Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter with 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements

I live in London (where water is said to have passed through many people before it got to you) in a Victorian terrace house that is divided into flats. I can't replace the lead water supply pipe from the street as the owner of the flat above me lives abroad and can't be bothered with the expense of replacing the pipe. The water from my kitchen tap has always tasted unpleasant and, with the added lead issue, it ended with my dental hygienist telling me I was far too dehydrated. She told me to get a water filter and so I went with a Berkey, as I wanted something that stands alone and doesn't involve complicated machinery under the sink. Also, I liked the idea that it was gravity-fed and didn't require electricity to work, unlike water distilling machines.I have to say that I am incredibly impressed with the result. They are finding plastic particles in mountain streams in Scotland and the Lake District, so no water in the UK can be considered "100% pure" but with my Berkey the filtered water has no taste of chlorine and no "mankiness" in general. The other day, I drank a glass of water from the kitchen tap without thinking and the horrible taste of it was a shock. I used to have to drink tea and coffee to mask the taste but now I have at least one glass of filtered water for every tea or coffee that I drink and I'm feeling and looking better for it. I still use the kitchen tap for the washing up and cleaning but for everything else, drinking and cooking, I use water from my Berkey.Lead pipes... copper pipes... plastic pipes... they will all have issues and the information that comes with the filter tells us that the Berkey can filter approximately 99% of pollutants (please check the info for the actual details), so I will be having a Berkey in my kitchen at any future property that I move to, even if I'm living in a less-polluted part of the country like Dartmoor.I have a couple of caveats. I have only had my Berkey for a couple of months, so I don't know how easy it is to clean the ceramic filters and I don't know how often they need to be replaced. As we saw with the Volkswagen "Diesel-gate" scandal, it is common practice for companies to be "economical with the actualité" and the filters may have to be replaced earlier than the company says. I won't know for a year or two or three. However, for clean, potable, odour-free water...? In my experience, the Berkey has genuinely been worth the initial expense (it has been cheaper than paying a builder to dig up my front yard and replace the feeder pipe) and I won't balk at the expense of getting new filters when the time comes. Other people who have purchased it complain that not all the water drains from the tanks due to how the ceramic filters and the spigot are placed but I have no issue with this. The small amount of unfiltered water that can't drain out of the top tank is poured into the sink and the small amount of filtered water in the bottom tank gets poured into a jug I keep in the fridge. It's very easy to manage.I just need to add that the advice on assembling the Berkey isn't very clear, especially the part about how you "prime" the ceramic filters. So I recommend that you look at videos on YouTube where people show you how to do it. Once the details are clear, it takes just a few minutes.BTW, after having my Berkey for 3 months, my dental hygienist is really impressed with the results. I am now properly hydrated and the water I drink has less calcium in it thanks to the Berkey, so I have much less tartar on my teeth than I used to.

We have had the Berkey for long enough to write an initial review, I will update it after a couple of months. The reason I wanted to get this review out quickly was in response to some negative points in another review which almost stopped us choosing the Berkey.I found the Berkey easy to set up and the filters easy to prime.Just follow the instructions and be patient, it does take a bit of time to get the filters ready but they are worth this effort. The spigot does require a bit of adjustment, the instructions call for you to hand tighten, then to hold the attachment nut while turning the spigot a quarter turn, it’s all in the interpretation, for me I clearly did not tighten enough initially, but this only required one adjustment to get water tight.The filters and the spigot placement do allow some still water to sit and the bottom of both tanks. This is not a problem as every time you fill the top tank the water mixes, further with two people using the Berkey daily you will need to top the tank up daily so the water never has a chance to become ‘stale’. Remember the filters remove almost all the things that would hasten the water deteriorating. Further, the market the Berkey was designed to service includes areas where there is a high probability of solid material being in the water, the Berkey is designed to allow this material to settle onto the bottom of the top tank without getting to the filters giving them a much longer life. This is not something we experience in the UK, it is something you would experience in rural areas of the States and Central America.The solid stainless steel tank and lid keep sunlight from affecting the water quality.The fitting of the spigot is just good practice, can’t really give a specific reasion, but again each time you fill the Berkey water mixes as it falls into the holding tank.I would recommend you consider the optional site glass spigot to avoid overfilling and highly recommend the optional stand as it does make using the Berkey more convenient. I support Berkey not including either as it would move the price upwards and thus make it harder for some families to purchase one.Overall I really appreciate the design and quality of the material used to make a very high quality water system. The processed weather is very good and the cost reasonable when you consider how much it costs to run some other jug filters.This is a high quality item and in my view worth the price, I highly recommend the Berkey to you.

This water filter has made a huge impact on the quality of our drinking water. Its easy to assemble and use. But the huge improvement over tap water is astonishing. Plain water from it is now tasteless, and when compared to a glass of tap water its really noticeable how much the tap water has a tang to it. Tea and coffee is on the next level, much more flavoursome, smooth and almost velvety..... and there's no scum left in the tea cup..... amazing bit of kit. Goodness only knows whats in our mains water but this filter seems to really work.... so much better than the classic carbon filer jug types.

Hi.It was well worth the money and tye water taste was completely different and had a good feel of a different taste.But the problem that I have now is,after priming the water isn't draining well down the filter and the flouride filter.If someone can help me fix it please,would be a great help.

Really happy with my Big Berkey. I had a conventional distiller in the past so I was really surprised at how quickly the water filtered through. It tastes so clean and crisp! We are used to drinking slimey, hard water here in Cambridgeshire which usually makes me feel sick after drinking. Now I can guzzle down as much as my body needs without the harmful chemicals and bacteria!I did not use the plastic spigot it came with as reviews said it was a bit flimsy so I brought a stainless steel one which works great.Priming was pretty easy I would advise to watch all the videos before assembling as it can get messy with water everywhere. The instruction manual was quite hard to follow so I watched the videos.Anyone considering this water filter should definetly buy! Worth every penny! I also attached two Fluoride filters which were easy to attach.