Question for those with Berkey Filters

[PineyCruisin]

We have been following Berkey's recommendation of unscrewing and taking out the black filter candles from the housing, putting them in a ziplock bag and securing them every single time we travel in the van, even if going only short distances.

Hubs is extremely paranoid about breaking the plastic threaded stems at the end, especially on bumpier roads but I'm wondering if this is overkill since our Berkey housing is very securely attached to the side wall and counter in our van.  

Was wondering what others are doing with the filters while driving and if anyone has had any problems when leaving their filters in the housing at all times, whether on the road or at camp.

 

[66788]

4 years on my first set of black filters and still going strong.

I just leave them in place with no water in either tank.

 

[bullfrog]

The only thing I notice with mine is sometimes the stainless steel where they mount flexes and the top of the filter ends up against the side. I just flex it back.

 

[desert_sailing]

The only thing I notice with mine is sometimes the stainless steel where they mount flexes and the top of the filter ends up against the side. I just flex it back.

I've got the travel size and was also curious about how folks had issue with damage during travel of the filters.

One thing I'm missing here... i see you say stainless.. and i also assumed it was stainless... but a magnet won't stick to mine..

i have a stainless table and magnets stick to it.

So I'm confused. lower quality??... did they sell me shiny coated plastic?

i ordered the stainless spigot and it drips from the spout..... looks like the interior flow shutoff doesn't quite go far enough and a tiny flow continues.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

One thing I'm missing here... i see you say stainless.. and i also assumed it was stainless... but a magnet won't stick to mine..
i have a stainless table and magnets stick to it.
So I'm confused. lower quality??... did they sell me shiny coated plastic?
 . . .

Some stainless steels are magnetic and some are not.  300 series stainless steels add nickel which makes them non-magnetic.
Your Berkey is probably made of 304 stainless which is a common austenitic stainless steel.

 

[bullfrog]

I haven’t put a magnet to it but it hasn’t rusted in the 2 years we have had it. I also have the same spout and usually only get a single drop after closing the valve. I was hesitant to buy one because of cost and there are videos on how to build your own containers, it ain’t rocket science, but I finally decided to get one when they went on sale and have been satisfied enough I bought a second one for our other base camp so I wouldn’t have to haul it back and forth. The water that comes from it is better tasting than the well water we had in Arkansas that I though would be the best I would ever have.

 

[Rabbit]

For what it's worth, I let my carbon filters dry out thoroughly once. When I reinstalled them I immediately noticed an increased rate of flow-through and grew suspicious. When I did the recommended red-dye test, my filters failed in a major way. The dry-out ruined one of them.

I've read of this happening to people several times over the past few years. Supposedly, this is why the ceramic filters (which I now use) are sometimes recommended for those who travel.

 

[highdesertranger]

I can't leave mine together so when I travel so I take the filters out and put them in a bag like Berkey recommends.

as far as magnets and stainless it depends on the percentage of iron left after the chromium(main alloy) and other elements are added. that is why a magnet sticks to some stainless and not others.

highdesertranger

 

[wayne49]

During movement my 3.25 gal Berkey sits down in a milk crate type box. The box is secured by bungee cords and the Berkey is held in place in the box by packing material (old clothing). The spigot is in a corner, so it is not touching the sides. I use bungee cords across the top to secure the top in place.

When camped, the crate using a board laying on top of the crate, doubles as the platform for the Berkey.

 

[wayne49]

Slow outflow may be remedied by using a scotchbrite pad on the outside surface of the filter.
That is the Berkey recommended method for periodic mantenance of the outside surface of the filter.

The filtered material builds up on the surface depending on how dirty the source is.

I use potable water that has run though dual in line Camco water filters. Slightly paranoid about drinking water.

 

[jacqueg]

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[PineyCruisin]

Well, 66 and Bullfrog convinced us to give it a whirl and leave them in place while driving on good paved roads. 

Reading Rabbit's post reminded me that we will also have to remember to keep an eye on the temperatures the van in the warmer months to avoid drying out the filters. 

Appreciate the feedback all!

 

[LoupGarou]

I was looking into the Berkey, but couldn’t make it work for me as I tend to be constantly on the move. For drinking water, I use a LifeStraw. For cooking, it’s a Dolphin hand pump mounted to a water cooler bottle. Both have served me well on my trips across the USA and down into Mexico.

 

[SLB_SA]

Just because LifeStraw was unknown to me, I googled and found this review of it, which says "That’s pretty good, but on the downside, it won’t remove microscopic minerals, chemicals, or viruses."  Take it (the review) as you like; I had not heard of the "Snarky Nomad."   :huh: