I purchased my Berkey from "Home Depot" knowing that returning it if need be would not be a problem. It's been about 4 years now and I love it. Drink more water now because it taste so good.
From Lil Giant Yes. How did the Burkey online third party price compare with Home Depot. ALSO: More important: What happens if you have something break? I have heard the wing nuts, washers, etc. should be replaced every year to keep it from leaking and ruining your filtered water. Where are you if you break your filters or they do not work? This video host recommends orders from the Amazon link for the black and also the special chlorine/arsenic filter. Also if you have problems with the filters, ordering filters through Amazon will allow you to get some satisfaction. Not sure where you could get the wing nuts or the water level tube if you order from a third party. I think I would try to order first from Burkey Ltd. so would not have this problem. Unless Home Depot is more supportive. Or maybe some combination of the two and the nice guy at the third party if that does not work.
Very sorry to hear about all the hassle you had to go through. You went through a lot of frustration, but thank you for posting such an informative video for us all!
I have used the Berkey filter for 5 years. Upgraded to a bigger one at one point. Have given them to my kids for Christmas gifts. We are all on municipal water in different states. I can’t get close enough to a glass of water to drink it where I live because the chlorine is incredibly strong. That only means that’s what is required to kill what is in our water naturally. I cannot recommend the Berkey highly enough. Water tastes great!
You did an excellent presentation on the Berkey. I certainly understand your frustrations. I have the Royal Berkey, and the water tastes great. I perform a monthly cleaning to keep it maintained with a new scotch brite sponge and Dawn disinfectant dish soap. I have had a couple of issues along the way with spigot leaking, but always managed to get it up and running. It can be temperamental if not tightened just so, so I tend to baby the unit. Just hang in there with it, keep your unit clean, filters primed, and do a red dye test occasionally. Thank you for such an honest review ..
My neighbor got a Berkey, told me how great it was, I was very skeptical, I had Arrowhead delivery and was satisfied. Many years ago I lost my sense of taste and smell due to a health issue so I wasn't expecting anything when she gave me a glass to taste, but when I did I couldn't believe how good it was. I drank 2 full glasses immediately and savored every sip. The last time I tasted water that pure was 25 years ago from fresh, pristine spring water in Alaska
I'm so sorry about your experience. I can certainly understand your frustration & disappointment. I recently purchased a Royal Berkey from Amazon. I did spend the extra money, because I find that I can easily return items on Amazon quite easily with no problems. I put mine together just yesterday. I found all the parts in excellent condition. Our didn't come with the blue adaptor for priming the filter. I'll certainly have to purchase one of those! I also spent another $30 or so for the stand, which makes it so easy to get water from the chamber. The stand does add about another 8 inches to the height of the unit. But we do have the space for this setup. We have a Kangen machine as well. However, I wanted to have the Berkey too, partly because it doesn't requite electricity. This are uncertain times if you know what I mean. Thank you for this video!!!!!!!! I just subscribed to your channel.
I ordered it from the website that you had issues with, and then five minutes later I saw your video. Cancelled immediately! I was confused with all the different Berkey websites as well. Thanks for clearing that up!
Berkey certifies sellers and have them registered and can provide info on how to contact based on your location. The sellers website should have the authentic Berkey emblem posted. I believe this company you purchased from is certified, Mr. Fixer. You can always call Berkey themselves to inform of concerns and they will investigate. If the company has provided a discount for damage make sure it is not classified as scratch and dent buy. Call Berkey to inform of the issue and for further guidance. I have a Berkey and they come packaged securely. There should be no dent through shipping unless the box was wrestled with or item was already with issue. Be blessed!
I called Berkey and they were entirely unhelpful. They basically said they can’t die anything and I needed to call the person I ordered from. As I mentioned before, it’s a big tin can. Warranty doesn’t mean much to me. I’d rather have the assurance I get when I order from Amazon.
To prime: buy a condiment squeeze bottle at the dollar store. I got 2 for $1.00. Fill it with water, squeeze into the Berkey filter until you see water coming through the sides up down and around the filter. Takes less than 5 minutes to prime both filters. Do not spend money on the blue adapter, which does not work with most modern faucets. Also, do not buy the hand pump that falls apart or will not reinflate and costs around $28 for poorly engineered parts that do not work well at all. Good luck!!
For first time use, always dump the first four gallons. Far too many folks forget to prime the filter if you are not refilling the upper basin often, letting it stay dry, causes air bubbles in the filter, it cause the flow to decrease!
too much trouble and expense try a wallmart stainless steel tea kettle 23$ bring tap cold side to a boil cool run thru a 5$ brita and funnel into glass bottles wow so easy clean and inexpensive
The ilters arent going to dry out in 1 or 2 days if you dont refill it cobstantly. Depends what size people have, but Yeah i can see if you dont use your berkey for weeks but if you dont refill the basin for 2 days its not going to dry out on you like thst
Mine came dented, I contacted them via the website, and they replaced it. I experienced the issues with the plastic nuts and leaky spigot which I figured out later. I appreciate that they filter well and reduce the cost of filtering - wish they took design seriously (not plastic parts) and distributed themselves. I purchased directly from their website.
I had a similar issue. I received my Big Berkey yesterday. I did not order from Amazon due to the more expensive price. Along with my Big Berkey I ordered the stainless steel spigot, but did not receive it. I emailed them soon after discovery. Upon opening, which I did not video but took photos of the damaged shipping box and chipped particles with carbon filters within the bubble wrap that I discovered. It took them 24 hours to respond, reminding me to check all packaging. I wasn’t even aware of the difference in company/product websites until I watched your video. It seems I have ordered from the same company. Now I am worried about warranty fulfillment. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have had a Royal Berkey since around 2007. I just bought a Berkey Light and a Big Berkey to have for emergencies. I know I can trade it or even trade fresh water if needed. I've been very pleased with my setup and all of the parts I just got look fine, though not tested yet.
I was just about to buy a Berkey. Seeing all of the issues right from the box (broken parts, dented) and seeing the comments below, I have to really rethink the purchase. Berkey should rethink their partnering. I might just order some lifestraws and glass gallon jars and filter water that way. I am on a well.
I did t say I wasn’t happy. I love the product, just don’t like the sales process. Very confusing and has allowed independent sellers to tarnish their name. I don’t know why Berkeley would every allow their resellers to use their name in their own name or web url. Very poor affiliate agreement.
I didn't wanna order through Amazon but they were sold out everywhere else. Everything came fine except my primer was a rubber ring (instead of that balloon looking attachment) that I hold up to the faucet which was kinda crappy considering the entire setup was around $550 CA. It also came with a primer bottle that I didn't use but it probably would've worked better. No dents, everything looks good. Also the extra filter holes came with corks instead of gasket bolts.
Thank you for your video. I was opening my new Berkey while watching your video because I didn’t want to make mistake putting it together and I noticed that my Berkey came dented as well. I’ll contact them tomorrow, hopefully I can get a hold of them. Thank you for helping me putting it together and for sharing your experience.
Excellent review & helpful assembly demo! Thank you so very much. I'm still on the fence as to whether to purchase one, but you've given me a nudge in the direction of yes.
@13:00 - yes I noticed that as well when I was doing the research and after a bit I narrowed down the primary distro in Canada (LTD) and incidentally they were the only ones to have any stock after months of them being out of all products.
I bought a Big Berkey in 2011, the 'British Berkefeld SS' UK model, because my local tapwater at that time contained so much chlorine it smelled like a swimming pool when I ran the tap. It worked really well, though I managed to break a black filter disassembling the unit - and they're not cheap to replace. Nearly 10 years later I have just pulled it out of storage and plan on using it again, it'll encourage me to drink more water as it tastes better through a Berkey. I just bought myself the stainless steel spigot upgrade for a Christmas present. Thanks for the video, I'm having to learn all the assembly basics again after all this time. PS mine had a dent too, in the lid, but time is a great healer :)
You're welcome. I will say that we have been happy with the product, and love the taste of the water. We just would have ordered from Amazon so we could do a return with less hassle and issues. The reality is the warranty is kinda of irrelevant. It's a metal container. It either works or it doesn't. Just easier to do returns through Amazon in my opinion. Good luck, and thanks for watching!
@@IAmAFixer You know, I was just thinking about this last night. It's not like it has a motor or anything. It's a big tin can (so to speak). So, why the warranty? Amazon it is! If it arrives dented, I will return it and order another. Thanks! I was just about to order from Berkey's website.
I appreciate your video and the heads up. I'm scheduled to receive my Royal Berkey tomorrow. We'll see if how it goes. I ordered it through Berkey Water Filters site. I was contemplating ordering it through Amazon and the reviews were not good. Complaints were coming in that filters were damaged and or were knockoffs...but who knows. Thanks again.
We bought ours on Amazon and ours came dented. Both canasters were dented. We returned it as damaged for another of the same. We should have watched some TH-cam videos before we completed our order because, after we got our replacement, we realized that our spray head faucet wouldn't work with their system to prime the filters, so I had to take the 2 black and 2 white filters out ťo the spicket and prime them outside. We could've purchased the pump divice.
I looked around for better and equivalent but cheaper alternatives and bought a British Berkefeld 6 litre with two filters and a metal spigot for £130 and it works awesome.
Mine came with a small dent. I never reported it. But I’m jealous of that blue primer helper! I never got one of those. They might be a new design. I hope I get one of those with my next filter purchase.
Oh snap! Wish I watched this first, I had no idea. I ordered from same website you did. However, my order was perfectly fine. I did have an issue with screwing on the wing nut on the filter but thought it was just me. I got the Royal, so it’s a bit bigger for me to handle. I am literally just running my first water through.
🤷♂️I just sharing my experience. I’m not too concerned about the long term warranty. They’re basically just a piece of metal. They are either broken or not. I would have rather been able to send it right back to Amazon than have to go through what I dealt with.
@@IAmAFixer - Exactly. Got mine through Amazon today but it was very painful bringing myself to doing bc they’re supporting the big tech censorship and monopoly against only some citizens. Last time I’ll order from them. None of the Berkey distributors will ship to CA because of some bizarre water regulation hitch. Amazon said they are only ones who don’t have to follow those rules.
Hey man, solid review! Working somewhere where we sell to retailers, that type of customer service workflow is pretty normal when you buy from a retailer vs the brand. Im always going direct when I make large purchases
I bought straight from berkey a year ago. I still don't have the knob to my lid. They sent me a screw that doesn't fit. I emailed and called and nothing.
Sorry you had such a problem. I'm looking to get a Big or a Royal after loving my Travel for a couple of years. Thanks for the info. I'll spend the extra money and order directly from the company or from Amazon.
The problem isn’t with Berkey it’s with these lazy delivery people. I see it every day. Actually had a delivery guy drop a pallet from a lift gate that ended on its side. He left without saying a word. I ship every day and the amount of damage would make you sick.
I’m a former postal worker and I can attest to the fact that things aren’t always handled gently, but packages marked fragile are more often than not treated as fragile. (There’s always a few bad apple anywhere.) The post office and the shippers share responsibility. Shippers must properly package and more importantly mark fragile on packages with fragile contents. I just received my Royal Berkey in the mail and is not stamped Fragile on the packaging. I will send them a quick email and let them know they should begin marking their shipments fragile.
These are really hard to buy at the moment; seems like a major shortage and big demand. In the UK I have bought several Berkeys as presents and also a few Doulton Berkeys (The original UK company that invented it all)... they are about a third of the price of the USA ones. Best if you can buy with a metal tap and the water level spigot... these can be bought later and added as a retrofit, as can the additional filters if you need them.
Be aware that if you buy on Amazon, many manufacturers will not honor their own warranty, because you did not buy from the manufacturer's website. Ninja appliances is like that. I learned this from reading the Amazon reviews.
Order one thru ebay. If there's any problems, ebay will override the transaction and refund you. Plus, apparently all these different companies are selling on ebay too, so their different prices are side by side. And there ARE big swings in the price, for identical models. Right now, the "Big" size, is the biggest one that is not out of stock! That's the 3rd biggest, right above the "travel" size, and below the "Royal". 🤯
Now I’m worried. No dents, but . . . We got ours over the weekend and there is no paperwork with it. I don’t know who to call and can’t register for a warranty. I’ll have to start working on this today.
I have my Big Berkey for 15 months and my filters stopped working properly. I need to purge and re-prime them WEEKLY, otherwise half of my top tank water just stay there:(( I contacted the main office, and they have a very strange "2-year warranty" that you need to purchase new filters for half price and also pay for the shipping (I'm in Canada). But before they even starting a warranty claim... you need to destroy the original filters and send the image to their email. What kind of company is not standing behind their product??? Very disappointed.
Ever thought of washing your filters? Residue will build up on the outside and will slow down the filtration process. If this is your solution then it has nothing to do with malfunction.
We have a Clean & Pure. Only cost under $40., has 6 filter layers. Takes up a LOT less space than the Berkey. It's good for 20 years. No filters to replace. Nothing to prime. Filters out very well. The Clean & Pure hooks up to faucet, super quick & easily. We're very happy w/it. So....if Berkey is out of your budget (it certainly is for us....the filters cost about as much as the initial investment), there are economical water filters that work well.
Those Clean & Pures do not filter out even close to what Berkey does, thats why the cost difference, Pathogens and contaminated water will not be filtered through a Clean & Pure.
@@jasons6307 Since I wrote that, we bought a gravity filter system like Berkey. We're very happy w/ it. This system has gone thru tests & removes what Berkey does. When I wrote my other comment, I didn't realize how little Clean & Pure filtered out.
We had a similar experience with the dent and spigot. The filters have plastic bolts that fit inside the stainless steel housing and I figured out the hard way that if they break etc you have to replace the whole filter and not the bolt? It is frustrating however, maybe Berkey will improve on the communication and customer service.
They sent us a partial refund and a replacement spigot (our choice) and it’s been working great. I’ll probably do an updated review video and how to clean the filters video soon. Be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’re interested in those.
Oh No I bought mine the Crown Royal with 100 black filters and 50 fluoride filters the stand and the metal faucet ,I was missing the wing nuts and washers for 18 pair plus the primer the whole bit over 3000 dollars I emailed twice still have not received the wing nuts and washers and I never used it just checked for dents it's with my supplies now what do I do just finished paying off my credit card I will now have to put it together to see if it works what a dummy I am ,Everybody always says I trust to much I just stopped emailing about the wingnuts figured when it's time to change I'll just use the same one, any advice for a person who trust that I was dealing with the real company obviously it's to late for a refund to get it from the real place😡 Hugs and blessings 😇🙏❤family of 8 to much and sick everyone depending on me been trying to get them prepared for the hard times ahead💧
I had a similar problem with the berkey 3rd party, not only a hassle but the individual i spoke with was very rude and I damn near cussed her out. After what they charge the customer service should be flawless
I found the same thing when looking to buy my Berkey yesterday. I could not figure out what the official website was. So I just didn't order anything. Can you tell me what the official website is? If anyone else who sees this comment can they tell me? I obviously only want to buy from Berkey but it's impossible to tell which site is there actual site and the third party sites come up first!
From what I can tell, they don’t have an official website where you can order from. It’s all done through 3rd party authorized resellers. That’s why I have suggested to order from Amazon. At least Amazon will give you some customer service.
What was wrong with the glass spigot? I don't think you ever speak top it in th video other than it was broken in some way. thank you. hope you see this and respond :))
Buying a 5 stage Ro unit and installing it under the sink and run a spigot to the top of the sink is much safer health/safety wise while also being less labor intensive. But if your looking for emergency water treatment one would desire a completely metal unit with less plastic failure points. Or at least a whole lot of spare parts, so Iam still looking for a better emergency unit. Tip on chlorine in city water supply- Cities put extra cl2 in there water supply required by law. At a min 0.20ppm(parts per million) of cl2 is required in that way any contamination on the users end can be disinfected thereby protecting you. Putting a picture of water in your fridge for a day should eliminate the smell and taste of chlorine.
Did you check to make sure your filters are working properly?! Due to the strips on the filter not screwing on tight enough ours leaks and dosent filter properly and we dodnt know tell we tested it with a TDS tester
These things are Amazing, I understand this was packed badly but overall ours has saved us a ton of money plus it's the best tasting water! I thought it was to expensive and overrated @ the beginning...after years of having ours I totally believe in it. The filters truly take out the garbage in today's drinking water! No more water bottles for us! Get U a big stainless thermos and take this great tasting water with you.
@@bingbangboom9008 Are u using the black and white filters? That could be the issue, not sure. Our water is so horrible where I live. Very hard and they pump it full of chlorine. The 4 filters we have in ours does a great job with overall taste and purity..
@@micahbageant659 Yeah im using both black filter and fluoride filters.. ive had city water, well water, you name it... Ive never was wowed by its taste abd people do say it tastes flat.. I mean its not like reverse osmosis water taste but its just as clean so i aint complaining.. i just think people exaggerate about how "good" it tastes lol
I live in Cali and bought a travel berkey since it’s one of the only ones allowed and I had my water tested in an EPA approved lab and berkey although claims to remove 99% of metals it does not. I found alarmingly high levels of aluminum in our water along with chlorine and sulfates. The test they conducted was not in an EPA approved lab and we have to ask ourselves where did they get their tap water they’re testing from? The customer service is terrible and I am trying to find a way to return my berkey without 2 different penalties of 20% each.
Thank you for sharing that! Makes me feel a little better about having to find an alternative filter due to Berkey's price increases. We simply can't afford Black Berkey filters anymore. $150 for a pair! 😲
Where was your comment when I was contemplating my Berkey purchase?! I bought a Travel Berkey about three weeks ago, saw nothing but amazing reviews on it but not many independent EPA approved lab tests to confirm their claims and honestly didn’t want to have to shell out $200 dollars to get my own after spending over $300 on the unit. I bought it with the intent of drinking a gal of water a day so I’ve been intentionally drinking a lot of the Berkey water. I’m young, healthy with no issues but I’ve noticed I’ve been having persistent abdominal pain since drinking this water. I primed everything correctly, did the dye test to ensure the filters were working, and dumped the first four gallons just to be safe. I bought a tds meter which I know some have said isn’t a good indicator but I just wanted to know what my municipal tap water was reading (roughly 230). After using the unit consistently I tested the Berkey water and it was higher than my tap tds which was alarming because it’s “adding minerals” to my water but how do I know what is actually being deposited into my water and what is being filtered out? The point is I don’t…my body’s response has been my biggest indicator so I stopped drinking it for the past few days and returned to bottled spring water and the pain has left. After seeing this video I’ve decided to return it, I think I used the same company as this guy so hopefully I don’t run into issues…the lack of transparency is annoying, it shouldnt be this hard or expensive to find decent drinking water that isn’t gonna give me freaking gastrointestinal issues or kill a million trees (bottled water) in the process. Hopefully this helps someone because I definitely feel duped. Don’t believe the hype. Sadly my hunt for sustainable, clean water continues.
well that is discouraging ....I ordered from the same exact website....I hope I dont have any issues. I dont care really if there is a small dent but sounds like if there was any real issue I would be run through the ringer trying to get it resolved.
Yes because think about it the black filter have pours and the white ones the water has to flow through from one end to another. If both colors are in the top chamber only the black filters will be in used. But even if the top chamber is totally full so that the white filters does get used then your bottom chamber would still be filled with only black filtered water and a small portion of white filters water. Which would basically be the exact same water they put in. I hope it's not anyone out there putting both filters in the top chamber because that's a total waste of the cost of these filters unless they just want to reduce the toxins in the water and not really filter it. Putting the white filters directly under the black filters every drop of water just went through both filters instead of one or they other. I hope that answers your question. The only reason i know because when the berkey first came popular they showed it somewhere. But watching this I really don't like that it's so many different companies named berkey. Its really ridiculous. I will be getting a better unit that also has silver inside from "4 patriots" website that just came out with an Alexa Pure filter upgrade. They used to sell Alexa Pure filters which had videos showing is better than Berkey. They took Alexa Pure and created their own to be better. Same cost better company better product all in the US.
I wish I had seen this prior to ordering! Mine came in scratched and had a slight dent. Unfortunately it looks like I got your company. Their return and issue policy is the same 10 days.
I'm having similar problem through a third party (Cloud IX UK) through Amazon. Finally sending it back for a refund. After a lot of hassle, the dye test had failed (the two black filters were actually chipped around the edges and I don't know if that's normal). Very disappointed. Getting in touch with these organisations is a time-consuming nightmare. I'm now trying to decide what to do to replace the unit, which was a gift. Even sending this back to the Amazon Returns place in Dunfermline, Fife (watch out for some courier companies who will flag this as a problem problem because a) liquid!!! and b) carbon!!!) has cost more money and that will have to be reclaimed via Amazon too. This is not over yet! It seems, in order to be a customer who gets decent customer service via Amazon, you need to be tooled up with a Smart Phone (QR codes, etc) and a printer at home. I refuse to use my phone to support their business and, unfortunately, our printer is on the blink. Technology is driving me insane.
Seems like Berkey partnered with those third parties to sell of their "seconds" or dented/damaged like you got. At the end of the day, Berkey has their brand on the product and made profit. They should have a chain of responsibility/customer service. Thanks for your posting.
My first unit was not a blemished unit , it supposively was new I paid over 300 dollars and when it arrived it was dented on side . I had to push it out
Gravity / Ceramic cartridge filters are designed to remove certain pathogens from perfectly clear water such a mountain stream. If there is any silt in the water they will plug up and not allow water to flow through. You can scrub the cartridge, but soon you will reduce the thickness of the media and then it will not remove all of the pathogens. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST PRE-FILTER THE WATER UNTIL IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR. This can be done by a combination of settling, flocculation, sand filtering, and/or common cartridge type sediment filters that are easily available. If you don't believe this, take out all but one of your ceramic cartridges, plug the other holes, add some dirty water like what you will have to use during a crisis, see how much water you can run through it before it plugs up your ceramic cartridge. You will ruin one cartridge but you will know the truth! Another issue: if there is water in a ceramic cartridge, even a little, and that cartridge is allowed to freeze, a fine crack can occur that will allow pathogens through. You may not know it as you cannot see the crack. NEVER ALLOW YOU CARTRIDGES TO FREEZE!
Are these Berkey filters banned in CA? The Berkey store posted in site not shipping to CA bc of some kind of regulations. Does anyone know about this? Thx so much for helpful vid!
@@karriewade1500 - 4 authorized Berkey distributors either told me or posted several places on their website that they would no ship anything but Travel Berkey to Cali. Parts and filters were not a problem.
Basically it’s just made out of 5 gallon buckets. Buy the same or similar filters, drill holes and set on top of each other. There are plenty of videos here that show you how.
Oh noooo! BEWARE BUYERS! You fell for the scam. Yes, they will send partially defected items because some unreputable 3rd parties buy them like that super cheap.. they can care less if you null the warrantee as long as they get the cash.. Once the purchase changes to scratch and dent price the product no longer qualifies for its warrantee * ALWAYS ask for any company to send a new product no mater the inconvenience.
If your budget can't handle the expense of a Berkey (the cost of replacing filters is nearly the cost of your initial investment), just know there are much more economical filters. We have had a Clean & Pure filter since 2009. It's good for 20 years. No filters to replace. No priming to do. It connects to faucet in seconds. Takes up very little space. It has 6 (if I remember right) filters. Makes water taste good. Definitely improves tap water! The cost was under $40.
@@conniedeaton312 I've learned more about water filters since writing those comments. We still have Clean & Pure...but we bought a Pro One which is like Berkey except it only uses 1 filter which filters over 200 contaminants..no need for multiple filters or separate one for filtering fluoride. We like it very much. I fill it daily using water filtered thru the Clean & Pure. I found out the Clean & Pure pretty much filters out chlorine & a few other things. We wanted a system that we knew took out arsenic, fluoride, etc. We didn't realize there were over 200 contaminants & that Clean & Pure doesn't remove them. If it did, they'd proudly state it.
Has anyone with a Berkey ever tested to see if it matches their claims? I was reading that they only did independent contracted lab testing and did not receive certification from regulatory testing bodies. NYTimes tested their water using the LA city labs & independent contracted labs and they were not near as effective as Berkey claims, and Berkey refused to comment on it.
Keep in mind most people that test these do it immediately and anyone that has used a berkey knows that it takes like a dozen or so cycles for that filter taste to go away. Which means there is a higher PPM count in the beginning. I used a berkey with the fluoride filters and charcoal filters for 4 years 4-6gallons a day and it filters excellently. The claims of 2-3k gallons is more like the minimum.
I purchased my Berkey from "Home Depot" knowing that returning it if need be would not be a problem. It's been about 4 years now and I love it. Drink more water now because it taste so good.
How did the Home Depot price compare to Amazon, etc?
From Lil Giant Yes. How did the Burkey online third party price compare with Home Depot. ALSO: More important: What happens if you have something break? I have heard the wing nuts, washers, etc. should be replaced every year to keep it from leaking and ruining your filtered water. Where are you if you break your filters or they do not work?
This video host recommends orders from the Amazon link for the black and also the special chlorine/arsenic filter. Also if you have problems with the filters, ordering filters through Amazon will allow you to get some satisfaction. Not sure where you could get the wing nuts or the water level tube if you order from a third party. I think I would try to order first from Burkey Ltd. so would not have this problem. Unless Home Depot is more supportive. Or maybe some combination of the two and the nice guy at the third party if that does not work.
You can order any of the parts from anyone because they are Standard and are made at the same manufacturer.
Very sorry to hear about all the hassle you had to go through. You went through a lot of frustration, but thank you for posting such an informative video for us all!
I have used the Berkey filter for 5 years. Upgraded to a bigger one at one point. Have given them to my kids for Christmas gifts. We are all on municipal water in different states. I can’t get close enough to a glass of water to drink it where I live because the chlorine is incredibly strong. That only means that’s what is required to kill what is in our water naturally. I cannot recommend the Berkey highly enough. Water tastes great!
You did an excellent presentation on the Berkey. I certainly understand your frustrations. I have the Royal Berkey, and the water tastes great. I perform a monthly cleaning to keep it maintained with a new scotch brite sponge and Dawn disinfectant dish soap. I have had a couple of issues along the way with spigot leaking, but always managed to get it up and running. It can be temperamental if not tightened just so, so I tend to baby the unit. Just hang in there with it, keep your unit clean, filters primed, and do a red dye test occasionally. Thank you for such an honest review ..
My neighbor got a Berkey, told me how great it was, I was very skeptical, I had Arrowhead delivery and was satisfied. Many years ago I lost my sense of taste and smell due to a health issue so I wasn't expecting anything when she gave me a glass to taste, but when I did I couldn't believe how good it was. I drank 2 full glasses immediately and savored every sip. The last time I tasted water that pure was 25 years ago from fresh, pristine spring water in Alaska
I’m 80 years old and I put my Berry together by myself. I never had one problem. I love mine and love the taste of the water. Mine was from Amazon.
I'm so sorry about your experience. I can certainly understand your frustration & disappointment.
I recently purchased a Royal Berkey from Amazon. I did spend the extra money, because I find that I can easily return items on Amazon quite easily with no problems.
I put mine together just yesterday. I found all the parts in excellent condition. Our didn't come with the blue adaptor for priming the filter. I'll certainly have to purchase one of those!
I also spent another $30 or so for the stand, which makes it so easy to get water from the chamber. The stand does add about another 8 inches to the height of the unit. But we do have the space for this setup.
We have a Kangen machine as well. However, I wanted to have the Berkey too, partly because it doesn't requite electricity. This are uncertain times if you know what I mean.
Thank you for this video!!!!!!!! I just subscribed to your channel.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Glad to have you here!
I bought two sets and we’re absolutely satisfied! We had to depend on these during our time living in east Africa.
Awesome! We’ve been happy with ours.
Same for me, I've had it for 5 years, I'm delighted with it the water is fantastic.
I ordered it from the website that you had issues with, and then five minutes later I saw your video. Cancelled immediately! I was confused with all the different Berkey websites as well. Thanks for clearing that up!
No problem. We love our filter. We strongly disliked the purchase process. Hopefully Berkey gets a handle on these issues.
Do you know what the official Berkey site is? I can't figure out which one it is.
Berkey certifies sellers and have them registered and can provide info on how to contact based on your location. The sellers website should have the authentic Berkey emblem posted. I believe this company you purchased from is certified, Mr. Fixer. You can always call Berkey themselves to inform of concerns and they will investigate. If the company has provided a discount for damage make sure it is not classified as scratch and dent buy. Call Berkey to inform of the issue and for further guidance. I have a Berkey and they come packaged securely. There should be no dent through shipping unless the box was wrestled with or item was already with issue.
Be blessed!
I called Berkey and they were entirely unhelpful. They basically said they can’t die anything and I needed to call the person I ordered from. As I mentioned before, it’s a big tin can. Warranty doesn’t mean much to me. I’d rather have the assurance I get when I order from Amazon.
I've had two Berkey's for several years they work great, water taste great. I just cleaned my Berkey's filter today, easy peasy!
To prime: buy a condiment squeeze bottle at the dollar store. I got 2 for $1.00. Fill it with water, squeeze into the Berkey filter until you see water coming through the sides up down and around the filter. Takes less than 5 minutes to prime both filters. Do not spend money on the blue adapter, which does not work with most modern faucets. Also, do not buy the hand pump that falls apart or will not reinflate and costs around $28 for poorly engineered parts that do not work well at all. Good luck!!
For first time use, always dump the first four gallons. Far too many folks forget to prime the filter if you are not refilling the upper basin often, letting it stay dry, causes air bubbles in the filter, it cause the flow to decrease!
too much trouble and expense try a wallmart stainless steel tea kettle 23$ bring tap cold side to a boil cool run thru a 5$ brita and funnel into glass bottles wow so easy clean and inexpensive
@@spikenardmz3355 that is not going to remove fluoride and numerous other chemicals...
The ilters arent going to dry out in 1 or 2 days if you dont refill it cobstantly. Depends what size people have, but Yeah i can see if you dont use your berkey for weeks but if you dont refill the basin for 2 days its not going to dry out on you like thst
@@bingbangboom9008 True!
Mine came dented, I contacted them via the website, and they replaced it. I experienced the issues with the plastic nuts and leaky spigot which I figured out later. I appreciate that they filter well and reduce the cost of filtering - wish they took design seriously (not plastic parts) and distributed themselves. I purchased directly from their website.
Please can you share the link bc at this point I don’t know which one is the actual website
I have one arriving tomorrow, it better not be dented! I bought mine from Amazon so I will just send it back. Thanks so much for this video
How do you like it ?
@@seriouslyjae5166 I LOVE it! It's not dented, in perfect shape, looks great in my kitchen, water tastes amazing.
I appreciate your input. Sorry to hear about your frustrations. I wish I would have seen this before I ordered last night from Berkey Filters.
Others have had good experiences with them. Hopefully you do too.
I had a similar issue. I received my Big Berkey yesterday. I did not order from Amazon due to the more expensive price. Along with my Big Berkey I ordered the stainless steel spigot, but did not receive it. I emailed them soon after discovery. Upon opening, which I did not video but took photos of the damaged shipping box and chipped particles with carbon filters within the bubble wrap that I discovered. It took them 24 hours to respond, reminding me to check all packaging. I wasn’t even aware of the difference in company/product websites until I watched your video. It seems I have ordered from the same company. Now I am worried about warranty fulfillment. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I'm sorry it happened to you to. Hopefully you get it straightened out.
I have had a Royal Berkey since around 2007. I just bought a Berkey Light and a Big Berkey to have for emergencies. I know I can trade it or even trade fresh water if needed. I've been very pleased with my setup and all of the parts I just got look fine, though not tested yet.
Us too. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you very, very much.! I was just about to order from berkey filters. So glad you did this video!
Just make sure you purchase from an authorized dealer.
Had mine for a year now and I absolutely love it! Would like to see less plastic parts, but those are the times we live in. No issues at all so far.
Thanks for sharing. We’ve been happy with ours too, minus the initial frustration.
were DID you buy the Berkey
They have metal or steel spigots etc
I was just about to buy a Berkey. Seeing all of the issues right from the box (broken parts, dented) and seeing the comments below, I have to really rethink the purchase. Berkey should rethink their partnering. I might just order some lifestraws and glass gallon jars and filter water that way. I am on a well.
We’ve been happy with ours. Just not happy with whom we ordered from.
Common. They have sold tons of these. You k ow, you always hear from complaining people. Never happy. This is a great company and very good products!
I did t say I wasn’t happy. I love the product, just don’t like the sales process. Very confusing and has allowed independent sellers to tarnish their name. I don’t know why Berkeley would every allow their resellers to use their name in their own name or web url. Very poor affiliate agreement.
I didn't wanna order through Amazon but they were sold out everywhere else. Everything came fine except my primer was a rubber ring (instead of that balloon looking attachment) that I hold up to the faucet which was kinda crappy considering the entire setup was around $550 CA. It also came with a primer bottle that I didn't use but it probably would've worked better. No dents, everything looks good. Also the extra filter holes came with corks instead of gasket bolts.
Thank you for the info. I was about to order a Berkey system, but thanks to you I'll try another system!
Thank you for your video. I was opening my new Berkey while watching your video because I didn’t want to make mistake putting it together and I noticed that my Berkey came dented as well. I’ll contact them tomorrow, hopefully I can get a hold of them. Thank you for helping me putting it together and for sharing your experience.
You’re welcome. Glad it was helpful.
Thanks for sharing this info. I'm in the process of researching Berkey filters, so it was VERY helpful, and timely. Keep it up!
... They have sent me 2 new filters and the water taste so much better now..
How about , rainwater treatment tips and successes?
I’ve had a Big Berkey for 6 months. It works fine. No problems/issues.
Excellent review & helpful assembly demo! Thank you so very much. I'm still on the fence as to whether to purchase one, but you've given me a nudge in the direction of yes.
We’ve been very pleased with ours.
It IS the best out there, but their spike in filter price has us looking elsewhere now. But if you can afford it, go for it.
My royal berky instructions said remove the plastic film off the fluoride filter and wash it.
Yes, you're supposed to prime them on both sides until the water runs clear.
How many LITRES do contain the bottom chamber with the two fluoride filters added? In the royal Berkey . Thanks
@13:00 - yes I noticed that as well when I was doing the research and after a bit I narrowed down the primary distro in Canada (LTD) and incidentally they were the only ones to have any stock after months of them being out of all products.
I bought a Big Berkey in 2011, the 'British Berkefeld SS' UK model, because my local tapwater at that time contained so much chlorine it smelled like a swimming pool when I ran the tap. It worked really well, though I managed to break a black filter disassembling the unit - and they're not cheap to replace. Nearly 10 years later I have just pulled it out of storage and plan on using it again, it'll encourage me to drink more water as it tastes better through a Berkey. I just bought myself the stainless steel spigot upgrade for a Christmas present.
Thanks for the video, I'm having to learn all the assembly basics again after all this time. PS mine had a dent too, in the lid, but time is a great healer :)
Thanks for watching! I definitely agree the water tastes so much better. Ours has a strong chlorine smell too. Not any more!
Super useful. Thank you. Wanted to see this before contemplating a purchase
You're welcome. I will say that we have been happy with the product, and love the taste of the water. We just would have ordered from Amazon so we could do a return with less hassle and issues. The reality is the warranty is kinda of irrelevant. It's a metal container. It either works or it doesn't. Just easier to do returns through Amazon in my opinion. Good luck, and thanks for watching!
@@IAmAFixer You know, I was just thinking about this last night. It's not like it has a motor or anything. It's a big tin can (so to speak). So, why the warranty? Amazon it is! If it arrives dented, I will return it and order another. Thanks! I was just about to order from Berkey's website.
Yep. Agree 100%
I appreciate your video and the heads up. I'm scheduled to receive my Royal Berkey tomorrow. We'll see if how it goes. I ordered it through Berkey Water Filters site. I was contemplating ordering it through Amazon and the reviews were not good. Complaints were coming in that filters were damaged and or were knockoffs...but who knows. Thanks again.
We bought ours on Amazon and ours came dented. Both canasters were dented. We returned it as damaged for another of the same. We should have watched some TH-cam videos before we completed our order because, after we got our replacement, we realized that our spray head faucet wouldn't work with their system to prime the filters, so I had to take the 2 black and 2 white filters out ťo the spicket and prime them outside. We could've purchased the pump divice.
Thanking U!!! Was contemplating the purchase.😳😳😳
I’m about to buy one for my mom, thank you for showing me how to put it together & prime the filters.
Thank you so much for taking time to warn us.
Wow...thanks for the info. I've had a berkey for years and never a problem. I'm glad to know there are some sneaky practices with brand name websites.
Where did you buy yours?
Well I ordered one from your preferred site based on your experience with the guy who helped you, thanks for the review and referral
I looked around for better and equivalent but cheaper alternatives and bought a British Berkefeld 6 litre with two filters and a metal spigot for £130 and it works awesome.
Mine came with a small dent. I never reported it. But I’m jealous of that blue primer helper! I never got one of those. They might be a new design. I hope I get one of those with my next filter purchase.
Same bro damn
I'm so glad I watched this. I had no idea there were two similar websites
Oh snap! Wish I watched this first, I had no idea. I ordered from same website you did. However, my order was perfectly fine. I did have an issue with screwing on the wing nut on the filter but thought it was just me. I got the Royal, so it’s a bit bigger for me to handle. I am literally just running my first water through.
I was told not to order from amazon because there is not long term warranty with amazon purchase. Hmmm
🤷♂️I just sharing my experience. I’m not too concerned about the long term warranty. They’re basically just a piece of metal. They are either broken or not. I would have rather been able to send it right back to Amazon than have to go through what I dealt with.
@@IAmAFixer - Exactly.
Got mine through Amazon today but it was very painful bringing myself to doing bc they’re supporting the big tech censorship and monopoly against only some citizens.
Last time I’ll order from them.
None of the Berkey distributors will ship to CA because of some bizarre water regulation hitch.
Amazon said they are only ones who don’t have to follow those rules.
Agreed. Not sure where I’ll order stuff from now on.
Hey man, solid review! Working somewhere where we sell to retailers, that type of customer service workflow is pretty normal when you buy from a retailer vs the brand. Im always going direct when I make large purchases
I bought straight from berkey a year ago. I still don't have the knob to my lid. They sent me a screw that doesn't fit. I emailed and called and nothing.
Sorry you had such a problem. I'm looking to get a Big or a Royal after loving my Travel for a couple of years. Thanks for the info. I'll spend the extra money and order directly from the company or from Amazon.
Thank you for this information didn't realize this. So deceptive.
I couldn’t find the spigot sight glass washers replacement or even regular spigot. I wonder if its a cash grab to make you buy a new spigot?
Just take one to lowes and find another rubber gasket that’s the same size
The problem isn’t with Berkey it’s with these lazy delivery people. I see it every day. Actually had a delivery guy drop a pallet from a lift gate that ended on its side. He left without saying a word. I ship every day and the amount of damage would make you sick.
That I believe!
I’m a former postal worker and I can attest to the fact that things aren’t always handled gently, but packages marked fragile are more often than not treated as fragile. (There’s always a few bad apple anywhere.)
The post office and the shippers share responsibility.
Shippers must properly package and more importantly mark fragile on packages with fragile contents.
I just received my Royal Berkey in the mail and is not stamped Fragile on the packaging.
I will send them a quick email and let them know they should begin marking their shipments fragile.
These are really hard to buy at the moment; seems like a major shortage and big demand. In the UK I have bought several Berkeys as presents and also a few Doulton Berkeys (The original UK company that invented it all)... they are about a third of the price of the USA ones. Best if you can buy with a metal tap and the water level spigot... these can be bought later and added as a retrofit, as can the additional filters if you need them.
I’m guessing with the state of the economy, people are realizing the benefit of being able to create your own drinking water.
Be aware that if you buy on Amazon, many manufacturers will not honor their own warranty, because you did not buy from the manufacturer's website. Ninja appliances is like that. I learned this from reading the Amazon reviews.
Thanks so much for your video. It was extremely helpful and informative. Wish I had watched it before ordering.
Thanks, I’m glad it helped you out!
I’m very grateful for this video thank you.
Order one thru ebay. If there's any problems, ebay will override the transaction and refund you. Plus, apparently all these different companies are selling on ebay too, so their different prices are side by side. And there ARE big swings in the price, for identical models. Right now, the "Big" size, is the biggest one that is not out of stock! That's the 3rd biggest, right above the "travel" size, and below the "Royal". 🤯
Now I’m worried. No dents, but . . . We got ours over the weekend and there is no paperwork with it. I don’t know who to call and can’t register for a warranty. I’ll have to start working on this today.
Same here and i ordered from Berkey Water Filters
@@themostrandomguy9854 I did too
Nice review. I did find it interesting I am fix it kitchen faucet leaks.
I have my Big Berkey for 15 months and my filters stopped working properly. I need to purge and re-prime them WEEKLY, otherwise half of my top tank water just stay there:(( I contacted the main office, and they have a very strange "2-year warranty" that you need to purchase new filters for half price and also pay for the shipping (I'm in Canada). But before they even starting a warranty claim... you need to destroy the original filters and send the image to their email. What kind of company is not standing behind their product??? Very disappointed.
Wow, that is strange. 😯
Ever thought of washing your filters? Residue will build up on the outside and will slow down the filtration process. If this is your solution then it has nothing to do with malfunction.
@@wernerklotz8207 Jailbreak overlander channel has instruction on how to clean the filters. I know I've also seen it on another channel as well.
We have a Clean & Pure. Only cost under $40., has 6 filter layers. Takes up a LOT less space than the Berkey. It's good for 20 years. No filters to replace. Nothing to prime. Filters out very well. The Clean & Pure hooks up to faucet, super quick & easily. We're very happy w/it. So....if Berkey is out of your budget (it certainly is for us....the filters cost about as much as the initial investment), there are economical water filters that work well.
Those Clean & Pures do not filter out even close to what Berkey does, thats why the cost difference, Pathogens and contaminated water will not be filtered through a Clean & Pure.
@@jasons6307 Since I wrote that, we bought a gravity filter system like Berkey. We're very happy w/ it. This system has gone thru tests & removes what Berkey does. When I wrote my other comment, I didn't realize how little Clean & Pure filtered out.
@@patwagner9308 What system did you end up going with, I'm always looking for new ways to filter water, Thanks
@@jasons6307 It's called ProOne. Costs less than Berkey.
Great video! Thank you for sharing!
I would suggest ordering from Pleasant Hill Grain Excellent customer service AND an AUTHORIZED Berkey Dealer
I love pleasant hill! Good company!
We had a similar experience with the dent and spigot. The filters have plastic bolts that fit inside the stainless steel housing and I figured out the hard way that if they break etc you have to replace the whole filter and not the bolt? It is frustrating however, maybe Berkey will improve on the communication and customer service.
I noticed a lot of items shipped, arrive damaged and the company refers you to the warranty department to deal with the problems.
The primer tool is a must for those without patience!
Any updates? It's crazy the amount of authorized Berkey dealers.
They sent us a partial refund and a replacement spigot (our choice) and it’s been working great. I’ll probably do an updated review video and how to clean the filters video soon. Be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’re interested in those.
Oh No I bought mine the Crown Royal with 100 black filters and 50 fluoride filters the stand and the metal faucet ,I was missing the wing nuts and washers for 18 pair plus the primer the whole bit over 3000 dollars I emailed twice still have not received the wing nuts and washers and I never used it just checked for dents it's with my supplies now what do I do just finished paying off my credit card I will now have to put it together to see if it works what a dummy I am ,Everybody always says I trust to much I just stopped emailing about the wingnuts figured when it's time to change I'll just use the same one, any advice for a person who trust that I was dealing with the real company obviously it's to late for a refund to get it from the real place😡 Hugs and blessings 😇🙏❤family of 8 to much and sick everyone depending on me been trying to get them prepared for the hard times ahead💧
Got mine from Amazon...love it ❤ don't give up on Berkey 💙
Wish I’d seen this before purchasing from Berkey filters. Took almost 3 weeks to get my problem resolved.
Just ordered mine and it had no lid. Still waiting for a reply from an authorized distributor here in Thailand.
Where is the best source to purchase the Berkey system and filters from?
I would have purchased from Amazon because of their return policy. I don’t foresee much breaking going forward. Mainly issues with damage on delivery.
I had a similar problem with the berkey 3rd party, not only a hassle but the individual i spoke with was very rude and I damn near cussed her out. After what they charge the customer service should be flawless
Agree
I purchased "Waterdrop" instead. It was cheaper and does the same thing. No leaks and everything was included.
I found the same thing when looking to buy my Berkey yesterday. I could not figure out what the official website was. So I just didn't order anything. Can you tell me what the official website is? If anyone else who sees this comment can they tell me? I obviously only want to buy from Berkey but it's impossible to tell which site is there actual site and the third party sites come up first!
From what I can tell, they don’t have an official website where you can order from. It’s all done through 3rd party authorized resellers. That’s why I have suggested to order from Amazon. At least Amazon will give you some customer service.
@@IAmAFixer Wow. I thought for sure that they would have an official site. Anyway I'm glad I watched your video so I know where to order!
What was wrong with the glass spigot? I don't think you ever speak top it in th video other than it was broken in some way.
thank you. hope you see this and respond :))
It was shattered into pieces.
Buying a 5 stage Ro unit and installing it under the sink and run a spigot to the top of the sink is much safer health/safety wise while also being less labor intensive. But if your looking for emergency water treatment one would desire a completely metal unit with less plastic failure points. Or at least a whole lot of spare parts, so Iam still looking for a better emergency unit. Tip on chlorine in city water supply- Cities put extra cl2 in there water supply required by law. At a min 0.20ppm(parts per million) of cl2 is required in that way any contamination on the users end can be disinfected thereby protecting you. Putting a picture of water in your fridge for a day should eliminate the smell and taste of chlorine.
Did you check to make sure your filters are working properly?! Due to the strips on the filter not screwing on tight enough ours leaks and dosent filter properly and we dodnt know tell we tested it with a TDS tester
Good point Dennis, but ours is working. Making a tight fit.
Denise, you can find videos on using the red dye test. TDS meters do not work-if you search, you’ll find that info too. Regards...
@@elizabethb6907 thank you we did. We ended up returning the whole unit and going with something else
Mine was a bit dented but not worth returning etc.
3/6/2021 I think w want a BERKEY Water Filter But now I don't now were to buy it. ??
75 and " CONFUSED "
I saw someone mention Home Depot. You might try there
I like the priming thong you got. I only got some little brown discs.
Me too, in the UK. Did the job OK though!
These things are Amazing, I understand this was packed badly but overall ours has saved us a ton of money plus it's the best tasting water! I thought it was to expensive and overrated @ the beginning...after years of having ours I totally believe in it. The filters truly take out the garbage in today's drinking water! No more water bottles for us! Get U a big stainless thermos and take this great tasting water with you.
Wouldnt say best tasting... tastes flat as hell like tapwater but atleast its cleaner
@@bingbangboom9008 Are u using the black and white filters? That could be the issue, not sure. Our water is so horrible where I live. Very hard and they pump it full of chlorine. The 4 filters we have in ours does a great job with overall taste and purity..
@@micahbageant659
Yeah im using both black filter and fluoride filters.. ive had city water, well water, you name it...
Ive never was wowed by its taste abd people do say it tastes flat..
I mean its not like reverse osmosis water taste but its just as clean so i aint complaining.. i just think people exaggerate about how "good" it tastes lol
I ordered Amazon and had no issues.
I live in Cali and bought a travel berkey since it’s one of the only ones allowed and I had my water tested in an EPA approved lab and berkey although claims to remove 99% of metals it does not. I found alarmingly high levels of aluminum in our water along with chlorine and sulfates. The test they conducted was not in an EPA approved lab and we have to ask ourselves where did they get their tap water they’re testing from? The customer service is terrible and I am trying to find a way to return my berkey without 2 different penalties of 20% each.
Thank you for sharing that!
Makes me feel a little better about having to find an alternative filter due to Berkey's price increases. We simply can't afford Black Berkey filters anymore. $150 for a pair! 😲
Yes their customer service sucks they are very short with you like they are on the defensive like don’t ask me any questions or they deflect
Where was your comment when I was contemplating my Berkey purchase?! I bought a Travel Berkey about three weeks ago, saw nothing but amazing reviews on it but not many independent EPA approved lab tests to confirm their claims and honestly didn’t want to have to shell out $200 dollars to get my own after spending over $300 on the unit. I bought it with the intent of drinking a gal of water a day so I’ve been intentionally drinking a lot of the Berkey water. I’m young, healthy with no issues but I’ve noticed I’ve been having persistent abdominal pain since drinking this water. I primed everything correctly, did the dye test to ensure the filters were working, and dumped the first four gallons just to be safe. I bought a tds meter which I know some have said isn’t a good indicator but I just wanted to know what my municipal tap water was reading (roughly 230). After using the unit consistently I tested the Berkey water and it was higher than my tap tds which was alarming because it’s “adding minerals” to my water but how do I know what is actually being deposited into my water and what is being filtered out? The point is I don’t…my body’s response has been my biggest indicator so I stopped drinking it for the past few days and returned to bottled spring water and the pain has left.
After seeing this video I’ve decided to return it, I think I used the same company as this guy so hopefully I don’t run into issues…the lack of transparency is annoying, it shouldnt be this hard or expensive to find decent drinking water that isn’t gonna give me freaking gastrointestinal issues or kill a million trees (bottled water) in the process. Hopefully this helps someone because I definitely feel duped. Don’t believe the hype. Sadly my hunt for sustainable, clean water continues.
well that is discouraging ....I ordered from the same exact website....I hope I dont have any issues. I dont care really if there is a small dent but sounds like if there was any real issue I would be run through the ringer trying to get it resolved.
I ordered mine on Feebay what do you think about that Mr. fixer upper upper 🤔
You’re the first person I’ve seen that put the white filters in the bottom chamber. Is that the correct chamber?
Yes because think about it the black filter have pours and the white ones the water has to flow through from one end to another. If both colors are in the top chamber only the black filters will be in used. But even if the top chamber is totally full so that the white filters does get used then your bottom chamber would still be filled with only black filtered water and a small portion of white filters water. Which would basically be the exact same water they put in. I hope it's not anyone out there putting both filters in the top chamber because that's a total waste of the cost of these filters unless they just want to reduce the toxins in the water and not really filter it. Putting the white filters directly under the black filters every drop of water just went through both filters instead of one or they other. I hope that answers your question. The only reason i know because when the berkey first came popular they showed it somewhere. But watching this I really don't like that it's so many different companies named berkey. Its really ridiculous. I will be getting a better unit that also has silver inside from "4 patriots" website that just came out with an Alexa Pure filter upgrade. They used to sell Alexa Pure filters which had videos showing is better than Berkey. They took Alexa Pure and created their own to be better. Same cost better company better product all in the US.
Wow didn't know all this, thanks.
I wish I had seen this prior to ordering! Mine came in scratched and had a slight dent. Unfortunately it looks like I got your company. Their return and issue policy is the same 10 days.
I'm having similar problem through a third party (Cloud IX UK) through Amazon. Finally sending it back for a refund. After a lot of hassle, the dye test had failed (the two black filters were actually chipped around the edges and I don't know if that's normal). Very disappointed. Getting in touch with these organisations is a time-consuming nightmare. I'm now trying to decide what to do to replace the unit, which was a gift. Even sending this back to the Amazon Returns place in Dunfermline, Fife (watch out for some courier companies who will flag this as a problem problem because a) liquid!!! and b) carbon!!!) has cost more money and that will have to be reclaimed via Amazon too. This is not over yet! It seems, in order to be a customer who gets decent customer service via Amazon, you need to be tooled up with a Smart Phone (QR codes, etc) and a printer at home. I refuse to use my phone to support their business and, unfortunately, our printer is on the blink. Technology is driving me insane.
How did you get on with this? Smooth refund?
I ordered scratch and dent and can’t see any problem with the canisters? I have a problem with the plastic hardware.
I have a Berkey and I like it the only bad thing is there is something white on the bottom after using it for a year or less
Hmm... Have you tried cleaning it? Does it come off?
@@IAmAFixer I tried cleaning it and it's not coming off
@@staceycalder3233 its calcium build up. Won't hurt anything
@@IAmAFixer yes I tryed to clean it not coming off
@@staceycalder3233 vinegar Stacey,maybe give it a go if you have not already
Does the dent bother you though ?
Seems like Berkey partnered with those third parties to sell of their "seconds" or dented/damaged like you got. At the end of the day, Berkey has their brand on the product and made profit. They should have a chain of responsibility/customer service. Thanks for your posting.
My first unit was not a blemished unit , it supposively was new I paid over 300 dollars and when it arrived it was dented on side . I had to push it out
Very informative!!!
i have 2 beige washers i don't know what they are for.
Gravity / Ceramic cartridge filters are designed to remove certain pathogens from perfectly clear water such a mountain stream. If there is any silt in the water they will plug up and not allow water to flow through. You can scrub the cartridge, but soon you will reduce the thickness of the media and then it will not remove all of the pathogens. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST PRE-FILTER THE WATER UNTIL IT IS PERFECTLY CLEAR. This can be done by a combination of settling, flocculation, sand filtering, and/or common cartridge type sediment filters that are easily available. If you don't believe this, take out all but one of your ceramic cartridges, plug the other holes, add some dirty water like what you will have to use during a crisis, see how much water you can run through it before it plugs up your ceramic cartridge. You will ruin one cartridge but you will know the truth!
Another issue: if there is water in a ceramic cartridge, even a little, and that cartridge is allowed to freeze, a fine crack can occur that will allow pathogens through. You may not know it as you cannot see the crack. NEVER ALLOW YOU CARTRIDGES TO FREEZE!
Are these Berkey filters banned in CA? The Berkey store posted in site not shipping to CA bc of some kind of regulations.
Does anyone know about this?
Thx so much for helpful vid!
It’s the big one
@@karriewade1500 - not sure what you mean. Can you please explain what is the big something?
The biggest Berkey water filter.
@@karriewade1500 - 4 authorized Berkey distributors either told me or posted several places on their website that they would no ship anything but Travel Berkey to Cali. Parts and filters were not a problem.
Did you get a Big Berkey shipped to CA?
These guys are really scared about being fined if they get caught doing it.
I purchased a Big Berkey New on EBay without filters, $109.00 and replaced there filter with the ProOne (2) $133.00. No priming these filters.
Ya, I’ll be making a prepper model myself for about $60
Could I ask how you would make a prepper model? Very interested in doing this myself as well.
Basically it’s just made out of 5 gallon buckets. Buy the same or similar filters, drill holes and set on top of each other. There are plenty of videos here that show you how.
How old are from feebay what do you think about that Mr. fixer upper upper
Agreed... just priming those filters are the worst. And if you just buy the charcoal filter, they don't provide that fancy primer tool.
Oh noooo! BEWARE BUYERS! You fell for the scam. Yes, they will send partially defected items because some unreputable 3rd parties buy them like that super cheap.. they can care less if you null the warrantee as long as they get the cash..
Once the purchase changes to scratch and dent price the product no longer qualifies for its warrantee * ALWAYS ask for any company to send a new product no mater the inconvenience.
If your budget can't handle the expense of a Berkey (the cost of replacing filters is nearly the cost of your initial investment), just know there are much more economical filters. We have had a Clean & Pure filter since 2009. It's good for 20 years. No filters to replace. No priming to do. It connects to faucet in seconds. Takes up very little space. It has 6 (if I remember right) filters. Makes water taste good. Definitely improves tap water! The cost was under $40.
Berkey claims to purify almost everything. Wish Pure was that efficient! Such a hassle to set up and clean the filters.
@@conniedeaton312 I've learned more about water filters since writing those comments. We still have Clean & Pure...but we bought a Pro One which is like Berkey except it only uses 1 filter which filters over 200 contaminants..no need for multiple filters or separate one for filtering fluoride. We like it very much. I fill it daily using water filtered thru the Clean & Pure.
I found out the Clean & Pure pretty much filters out chlorine & a few other things. We wanted a system that we knew took out arsenic, fluoride, etc. We didn't realize there were over 200 contaminants & that Clean & Pure doesn't remove them. If it did, they'd proudly state it.
@@patwagner9308 Thank you so much for the update on Pro One! I trust you more than Berkey products! That will be my choice! Stay safe!!!
@@conniedeaton312 You are so welcome, Connie. Glad to be of help ! If I can be of further help, just ask. 🙋♀️
That's unreal,,I just purchased mine yesterday, I had the exact same dents ,plus I had another 1 adjacent to it,,,good packaging Berkley,,,
Has anyone with a Berkey ever tested to see if it matches their claims? I was reading that they only did independent contracted lab testing and did not receive certification from regulatory testing bodies. NYTimes tested their water using the LA city labs & independent contracted labs and they were not near as effective as Berkey claims, and Berkey refused to comment on it.
Keep in mind most people that test these do it immediately and anyone that has used a berkey knows that it takes like a dozen or so cycles for that filter taste to go away. Which means there is a higher PPM count in the beginning. I used a berkey with the fluoride filters and charcoal filters for 4 years 4-6gallons a day and it filters excellently. The claims of 2-3k gallons is more like the minimum.
Thanks for sharing this info., it was very helpful!