# I want to cry, our berkey just got broken & dented



## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I was on the phone and took baby in to the other room to be changed. Not watching my 3yo as closely as I could have been (but it's NEVER been an issue before) and she somehow tipped the berkey

(top was full of water so very heavy and bottom was empty. they are NOT tipsey so no idea how she managed that!) It fell to the floor and the plasic parts that hold the filters got all bent and ruined and the TOP part of my Berkey is oval instead of round now.

The lid won't even fit anymore and the top lip is curled in some. It also won't fit the bottom properly. 

I wouldn't be so upset but we are supposed to be using it or buying water due to the flooding on the mosourri and we have no cash right now (big surprise right? :smack ) I always took comfort in having that filter for power outages ect. Now we're back to square one and I can't afford to buy water for all of us all the time especially with our a/c being broke. Everyone has been drinking like horses.

I don't know f it can be bent back at all and us eventually afford new filters and plastic parts or if we can try the bucket thing or what.

My dh is going to be livid when he wakes up to this and I am dreading having to tell him. I'm sorry maybe this shouldn't be in S&EP I didn't know where else to post where someone would understand caring about a water filter.

Thank God it didn't land ON our dd! It's not a flimsy thing and I can't believe it broke. I think it was the weight of the water.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Your husband can try to bend it back into shape. I think it could be rigged up somehow to work.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I feel like I will never have the ability to be prepped. My little turkey died and the rest didn't hatch, my garden failed someone tell me I won't totally fail my kids and that this stuff happens? I've gotten started with making the bracelets so hopefully that will help and we can start saving up for what we need the for berkey if they sell parts seperate...


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Oh no! I'd be upset too, but sure glad your baby didn't get hurt in the deal!

Got any five-gallon buckets? Here's a link on how to build a homemade Berkey filter. Maybe your husband has enough parts to cobble it together quickly enough to do for now. 

http://www.survival-spot.com/survival-blog/homemade-berkey-water-filter/

There are other sites too with directions, if these aren't clear enough. Hope this helps.

P.S. This stuff happens...and you won't fail!  They do sell some parts, but for the container you'll probably just have to buy another Berkey if you don't want to continue using the buckets, sorry.


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## Melissa (Apr 15, 2002)

Turkeys are not easy to raise, chickens are much easier. Gardens take a lot of work and trial and error. You'll get it eventually!


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## jamala (May 4, 2007)

This stuff happens, you are not going to fail so put that out of your mind. Maybe hubby can bend it back so it will work.


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## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

Send a copy of your post to Berkey and see what happens.


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## Pam6 (Apr 9, 2009)

I have had one of those kind of weeks too!!
I lost and could not find my license. I searched for over an hour and I NEEDED it for an auction!
5 minutes after I left without it DH found it!
Then I DROPPED IT IN A PORT-A-POT at the auction!! Yeah! You read that right! (It was funny looking back on it!)
I think I got the MOST expensive bunnies at the auction!
Then my (15 passenger) van BROKE down! The brake pads (??) broke and went through the tire and sheared off the valve stem! (Just before the ONE garage sale I REALLY wanted to go to on Saturday.)
Then my one goat had her first babies 10 days early and they are now bottle babies!
Then while we were working with the goatie babies my new rabbits got out of their cages! When we noticed there was only 2 of the 3 rabbits even there running loose! Sigh.... 
It took us HOURS of searching to find it! Then it took the whole family and a major effort to catch it! 
And that is just SOME of the highlights of what went wrong THIS week! Sigh... 
Yep! It happens to all....or most of us too!
I keep telling myself that when all of this stuff happens it is a trial that I need to get through in order for the blessings to come!


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## Sunbee (Sep 30, 2008)

Stuff happens. It's just a thing--an important thing--but you already noted the most important part of it: your kid wasn't hurt. Three year olds are three year olds and they do stuff. If we have others we're watching, or other things that have to be done, they're going to do stuff they shouldn't do. (If it makes you feel any better, mine broke two second story window screens in the last month--but he didn't fall. It's the age. They haven't got any common sense but they sure have curiosity and they haven't got much fine motor control to go with it.)
You're not going to fail your kids. If things get bad enough that you don't have any water and can't get any you're smart enough to know when to throw in the towel and go somewhere else. And you will.
For now, you have other options. Look up the evaporator set-ups where you can distill water. I don't know how hard they are to build--the pics I've seen look easy--or how much water they can produce, but I bet you can put together a bunch of options that can each provide you with a little and end up with enough.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

These things happen. You will not fail your kids. You are doing an amazing job with very little in the way of financial resources. You should hold your head up high.

I have wanted to plant an orchard ever since we bought our place in 2003. I finally decided that this year I was gonna plant those trees no matter what! Got the trees planted, then guess what....we began experiencing the worst drought in recorded Texas history :hair

You just gotta roll with the punches. 

And remember that adversity breeds creativity and invention


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

The metal should bend back. If you or dh don't know how to peen it or use wood blocks, I'm sure you can get guidance in the shop section. The plastic supports likely can be glued w/ an epoxy. Your kiddie wasn't hurt. Everything else is minor.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

If only the plastic part is bent, clean the surface off really well and use hot melt glue to hold the filters in place until you can replace them. Make sure the water doesn't leak around the bottom of the filters.

(Knocked mine off, my own self, and broke one of the filters right in two.)


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Thank you all!! and Pam (((HUGS))) I do have to admit I giggled about the porta potty. ewwww lol! THAT is exactly the way this week has been so far! 

Thanks for your kind words and helping me to stay positive here  Dh did get the metal bent back I think it's going to be usable, now we just need to fix up the black screw parts. Can you drink after something has been epoxied? we do have epoxy! i don't care about the looks just function 

fg i'm sorry about the drought and your trees. i wish i could send you some water we're flooding a ways from here!

Cyn thank you so much for telling me that. I'm glad to know we aren't the only ones. I am ALWAYS doing stuff like that. It helped me not to be upset with her at all because I know she didn't mean to and anyway she's way more important than a filter


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

I wouldn't be concerned. The temp of the water is low, it doesn't contain solvents, and epoxy coating are regularly used in food safe containers (think cans). I WOULD let it set for 24 hours first.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

backwoods home had this in an article: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP352-1.html

It looks good to me. The price is good. I compared it with the berkly specs and it does just as good a job filtering. Just use food grad buckets.


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## FourDeuce (Jun 27, 2002)

If it's just the outside part that's bent, you might be able to fix it by putting it on the floor and carefully pushing on the side that's bent. Rolling it a little at the same time will help you figure out when it's back in the right round shape.


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## ghmerrill (Feb 22, 2011)

Ne prairie, do you guys have chickens? Turkeys are harder to raise, as you have heard, and chickens are great about scratching out a living, and returning HOME.... Turkeys, not so much...


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

City Bound said:


> backwoods home had this in an article: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP352-1.html
> 
> It looks good to me. The price is good. I compared it with the berkly specs and it does just as good a job filtering. Just use food grad buckets.


Do you remember which issue (or at least which year)?? I'd love to read that article (and I'm too lazy to flip through the last 4 yrs worth we have "stockpiled" around the house, lol) I can swing the cost of those parts and food grade buckets...and as much as I'd love a berkey...I just can't get around the cost.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

I've never had a problem with failure... I do have a problem with repeated failures. I see failures as learning experiences... sometimes the cost of a 'lesson' is small, sometimes large. The larger the lesson, the more I learn, and remember.

As far as the Berkey... zero experience here... however, my bush engineering side says anything that'll bend without breaking, will probably bend back. If it's a boat anchor now, can't hurt trying to fix it.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

WE do have chickens and they have been easy as long as we keep the predators from them  

texican, you are right and thats what dh said too and he got it bent back and the black thingees tightened and repaired and now IT WORKS!!! I think we are ok again! We need to test it to be sure but it seems to be allright now  It's a tad dinged up but hey it IS a lesson learned and no one got hurt. 

Thanks guys! (gals too lol!) I just don't know too many people that would have taken my "loss" seriously you know? Since "you can just buy water anytime".


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## Trisha in WA (Sep 28, 2005)

now it has character! I'm really glad your hubby was able to fix it. I would have been really upset if I were you too!


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Ohio dreamer said:


> Do you remember which issue (or at least which year)?? I'd love to read that article (and I'm too lazy to flip through the last 4 yrs worth we have "stockpiled" around the house, lol) I can swing the cost of those parts and food grade buckets...and as much as I'd love a berkey...I just can't get around the cost.


It was in the latest issue, in an article about stocking up for survival.

I would like a berkley also but that price is insane. I have heard mixed oppinions about this dirtcheap filter, most of the people love it, a few don't. One person suggested buying two dirt cheap filters for one bucket to increase flow, and some people suggested adding an air vent to intice the flow. The main complaint was the length of time it took to filter, but they never gave the time it took, so I don't know if it was truely a long time or if these people were just in a rush. Some people buy berkley replacement filters and use them the same way in five gallon buckets. It seems like a good idea.

Here is a link to a berkley-type relacement filter for less money then a berkley relacement filter. You can use one or two fe these to five gallon buckets and have a filter for under $100
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP354-1.html


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Woo hoo! Glad hubby was able to rescue it! My Berkey is my #1 prep item, I completely understand being upset about it, lol.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks for understanding and all the info shared!Character is good  Now when she's grown I can show her and say see what happened when you were three and tried to fill the ice tray (found out that was what she was trying to do since daddy wanted them filled and had said so but he MEANT the big boys to do it  ) lol.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

They are slow period that water dripping thru micron holes.

Glad you fixed it,around this house I go thru so much epoxy you wouldnt believe it.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

ne prairiemama said:


> Thanks for understanding and all the info shared!Character is good  Now when she's grown I can show her and say see what happened when you were three and tried to fill the ice tray (found out that was what she was trying to do since daddy wanted them filled and had said so but he MEANT the big boys to do it  ) lol.


Aww, that's sweet that she was trying to help with the chores at her age! What a good girl!


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## davidj (Nov 2, 2005)

City Bound said:


> Here is a link to a berkley-type relacement filter for less money then a berkley relacement filter. You can use one or two fe these to five gallon buckets and have a filter for under $100
> http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/CAMP354-1.html


Thanks! I love my Berkey. We've been using it for 3 years now to provide for our family 7. I've had to clean the filters a few times, but they're still working great. I wasn't looking forward to buying new ones someday, so I appreciate the link. I'd recommend that if anyone puts together a homemade version, you use stainless steel instead of plastic containers.


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