Im planning on getting a water filtering unit and really need some help. I was watching them do the Berky on youtube, some comments were i would not use this as it does not filter giardia or cysts. Since I live in a climate that has snow 8 months of the year, I can filter this, and also rain water. I need a good system in order to keep us all safe. what do you all recommend?
I don't know about giardia or cysts as I don't know the exact micron rating of the Berkey Black filters I use. I'd imagine they filter cysts since they can pull food coloring out of water. I also run the fluoride removing post filters in my system and am very pleased with it in general. You can take a look at some other posts here about these filters: Here
The Berkey's are the best. I just caught their sport bottle on sale for 29.00 at a local hardware store.
Just a "self-serving" NOTE, here: In my Alaska Wilderness Building Blog, (http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/blogs/btpost/alaska-wilderness-communications-235/) I have a section on Filtering of Roof Collected Water, to make a Potable Water source.... I describe my system, that has been in place for a coupe of decades, and is used for Roof Collected, and Creek Pumped, source water....
Been using a Big Berkey for months right on the counter in kitchen, I love it... but my filters are white. Our town has crappy water, our house uses water bottles filled with the Berkey.
I love my Berkey Water Filter. You can treat your water with Grapefruit Seed Extract or another water treatment and then run it through the Berkey if you are concerned about everything being killed off/filtered out. I do not know about cysts in water, though. I would go to their website to look it up. It is supposed to filter 99.9% of bacteria.
Berkey is the ONLY water system today that is ALLOWED to be sold as a "Water Purifier" due to it's superior nature. Unlike years ago they now have the newest black filters ( silver imbedded) and NO longer advise to clean them with scotchbrite pads. Today they say you should use something like a potato peeler to "scrape" off the filtered out remnants. The old way was pushing the sediments and such deeper inside the elements. Now the bad part is: getting one delivered. I have a local friend that just paid for one and after they took the money from his account, he ws only then told they are back logged until the middle of spring! Not good... My personal advice: But 2 or 4 of the filtration elements, and use 2 5 gallon (food grade) buckets and build your own system Take one bucket, th lower half of you "system" and place the lid on top ( loosely) then, locate, mark, and drill hioles in the uppe buckets base/bottom so that you ahve either 2 or 4 holes ( depends on per hour flow rate desired), and drill the holes. Set the top bucket over the lower bucket's lid and mark those areas....ONLY cut out the minimum area needed for water to flow from the upper to the lower bucket and leave the lid ( snapped down) in Place. Install the filters in the upper bucket, set it over the lower one and there you have a complete system Add water and stir? Nah, just kidding! But, I'd suggest to get the maximum flow and keep the filters as clean as possible, pre filter your water through say 3-6 coffee filters placed in a deep funnel! Then you save a lot of time and hassles later on! JMHO! YMMV!
I just got my berkey light, and even thought it took a week longer than expected, because of back order, it still got here in two weeks.
Please post to where you are buying the berkley and the sites that took the money and are not shipping until spring. I would like to order one and not wait for it in months but weeks ! thanks
