The versatile Big Berkey™ system is the ideal system for use at home with small or medium sized families, travel, outdoor activities or during unexpected emergencies, making it the perfect portable gravity water filter system for all needs.

The versatile Big Berkey™ system is the ideal system for use at home with small or medium sized families, travel, outdoor activities or during unexpected emergencies, making it the perfect portable gravity water filter system for all needs.

This powerful Big Berkiey system purifies both treated water and untreated raw water from such sources as remote lakes, streams, stagnant ponds and water supplies in foreign countries, where regulations may be substandard at best. Perfect for everyday use, outdoor activities and a must in hostile environments where electricity, water pressure or treated water may not be available.

The versatile Big Berkey™ system removes viruses, pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites and extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes. It also reduces rust, silt, sediment, foul taste and odours and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury. This system is so powerful it can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other system can duplicate this performance.

Constructed of highly polished 304 stainless steel, the system comes complete with two purification elements and utilises the latest technological advances. This system has a storage capacity of about 8.5 liters and when in use it stands 19.25″ in height with a diameter of 8.5″. The upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for transport and stands only 13″ in height.

Configured with two Black Berkey™ Purification Elements the system will purify up to 13.3 liters per hour*. This system can be expanded to use four purification elements and is capable of purifying up to 26.5 liters per hour*.

*Flow rate calculated with upper chamber full to top. Flow rate decreases as water level declines. Labeling and delivery times may vary to fulfill orders during periods of heavy demand.

Black Berkey™ Purification Elements

The system comes with two of the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements which are more powerful than any other gravity filter element currently available. The micro-pores within the cleanable Black Berkey™ purification elements are so small that pathogenic bacteria are simply not able to pass through them.

Black Berkey™ purification elements are so powerful, they can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other filtration element can duplicate this performance.

The powerful Black Berkey™ purification elements also remove or reduce viruses, pathogenic cysts, parasites, harmful or unwanted chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, VOCs, detergents, organic solvents, cloudiness, trihalomethanes, silt, sediment, heavy metals, foul tastes and odors, yet they leave in the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs and….because Black Berkey™ purification elements fit most gravity flters, existing gravity filtration systems can be upgraded. This vastly improves their ability to remove unwanted contaminate.

No need for expensive disposable filters. Black Berkey™ purification elements are cleanable. When the flow rate decreases simply brush the Black Berkey™ purification elements with a ScotchBrite® pad under running water, re-install and your system is again ready to purify water. Each durable and efficient purification element will last for up to 3,000 gallons (6,000 gallons per set of two – that’s 22,700 litres!) and provide years of efficient water purification.

Because the Black Berkey™ Purification Elements are so powerful they can remove red food colouring from water. This allows you a method to test your system periodically. We recommended that the Red Food Color Test be run after new systems are first assembled. We also recommend that they be tested every 3 to 6 months thereafter, after your system has been in storage or before taking your system on a trip or out of the country, in order to insure your system is functioning properly.

The Black Berkey™ purification element formulation has been tested by State & EPA accredited laboratories to exceed NSF/ANSI Standard 53.

Adding the optional PF-2 Fluoride FIlters

Berkey PF-2 reduction elements are designed to be used exclusively with the Black Berkey filter elements and are especially designed to remove arsenic and fluoride to deliver you with cleaner, safer drinking water. The filters will last for up to 3000 uses, but should be replaced within a year, possibly sooner if they received regular use.

Berkey PF-2™ reduction elements are designed for use in conjunction with Black Berkey™ water purification elements to adsorb the following unwanted elements found in drinking water.

• Fluoride

• Arsenic V and pre-oxidized Arsenic III

• Other residual heavy metal ions

FLUORIDE: Testing for fluoride was based on 20-30 ppm of the ion in the in-fluent aqueous solution at a flow rate of no more than 3 gpm (11 lpm) per cubic foot of media. Results of < 1 ppm of the fluoride ion in the effluent were typical for the media (>95% reduction). Under optimum conditions, effluent concentrations of less than 50 ppb were readily achieved (>99.75% reduction).

ARSENIC: This product uniquely targets the entire family of arsenic oxide anions as well as the arsenic cations.

REPLACEMENT:Under normal conditions it is recommended that each set of two Berkey PF-2™ elements be replaced after 1,000 gallons (3,785 litres). The Royal Berkey™ system is about 3.25 gallons (12.3 litres) therefore the Berkey PF-2™ filters should be replaced after 1,000/3.25 (3,785/12.3) or 307 refills. If the system is refilled about one time per day, the Berkey PF-2™’s should be replaced after 10 months, if the system is refilled about twice per day, the Berkey PF-2™’s should be replaced about every five months). Actual capacity is dependent on the presence of other competing contaminants in the source water. High levels of fluoride, arsenic and heavy metals may reduce the capacity and efficiency of the elements.

NOTES:

1) Do not boil this element.

2) Berkey PF-2™ elements reduce filtration flow rate by 15-20%.

3) The lower reservoir in most gravity purification systems has a two to three gallon capacity and a typical household uses about one refill per day. We recommend that the upper reservoir be filled at night. The water from the upper reservoir should be purified by morning. Households requiring more water can speed up the flow rate by drawing off the purified water into a water pitcher or other container when the water level in the lower reservoir rises above the bottom of the Berkey PF-2™ elements.

4) If residual process dust is still visible after priming, please repeat the priming and installation process as described in the installation instructions. If you need a copy of the Berkey PF-2™ Installation Instructions: Click Here (.pdf file)