It really does have many caveauts to effective use. I use colloidal silver on cuts, etc. and sending an electrical current (low) through a silver annode can be beneficial-but too much of a good thing--is often bad for you, too.
@@honeybadgerismeI know silver is Anti microbial, but can you explain the electrical current part? What's that for? And what voltage/current power do you use?
@@DarkGhostHacker It's older medical chemical laboratory equipment used in measuring ionic resistance in a measured amount of solution I think? It was so long ago and it was so rarely used. But basically, my job was to polish the silver anode because the test created tarnish on it which would impact the results. Change out the solution and document the maintenance. Yay! Night shift! lolz
If only the FDA, EPA, USDA et. al., did their JOB in the first place, we wouldn't have water worries the way we do. You lost me at the W.H.O., who doesn't give a rat about our water or anything else for that matter. What happened in Flint? What happened in Camp LeJeune? Where were they when it was discovered that the amount of microplastics in bottled drinking water was exposed? Crickets! Using plastic cutting board or ice trays? Crickets! What about all the microplastics in everything else? Crickets! I have three gravity fed filters, including the black Berkey and I trust them more than any countertop pitcher.
Water quality is an extremely complex issue with various contributing factors. Regulatory agencies like the EPA and FDA have established guidelines and regulations for some contaminants (MCLs) but ensuring consistent water quality across different regions is challenging and is often balanced with feasibility and cost borne by treatment facilities.
@@waterfilterguru Uh huh. I don't trust them for a second. Why are they still putting fluoride in the water, despite it having no proven benefits at all, and has actually shown to cause harm? Why is it only practiced in certain countries, and not in the vast majority? Infants and children drink that water too. Its horrendous! This is not meant to be medical advice.
I am a back packer. I use a Sawer mini filter like the Sawer squeeze. I drink water out of mud puddles and rivers and lakes. It is the most popular light weight filter there is. It claims it can filter 100,000 gallons. .2 micron. I never got sick in the 30 years I have used filters.
Like others have said, as soon as you mentioned WHO, EPA, & CDC, everything went out the window. The only way that you'll know what you're getting, is to buy whatever water system you're looking to buy and test the water yourself (before & after). Water test kits are not expensive, but do your research on that as well (look up the company). Once you find a good test kit, it would be good to have in case you're having doubts about some water that you filtered or treated yourself.
Spot on. This is the exact process you should use when determining what type of water treatment is best for your unique situation. Water quality varies drastically from place to place, and using a data-driven approach is the best way to ensure you end up with products capable of addressing your specific needs. I actually made an entire video that goes over this step by step in detail th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
Fun fact: settlers in the old west used to toss in some silver coins in their water and milk barrels. Kept them fresh and safely drinkable. Silver compounds are used in the medical arena for infection control too. Capacities are based on relatively clean water (little sediment). Always prefilter water before putting in those filtration setups. Best container to use is copper. But no one sells those. About bleach - it has a shelf life of 6-9 months so you cannot store it for very long. You can get potassium hydroxide crystals and make your own 'bleach' solution when needed. For UV to work, you must have POWER! In a SHTF scenario, power may not be available. SUNLIGHT can disinfect water! Plastic containers might now be ideal for this - use clear glass. Kinda like making Sun Tea in a way. Glass container in the sun for a few hours or so.
If your ever using lake or steam water you should be prefiltering before you put it in one of those gravity filters. Cloudy or murky water will clog those filters quickly, only clear should go in them. That's also the time to disinfect, after prefiltering but before the gravity filter.
@@javaman2883 After a few months go by, bleach won't be viable nor available. So, prefiltering and boiling before filtering is probably the only way to do it. And it must be done far in advance of need too. Takes a while to boil water, a while to let it coo, and a while to gravity filter. Even rainwater needs to be prefiltered and sanitized before filtering.
I have a countertop ice machine, it would start to make me very mildly sick and develop a biofilm after a few weeks of use without cleaning and disinfecting. I would exchange about a gallon of chlorinated municipal water per week from replenishing the water as it was used. I tossed a 2 inch piece of solid 12awg copper electrical wire into the reservoir, way more than necessary but easy to obtain and keep track of. Now after a couple months there is a bunch of sediment and debris in the bottom that I believe would have been that biofilm that the copper has killed off and after months I don't get sick. It does cause some dark staining where hard water buildup would occur but now I change the water and clean the unit when the minerals in the water start preventing the ice from forming a nice crystal, it starts to more closely resemble hard pack slush and the ice doesn't last as long. That usually takes 4-8 gallons so time is very dependent on usage and minerals in your water and how long you want to let it go. As part of cleaning I run some citric acid through the machine (same as in ice machine cleaner, I usually run it a little stronger but try to roughly match the concentration) which also etches and brightens the surface of the copper, it turns it almost pink, so I only leave it in for the first couple minutes of the cleaning cycle.
I run a water test weekly on my berkey, testing for virus, bacteria and different pesticides and chemicals and also ph. I also run a water distiller. I disagree with the time for boiling water. I found boiling water for 5 minutes work the best for sanitizing water from the gravity feed berkey. BUT the pressure cooker works wonders for sanitation of water. Also remember to replace the minerals that are lost during this as distilled water loses the minerals. I also balance the ph of my water to keep it at a 7.5 to 8 ph. If you use a gravity fed filter please remember to keep it extremely clean. I use 100% vodka as a sanitizing rinse.
Interesting about the 5 minutes of boiling. Not a big deal really. Pasteurization only takes a minute with milk but doesn't completely kill all of the bacteria. It reduces it by a factor of 5.
If you use reverse osmosis....does adding mineral drops make the water more alkaline and less acidic? I noticed using RO water in my ice maker keeps the ice maker spotless... but at the same time it's starting to corrode the rods... I'm guessing I should have been adding minerals to the water before making ice
As a long-time Berkey owner I have never been under the impression that the black (original Berkey) filters "killed" bacteria. Instead I have believed that the filters "trapped" bacteria since the porosity of the filter medium is smaller than the bacteria itself. I then assumed that the living bacteria died over time and eventually clogged the filter, along with all the other stuff trapped within the filter - hence a backwash cycle. If Berkey (and others) use silver to kill the bacteria within the filter medium then so much the better. Whether or not it is classified by the WHO as a bacteria and virus killer matters little to me, since it is merely an adjunct to the function of the filter. In my opinion the filter would still function without the silver, possibly with a reduced life cycle.
@@waterfilterguru Unless I am missing something, my takeaway from your presentation would infer that manufacturers are misrepresenting their products by stating (or implying) that the silver kills bacteria. In the case where the >3 micron filter medium is actually responsible for keeping the bacteria out of the potable water, questioning the efficacy of the silver infers that the medium is not working properly. In my humble opinion, the filter is working just fine - delivering potable water to the user. Bacterial growth on the dirty side of the medium is not an impediment to producing potable water. As I'm sure you are aware bacterial growth is everywhere, and nowhere more prevalent than in our food chain. 😁 Thank you for time and effort you put into this video.
@@governmentsnizzinspector2305when I get one, and I'm going to, I'll test it myself and hopefully get back to you. I have 7 state licenses and 27 yrs of experience in a lab. Hopefully I'll find this video again better yet I'll save it to my list .
@@wolf-ls7jxdef would like to hear your findings, I personally have a berkey for emergencies but only as a filter before treating using the h2go for disinfection as I’d rather be extra safe especially with the controversy over the past years.
I think the very most important thing is to know your water source and what you are trying to filter. For me living very rural with mountain stream the only real thing we have to worry about is giardia, which is super simple to remove with a decent ceramic filter, since they are a large organism. If I lived in the city I would have to worry about a whole host of other contaminants - not all are organisms.
You got it! 🤙 Testing to determine exactly what contaminants are present that need to be addressed is the first step in determining proper water treatment. For anyone reading, I made a video explaining all about this in detail th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for sharing your perspective. It's important to critically evaluate all sources of info. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are major public health institutions that base their guidelines and recommendations on extensive scientific research and peer-reviewed studies. While these organizations are not without criticism and scrutiny (obviously), they are charged with protecting public health and safety. Their guidelines are developed by experts in the field and are continually reviewed and updated based on the latest scientific evidence. If you have concerns about the information provided by these organizations, l'd encourage you to look into the primary research and data they use for their decision making and guidelines.
@@waterfilterguru You mean the SAME institutions who REQUIRED a so called 'vaccine' and funded and deployed the covid bio weapon? Foock off. NEVER trust liars- especially government liars--- its for your OWN GOOD that we are FORCING you.
@@waterfilterguru As RFK Jr. has pointed out in his MAHA- Make America Healthy Again- movement: The boards of the organizations, that are supposed to be concerned for our safety, are full of execs from big ag and big pharma, who's main motive is profit. There are hundreds of toxins in our food that are banned in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
@@waterfilterguru The name is misleading......when you peek behind the curtain, then it becomes clear. We are no longer talking about tin foil hat stories. These 3 letter agencies are no longer credible, they are owned by the elite, and they have an agenda.
I’ve had the same Black Berkey filters in my device for 10 years refilling it about twice a week. At 6 gallons a week time 52 weeks that equates to 3120 gallons. Yes, it has slowed down and I have to clean it once in a while. I will have it tested since watching your video but for now it’s working fine and tastes great.
I have about the same, put new ones in (10) years ago after moving from my cabin where I used a trout stream a water for my Berkey. I just bought replacement filters, but maybe I don't need them since I'm on city water now?
@@kellysmithmarketing When I was in college (mid 80s) some of the civil engineering guys got a say 2' section of 80-100 year old I'm guessing 10" (too long ago to remember exactly) water pipe the city was replacing... The inside was like 2" of scum all around (really only 6" dia of open pipe)... You'd puke at the thought of drinking tap water that ran through that thing, but I'm sure people had been for decades.
"Yes, silver is indeed used in surgery for its antimicrobial properties. Silver has been recognized for centuries for its ability to kill bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. In modern medicine, silver is used in various forms to prevent infections, particularly in surgical settings. Some common applications include: 1. **Wound Dressings**: Silver is often incorporated into wound dressings to prevent infection in surgical wounds or chronic wounds, like diabetic ulcers. 2. **Catheters and Implants**: Medical devices, such as catheters or surgical implants, may be coated with silver to reduce the risk of infection. 3. **Sutures**: Silver-coated sutures are sometimes used to close surgical wounds, as they help reduce the risk of surgical site infections. 4. **Burn Treatments**: Silver sulfadiazine cream is commonly used to treat burns and prevent infections in burn wounds. Silver's antimicrobial action works by interfering with the cell membranes of bacteria, disrupting their ability to function and reproduce. This makes it an effective tool in reducing the risk of infection in surgical settings." - Chatgtp 🤷♂️
Yes, there is no disputing the bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of silver. You might find a more relevant answer if you ask the AI what silver is used for in water filters 😉
@@waterfilterguru yeah ask the ai who is super biased, like when u ask it if u can be racist towards any ethnicity group it say u can be it towards every race OTHER then white, so no ai needed if u got a brain yourself :D
I wouldn't go that far, but I hear you on the soda. The only amazing thing about soda and for that matter most bottled juices in the U.S, is that they haven't been outlawed yet.
@@jandcschwartz Don't eat snow. It is contiminated with all the chemicals that are being sprayed in those chem trails in the sky. It's not conspiracy theory. Geoengineering has done tests on the snow and rain water they captured and it's horribly contaminated and includes micro polymer particles (plastics) used to keep the trails afloat in the sky longer.
I make my own "Silver" and have for years. Like many of the people comment" Don't trust most government agency's". I use around 1 qt. to 40 gals. of water. I change it out every 3 years. It has always been good. To buy silver in a store it quit expensive. I turn 85 in a few days and I lived in Alaska for 30 year and we used spring water and well water. I have treated lots of water. Just us common sense and read up on different ways to treat it. For water in the bush I used a good pump filter. Don't trust drinking out of a lake or stream with out using a good filter. If you get "braver fever" You will learn a lesson never do it again. Gman
Would you mind sharing or telling me how to use Silver, what type of silver in purifying water? I would really appreciate your feedback. I own a Berkey
When my cat shows any kind of eye infection I put a couple drops of silver into his eyes and I promise the next day his eyes are completely cleared up! I’ve been using this stuff for many years and it works every time
I have seen mike Adams test the Berkey filter for the removal of Glyphosate, and it does in fact remove 100% of Glyphosate, best water you can drink is municipal water that has been ran through a 5 stage filter system, so i use the water machine at the store here where i live because it does just that, then as an extra precaution for the removal of Glyphosate, i run it through my Berkey, i have a TDS meter to test the solids after i filter it, 0-50 ppm is considered ideal drinking water, mine is at 4 ppm, that's it, then i test the water out of my tap and it's as high as 495 ppm, 500ppm is the highest level of contaminates that the EPA will allow in municipal drinking water. cost me 75cents a gallon.
Hey thanks for your comment. Keep in mind a TDS meter measures charged ions in the water, like minerals, metals and salts. It doesn't account for uncharged contaminants like organic compounds including herbicides like glyphosate (roundup) Check out this explanation of what a TDS meter does and does not measure: th-cam.com/video/yHvdYWXiVzI/w-d-xo.html
Does the same apply to the British version who started the company but there was a split. The Berkefeld gravity water filter is sold here with a ceramic candle that does not last as long. It is much cheaper to buy. Doulton supply them. What do you think on this? I have been told it is better & that the filters will last longer than they say The filters certainly has a better appearance.
I haven't made a video on it yet, but check out this article with all the data from our first couple rounds of testing waterfilterguru.com/british-berkefeld-vs-berkey/
Fun fact: The first thing the Pilgrims did when they got off the ship was to set up a still to start making drinkable water. This was about 1-2% alcohol (what we could call very light beer today) and would store longer than plain disinfected water, since they didn't have anything better than wooden barrels to store it in. The most important thing, IMO, to have in an emergency is a way to boil water and cook. A proper solar oven can do this, but a few tanks of propane and a camping stove also works.
@@waterfilterguru I just wanted to mention it as we see all of these emergency kits and yet none of them seem to list the obvious issue of cooking. I mentioned a solar oven as if designed properly, it can get to over 300F and save a ton of supplies. This is a good DIY project as well, since all you need is a box, some heat resistant coating or metal inside, a reflector, and a piece of tempered glass. Plus an oven thermometer, of course. Camping stoves are fine, but wasting energy to boil water.. save the fuel for the actual cooking.
Forgot to mention that any Bleach used must clearly state - For Sanitation or Disinfection - As most do not as they are for washing clothes and general cleaning. Crazy important
@@waterfilterguru I though that I would make it perfectly clear and many viewers all over don't pay enough attention. In this case of critical importance
The scented bleach is toxic, the smell is a nasty chemical. Just plain bleach is not a great disinfectant. I add the bleach to the water AFTER it goes through the water filter, to make sure nothing lived through it, or anything will grow afterwards. To use enough bleach solution to disinfect water majes it taste like pool water, and upsets your stomach. If that's all you've got, use it. A lot better an upset stomach than diarrhea that can kill you! I had a Berkenfeld. My ex-fiancee threw it out, with 8 high Quality filters, and god knows what else I can't afford to replace anymore. That's one of many reasons the prefix "Ex" was used.
I always recommend disinfection in addition to filtration to ensure water is safe and potable before consumption. Check out this video where I explain everything about emergency water prepardness you need to know th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru I appreciate this Quick question Long term water storage I keep 10 55 gallon food grade barrels in my garage that I fill up from the hose after running the water through to make sure it’s clean I rotate the water out every 6 months the most When I fill the barrels up do you recommend adding bleach and if so how much/when/ofter per 55 gallon barrel? Then when the water is used from the barrel it should still be filtered ? Of course it would be boiled at that point if ingested No reason to boil it if for cleaning purposes I would appreciate it if you could answer this one question for me I plan on watching a bunch of your videos today I like the way you back up your discussions with science amd tests I’ve always had my doubts about what the manufacturers put out there Growing up it was much simpler just strain with a handkerchief and boil Only drink the water my horse would drink 🤷♂️✌️
none, safe your money and just use tap water than just boil the water for 5 minutes then you are good. The problem with all businesses they all want to mk money and don't care about society in general, sadly but true!
Silver/copper has been used to treat water for hospitals for years to prevent Legionella in the cold water side. The blocks wear down through electrical ionization. Water samples are tested monthly by independent labs. On the hot water side, water temps are turned up to sanitize the piping.
Yes, there's no disputing the bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of silver. That said, it's important to distinguish that silver is used in water filters to prevent bacteria growth in the filter itself, not to disinfect the water being treated.
I have been a backpacker for 50 years. I only had a problem one time in my life when I washed my dishes in a creek using raw creek water rather then filtered water because after a ten mile hike threw the mountains i was just to tired to filter my wash water. I learned my lesson and never do it again. I have backpacked all over the south eastern united states from Virginia to Florida and all states in between taking my drinking water and cooking water out of creeks that ran threw the area. I was always careful about my water though i used a ,02 ceramic and carbon water filter and added bleach after filtering. I figured the ceramic filter filtered out all the dirt and grime and most of the chemicals and the bleach killed anything left in the water like viruses and bacteria. That has worked very well for me and in a shtf scenario I will continue to do the same thing unless we have a nucellar event then I don't think anything will help unless I take my water from a deep water well which I also have in my bugout location in the mountains. At home I distill my water to get all the chemicals out and it works great I don't need my daily dose of fluoride to rot my brain, but I have a big berky incase of a power outage. I also have a spring head behind my house which runs year around. all of us backpackers know that if you take your water from a spring head where its coming out of the ground it is pure and you don't even have to filter it unless the water is standing in the spring. I used a big berky for several years until the filters clogged up then I would switch them out for new ones. They seemed to work fine as well. I just switched to a distiller because i wanted more chemical protection but i don't know if it would purify the radiation out of the water and i hope i never have to find out.
Got a pro one about a year ago, my wife’s got a bad kidney, fluoride is really bad for people with CDK, it’s always amazing to me. How bad water taste now if I go to a local restaurant and get tapwater, or accidentally take a swig from my own tap, tastes like a massive amount of chemicals. definitely appreciate the advice to still boil anything that’s not coming straight out of a tap, especially in an emergency situation
Belt and suspenders approach - as you've mentioned, disinfect and filter. As long as you have the PROPER filter that filters out herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals (typically something with GAC) you should not get sick.
I have whole house water filters in my garage and I use to use ProPur filters in the stainless steel Berky type containers. What’s weird is PPM tested at my kitchen faucet is about 150 ppm but tested after going through Propur filters it’s almost 200 ppm. Why would filtered water go up in ppm? Looks like something is being added not filtered. So for the past few years I only drink and use distilled water that I make at home.
It's hard to say what is causing an increase in TDS by just using a meter alone. It could be something nefarious or beneficial to health, the problem is you won't know unless you conduct more thorough lab testing. That's one of the drawbacks of using a TDS meter to measure water quality, that it doesn't tell you if water is healthy or not.
Off topic - I have been using Brita pitcher filters for 25 years and: A few months ago I noticed that I could taste something like Contact Cement and when I changed the filter this went away for another filter change, then I could smell it again and removed the filter and could smell it again. We have very clean water here so I have ditched water filters for now anyway. In the EU the likes of plastics used in water filters and SodaStream units need to replace every 2 years due to PBA and likely PBS in them. Lately there is considerable evidence of Micro and Nano particles in abundance in our water and environment as well a lot built up in our bodies. Egad😱
Yep, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are widespread everywhere, the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat. The scary part is that the long term human health effects are yet unknown
@@waterfilterguru They are found in clogged arteries up to 50% of a blockage and they are certified Endocrine Disrupters off the top of my head. Just a mention
“All disease, at some period or other of its course, is more or less a reparative process, not necessarily accompanied with suffering: an effort of nature to remedy a process of poisoning or of decay, which has taken place weeks, months, sometimes years beforehand, unnoticed.” - Florence Nightingale
@@waterfilterguru I can't say that the surgical equipment is coated with silver. Most are stainless steel etc. Colloidal silver is used to some extent for certain dressings.
Many different kinds of medical devices, from surgical tools to implants to MRI machines, incorporate metal coatings and finishes to provide or enhance various beneficial characteristics. Applying a thin metal coating, as through the plating process, to the outside of a medical device, can make it more electrically conductive, reflective, resistant to bacteria, and more. Silver is one of the most common metals used for plating in the medical industry. This precious metal offers numerous qualities that make it ideal for a range of medical device coating applications.
Berkey tells you to filter lake or river water through a bath towel, then treat the towel filtered water with liquid clorine/bleach or chlorine tablets before you pour it into the Berkey filter system. But i do appreciate your pointing out some of the flaws in the gravity filter system.
Berkey changed their tune since they received a stop-sale order from the EPA. Historically, Berkey claimed you could pour untreated surface water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and viruses directly through their system without proper disinfection. Here's an example of what one distributor website used to look like just a couple years ago in 2022 where they claimed _"These have been tested to remove 203 contaminants commonly found in drinking water, including viruses (99.999%), pathogenic bacteria (99.9999%)..."_ web.archive.org/web/20220818050912/www.berkeyfilters.com/products/big-berkey
I have two of the stainless gravity units (one Berkey, one B.Berkfeld), i have some black Berkey elements stashed away but i generally use the (real) Doulton white ceramic filters - water from my well or from the half dozen rain barrels around my yard. I usually bring the rain water inside in 1gal containers, add a few drops of bleach and typically it sits overnight, then filter... Never gotten sick yet. I think if I had to resort to scummy pond water or other questionable sources I'd at least double filter it... Probably once through a coffee filter it cheesecloth just to remove any large solids, then through an old Brita pitcher I have (bunch of spare filters for that), then add bleach and filter through the stainless unit. I do think it's important to understand that "survival" to me means clean enough to reasonably drink without getting near-term sick - not necessarily removing lead, chlorine, etc, things that honestly might take months or years to seriously affect you... You want really clean water go for R/O or distillation.
Thanks for sharing - you absolutely nailed it! I hope everyone reads your comment 👍👊 This is exactly what many of these brands selling emergency prep water filters *_don't_*_ tell you_ and why I made this video all about proper emergency water preparation techniques th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
I feel like I'm being mislead by youtube creators haha. Oh,,, and just about everyone else. I use a berkey and have for years. I have well water with sediment. A lot of what it claims to remove just isn't a issue for the avg user. Amish have been using them for decades. Now please do a video addressing why the government really went after berkey.
In Europe we have acces to Doulton gravity filters that do have NSF certification. Berkey claims about the capacity of their filters are to high to be true compared to other manufacturers.
The Doulton Ultra Sterasyl filters are the only filters of this type I'm now aware of that have some performance certifications. Here's the link for anyone reading that's interested info.nsf.org/Certified/Common/Company.asp?CompanyName=doulton&_gl=1*1luvb3a*_ga*MTQwNjUzNTE4My4xNzE4NDc5MzA5*_ga_P2KS3C05YD*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjEuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA.*_gcl_au*OTY1MjU0NzIyLjE3MjAxMjAwMTY.*_ga_B3R74P2MZC*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjAuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA I've got these on my list to test in an upcoming project!
15:54 Did you send a sample of unfiltered river water to be tested as a baseline? Proper scientific method would require a baseline to ensure that in fact there were contaminants in the original sample.
People need to understand the difference between something being antimicrobial by inhibiting the growth of additional bacteria vs being antimicrobial by killing already existing bacteria. A material or chemical may be great at the former while failing at the latter.
Ive taken about 12 foot of 12 Guage stripped copper wire and washed it with dish soap then wrapped it into a coil and added it to the top chamber in the space around my filter. I dont have any way to test it but i THINK this should help my filter stay cleaner longer. It should leach copper oxide into the water as its being filtered then the filter should absorb it. It may reduce the life of my filter but i hope it helps it stay cleaner. It seems like its working but could just be placebo effect who knows
Your statement about how silver needs higher concentrations and longer contact time makes me think i should add mlre copper wire for there to be a real chance of it doing anything
I think I hear where this video is coming from, in trying to say that a data-driven approach is best. To buy the products and see for ourselves through testing the water before and after. This I can respect and understand. What I think has been upsetting has been the lack of due process that the EPA insisted on, so in my eyes (and it seems many others), it tarnished its reputation by essentially discriminating against Berkey. Issuing a stop sale order on the company and tanking its sales, even if it did seem justified, came across as arbitrary and corrupt. To people, it seems to minute and trivial. Why is silver in one company’s product being made out to be such a huge deal when we have major challenges that we should be focusing on in terms of treating our water and we are not really getting the job done? Like others have mentioned, estrogenics and forever chemicals still leech into the waterways. That should be EPA’s focus, not some company trying to make an honest living. Berkey was pretty compliant too before they issued the stop sale order. If you listen to the CEO’s interviews on Rumble, you’d hear that they took off statements from their website like you alluded to above. Berkey made a good point as a defense, though, that other companies use silver in their filters, yet the EPA hasn’t targeted them. To top it off, they have given Berkey the run around with a lack of transparency or respondency to the concerns mentioned by the company. When an organization like the EPA acts in this manner, it hampers their credibility and ruins public trust. This eventually creates an oppositional crowd that resists these organizations and their suggestions, and that crowd grows. At that point, data stops taking precedence because the real issue here is trust, and it has been lost. So while I appreciate the idea of pursuing data instead of taking other’s words for it, the whole issue between the EPA and Berkey is really another matter entirely and probably should not be part of this video. As others have said, that was an immediate turn off for me. Many people have apparently experienced negative experiences with the EPA. It’s important to remember, water filters are more than just data - they are part of people’s livelihoods and to mess with that means more than just following the data - it means a major breach of trust if not treaded carefully and fully explained. A good remedy for the EPA to pursue would be to lift the stop sale order immediately under the condition that Berkey stops using silver in their technology, and then leave them alone. If silver is such a contentious issue, fine, omit it. But people are not able to buy the company’s products now thanks to the EPA. Imagine how it would feel if you went to the grocery store and all of a sudden your superfood you so highly believed would be your saving grace was confiscated on the grounds that it was not 100% organic. Okay… so does that mean we can never buy that food again? So now we are forced to buy other foods? This is definitely overreach, and was the fault of the EPA, even though they were correct to ask Berkey to retract its claims. The onus should lie on the EPA to change. I spoke with my senator and told him about this issue. He said that our state is doing the best they can to continue to treat their waterways and are being funded by the EPA and provided all sorts of grants. That is great, I appreciate that. But please focus on that and leave these companies alone. If people really have an issue and want to file claims on Berkey or force them to stop selling their products, the public is smart enough to decide that.
Hey thanks for your in-depth comment, this is great stuff. I'm actually working on a video that does a deep dive into the Berkey issue and what actually happened. At the end of the day, Berkey failed to comply with federal law in the United States, which is what lead to the stop-sale order being issued. I completely agree that it's unfair that only one company was targeted, while there are so many others making the same claims and not complying with regulation under FIFRA. From what I've seen in the court documents, the EPA gave Berkey 3 options to come into compliance, all 3 of which they declined - it's really interesting to investigate this issue from all angles. Stay tuned for that video!
I would add that silver should be taken off the pesticide list because it is not poisonous to animals or people even in large concentrations of a dilution with water aka colloidal silver. I have consumed gallons per day in hot summer weather, of high ppm concentration alongside my elderly mother for years with the result of never being sick, no flus or colds, no cancer, clear mind, and also never turning blue, (like the idiots who used low % silver mixed alloy coins and tap water to electrolyze into an impure water). Silvadine burn treatment ointment saved me from infection from 2nd and 3rd degree burns because it had silver in it. To list silver as a pesticide is absurd and asinine. It is naturally occuring in high altitude mountain streams in high %s so natural and non-toxic. It was put there to scare people away from its healing and protective properties by Big pharma and bottled water companies who produce bottled water at the same ppm of toxins as tap water. Your lucky if you get bottled water that tests at 256 ppm. Zero Water delivers 0% of participants for a O ppm meaning nothing. But it works so well that you want to replace the good minerals it takes out. But silver is wrongly vilified when it was made like gold to heal the body and mind. Try colloidal gold and get the sharpest mind in your county.
My tap water smells extremely strong of chlorine and my sense of smell is compromised. My berkey style is primarily to remove the chlorine and fluoride.
Hi thanks for watching and for your comment. Keep in mind that the most nefarious contaminants are undetectable by sight, taste and smell. So even if the water looks and tastes great, it could still be contaminated. Fluoride is a good example - you typically can't see, taste or smell it in water
Thanks for all of your research and info! Can you PLEASE review "The Water Machine"? I can't comprehend how they claim that one set of filters will last for 10 years at 1.5 gals of water a day. Please help. I want to invest in a counter top gravity filter but on the fence about which one to get. Thank you!!!
It's on my list to test at some point, thanks for your request! Claims like that are all too similar to what we saw from Berkey. There's a reason these brands refuse to get their filters official performance certified... Exaggerated filter capacity claims with no certifications is a big red flag
Berkeley's claim is using the filtration system for standard water used in our homes. Running your tap water through which is relatively clean to begin with is their filter length claim. The less clean the water the more often the filters need to be changed.
They changed their tune since the EPA stop-sale order. Berkey was marketed for years as a solution to filter untreated surface water that's microbiologically unsafe, and claimed to reduce bacteria, virus, and parasites. The best way to ensure potable water is to use a proper method of disinfection paired with filtration.
When I bought mine several years ago my understanding was what I said earlier. Originally it "was" marketed as a filtration system designed and used on the mission field.
Silver, and Zinc for that matter, does not kill bacteria and viruses. What it does do is prevent bacteria and viruses from reproducing. So if there are 1,000 ‘bugs’ in the input water then if you use it right away there will still be 1,000 ‘bugs’ coming out of the filter. If you don’t use it right away there won’t be 10,000 ‘bugs’ a couple hours later in the filter material. You may have 10,000 ‘bugs’ down in the filtered water reservoir because the silver is still up in the filter materials, not down in the filtered water inhibiting reproduction. You need to kill the bugs before it goes through the filter. Boiling it or adding a little bit of bleach or hydrogen peroxide will kill them and then the filter will remove the chlorine taste and the dead bugs.
In regard to how much water the filter will filter, isn't it a function of how contaminated the water is? My thought is that the filter filters as well the 10000th gallon as the first. It may well filter much more than 6000 gallons. So, if a filter will filter down to 5 microns new it should still filter down to 5 microns when well used the only difference is the rate of filtration. When the filter is brand new let's say it filters 5 gph but when old it may only do 1/2 gph. A filter doesn't start passing 10 microns when it is old does it? Maybe I don't understand why it would not filter at its stated microns whether old or new. Your thoughts? Thanks
Hey thanks for your comment, great questions! Not all water filters work the same, there are multiple different methods and treatment processes that target different contaminants. When you mention micron size, you are typically talking about removing contaminants based on their physical particle size. Other filters that use ion exchange resin or carbon media remove contaminants via different processes (ion exchange and adsorption). Some of these types of filters will have a rated capacity, meaning they should be effective up to the manufacturer's specifications until that capacity has been reached. That said, water quality directly impacts filter capacity, meaning that the more contaminated the water is the faster the filter will 'fill up' with contaminants or 'exhaust' the media and reach capacity. This article explains a bit more in detail: waterfilterguru.com/water-filtration-systems/ I hope this helps!
Great video!!! Water filtration which can become a health and safety issue definitely deserves this type of deep dive video. I've been saying for years that these brands that have made millions could easily afford to get certified but they don't because they know they won't pass. It has nothing to do with the certs being expensive. With everything we've learned about Berkey I'm not sure why anyone would still use it or similar un-certified brands other than brand loyalty. And brand loyalty only ever benefits the company. If you're going to use a uncertified filtration system why waster the money, might as well make one yourself you aren't all that concerned about it actually working, save some money.
Thanks for your comment, and I'm glad you liked the video. You nailed it - the only reason these brands refuse to get even one performance certification is because they know their filters will fail & they won't be able to make the same claims which are used to justify inflated costs.
BSA circa 1960. Filter water through a clean cotton tight weave cloth. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. To improve taste areation is needed. Swish back and forth between two containers.
Silver absolutely disinfects. It's ability to keep water untainted has been known for thousands of years. Though the specifics of microbiology were unknown at the time, they could see, smell, & put 2 + 2 together when it came to tainted water & sickness, so the ancient Greeks & Romans particularly preferred silver for drinking vessels. Basically everywhere in the world silver was discovered & purified, it was used as drinking & ceremonial water holding vessels.
I am not contesting the bacteriostatic/ bacteriocidal properties of silver. Rather, explaining how silver is intended to be used in water filters vs the claims made by many manufacturers
the problem with information today is that people think what they believe and what is fact have the same weight. for instance you claim they could see and smell and put 2 and 2 together.....that's how you get food poisoning. We've advanced as a people for a reason and for the better. Just FYI food and drinking water can be contaminated even when it appears, smells and tastes normal. This is why brands use gimmicks like red dye tests because they know the average consumer is uneducated about contaminants and pathogens and if they see the dye disappear they think the filter is removing everything else too. Also I wouldn't put to much stock into what they were doing back in the days necessarily...the average lifespan was like 38 lol. Do some actual research on silver and not just opinions pieces and blogs written by people with no knowledge themselves.
Thanks for watching and for your comment! This brings up a good point to note, that most contaminants are undetectable by sight, taste or smell. So even if the water looks and tastes great, it may still have potentially dangerous contaminants present
@@waterfilterguru I think it's important to distinguish between "potentially dangerous contamination" and "survival"... My sister's old city house has lead piping in from the street, I'm guessing there's some tiny bit of lead contamination coming in, but she's been there 20+ years (80+yo house) and it hasn't killed her or caused serious issues. That's not a "survival" problem... Arsenic might be in enough quantity but unlikely. But bacteria/viruses could cause near immediate ("survival") issues... It's an important distinction IMHO. If you want to remove all "potentially dangerous contamination" go for a RO system or distillation. My worries for "survival" are things that could kill me before the radioactive fallout does. :P
With all this knowledge you have , what type of water filtration system do you recommend ? I have a 2 stage under counter point of use system . The 2.5 x 10 cartridge carbon block filters ( made in usa) first is 5 micron and second .5 micron . They are changed every 6 mo. What do you think about the filter system I use and do you have any suggestions on how to improve it ? Thanks Joe Used on a municipal water system .
It depends, there is no 'one size fits all' filtration solution. I made a video with the step by step process to identify the best water filtration system for your unique needs. Check it out here th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html It's hard to say if your 2 stage point of use filter is sufficient or not without knowing what contaminants or water issues are present that need to be treated. That's why testing your water is so important!
To date, in terms of water improvement of our generally very safe and clean water in Scotland, I landed on a Berkefeld filter with ceramic units. It is decanted into bottles and kept in the fridge, ready for drinking and cooking. That takes care of some "negatives" you wouldn't normally see and the chlorine smell and taste, which is more and more apparent. You used to not be aware of it at all, but we all know they're dealing with more "stuff" now in the treatment plants. We don't have fluoride (thank goodness), but I'll deal with that if we ever do. We originally bought a Berkey (at much greater cost), which came with parts missing and completely failed the dye tests I did when I finally got them, at which point I sent it back (a supplier via Amazon). To date, we have never been refunded the circa £450 spent, nor the extra money I spent sourcing parts. I think we were scammed, so beware. I always have bottled water ready to go and a large stock of water purification tablets to use for all other sources, including water from the water bob I keep in the bathroom and the water butts outside. I also have a variety of other things, like colloidal silver and hydrogen peroxide, etc. If I had to use an external or otherwise contaminated water source, I'd mechanically filter it, then filter it and then boil and cool it. Boiling, at the end of the day, if pretty foolproof, but you have to have preps available to do that if the power goes out. If I couldn't boil the water, I'd use the tablets. Relying on a single method of cleaning and purifying water isn't the best way to go. You have to evaluate the risk and take the appropriate steps.
Hey thanks for your comment and sharing what you do to prepare. You nailed it - having multiple methods of water treatment prepared is the best way to ensure potable water in an emergency. Cheers from across the pond 🤙
I am confused. So none of the filter water treatments are good other than Pro One? What about if you do not worry about the preparedness? If you just want to have a home water filter that takes out chloramines, fluoride, and of course all the other nasties? What do you recommend?
I made a video covering the step by step process to follow to find the best water filter for your specific needs, check it out here th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
Good call out. As others in the comments have mentioned, a better alternative is dry pool shock granules which have a longer shelf life, and will provide the same disinfection effect
@waterfilterguru ill be waiting but here is something that might interest many... Amazon is selling 4 replacement filters for like 50 bucks . Never heard of brand they basically don't mention what they do. It does say oder free and good tasting water. So am I a fool for paying 140.00 for 2 brand name with tested bragging rights. I was 100% confused looking for filters today.
@@offgridamy717 What contaminants are in your water that need to be addressed? It's also good to note that claims of ' third party testing to NSF standards' is _not the same thing_ as holding official performance certifications. I explain that specific deceptive marketing tactic in this video th-cam.com/video/pOOvhhrYlpw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1cRFhsMxTzU-LT13&t=290
@waterfilterguru mine tested OK if you don't mind drinking brown water. I don't have a level of trust with shallow wells. My thing is remove particulates , bacteria ect. I'm on a mountain valley closer to the valley. I also have some unused life straw products.
@@offgridamy717 Proper disinfection (chemical, UV, boiling) is always recommended if well water is microbiologically contaminated. Ceramic filters can address some larger pathogens, but smaller bacteria may slip through.
Yes chlorine is adsorbed by the media in the filter (activated carbon is typically used for this). So it builds up in the filter over time until the media has reached what is called capacity, meaning it's no longer able to adsorb more chlorine and other contaminants and needs to be replaced
It depends - what contaminants are in the city water that need to be addressed? As for emergencies, I recommend proper disinfection in addition to a gravity filter. This can be accomplished pre-filtration with chemicals, then the filter will remove the disinfectant. Or post-filtration with boiling or UV. The risk with disinfecting post-filtration and filtering untreated water first is that bacteria will grow in the filter. Check out this video where I explain all of that in more detail: th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
@@laurenbrehm4966 You're referring to a disinfection method called SODIS - it works, but it takes longer than just a couple hours and should really only be used in emergency survival situations as a last resort method of disinfection. I'd recommend being prepared with chemical disinfection, which is the easiest and most convenient.
Hence, the reason for silver in the filter is to stop it from getting contaminated. Full circle stupidity here. You need multiple ways to sanitize water. These gravity fed filters are a great step in that process. The whole pesticide labeling of Berkey is such a reach. I WANT silver in my gravity fed water filters, otherwise you are filtering through a contaminated filter.@@waterfilterguru
We've loved our Clearly Filtered pitcher and always just keep it in the fridge. I wanted to take it on a road trip with us to filter tap water as we go, but am worried about potential bacterial growth inside the filter without access to refrigeration. Do you think that would be something to worry about?
Any time the disinfection chemical is removed, it creates an environment where bacteria can grow. Your best bet to avoid this is to follow the manufacturer's filter replacement instructions and clean the entire system (except the filter itself) regularly with soap and water.
I would like to know too if keeping in refrigerator makes a difference, than if you are long term camping and keeping the unit in a table without a fridge. It should not matter, but good to know these things.
Thank you. I didn't even know this was a thing. I know copper and other metals sterilize themselves somehow, so they're great for doornobs and stuff. But never thought about metals being used this way. A UV lamp or sunlight through glass, is just better.
Not all of the time. Make sure you look up the many times people got sick or died of water contamination. Did they claim the silver treatment in any of those times? Was it because it was not used or was there a bias against not claiming it once it "failed", a human trait. It is often difficult to get a scientific view of what was happening in the past.
@JoyPeace-ej2uv yeah..? Silver placed in the storage vessel.. Boil and filter out crud prior to filling storage vessel to provide SAFE drinking water. Skip a step at your own risk. News Flash: I am told, No one gets out of this alive.
I am looking for the best counter top water purifier that can convert municipal tap water into drinking water with zero contaminates...maybe an RO is only option...thanks
Aquatru, hands down geni.us/chlQv5o I've tested it multiple times, and it continues to hold its top position based on our data-driven scoring system waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/ Check out the data: Aquatru Classic th-cam.com/video/NubOZMtj68g/w-d-xo.html Aquatru Remineralizing Filter th-cam.com/video/xQCllBCJAHY/w-d-xo.html Aquatru Carafe th-cam.com/video/pcwO6VKm-0g/w-d-xo.html You might also like this one about the best countertop water filters we've tested th-cam.com/video/rAeRcqfXnRo/w-d-xo.html
The Doulton/ British Berkefeld geni.us/eiAvEH8 are the only ones that have _some_ official performance certifications that I've found. You may want to consider these
Very Informative. I have been wondering. Recently my town had a boil advisory...Now I boil my water no matter what. I used to filter my water anyway, but now I boil ALL THE TIME.
Glad it was helpful! I'd advise against boiling your tap water all the time, here's why: Boiling is primarily intended to disinfect water, to kill microorganisms like bacteria. If there is a boil water advisory, that means the water coming from the treatment plant could be compromised and might not have received proper disinfection. When there is no boil water advisory, it's safe to assume the water coming from the treatment plant is sufficiently disinfected. Additionally, boiling will only serve to actually increase the concentrations of many other dissolved contaminants present (like metals and chemicals). This is because as the water boils, the overall volume decreases as some of the water vaporizes. Many contaminants cannot vaporize so remain in the water. So as the volume of water decreases, the concentration of other contaminants in the remaining water would increase.
@@waterfilterguru ok, but I never like to assume, and i have a friend who works for the city and has told me to absolutely not drink the water from the tap. And when I boil water, Im careful to not stir it up too much because I know that the heavy metals sink to the bottom. Now Im confused.
@@mobilemomma3853 That's also not correct - heavy metals are typically dissolved in water and letting it sit won't cause them to sink to the bottom. Check out this guide to drinking water contaminants, I think it will be a helpful resource to learn more waterfilterguru.com/common-drinking-water-contaminants/
So would you say sawyer filter is better for surface water vs a berkey ? I have the berkey smallest one filter thing. It don't work well due to the container don't have anufe water to make gravity work well. And it's rubber gasket that mounts the filter inside the container gives me a slight smell/taste of petroleum.
If you plan to disinfect with chemicals, you could use the Berkey to then remove the residual disinfectant and any byproducts from the treated water. I do not recommend Berkey alone to to filter untreated surface water that's microbiologically unsafe. Alternatively, you could boil the water to disinfect it after filtration. Sawyer can be used to filter untreated water directly, as it's 0.1 micron absolute hollow fiber membrane filter is capable of physically blocking many microbiological contaminants. These will not address any dissolved contaminants like heavy metals or other chemicals, they only address suspended solids. Of course the use case for each varies as well, with a Sawyer filter being more of a solution for a single individual, whereas a Berkey or similar gravity filter can treat larger volumes of water.
We need to replace our filters. I actually had some, but found out they had coconut in them, and we have two in the family severely allergic to that. So I threw them out. Where do we buy new filters, which ones and need including fluoride filter. Silver sounds good. We have the giant stainless Berkey. The link I have to buy no longer works. We use ours everyday. Thank you so much.
Many activated carbon filters are coconut shell based. Due to what you mentioned, It would be important to always reach out to the manufacturer prior to purchase if you need to confirm what the base material was used to create the activated carbon media used in their filters.
@@waterfilterguru wow, this is a real issue. Our daughter was gradually getting sicker and sicker after she moved in with us. Doctors couldn’t identify, other than allergy- so went through 1000. $$ Of tests & diagnosis, natural treatments etc. She thought I was getting coconut mixed in my cooking. Then she switched to store bought spring water and started to recover- rashes went away, her swelling went down. She is now pretty much over it. It must have been our filter, as she isn’t using that water. Wow. Thank you.
I use a ceramic filter because it filters out Fluoride, which is in my city water. Best to have other options as well. Hasn't silver been used for filtration through the ages?
Ceramic media alone is not capable of fluoride reduction. Unless the system you are using has additional media within the ceramic shell, or additional stages with different media (like bone char carbon, activated alumina, or anion exchange resin), its likely its not actually reducing fluoride.
Great vid! Well done. Well researched. I have been using two gravity water filters for many years, and our tap water is very good with low mineral content. First pass is through our Brita and the second pass is through our Zero Water filter. I schedule reasonable filter changes for both devices. The final water really does taste good. I've always suspected that both filters are being over-promoted by the manufacturers. Your advice about boiling or using chlorine as a disinfectant is just plain common sense if you have to access emergency water from a stream, or lake.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated! I actually made a video explaining to folks your exact pre-filtering trick in order to extend the lifespan of the more expensive ZeroWater filters th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html glad to hear you're already implementing it!
I purchased an Icon Lifesaver Jerrycan system for emergency drinking water needs. Have you ever reviewed those? I just stumbled upon your video here and wanted to ask. Thanks
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for the reply. I would love to see a review of them to see if I chose wisely. They're not cheap. The only reason I chose one is that they claim to use the same system on a larger scale for third world villages that have no access to clean water. The filter cartridge (from what I've read) is prone to dry out if not used or kept moist and becomes unusable after so long. So, I purchase a foil vacuum sealed cartridge that claims to have a 10 year shelf life before usage. Mine is up in 2031, so based off your review, I'll probably purchase another vacuum sealed one on a couple of years. I don't know if the average person can actually purchase the huge tank versions that they have or if it's strictly for good will and missionary work. But, if I had that kind of money and they're available for anyone to purchase, I think I WOULD buy one of their tank systems. Yeah, check them out!! I look forward to a review from you on them.
Trying to inform folks that many of these systems marketed as a 'survival element' are oversold, and not capable of providing sufficient water disinfection alone. It's important to make sure you have some method of disinfection ready (like one of these th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=nJ4CujbJH9xHN6-r&t=171 ), in addition to filtration these systems provide
I bought a filtration system and pour tap water, after a month only drinking the filtered water which tastes great, I drank the tap water and it tasted like sewer water compared to filtered water, not going back to drinking city tap water.........
Ceramic media like the proone filters can reduce some microbiological contaminants like cysts and larger bacteria. Some smaller bacteria and viruses may get through, all depending on the ceramic pore size. I'd still recommend disinfection to be on the safe side.
I have a ProOne gravity filter system. We use it daily. I rinse the filter for regular maintenance. Since Hurricane Helene, just 5 months ago, I've been cleaning a slime off the filter. I'm now cleaning the filter monthly. The may change to weekly. This unit doesn't need electricity. I manually fill it. The water tastes very clean. No detectable chlorine tastes. Great investment
@@waterfilterguru Odd. The Aquarain is one of the older gravity fed filter systems. Early on, it was compared to the Berkey. I purchased mine, 12 or so years ago after reviewing both systems, because the Aquarain was made in the USA. Filter cost was comparable to those of the Berkey and Aquarain provided test results of filtration, too. I was unable to find much in the way of test results for the Berkey, at the time. Anyway, I use mine daily filtering the local tap water, have had no problems, clean it when necessary and am glad of my purchase.
The only performance certified filters for large stainless steel gravity-fed systems that I'm aware of are the Doulton Ultra Sterasyl: amzn.to/3WKfUCl Here are the certs: info.nsf.org/Certified/Common/Company.asp?CompanyName=doulton&_gl=1*1luvb3a*_ga*MTQwNjUzNTE4My4xNzE4NDc5MzA5*_ga_P2KS3C05YD*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjEuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA.*_gcl_au*OTY1MjU0NzIyLjE3MjAxMjAwMTY.*_ga_B3R74P2MZC*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjAuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA
A true prepper, a wise man, would never put puddle water directly into a gravity filter, we would likely pre filter, boil, possibly adding purification tablets, then put into the gravity fed filter, that's what i would do in a disaster, because i would know there are no 2nd chances, but to put dirty water in any filter, then drink it, is foolish!
100% on point, thanks for your comment! I made a video all about emergency water preparation and the steps to take to ensure clean water during a disaster, from disinfection and filtration to storage if anyone else reading this is interested th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
That would be a good question for your veterinarian. Water disinfected with chemicals (bleach) can be filtered to remove the disinfectant before consumption
Assuming you are referring to the original lifestraw straw filter - its great for reducing microbiological contaminants to make water potable, as well as suspended solids like dirt and microplastics. It is not capable of reducing chemical contaminants. The microfilter lasts up to 1,000 gallons.
I am not contesting the bacteriostatic/ bacteriocidal properties of silver. Rather, explaining how silver is intended to be used in water filters vs the claims made by many manufacturers
I’ve never seen any of these water filters marketed to filter untreated water like water from a creek. They are for removing chlorine and glyphosate from your city water.
Don’t want to rain on your parade , BUT water does not necessarily need to be BOILED ❗️ GO LOOK IT UP, the temperature needed is I believe 160 degrees , just like the Pasteurization of milk… Don’t remember EXACTLY what they are called , but there is a small temperature measuring device that is used to Pasteurize your MILK / WATER… I have one , I just haven’t pulled it out for a while… CHECK IT OUT❗️
The point is that microbiologically unsafe water should be properly disinfected before consumption, and many brands have oversold their products as a solution capable of providing disinfection
It's explained right there at 3:31 😉 even though our one lab test indicated the reduction of bacteria, there's no way to tell how long that efficacy would last, which is why we always recommend using a proper method of disinfection (like chemical, UV or boiling) in conjunction with any of these gravity fed water filters. Remember, silver is impregnated into the filters to prevent bacteria growth in the filter media itself - not disinfect all the water being filtered.
Thank you for your comment. It's always good to approach information critically and do your own research. While it's true that different organizations have different influences and policies, it's important to evaluate the evidence and scientific consensus behind water quality standards, specifically. The World Health Organization (WHO) has extensive research and expertise in public health, environmental safety & water quality. Their guidelines are based on rigorous scientific studies and peer-reviewed research. The goal, in this case, is to ensure safe drinking water, based on evidence rather than ideology. If you have specific concerns about their guidelines or methods, I encourage you to look into the primary sources and the scientific data they use.
I'd recommend doing it the other way around - the ZeroWater filters are more expensive, and by prefiltering the water first it should help extend their lifespan so they don't reach capacity and need to be replaced as often 😉
B* filter lifetime is based on filtering potable water for cosmetic purposes - e.g. filtering food coloring out of drinking water, or filtering chlorine from municipal water for taste. For me the first red flag was the uncertainty and testing mandated in the instructions to ensure the filters were installed and working correctly. The yellow flag was the need to use potable water to flush the filters.
unless you tested an unfiltered sample AND a filtered sample, all you can say is that there was no presence of SOME bacteria. It may have simply not been present in the source water...this is why control samples are so important to testing anything. You showed no source testing and did no control sample testing with, say, tap water to see what a baseline result should be. Therefore, you cannot claim the filter did anything at all.
The specific testing procedure we use is explained in our dedicated product testing videos, check out this playlist Product Testing: th-cam.com/play/PLDqZ4wajyRIC2ji0iERZf35uFwyQE5vji.html
The W.H.O. does not recommend silver as an anti-microbial which means it is probably very effective and completely harmless.
AI generated comment. Prompt was: "Write a comment that will make conspirationisst look grotesque!"
It really does have many caveauts to effective use. I use colloidal silver on cuts, etc. and sending an electrical current (low) through a silver annode can be beneficial-but too much of a good thing--is often bad for you, too.
@@honeybadgerismeI know silver is Anti microbial, but can you explain the electrical current part?
What's that for?
And what voltage/current power do you use?
@@DarkGhostHacker It's older medical chemical laboratory equipment used in measuring ionic resistance in a measured amount of solution I think? It was so long ago and it was so rarely used. But basically, my job was to polish the silver anode because the test created tarnish on it which would impact the results. Change out the solution and document the maintenance. Yay! Night shift! lolz
And used in many of the bandages I was using after reconstructive plastic surgery just 10 years ago.
Once I heard you say WHO doesn't support silver as disinfectant I knew silver was a disinfectant ....
It is a strong antibacterial - Though for all other kinds of contaminants not so much at all.
AI generated comment. Prompt was: "Write a comment that will make conspirationisst look grotesque! "
You must have failed out of school in the 4th grade.
@@ericmaclaurin8525 Silver is super great at killing bacteria.
@@ericmaclaurin8525 didn't make it past kindergarten
If only the FDA, EPA, USDA et. al., did their JOB in the first place, we wouldn't have water worries the way we do. You lost me at the W.H.O., who doesn't give a rat about our water or anything else for that matter. What happened in Flint? What happened in Camp LeJeune? Where were they when it was discovered that the amount of microplastics in bottled drinking water was exposed? Crickets! Using plastic cutting board or ice trays? Crickets! What about all the microplastics in everything else? Crickets! I have three gravity fed filters, including the black Berkey and I trust them more than any countertop pitcher.
Water quality is an extremely complex issue with various contributing factors. Regulatory agencies like the EPA and FDA have established guidelines and regulations for some contaminants (MCLs) but ensuring consistent water quality across different regions is challenging and is often balanced with feasibility and cost borne by treatment facilities.
@@waterfilterguru "They" are more concentrated on putting poisons IN our water, not taking it out, (fluoride). I trust none of them.
@@waterfilterguru Uh huh. I don't trust them for a second.
Why are they still putting fluoride in the water, despite it having no proven benefits at all, and has actually shown to cause harm? Why is it only practiced in certain countries, and not in the vast majority? Infants and children drink that water too. Its horrendous!
This is not meant to be medical advice.
The alphabet agencies are corrupt.
Infiltrated manipulated corrupted😮😢
I am a back packer. I use a Sawer mini filter like the Sawer squeeze. I drink water out of mud puddles and rivers and lakes. It is the most popular light weight filter there is. It claims it can filter 100,000 gallons. .2 micron. I never got sick in the 30 years I have used filters.
The Sawyer Mini geni.us/vtRl is a great option for an individual, on the go portable solution for drinking water
Sawyer has allowed parts of Africa to have clean water!
@@elioraimmanuel I don't understand why African countries rely on Western companies/governments to provide them with clean water. What's up with that?
I hope it's good for liver flukes cuz I got those one time and it's not fun
Like others have said, as soon as you mentioned WHO, EPA, & CDC, everything went out the window. The only way that you'll know what you're getting, is to buy whatever water system you're looking to buy and test the water yourself (before & after). Water test kits are not expensive, but do your research on that as well (look up the company). Once you find a good test kit, it would be good to have in case you're having doubts about some water that you filtered or treated yourself.
Spot on. This is the exact process you should use when determining what type of water treatment is best for your unique situation. Water quality varies drastically from place to place, and using a data-driven approach is the best way to ensure you end up with products capable of addressing your specific needs. I actually made an entire video that goes over this step by step in detail th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
What are the reliable test kits that you know?
Fun fact: settlers in the old west used to toss in some silver coins in their water and milk barrels. Kept them fresh and safely drinkable.
Silver compounds are used in the medical arena for infection control too.
Capacities are based on relatively clean water (little sediment).
Always prefilter water before putting in those filtration setups.
Best container to use is copper.
But no one sells those.
About bleach - it has a shelf life of 6-9 months so you cannot store it for very long.
You can get potassium hydroxide crystals and make your own 'bleach' solution when needed.
For UV to work, you must have POWER!
In a SHTF scenario, power may not be available.
SUNLIGHT can disinfect water!
Plastic containers might now be ideal for this - use clear glass.
Kinda like making Sun Tea in a way. Glass container in the sun for a few hours or so.
If your ever using lake or steam water you should be prefiltering before you put it in one of those gravity filters. Cloudy or murky water will clog those filters quickly, only clear should go in them. That's also the time to disinfect, after prefiltering but before the gravity filter.
@@javaman2883 After a few months go by, bleach won't be viable nor available.
So, prefiltering and boiling before filtering is probably the only way to do it.
And it must be done far in advance of need too. Takes a while to boil water, a while to let it coo, and a while to gravity filter.
Even rainwater needs to be prefiltered and sanitized before filtering.
sailing ships use to do the same thing
I have a countertop ice machine, it would start to make me very mildly sick and develop a biofilm after a few weeks of use without cleaning and disinfecting. I would exchange about a gallon of chlorinated municipal water per week from replenishing the water as it was used.
I tossed a 2 inch piece of solid 12awg copper electrical wire into the reservoir, way more than necessary but easy to obtain and keep track of. Now after a couple months there is a bunch of sediment and debris in the bottom that I believe would have been that biofilm that the copper has killed off and after months I don't get sick. It does cause some dark staining where hard water buildup would occur but now I change the water and clean the unit when the minerals in the water start preventing the ice from forming a nice crystal, it starts to more closely resemble hard pack slush and the ice doesn't last as long. That usually takes 4-8 gallons so time is very dependent on usage and minerals in your water and how long you want to let it go.
As part of cleaning I run some citric acid through the machine (same as in ice machine cleaner, I usually run it a little stronger but try to roughly match the concentration) which also etches and brightens the surface of the copper, it turns it almost pink, so I only leave it in for the first couple minutes of the cleaning cycle.
Potassium permanganate as well but have to be careful regarding amounts used
I run a water test weekly on my berkey, testing for virus, bacteria and different pesticides and chemicals and also ph. I also run a water distiller. I disagree with the time for boiling water. I found boiling water for 5 minutes work the best for sanitizing water from the gravity feed berkey. BUT the pressure cooker works wonders for sanitation of water. Also remember to replace the minerals that are lost during this as distilled water loses the minerals. I also balance the ph of my water to keep it at a 7.5 to 8 ph. If you use a gravity fed filter please remember to keep it extremely clean. I use 100% vodka as a sanitizing rinse.
Interesting about the 5 minutes of boiling. Not a big deal really. Pasteurization only takes a minute with milk but doesn't completely kill all of the bacteria. It reduces it by a factor of 5.
Which one you recommend I buy: Alexapure or Berkey???
If you use reverse osmosis....does adding mineral drops make the water more alkaline and less acidic? I noticed using RO water in my ice maker keeps the ice maker spotless... but at the same time it's starting to corrode the rods... I'm guessing I should have been adding minerals to the water before making ice
How do you clean the gravity fed filters with vodka?
Are you testing for Chromium 6? I'm looking for a filter that gets rid of that.
As a long-time Berkey owner I have never been under the impression that the black (original Berkey) filters "killed" bacteria. Instead I have believed that the filters "trapped" bacteria since the porosity of the filter medium is smaller than the bacteria itself. I then assumed that the living bacteria died over time and eventually clogged the filter, along with all the other stuff trapped within the filter - hence a backwash cycle. If Berkey (and others) use silver to kill the bacteria within the filter medium then so much the better. Whether or not it is classified by the WHO as a bacteria and virus killer matters little to me, since it is merely an adjunct to the function of the filter. In my opinion the filter would still function without the silver, possibly with a reduced life cycle.
Silver is impregnated in the water filter media to prevent bacteria growth in the filter itself - not disinfect the water
@@waterfilterguru Unless I am missing something, my takeaway from your presentation would infer that manufacturers are misrepresenting their products by stating (or implying) that the silver kills bacteria. In the case where the >3 micron filter medium is actually responsible for keeping the bacteria out of the potable water, questioning the efficacy of the silver infers that the medium is not working properly. In my humble opinion, the filter is working just fine - delivering potable water to the user. Bacterial growth on the dirty side of the medium is not an impediment to producing potable water. As I'm sure you are aware bacterial growth is everywhere, and nowhere more prevalent than in our food chain. 😁 Thank you for time and effort you put into this video.
Ever send your water in and have it tested after your berkey? I bet you didn't?
@@governmentsnizzinspector2305when I get one, and I'm going to, I'll test it myself and hopefully get back to you. I have 7 state licenses and 27 yrs of experience in a lab. Hopefully I'll find this video again better yet I'll save it to my list .
@@wolf-ls7jxdef would like to hear your findings, I personally have a berkey for emergencies but only as a filter before treating using the h2go for disinfection as I’d rather be extra safe especially with the controversy over the past years.
I think the very most important thing is to know your water source and what you are trying to filter. For me living very rural with mountain stream the only real thing we have to worry about is giardia, which is super simple to remove with a decent ceramic filter, since they are a large organism. If I lived in the city I would have to worry about a whole host of other contaminants - not all are organisms.
You got it! 🤙 Testing to determine exactly what contaminants are present that need to be addressed is the first step in determining proper water treatment.
For anyone reading, I made a video explaining all about this in detail th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
who trusts CDC I DON'T or WHO....THESE LIARS??? NO NO NO
Thanks for sharing your perspective. It's important to critically evaluate all sources of info. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are major public health institutions that base their guidelines and recommendations on extensive scientific research and peer-reviewed studies. While these organizations are not without criticism and scrutiny (obviously), they are charged with protecting public health and safety. Their guidelines are developed by experts in the field and are continually reviewed and updated based on the latest scientific evidence. If you have concerns about the information provided by these organizations, l'd encourage you to look into the primary research and data they use for their decision making and guidelines.
@@waterfilterguru what a load of bs, w.h.o is a scam, have u seen these health experts? they are all looking like corpses or they are at 300-400lbs.
@@waterfilterguru You mean the SAME institutions who REQUIRED a so called 'vaccine' and funded and deployed the covid bio weapon? Foock off. NEVER trust liars- especially government liars--- its for your OWN GOOD that we are FORCING you.
@@waterfilterguru As RFK Jr. has pointed out in his MAHA- Make America Healthy Again- movement: The boards of the organizations, that are supposed to be concerned for our safety, are full of execs from big ag and big pharma, who's main motive is profit. There are hundreds of toxins in our food that are banned in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
@@waterfilterguru The name is misleading......when you peek behind the curtain, then it becomes clear. We are no longer talking about tin foil hat stories. These 3 letter agencies are no longer credible, they are owned by the elite, and they have an agenda.
I’ve had the same Black Berkey filters in my device for 10 years refilling it about twice a week. At 6 gallons a week time 52 weeks that equates to 3120 gallons. Yes, it has slowed down and I have to clean it once in a while. I will have it tested since watching your video but for now it’s working fine and tastes great.
I'd love to see your results when you test it!
I have about the same, put new ones in (10) years ago after moving from my cabin where I used a trout stream a water for my Berkey.
I just bought replacement filters, but maybe I don't need them since I'm on city water now?
@@GardenerEarthGuy I use them on city water as there is a lot of stuff in there I don't want to drink!
@@kellysmithmarketing When I was in college (mid 80s) some of the civil engineering guys got a say 2' section of 80-100 year old I'm guessing 10" (too long ago to remember exactly) water pipe the city was replacing... The inside was like 2" of scum all around (really only 6" dia of open pipe)... You'd puke at the thought of drinking tap water that ran through that thing, but I'm sure people had been for decades.
@@captainz9 I've seen multiple pictures of that type of thing. It's awful! I also can't stand the taste of Chlorine.
"Yes, silver is indeed used in surgery for its antimicrobial properties. Silver has been recognized for centuries for its ability to kill bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. In modern medicine, silver is used in various forms to prevent infections, particularly in surgical settings. Some common applications include:
1. **Wound Dressings**: Silver is often incorporated into wound dressings to prevent infection in surgical wounds or chronic wounds, like diabetic ulcers.
2. **Catheters and Implants**: Medical devices, such as catheters or surgical implants, may be coated with silver to reduce the risk of infection.
3. **Sutures**: Silver-coated sutures are sometimes used to close surgical wounds, as they help reduce the risk of surgical site infections.
4. **Burn Treatments**: Silver sulfadiazine cream is commonly used to treat burns and prevent infections in burn wounds.
Silver's antimicrobial action works by interfering with the cell membranes of bacteria, disrupting their ability to function and reproduce. This makes it an effective tool in reducing the risk of infection in surgical settings." - Chatgtp 🤷♂️
Yes, there is no disputing the bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of silver. You might find a more relevant answer if you ask the AI what silver is used for in water filters 😉
@@waterfilterguru yeah ask the ai who is super biased, like when u ask it if u can be racist towards any ethnicity group it say u can be it towards every race OTHER then white, so no ai needed if u got a brain yourself :D
Rainwater from a mud puddle is healthier than the aisle of sodas we see at the grocery store.
interesting comparison! you might be right, soda is toxic, done by design
Maybe 40 years ago. I feel like today they are equal. I'll eat snow only after a foot has already fallen.
I wouldn't go that far, but I hear you on the soda. The only amazing thing about soda and for that matter most bottled juices in the U.S, is that they haven't been outlawed yet.
You're genuinely delusional. Good luck during the collapse drinking your contaminated puddle water, I'll enjoy my soda
@@jandcschwartz Don't eat snow. It is contiminated with all the chemicals that are being sprayed in those chem trails in the sky. It's not conspiracy theory. Geoengineering has done tests on the snow and rain water they captured and it's horribly contaminated and includes micro polymer particles (plastics) used to keep the trails afloat in the sky longer.
I make my own "Silver" and have for years. Like many of the people comment" Don't trust most government agency's". I use around 1 qt. to 40 gals. of water. I change it out every 3 years. It has always been good. To buy silver in a store it quit expensive. I turn 85 in a few days and I lived in Alaska for 30 year and we used spring water and well water. I have treated lots of water. Just us common sense and read up on different ways to treat it. For water in the bush I used a good pump filter. Don't trust drinking out of a lake or stream with out using a good filter. If you get "braver fever" You will learn a lesson never do it again. Gman
Would you mind sharing or telling me how to use Silver, what type of silver in purifying water? I would really appreciate your feedback. I own a Berkey
When my cat shows any kind of eye infection I put a couple drops of silver into his eyes and I promise the next day his eyes are completely cleared up! I’ve been using this stuff for many years and it works every time
Unfortunately, Mr. Whiskers is now mentally retarded.
What type of silver and how do you use it? Thanks
I have seen mike Adams test the Berkey filter for the removal of Glyphosate, and it does in fact remove 100% of Glyphosate, best water you can drink is municipal water that has been ran through a 5 stage filter system, so i use the water machine at the store here where i live because it does just that, then as an extra precaution for the removal of Glyphosate, i run it through my Berkey, i have a TDS meter to test the solids after i filter it, 0-50 ppm is considered ideal drinking water, mine is at 4 ppm, that's it, then i test the water out of my tap and it's as high as 495 ppm, 500ppm is the highest level of contaminates that the EPA will allow in municipal drinking water. cost me 75cents a gallon.
Hey thanks for your comment. Keep in mind a TDS meter measures charged ions in the water, like minerals, metals and salts. It doesn't account for uncharged contaminants like organic compounds including herbicides like glyphosate (roundup)
Check out this explanation of what a TDS meter does and does not measure: th-cam.com/video/yHvdYWXiVzI/w-d-xo.html
Stories about babies with a silver spoon are true, known as a reduction in childhood illness.
Yes, silver has bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties
Does the same apply to the British version who started the company but there was a split. The Berkefeld gravity water filter is sold here with a ceramic candle that does not last as long. It is much cheaper to buy. Doulton supply them. What do you think on this? I have been told it is better & that the filters will last longer than they say The filters certainly has a better appearance.
I haven't made a video on it yet, but check out this article with all the data from our first couple rounds of testing waterfilterguru.com/british-berkefeld-vs-berkey/
@waterfilterguru Thank you.
Fun fact: The first thing the Pilgrims did when they got off the ship was to set up a still to start making drinkable water. This was about 1-2% alcohol (what we could call very light beer today) and would store longer than plain disinfected water, since they didn't have anything better than wooden barrels to store it in. The most important thing, IMO, to have in an emergency is a way to boil water and cook. A proper solar oven can do this, but a few tanks of propane and a camping stove also works.
Yes, proper disinfection is vital, whether that's with heat (boiling), chemicals, or UV
@@waterfilterguru I just wanted to mention it as we see all of these emergency kits and yet none of them seem to list the obvious issue of cooking. I mentioned a solar oven as if designed properly, it can get to over 300F and save a ton of supplies. This is a good DIY project as well, since all you need is a box, some heat resistant coating or metal inside, a reflector, and a piece of tempered glass. Plus an oven thermometer, of course. Camping stoves are fine, but wasting energy to boil water.. save the fuel for the actual cooking.
Wood stove, baby! Also built a fire pit for warm weather that's raised and I can put a grate over to grill.
Pool water would be good for toilet flushing as that's very necessary
The first thing they did was take a shit.
Forgot to mention that any Bleach used must clearly state - For Sanitation or Disinfection - As most do not as they are for washing clothes and general cleaning. Crazy important
That's clarified in this video where I go more in depth about emergency water disinfection specifically th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru I though that I would make it perfectly clear and many viewers all over don't pay enough attention. In this case of critical importance
Don't use the splashless bleach, it's got additives to reduce splashing by making it thicker.
dosage guidelines on EPA website: www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water
The scented bleach is toxic, the smell is a nasty chemical.
Just plain bleach is not a great disinfectant. I add the bleach to the water AFTER it goes through the water filter, to make sure nothing lived through it, or anything will grow afterwards.
To use enough bleach solution to disinfect water majes it taste like pool water, and upsets your stomach.
If that's all you've got, use it. A lot better an upset stomach than diarrhea that can kill you!
I had a Berkenfeld. My ex-fiancee threw it out, with 8 high Quality filters, and god knows what else I can't afford to replace anymore.
That's one of many reasons the prefix "Ex" was used.
Background music is annoying and distracting from your content.
Thanks for the feedback
💯
So, what filter do you recommend?
For emergency purposes ✌️
I always recommend disinfection in addition to filtration to ensure water is safe and potable before consumption. Check out this video where I explain everything about emergency water prepardness you need to know th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru I appreciate this
Quick question
Long term water storage I keep 10 55 gallon food grade barrels in my garage that I fill up from the hose after running the water through to make sure it’s clean
I rotate the water out every 6 months the most
When I fill the barrels up do you recommend adding bleach and if so how much/when/ofter per 55 gallon barrel?
Then when the water is used from the barrel it should still be filtered ? Of course it would be boiled at that point if ingested
No reason to boil it if for cleaning purposes
I would appreciate it if you could answer this one question for me
I plan on watching a bunch of your videos today I like the way you back up your discussions with science amd tests
I’ve always had my doubts about what the manufacturers put out there
Growing up it was much simpler just strain with a handkerchief and boil
Only drink the water my horse would drink 🤷♂️✌️
none, safe your money and just use tap water than just boil the water for 5 minutes then you are good. The problem with all businesses they all want to mk money and don't care about society in general, sadly but true!
@@maritita2 thank you Julia however simply boiling the water is not always enough depending on the source
I appreciate the response ✌️
Silver/copper has been used to treat water for hospitals for years to prevent Legionella in the cold water side. The blocks wear down through electrical ionization. Water samples are tested monthly by independent labs. On the hot water side, water temps are turned up to sanitize the piping.
Yes, there's no disputing the bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties of silver. That said, it's important to distinguish that silver is used in water filters to prevent bacteria growth in the filter itself, not to disinfect the water being treated.
I have been a backpacker for 50 years. I only had a problem one time in my life when I washed my dishes in a creek using raw creek water rather then filtered water because after a ten mile hike threw the mountains i was just to tired to filter my wash water. I learned my lesson and never do it again. I have backpacked all over the south eastern united states from Virginia to Florida and all states in between taking my drinking water and cooking water out of creeks that ran threw the area. I was always careful about my water though i used a ,02 ceramic and carbon water filter and added bleach after filtering. I figured the ceramic filter filtered out all the dirt and grime and most of the chemicals and the bleach killed anything left in the water like viruses and bacteria. That has worked very well for me and in a shtf scenario I will continue to do the same thing unless we have a nucellar event then I don't think anything will help unless I take my water from a deep water well which I also have in my bugout location in the mountains. At home I distill my water to get all the chemicals out and it works great I don't need my daily dose of fluoride to rot my brain, but I have a big berky incase of a power outage. I also have a spring head behind my house which runs year around. all of us backpackers know that if you take your water from a spring head where its coming out of the ground it is pure and you don't even have to filter it unless the water is standing in the spring. I used a big berky for several years until the filters clogged up then I would switch them out for new ones. They seemed to work fine as well. I just switched to a distiller because i wanted more chemical protection but i don't know if it would purify the radiation out of the water and i hope i never have to find out.
Right on thanks for sharing 🤙
Brita was always a better example of bacterial habitat than water filtration.
Got a pro one about a year ago, my wife’s got a bad kidney, fluoride is really bad for people with CDK, it’s always amazing to me. How bad water taste now if I go to a local restaurant and get tapwater, or accidentally take a swig from my own tap, tastes like a massive amount of chemicals. definitely appreciate the advice to still boil anything that’s not coming straight out of a tap, especially in an emergency situation
Thanks for your comment! I completely agree. Since I'm used to drinking filtered water, I'm more sensitive to the taste of unfiltered water.
Belt and suspenders approach - as you've mentioned, disinfect and filter. As long as you have the PROPER filter that filters out herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals (typically something with GAC) you should not get sick.
You got it 👍🤙
I have whole house water filters in my garage and I use to use ProPur filters in the stainless steel Berky type containers. What’s weird is PPM tested at my kitchen faucet is about 150 ppm but tested after going through Propur filters it’s almost 200 ppm. Why would filtered water go up in ppm? Looks like something is being added not filtered. So for the past few years I only drink and use distilled water that I make at home.
It's hard to say what is causing an increase in TDS by just using a meter alone. It could be something nefarious or beneficial to health, the problem is you won't know unless you conduct more thorough lab testing. That's one of the drawbacks of using a TDS meter to measure water quality, that it doesn't tell you if water is healthy or not.
Off topic - I have been using Brita pitcher filters for 25 years and: A few months ago I noticed that I could taste something like Contact Cement and when I changed the filter this went away for another filter change, then I could smell it again and removed the filter and could smell it again. We have very clean water here so I have ditched water filters for now anyway. In the EU the likes of plastics used in water filters and SodaStream units need to replace every 2 years due to PBA and likely PBS in them. Lately there is considerable evidence of Micro and Nano particles in abundance in our water and environment as well a lot built up in our bodies. Egad😱
Yep, micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are widespread everywhere, the air we breathe, water we drink and food we eat. The scary part is that the long term human health effects are yet unknown
@@waterfilterguru They are finding up to 50% in blocked arteries as well they ate known Endocrine Disrupters as a start
@@waterfilterguru They are found in clogged arteries up to 50% of a blockage and they are certified Endocrine Disrupters off the top of my head. Just a mention
“All disease, at some period or other of its course, is more or less a reparative process, not necessarily accompanied with suffering: an effort of nature to remedy a process of poisoning or of decay, which has taken place weeks, months, sometimes years beforehand, unnoticed.”
- Florence Nightingale
I have to ask, how do you know what contact cement tastes like?
What do you know about the aqua tower that gets water from the air, not using any power source
Atmospheric water generators. Really cool technology - game changer for emergency preparedness.I haven't tested any yet but it's on my list to do
Are surgical instruments coated with silver specifically for the antimicrobial properties regulated by the EPA as pesticides?
I couldn't tell you, I don't know anything about surgical instruments
@@waterfilterguru I can't say that the surgical equipment is coated with silver. Most are stainless steel etc. Colloidal silver is used to some extent for certain dressings.
you can buy bed sheets with impregnated silver too
Many different kinds of medical devices, from surgical tools to implants to MRI machines, incorporate metal coatings and finishes to provide or enhance various beneficial characteristics. Applying a thin metal coating, as through the plating process, to the outside of a medical device, can make it more electrically conductive, reflective, resistant to bacteria, and more.
Silver is one of the most common metals used for plating in the medical industry. This precious metal offers numerous qualities that make it ideal for a range of medical device coating applications.
Berkey tells you to filter lake or river water through a bath towel, then treat the towel filtered water with liquid clorine/bleach or chlorine tablets before you pour it into the Berkey filter system. But i do appreciate your pointing out some of the flaws in the gravity filter system.
Berkey changed their tune since they received a stop-sale order from the EPA.
Historically, Berkey claimed you could pour untreated surface water contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and viruses directly through their system without proper disinfection.
Here's an example of what one distributor website used to look like just a couple years ago in 2022 where they claimed _"These have been tested to remove 203 contaminants commonly found in drinking water, including viruses (99.999%), pathogenic bacteria (99.9999%)..."_ web.archive.org/web/20220818050912/www.berkeyfilters.com/products/big-berkey
I have two of the stainless gravity units (one Berkey, one B.Berkfeld), i have some black Berkey elements stashed away but i generally use the (real) Doulton white ceramic filters - water from my well or from the half dozen rain barrels around my yard. I usually bring the rain water inside in 1gal containers, add a few drops of bleach and typically it sits overnight, then filter... Never gotten sick yet.
I think if I had to resort to scummy pond water or other questionable sources I'd at least double filter it... Probably once through a coffee filter it cheesecloth just to remove any large solids, then through an old Brita pitcher I have (bunch of spare filters for that), then add bleach and filter through the stainless unit.
I do think it's important to understand that "survival" to me means clean enough to reasonably drink without getting near-term sick - not necessarily removing lead, chlorine, etc, things that honestly might take months or years to seriously affect you... You want really clean water go for R/O or distillation.
Thanks for sharing - you absolutely nailed it! I hope everyone reads your comment 👍👊
This is exactly what many of these brands selling emergency prep water filters *_don't_*_ tell you_ and why I made this video all about proper emergency water preparation techniques th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
I feel like I'm being mislead by youtube creators haha. Oh,,, and just about everyone else. I use a berkey and have for years. I have well water with sediment. A lot of what it claims to remove just isn't a issue for the avg user. Amish have been using them for decades. Now please do a video addressing why the government really went after berkey.
I'm working on a video that explains exactly what happened with Berkey specifically - its so much more complex than most people think. Stay tuned.
In Europe we have acces to Doulton gravity filters that do have NSF certification. Berkey claims about the capacity of their filters are to high to be true compared to other manufacturers.
The Doulton Ultra Sterasyl filters are the only filters of this type I'm now aware of that have some performance certifications. Here's the link for anyone reading that's interested info.nsf.org/Certified/Common/Company.asp?CompanyName=doulton&_gl=1*1luvb3a*_ga*MTQwNjUzNTE4My4xNzE4NDc5MzA5*_ga_P2KS3C05YD*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjEuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA.*_gcl_au*OTY1MjU0NzIyLjE3MjAxMjAwMTY.*_ga_B3R74P2MZC*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjAuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA
I've got these on my list to test in an upcoming project!
15:54 Did you send a sample of unfiltered river water to be tested as a baseline? Proper scientific method would require a baseline to ensure that in fact there were contaminants in the original sample.
Yes of course. See the data from all the tests here th-cam.com/video/5h87z2rA6Og/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru Thanks!
You need to do a video on what is the best ones to use!
Yes I do! Thanks for the request
People need to understand the difference between something being antimicrobial by inhibiting the growth of additional bacteria vs being antimicrobial by killing already existing bacteria. A material or chemical may be great at the former while failing at the latter.
Ive taken about 12 foot of 12 Guage stripped copper wire and washed it with dish soap then wrapped it into a coil and added it to the top chamber in the space around my filter. I dont have any way to test it but i THINK this should help my filter stay cleaner longer. It should leach copper oxide into the water as its being filtered then the filter should absorb it. It may reduce the life of my filter but i hope it helps it stay cleaner. It seems like its working but could just be placebo effect who knows
Your statement about how silver needs higher concentrations and longer contact time makes me think i should add mlre copper wire for there to be a real chance of it doing anything
Do you have a link for the UV method. Like the water bottle you showed ?
Yes check out the Larq purevis bottle geni.us/VZDplQ
I think I hear where this video is coming from, in trying to say that a data-driven approach is best. To buy the products and see for ourselves through testing the water before and after. This I can respect and understand.
What I think has been upsetting has been the lack of due process that the EPA insisted on, so in my eyes (and it seems many others), it tarnished its reputation by essentially discriminating against Berkey. Issuing a stop sale order on the company and tanking its sales, even if it did seem justified, came across as arbitrary and corrupt. To people, it seems to minute and trivial. Why is silver in one company’s product being made out to be such a huge deal when we have major challenges that we should be focusing on in terms of treating our water and we are not really getting the job done? Like others have mentioned, estrogenics and forever chemicals still leech into the waterways. That should be EPA’s focus, not some company trying to make an honest living. Berkey was pretty compliant too before they issued the stop sale order. If you listen to the CEO’s interviews on Rumble, you’d hear that they took off statements from their website like you alluded to above. Berkey made a good point as a defense, though, that other companies use silver in their filters, yet the EPA hasn’t targeted them. To top it off, they have given Berkey the run around with a lack of transparency or respondency to the concerns mentioned by the company. When an organization like the EPA acts in this manner, it hampers their credibility and ruins public trust. This eventually creates an oppositional crowd that resists these organizations and their suggestions, and that crowd grows. At that point, data stops taking precedence because the real issue here is trust, and it has been lost. So while I appreciate the idea of pursuing data instead of taking other’s words for it, the whole issue between the EPA and Berkey is really another matter entirely and probably should not be part of this video. As others have said, that was an immediate turn off for me. Many people have apparently experienced negative experiences with the EPA. It’s important to remember, water filters are more than just data - they are part of people’s livelihoods and to mess with that means more than just following the data - it means a major breach of trust if not treaded carefully and fully explained.
A good remedy for the EPA to pursue would be to lift the stop sale order immediately under the condition that Berkey stops using silver in their technology, and then leave them alone. If silver is such a contentious issue, fine, omit it. But people are not able to buy the company’s products now thanks to the EPA. Imagine how it would feel if you went to the grocery store and all of a sudden your superfood you so highly believed would be your saving grace was confiscated on the grounds that it was not 100% organic. Okay… so does that mean we can never buy that food again? So now we are forced to buy other foods? This is definitely overreach, and was the fault of the EPA, even though they were correct to ask Berkey to retract its claims. The onus should lie on the EPA to change.
I spoke with my senator and told him about this issue. He said that our state is doing the best they can to continue to treat their waterways and are being funded by the EPA and provided all sorts of grants. That is great, I appreciate that. But please focus on that and leave these companies alone. If people really have an issue and want to file claims on Berkey or force them to stop selling their products, the public is smart enough to decide that.
Hey thanks for your in-depth comment, this is great stuff. I'm actually working on a video that does a deep dive into the Berkey issue and what actually happened. At the end of the day, Berkey failed to comply with federal law in the United States, which is what lead to the stop-sale order being issued. I completely agree that it's unfair that only one company was targeted, while there are so many others making the same claims and not complying with regulation under FIFRA. From what I've seen in the court documents, the EPA gave Berkey 3 options to come into compliance, all 3 of which they declined - it's really interesting to investigate this issue from all angles. Stay tuned for that video!
I would add that silver should be taken off the pesticide list because it is not poisonous to animals or people even in large concentrations of a dilution with water aka colloidal silver. I have consumed gallons per day in hot summer weather, of high ppm concentration alongside my elderly mother for years with the result of never being sick, no flus or colds, no cancer, clear mind, and also never turning blue, (like the idiots who used low % silver mixed alloy coins and tap water to electrolyze into an impure water).
Silvadine burn treatment ointment saved me from infection from 2nd and 3rd degree burns because it had silver in it.
To list silver as a pesticide is absurd and asinine. It is naturally occuring in high altitude mountain streams in high %s so natural and non-toxic.
It was put there to scare people away from its healing and protective properties by Big pharma and bottled water companies who produce bottled water at the same ppm of toxins as tap water. Your lucky if you get bottled water that tests at 256 ppm. Zero Water delivers 0% of participants for a O ppm meaning nothing. But it works so well that you want to replace the good minerals it takes out. But silver is wrongly vilified when it was made like gold to heal the body and mind. Try colloidal gold and get the sharpest mind in your county.
My tap water smells extremely strong of chlorine and my sense of smell is compromised. My berkey style is primarily to remove the chlorine and fluoride.
Hi thanks for watching and for your comment. Keep in mind that the most nefarious contaminants are undetectable by sight, taste and smell. So even if the water looks and tastes great, it could still be contaminated. Fluoride is a good example - you typically can't see, taste or smell it in water
I am sure that I saw Boots brand silver tablets on sale as water purification tablets when I lived in the U.K. 30 years ago.
Thanks for all of your research and info! Can you PLEASE review "The Water Machine"? I can't comprehend how they claim that one set of filters will last for 10 years at 1.5 gals of water a day. Please help. I want to invest in a counter top gravity filter but on the fence about which one to get. Thank you!!!
It's on my list to test at some point, thanks for your request! Claims like that are all too similar to what we saw from Berkey. There's a reason these brands refuse to get their filters official performance certified... Exaggerated filter capacity claims with no certifications is a big red flag
Berkeley's claim is using the filtration system for standard water used in our homes. Running your tap water through which is relatively clean to begin with is their filter length claim. The less clean the water the more often the filters need to be changed.
They changed their tune since the EPA stop-sale order. Berkey was marketed for years as a solution to filter untreated surface water that's microbiologically unsafe, and claimed to reduce bacteria, virus, and parasites.
The best way to ensure potable water is to use a proper method of disinfection paired with filtration.
When I bought mine several years ago my understanding was what I said earlier. Originally it "was" marketed as a filtration system designed and used on the mission field.
Silver, and Zinc for that matter, does not kill bacteria and viruses. What it does do is prevent bacteria and viruses from reproducing. So if there are 1,000 ‘bugs’ in the input water then if you use it right away there will still be 1,000 ‘bugs’ coming out of the filter. If you don’t use it right away there won’t be 10,000 ‘bugs’ a couple hours later in the filter material. You may have 10,000 ‘bugs’ down in the filtered water reservoir because the silver is still up in the filter materials, not down in the filtered water inhibiting reproduction. You need to kill the bugs before it goes through the filter. Boiling it or adding a little bit of bleach or hydrogen peroxide will kill them and then the filter will remove the chlorine taste and the dead bugs.
In regard to how much water the filter will filter, isn't it a function of how contaminated the water is? My thought is that the filter filters as well the 10000th gallon as the first. It may well filter much more than 6000 gallons. So, if a filter will filter down to 5 microns new it should still filter down to 5 microns when well used the only difference is the rate of filtration. When the filter is brand new let's say it filters 5 gph but when old it may only do 1/2 gph. A filter doesn't start passing 10 microns when it is old does it? Maybe I don't understand why it would not filter at its stated microns whether old or new. Your thoughts? Thanks
Hey thanks for your comment, great questions!
Not all water filters work the same, there are multiple different methods and treatment processes that target different contaminants. When you mention micron size, you are typically talking about removing contaminants based on their physical particle size.
Other filters that use ion exchange resin or carbon media remove contaminants via different processes (ion exchange and adsorption).
Some of these types of filters will have a rated capacity, meaning they should be effective up to the manufacturer's specifications until that capacity has been reached. That said, water quality directly impacts filter capacity, meaning that the more contaminated the water is the faster the filter will 'fill up' with contaminants or 'exhaust' the media and reach capacity.
This article explains a bit more in detail: waterfilterguru.com/water-filtration-systems/
I hope this helps!
Great video!!! Water filtration which can become a health and safety issue definitely deserves this type of deep dive video. I've been saying for years that these brands that have made millions could easily afford to get certified but they don't because they know they won't pass. It has nothing to do with the certs being expensive. With everything we've learned about Berkey I'm not sure why anyone would still use it or similar un-certified brands other than brand loyalty. And brand loyalty only ever benefits the company. If you're going to use a uncertified filtration system why waster the money, might as well make one yourself you aren't all that concerned about it actually working, save some money.
Thanks for your comment, and I'm glad you liked the video. You nailed it - the only reason these brands refuse to get even one performance certification is because they know their filters will fail & they won't be able to make the same claims which are used to justify inflated costs.
BSA circa 1960. Filter water through a clean cotton tight weave cloth. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. To improve taste areation is needed. Swish back and forth between two containers.
Thanks for sharing
Silver absolutely disinfects. It's ability to keep water untainted has been known for thousands of years. Though the specifics of microbiology were unknown at the time, they could see, smell, & put 2 + 2 together when it came to tainted water & sickness, so the ancient Greeks & Romans particularly preferred silver for drinking vessels. Basically everywhere in the world silver was discovered & purified, it was used as drinking & ceremonial water holding vessels.
I am not contesting the bacteriostatic/ bacteriocidal properties of silver. Rather, explaining how silver is intended to be used in water filters vs the claims made by many manufacturers
the problem with information today is that people think what they believe and what is fact have the same weight. for instance you claim they could see and smell and put 2 and 2 together.....that's how you get food poisoning. We've advanced as a people for a reason and for the better. Just FYI food and drinking water can be contaminated even when it appears, smells and tastes normal. This is why brands use gimmicks like red dye tests because they know the average consumer is uneducated about contaminants and pathogens and if they see the dye disappear they think the filter is removing everything else too. Also I wouldn't put to much stock into what they were doing back in the days necessarily...the average lifespan was like 38 lol. Do some actual research on silver and not just opinions pieces and blogs written by people with no knowledge themselves.
Years ago, a lecturer told us that certain elements were used in the making of Euro coins because of their antibacterial /disinfectant properties.
I’ve been using the Alexapure for 8 years. I LOVE IT. I can smell the difference (Chlorine) in my purified water.
Thanks for watching and for your comment! This brings up a good point to note, that most contaminants are undetectable by sight, taste or smell. So even if the water looks and tastes great, it may still have potentially dangerous contaminants present
@@waterfilterguru I think it's important to distinguish between "potentially dangerous contamination" and "survival"... My sister's old city house has lead piping in from the street, I'm guessing there's some tiny bit of lead contamination coming in, but she's been there 20+ years (80+yo house) and it hasn't killed her or caused serious issues. That's not a "survival" problem... Arsenic might be in enough quantity but unlikely. But bacteria/viruses could cause near immediate ("survival") issues... It's an important distinction IMHO.
If you want to remove all "potentially dangerous contamination" go for a RO system or distillation. My worries for "survival" are things that could kill me before the radioactive fallout does. :P
@@captainz9 Right on point! Thanks for sharing 🤙🙏
With all this knowledge you have , what type of water filtration system do you recommend ?
I have a 2 stage under counter point of use system .
The 2.5 x 10 cartridge carbon block filters ( made in usa) first is 5 micron and second .5 micron . They are changed every 6 mo. What do you think about the filter system I use and do you have any suggestions on how to improve it ?
Thanks Joe
Used on a municipal water system .
It depends, there is no 'one size fits all' filtration solution. I made a video with the step by step process to identify the best water filtration system for your unique needs. Check it out here th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
It's hard to say if your 2 stage point of use filter is sufficient or not without knowing what contaminants or water issues are present that need to be treated. That's why testing your water is so important!
To date, in terms of water improvement of our generally very safe and clean water in Scotland, I landed on a Berkefeld filter with ceramic units. It is decanted into bottles and kept in the fridge, ready for drinking and cooking. That takes care of some "negatives" you wouldn't normally see and the chlorine smell and taste, which is more and more apparent. You used to not be aware of it at all, but we all know they're dealing with more "stuff" now in the treatment plants. We don't have fluoride (thank goodness), but I'll deal with that if we ever do. We originally bought a Berkey (at much greater cost), which came with parts missing and completely failed the dye tests I did when I finally got them, at which point I sent it back (a supplier via Amazon). To date, we have never been refunded the circa £450 spent, nor the extra money I spent sourcing parts. I think we were scammed, so beware. I always have bottled water ready to go and a large stock of water purification tablets to use for all other sources, including water from the water bob I keep in the bathroom and the water butts outside. I also have a variety of other things, like colloidal silver and hydrogen peroxide, etc. If I had to use an external or otherwise contaminated water source, I'd mechanically filter it, then filter it and then boil and cool it. Boiling, at the end of the day, if pretty foolproof, but you have to have preps available to do that if the power goes out. If I couldn't boil the water, I'd use the tablets. Relying on a single method of cleaning and purifying water isn't the best way to go. You have to evaluate the risk and take the appropriate steps.
Hey thanks for your comment and sharing what you do to prepare. You nailed it - having multiple methods of water treatment prepared is the best way to ensure potable water in an emergency. Cheers from across the pond 🤙
I am confused. So none of the filter water treatments are good other than Pro One?
What about if you do not worry about the preparedness? If you just want to have a home water filter that takes out chloramines, fluoride, and of course all the other nasties? What do you recommend?
I made a video covering the step by step process to follow to find the best water filter for your specific needs, check it out here th-cam.com/video/JU4sPer1944/w-d-xo.html
Liquid bleach deteriorates with time. To be on the safe side, replace after 6 months for water purification.
Good call out. As others in the comments have mentioned, a better alternative is dry pool shock granules which have a longer shelf life, and will provide the same disinfection effect
Did you test the river water before you filtered it? what were those results?
Check out all our gravity fed filter tests here Countertop Filters: th-cam.com/play/PLDqZ4wajyRIAcuJxTkcJHEKKCtjHUIv6X.html
BTW there are no longer filters sold that are made by berkey.
I'm working on a video that explains exactly what happened with Berkey specifically - its so much more complex than most people think. Stay tuned.
@waterfilterguru ill be waiting but here is something that might interest many... Amazon is selling 4 replacement filters for like 50 bucks . Never heard of brand they basically don't mention what they do. It does say oder free and good tasting water. So am I a fool for paying 140.00 for 2 brand name with tested bragging rights. I was 100% confused looking for filters today.
@@offgridamy717 What contaminants are in your water that need to be addressed? It's also good to note that claims of ' third party testing to NSF standards' is _not the same thing_ as holding official performance certifications. I explain that specific deceptive marketing tactic in this video th-cam.com/video/pOOvhhrYlpw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1cRFhsMxTzU-LT13&t=290
@waterfilterguru mine tested OK if you don't mind drinking brown water. I don't have a level of trust with shallow wells. My thing is remove particulates , bacteria ect. I'm on a mountain valley closer to the valley. I also have some unused life straw products.
@@offgridamy717 Proper disinfection (chemical, UV, boiling) is always recommended if well water is microbiologically contaminated. Ceramic filters can address some larger pathogens, but smaller bacteria may slip through.
Wouldn't the chlorine that gets filtered out, build up in the filters, on the outside.
Yes chlorine is adsorbed by the media in the filter (activated carbon is typically used for this). So it builds up in the filter over time until the media has reached what is called capacity, meaning it's no longer able to adsorb more chlorine and other contaminants and needs to be replaced
Why do so many content creators add annoying background music that only serves to distract from their content? 😑
Sorry it bothered you
@@waterfilterguru Thanks, I would rather listen to your opinions.
I agree about the background noise. It affects the clarity of the voice. + it's annoying.
Why haven’t you tested British Berkefeld/Doulton Ultra Sterasyl, yet?
It's on the list!
Mr. Walterfilterguru, if you were going to buy 1 gravity filter system,
1 for city water
2 for emergencies,
What one would you get?
It depends - what contaminants are in the city water that need to be addressed?
As for emergencies, I recommend proper disinfection in addition to a gravity filter. This can be accomplished pre-filtration with chemicals, then the filter will remove the disinfectant. Or post-filtration with boiling or UV. The risk with disinfecting post-filtration and filtering untreated water first is that bacteria will grow in the filter. Check out this video where I explain all of that in more detail: th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
@@waterfilterguru so can't you use put the water in the sun for an hour too? And not have to buy anything to disinfect the water?
@@laurenbrehm4966 You're referring to a disinfection method called SODIS - it works, but it takes longer than just a couple hours and should really only be used in emergency survival situations as a last resort method of disinfection. I'd recommend being prepared with chemical disinfection, which is the easiest and most convenient.
Hence, the reason for silver in the filter is to stop it from getting contaminated. Full circle stupidity here. You need multiple ways to sanitize water. These gravity fed filters are a great step in that process. The whole pesticide labeling of Berkey is such a reach. I WANT silver in my gravity fed water filters, otherwise you are filtering through a contaminated filter.@@waterfilterguru
Does anyone have a link to how much silver (say a silver quarter) to how much water for what length of time? Thanks
does that surprise anyone
We've loved our Clearly Filtered pitcher and always just keep it in the fridge. I wanted to take it on a road trip with us to filter tap water as we go, but am worried about potential bacterial growth inside the filter without access to refrigeration. Do you think that would be something to worry about?
Any time the disinfection chemical is removed, it creates an environment where bacteria can grow. Your best bet to avoid this is to follow the manufacturer's filter replacement instructions and clean the entire system (except the filter itself) regularly with soap and water.
I would like to know too if keeping in refrigerator makes a difference, than if you are long term camping and keeping the unit in a table without a fridge. It should not matter, but good to know these things.
Thank you. I didn't even know this was a thing. I know copper and other metals sterilize themselves somehow, so they're great for doornobs and stuff. But never thought about metals being used this way. A UV lamp or sunlight through glass, is just better.
You're welcome, thanks for watching
Silver got the pioneers water safe enough to survive drinking it....
Not all of the time. Make sure you look up the many times people got sick or died of water contamination. Did they claim the silver treatment in any of those times? Was it because it was not used or was there a bias against not claiming it once it "failed", a human trait. It is often difficult to get a scientific view of what was happening in the past.
@JoyPeace-ej2uv yeah..? Silver placed in the storage vessel.. Boil and filter out crud prior to filling storage vessel to provide SAFE drinking water.
Skip a step at your own risk.
News Flash: I am told, No one gets out of this alive.
I am looking for the best counter top water purifier that can convert municipal tap water into drinking water with zero contaminates...maybe an RO is only option...thanks
Aquatru, hands down geni.us/chlQv5o
I've tested it multiple times, and it continues to hold its top position based on our data-driven scoring system waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/
Check out the data:
Aquatru Classic th-cam.com/video/NubOZMtj68g/w-d-xo.html
Aquatru Remineralizing Filter th-cam.com/video/xQCllBCJAHY/w-d-xo.html
Aquatru Carafe th-cam.com/video/pcwO6VKm-0g/w-d-xo.html
You might also like this one about the best countertop water filters we've tested th-cam.com/video/rAeRcqfXnRo/w-d-xo.html
So what filters should I use in my Berkey?
The Doulton/ British Berkefeld geni.us/eiAvEH8 are the only ones that have _some_ official performance certifications that I've found. You may want to consider these
Now do a video on municipal water systems! My filters are brown after 4 months worth of municipal water use for cooking and drinking only.
Anything specific about municipal water systems you'd like to know about? It's such a vast topic
@@waterfilterguru I'm currently watching a video you did 3 weeks ago about tap water.
@@PardieDiem Right on, I'd love any feedback you have or other topics you'd like to see covered!
Very Informative. I have been wondering. Recently my town had a boil advisory...Now I boil my water no matter what. I used to filter my water anyway, but now I boil ALL THE TIME.
Glad it was helpful! I'd advise against boiling your tap water all the time, here's why:
Boiling is primarily intended to disinfect water, to kill microorganisms like bacteria. If there is a boil water advisory, that means the water coming from the treatment plant could be compromised and might not have received proper disinfection.
When there is no boil water advisory, it's safe to assume the water coming from the treatment plant is sufficiently disinfected.
Additionally, boiling will only serve to actually increase the concentrations of many other dissolved contaminants present (like metals and chemicals). This is because as the water boils, the overall volume decreases as some of the water vaporizes. Many contaminants cannot vaporize so remain in the water. So as the volume of water decreases, the concentration of other contaminants in the remaining water would increase.
@@waterfilterguru ok, but I never like to assume, and i have a friend who works for the city and has told me to absolutely not drink the water from the tap. And when I boil water, Im careful to not stir it up too much because I know that the heavy metals sink to the bottom. Now Im confused.
@@mobilemomma3853 That's also not correct - heavy metals are typically dissolved in water and letting it sit won't cause them to sink to the bottom. Check out this guide to drinking water contaminants, I think it will be a helpful resource to learn more waterfilterguru.com/common-drinking-water-contaminants/
@@waterfilterguru thank you
So would you say sawyer filter is better for surface water vs a berkey ? I have the berkey smallest one filter thing. It don't work well due to the container don't have anufe water to make gravity work well. And it's rubber gasket that mounts the filter inside the container gives me a slight smell/taste of petroleum.
If you plan to disinfect with chemicals, you could use the Berkey to then remove the residual disinfectant and any byproducts from the treated water. I do not recommend Berkey alone to to filter untreated surface water that's microbiologically unsafe. Alternatively, you could boil the water to disinfect it after filtration.
Sawyer can be used to filter untreated water directly, as it's 0.1 micron absolute hollow fiber membrane filter is capable of physically blocking many microbiological contaminants. These will not address any dissolved contaminants like heavy metals or other chemicals, they only address suspended solids.
Of course the use case for each varies as well, with a Sawyer filter being more of a solution for a single individual, whereas a Berkey or similar gravity filter can treat larger volumes of water.
@@waterfilterguru Ty.. good to know about the sawyer not taking care of the heavy metals.
Ty for the great video and info.
@@frankenstein3163 You're welcome, thanks for watching and your comments!
We need to replace our filters. I actually had some, but found out they had coconut in them, and we have two in the family severely allergic to that. So I threw them out. Where do we buy new filters, which ones and need including fluoride filter. Silver sounds good. We have the giant stainless Berkey. The link I have to buy no longer works. We use ours everyday. Thank you so much.
Many activated carbon filters are coconut shell based. Due to what you mentioned, It would be important to always reach out to the manufacturer prior to purchase if you need to confirm what the base material was used to create the activated carbon media used in their filters.
@@waterfilterguru wow, this is a real issue. Our daughter was gradually getting sicker and sicker after she moved in with us. Doctors couldn’t identify, other than allergy- so went through 1000. $$ Of tests & diagnosis, natural treatments etc. She thought I was getting coconut mixed in my cooking. Then she switched to store bought spring water and started to recover- rashes went away, her swelling went down. She is now pretty much over it. It must have been our filter, as she isn’t using that water. Wow. Thank you.
Did you send samples of the untreated surface water as well as the treated (filtered) water?
Yes, links to all lab reports can be found in video descriptions of the individual product videos on the channel
I use a ceramic filter because it filters out Fluoride, which is in my city water. Best to have other options as well. Hasn't silver been used for filtration through the ages?
Ceramic media alone is not capable of fluoride reduction. Unless the system you are using has additional media within the ceramic shell, or additional stages with different media (like bone char carbon, activated alumina, or anion exchange resin), its likely its not actually reducing fluoride.
What about using the ceramic filters in a Berkey?
Which ceramic filters?
Great vid! Well done. Well researched. I have been using two gravity water filters for many years, and our tap water is very good with low mineral content. First pass is through our Brita and the second pass is through our Zero Water filter. I schedule reasonable filter changes for both devices. The final water really does taste good. I've always suspected that both filters are being over-promoted by the manufacturers. Your advice about boiling or using chlorine as a disinfectant is just plain common sense if you have to access emergency water from a stream, or lake.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated! I actually made a video explaining to folks your exact pre-filtering trick in order to extend the lifespan of the more expensive ZeroWater filters th-cam.com/video/HyFgI9YhUFg/w-d-xo.html glad to hear you're already implementing it!
I purchased an Icon Lifesaver Jerrycan system for emergency drinking water needs. Have you ever reviewed those? I just stumbled upon your video here and wanted to ask.
Thanks
I've not tested or reviewed those yet, but I can add it to my list to look into. Thanks for the comment
@@waterfilterguru Thank you for the reply.
I would love to see a review of them to see if I chose wisely. They're not cheap. The only reason I chose one is that they claim to use the same system on a larger scale for third world villages that have no access to clean water. The filter cartridge (from what I've read) is prone to dry out if not used or kept moist and becomes unusable after so long. So, I purchase a foil vacuum sealed cartridge that claims to have a 10 year shelf life before usage. Mine is up in 2031, so based off your review, I'll probably purchase another vacuum sealed one on a couple of years.
I don't know if the average person can actually purchase the huge tank versions that they have or if it's strictly for good will and missionary work. But, if I had that kind of money and they're available for anyone to purchase, I think I WOULD buy one of their tank systems.
Yeah, check them out!! I look forward to a review from you on them.
Yes...trying to remove a survival element for when the stuff flies.....
Trying to inform folks that many of these systems marketed as a 'survival element' are oversold, and not capable of providing sufficient water disinfection alone. It's important to make sure you have some method of disinfection ready (like one of these th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=nJ4CujbJH9xHN6-r&t=171 ), in addition to filtration these systems provide
@@waterfilterguruagreed. You can't be too safe when your life depends on it.
I bought a filtration system and pour tap water, after a month only drinking the filtered water which tastes great, I drank the tap water and it tasted like sewer water compared to filtered water, not going back to drinking city tap water.........
Which filtration system did you get?
Is it really as simple that dropping a silver coin into the upper tank of my berkey would eliminate bacteria buildup in the filters?
The filters themselves are already impregnated with silver for this very purpose
I am sticking with with my Doulton urn with ceramic filters.
Thanks for sharing! I'll be testing Doulton soon - looking forward to the project.
Can you test/review the 4patriots water system with their nano mesh filters?
I've got it on the list - thanks for the request
ProOne says, on their website, that I can just pour lake water in to my gravity filter. I have four 9" ceramic filters.
Ceramic media like the proone filters can reduce some microbiological contaminants like cysts and larger bacteria. Some smaller bacteria and viruses may get through, all depending on the ceramic pore size. I'd still recommend disinfection to be on the safe side.
I have a ProOne gravity filter system. We use it daily. I rinse the filter for regular maintenance. Since Hurricane Helene, just 5 months ago, I've been cleaning a slime off the filter. I'm now cleaning the filter monthly. The may change to weekly. This unit doesn't need electricity. I manually fill it. The water tastes very clean. No detectable chlorine tastes. Great investment
Thanks for sharing!
Have you tested the Aquarain Gravity Fed water filter system?
We have not tested that one yet
@@waterfilterguru Odd. The Aquarain is one of the older gravity fed filter systems. Early on, it was compared to the Berkey. I purchased mine, 12 or so years ago after reviewing both systems, because the Aquarain was made in the USA. Filter cost was comparable to those of the Berkey and Aquarain provided test results of filtration, too. I was unable to find much in the way of test results for the Berkey, at the time. Anyway, I use mine daily filtering the local tap water, have had no problems, clean it when necessary and am glad of my purchase.
@@johneb180 I'll look into it to consider for a future project. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you! Are there NFC, etc verified filters that fits a larger Berkey filter?
The only performance certified filters for large stainless steel gravity-fed systems that I'm aware of are the Doulton Ultra Sterasyl: amzn.to/3WKfUCl
Here are the certs:
info.nsf.org/Certified/Common/Company.asp?CompanyName=doulton&_gl=1*1luvb3a*_ga*MTQwNjUzNTE4My4xNzE4NDc5MzA5*_ga_P2KS3C05YD*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjEuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA.*_gcl_au*OTY1MjU0NzIyLjE3MjAxMjAwMTY.*_ga_B3R74P2MZC*MTcyMTIzMzMxMy42LjAuMTcyMTIzMzMxOS41NC4wLjA
@@waterfilterguru Thank you so much! I don't know how to explain how you have helped my family. Water is everything.
@@waterfilterguru I noticed that in their results, no lead or heavy metal reduction was mentioned.
Because it's not certified for the reduction of lead or any other heavy metal currently
I thought silver had to be electrolyzed.
A true prepper, a wise man, would never put puddle water directly into a gravity filter, we would likely pre filter, boil, possibly adding purification tablets, then put into the gravity fed filter, that's what i would do in a disaster, because i would know there are no 2nd chances, but to put dirty water in any filter, then drink it, is foolish!
100% on point, thanks for your comment!
I made a video all about emergency water preparation and the steps to take to ensure clean water during a disaster, from disinfection and filtration to storage if anyone else reading this is interested th-cam.com/video/Btqqwd_cLiA/w-d-xo.html
Can you tell me if any of these bleach or silver treated waters are totally safe for any of our pets???🤷🏼♀️
That would be a good question for your veterinarian. Water disinfected with chemicals (bleach) can be filtered to remove the disinfectant before consumption
How good are life straw filters? How many uses can you get from a life straw?
Assuming you are referring to the original lifestraw straw filter - its great for reducing microbiological contaminants to make water potable, as well as suspended solids like dirt and microplastics. It is not capable of reducing chemical contaminants. The microfilter lasts up to 1,000 gallons.
@@waterfilterguru yes, thanks for that information.
@@johnnyringo765 You're welcome
Silver has been used as a disinfectant for centuries.
I am not contesting the bacteriostatic/ bacteriocidal properties of silver. Rather, explaining how silver is intended to be used in water filters vs the claims made by many manufacturers
I really thank you for the great work you do.
Glad you enjoy it, thanks for watching and for your feedback!
I’ve never seen any of these water filters marketed to filter untreated water like water from a creek. They are for removing chlorine and glyphosate from your city water.
Probably because they've changed their tune in recent months after they saw what happened to Berkey
Brita takes care of the chlorine taste, was not designed for bacteria. Can always boil it after.
Yes, always properly disinfect any untreated water prior to consumption! Whether that's boiling, or with chemicals or UV
Don’t want to rain on your parade , BUT water does not necessarily need to be BOILED ❗️
GO LOOK IT UP, the temperature needed is I believe 160 degrees , just like the Pasteurization of milk… Don’t remember EXACTLY what they are called , but there is a small temperature measuring device that is used to Pasteurize your MILK / WATER… I have one , I just haven’t pulled it out for a while… CHECK IT OUT❗️
The point is that microbiologically unsafe water should be properly disinfected before consumption, and many brands have oversold their products as a solution capable of providing disinfection
Address lab test results which support performance of these filters. Please. NGOs use these tested 3:31 filters.
It's explained right there at 3:31 😉 even though our one lab test indicated the reduction of bacteria, there's no way to tell how long that efficacy would last, which is why we always recommend using a proper method of disinfection (like chemical, UV or boiling) in conjunction with any of these gravity fed water filters.
Remember, silver is impregnated into the filters to prevent bacteria growth in the filter media itself - not disinfect all the water being filtered.
Why would Nyone listen to info from WHO
Thank you for your comment. It's always good to approach information critically and do your own research. While it's true that different organizations have different influences and policies, it's important to evaluate the evidence and scientific consensus behind water quality standards, specifically.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has extensive research and expertise in public health, environmental safety & water quality. Their guidelines are based on rigorous scientific studies and peer-reviewed research. The goal, in this case, is to ensure safe drinking water, based on evidence rather than ideology.
If you have specific concerns about their guidelines or methods, I encourage you to look into the primary sources and the scientific data they use.
I run my tap water through a Zero Water filter and then tbrough my Berkey. Been working for my family.
I'd recommend doing it the other way around - the ZeroWater filters are more expensive, and by prefiltering the water first it should help extend their lifespan so they don't reach capacity and need to be replaced as often 😉
B* filter lifetime is based on filtering potable water for cosmetic purposes - e.g. filtering food coloring out of drinking water, or filtering chlorine from municipal water for taste.
For me the first red flag was the uncertainty and testing mandated in the instructions to ensure the filters were installed and working correctly. The yellow flag was the need to use potable water to flush the filters.
Which system?
unless you tested an unfiltered sample AND a filtered sample, all you can say is that there was no presence of SOME bacteria. It may have simply not been present in the source water...this is why control samples are so important to testing anything. You showed no source testing and did no control sample testing with, say, tap water to see what a baseline result should be. Therefore, you cannot claim the filter did anything at all.
The specific testing procedure we use is explained in our dedicated product testing videos, check out this playlist Product Testing: th-cam.com/play/PLDqZ4wajyRIC2ji0iERZf35uFwyQE5vji.html