more or less is self rotating. I've read that it is very hard for bacteria to grow in a closed container that is never exposed to sunlight and it must be true because the bottom is always as clean as if I'd just scrubbed it while the top will be downright icky.


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## ldc (Oct 11, 2006)

Wildwood, By an "icky" top, are you referring to all the particulates that hang out up there? Or another kind of ick? Inquiring minds...ldc


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## DenverGirlie (Dec 22, 2005)

Yep, another person that never changes it out, we just drink it and add more to the top every few days.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

ldc said:


> Wildwood, By an "icky" top, are you referring to all the particulates that hang out up there? Or another kind of ick? Inquiring minds...ldc


LOL...particulates. We have mineral laden water and they accumulate between scrubbungs.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

wildwood, sounds like our water. When I clean out the berky the top is downright slimy. The bottom, clean. 
I actually take the water out of the berkey, pour it into one of those big brita things with a spout. By keeping them both full I can almost keep up with the consumption in this house! (I need a bigger berky!)
The water I pour into the other container sits on the counter too, and it never really gets bad or anything. 
Well, I have to admit, with the constant usage it doesn't sit long. I think we average 9-12 gallons running through the berky in a day.


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## KindredSpirit (Feb 16, 2006)

Thanks everyone. I guess I am being overly cautious by scrubbing mine every two or three days!!! Whatever water is in there by the third day, I dump out of the top and bottom and clean the whole thing! I have been doing this several years and am getting kinda sick of the constant cleaning! Now I know I can relax a bit!!


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Yeah. We (errr I) take the filters out and clean them once a month. But we use the water all the time from the bottom, so it doesn't sit stagnant.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

KindredSpirit said:


> Thanks everyone. I guess I am being overly cautious by scrubbing mine every two or three days!!! Whatever water is in there by the third day, I dump out of the top and bottom and clean the whole thing! I have been doing this several years and am getting kinda sick of the constant cleaning! Now I know I can relax a bit!!


I would think the idea of having a filter is it gets the bad stuff out. I don't think you would have to dump out the filtered water.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

mamajohnson said:


> wildwood, sounds like our water. When I clean out the berky the top is downright slimy. The bottom, clean.
> I actually take the water out of the berkey, pour it into one of those big brita things with a spout. By keeping them both full I can almost keep up with the consumption in this house! (I need a bigger berky!)
> The water I pour into the other container sits on the counter too, and it never really gets bad or anything.
> Well, I have to admit, with the constant usage it doesn't sit long. I think we average 9-12 gallons running through the berky in a day.


Yep mine gets that same slime. You gotta love well water. I do something similar to you and keep two gallons of filtered water in jugs as backup for the times I don't remember to fill the Berkey before I go to work. I'm busy and forgetful...a bad combination LOL. 

On days I work from home, I keep it going all day. I try to keep six gallons of water in my kitchen at all times...two in the Berkey, two filtered and in the jugs and two ready to pour in the Berkey. We do a better job of keeping it full when the water is setting there ready to pour in. I can't stand for the electric to go out and leave us without water.


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## VERN in IL (Nov 30, 2008)

One word:

sediments!

I am kinda disappointed with my Berkey! I clean my Berky, and after 5 gallons of filtration it has a coating of find "salt like" particals in the LOWER chamber! (I've ran about a total of 50 gallons thru mine, and this is after a "whole house" sediment filter...)

It's a Beotch to clean out, scrub scrub scrub(thankfully I got the stainless steel model! The plastic model would have looked all scratched up by now!


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## Chuck (Oct 27, 2003)

So those of you who have these things seem pretty happy with them. I'm considering one myself. I've always been fine drinking tap water - all over the world. But these filters seem like a good idea, and seeing it on the counter might remind me to drink more.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i have also been looking at the berky water filter , please tell me i see there is a 2x4 and a 4x4 modle of each size we are a family of 5 we have "city" water for our primary source we kept the well but because we are on city sewer also it is not conneted to indoor faucets , my wife is not thrilled but with the taste of the water she was spoiled by realy good well water her parents house sits a few hundred yards from natural springs shame they just got city water too ,thier town made it very inconvinient and costly to keep thier well so they caved and and had it filled in per dnr specs . thier new water comes complete with sediment bad taste and haze. 

but back to the point family of 5 about 3 quarts a person a day 15 quarts or 3.5 gallons a day is the 2 cartrige modle going to be enough or do i need the 4 i am not thrilled with replacment costs of cartiges times 4 by the way how long do they last for you on average 

thanks


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## House faerie (Apr 29, 2007)

hahaha... We have had ours since 1998... I bought 4 filters and broke 2.. I still have the same two. We wash the filters when the water filteration slows down too much. The filtered water is very good, we used it on city and now on a well... tastes the same. There is some calcium deposits in the water because of where we live but the taste is great.


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## Wildwood (Jul 2, 2007)

Here is a great thread and on the second page of it I posted a link to a thread on another board that is very helpful too.

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=250972&highlight=berkey

Vernon I would check to make sure those filters are tight enough with the rubber washer in place so that all water is going through the filter and not seeping around it. I've never used a filter of any kind that didn't produce a little sediment at first but not after running fifty gallons through.

Pete check out the other current Berkey thread going. We covered the amount of filters needed. I think you'll be fine with two at a time and they should last you for years. My Berkey has more than paid for itself and I'm probably a couple hundred ahead over the Pur filters I would have used since I got my Berkey.

Chuck it's the best prep money I've ever spent and could kick myself for not doing it sooner.


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## sgl42 (Jan 20, 2004)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> ...please tell me i see there is a 2x4 and a 4x4 modle of each size [....]
> 
> but back to the point family of 5 about 3 quarts a person a day 15 quarts or 3.5 gallons a day is the 2 cartrige modle going to be enough or do i need the 4 i am not thrilled with replacment costs of cartiges times 4 by the way how long do they last for you on average


most of the models are the same, in that they have 4 holes in the bottom of the upper chamber. you can fill those holes with 4 filters, or you can put in 2 filters, and put plugs in the other 2 holes. in fact, you can run with a single filter, or 3 filters if you want also.

the largest size (imperial?) has 5 or 6 holes, so it can hold up to that many filters at once.

more filters gives you faster thoughput, that's all.

for sizing, you need to consider the storage capacity of the lower chamber, and how fast the filters work to fill the lower chamber. in part it depends on how you use it. if you get individual glasses of water from the berkey, and aren't disciplined on refilling the top, and are impatient waiting for more water, you'd water a larger reservoir on the bottom and more filters working in parallel. for me, my major draws from the berkey are for making a 2 qt pitcher of apple juice, and i immediately refill the top, and fill up another bottle to put in the fridge so it's cold. 

if in doubt, probably easier to go larger rather than smaller.

re: lifespan

white supersteraysl filters last 10,000-20,000 gallons each. (so a pair would work 20-40,000 total, each doing half the work)

black berkey filters last 3,000 gallons each.

both take out bacteria and cysts. black berkey's take out volatile organic compounds (things like benzene, and a big long list of other industrial nasties, if you have those in your water). 

--sgl


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

Where do you all put your Berkey's? My counters in the kitchen have cabinets above, so I dont think it would fit there. Back porch would probably work for the warm weather, but what about the winter?
Basement?? Then you would have to haul the water upstairs to drink.
Im just wondering what other folks are doing


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

beaglebiz said:


> Where do you all put your Berkey's? My counters in the kitchen have cabinets above, so I dont think it would fit there. Back porch would probably work for the warm weather, but what about the winter?
> Basement?? Then you would have to haul the water upstairs to drink.
> Im just wondering what other folks are doing


i hear you counter space is a premium at our house i was thinking of building up a stand , kind of like the old water coolers where it was a wood stand with a ceramic resovuar with spigget and then the classic glass carboy but with a berky on it , that could just get tucked in the corner of the dining room 


thanks for all the info.


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## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I bought a metal plant stand from Hobby Lobby at 1/2 off, it has a marble top. DH drilled a hole in the top for the water so the Berkey could be centered on the stand. It works great, and I just have it sitting in a corner.











beaglebiz said:


> Where do you all put your Berkey's? My counters in the kitchen have cabinets above, so I dont think it would fit there. Back porch would probably work for the warm weather, but what about the winter?
> Basement?? Then you would have to haul the water upstairs to drink.
> Im just wondering what other folks are doing


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## House faerie (Apr 29, 2007)

CJ said:


> I bought a metal plant stand from Hobby Lobby at 1/2 off, it has a marble top. DH drilled a hole in the top for the water so the Berkey could be centered on the stand. It works great, and I just have it sitting in a corner.


Good idea! I have kids who would dump it over tho... mine has had a spot on my counter for 13 years... it is our main source for drinking.


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