Maintaining and regularly cleaning your Berkey water filter can extend its life and maintain optimal performance – especially when dealing with heavily polluted sources of water. Regular inspection and servicing should help extend its lifespan and ensure its optimal functionality. This is particularly important when used for drinking sources that contain high levels of contamination.
First, prepare a bucket of clean and purified water (add 16 drops of bleach to disinfect). Next, remove both black and fluoride filters from the upper chamber and clean them using a scouring pad or nail brush.
1. Remove the filter elements
Black Berkey elements should be thoroughly cleaned at least every six months to maintain optimal filtration efficiency. You can quickly check whether they have been properly primed by filling your lower chamber with water and watching as they sink (stems facing upward) without floundering or floating; any floating elements indicate they haven’t been thoroughly purge and could potentially reduce efficiency over time.
Start by emptying both upper and lower stainless steel chambers of your system and setting them on an inverted hard surface, with the upper container removed and loosening its wing nut that holds Black Berkey elements to it, taking them out individually, setting them aside for cleaning on a solid surface, then setting up a bucket, basin or similar container filled with clean unpolluted water (add 16 drops of bleach or iodine to compromised water sources if applicable) into which you can submerge Black Berkey elements while simultaneously cleaning them using new 3M Scotch Brite pads or similar scrub sponges until everything is done – this process should only take minutes at most!
2. Disinfect the elements
A clean Black Berkey water filter will effectively filter out harmful contaminants and impurities found in drinking water, including Uranium (pCi/L) and Radium (226&228) as well as heavy metals such as Lead and Mercury as well as microplastics, microplastics, and glyphosate toxins that are commonly found in urban groundwater sources and have been linked with many illnesses.
To disinfect your elements, first unplug both chambers of each container and place both on an even surface, such as a table or counter-top with their sides facing down. Next, fill a bucket or basin with clean water and add 16 drops of household bleach or iodine per gallon used for cleansing the elements.
Use a 3M Scotch-Brite type cleaning pad to scrub the outer surface of filter elements with fresh water, rinsing as necessary before priming and ready for reuse. Cleaning them regularly is recommended in order to avoid dramatic slowdown in flow rate.
3. Scrub the elements
Take care to clean both sides of each Black Berkey element as well as its small stem attachment, using only cold running water and an abrasive scrub sponge or nylon brush (never soap!). Rinse thoroughly afterwards using clean water.
Clean the elements whenever your flow rate noticeably decreases; but regular scheduled cleaning should also take place, every 6 months or so, to maintain maximum filtration efficiency.
Comparative to other water filtration systems that rely on pressure for filtering purposes, Berkey’s “Tortuous Path” design allows for an extended contact period between water molecules and filters – helping them more efficiently capture contaminants while saving both money and time in maintenance costs over other brands. As a result, their filters last much longer, saving both money and time while providing clean drinking water that’s both healthy and clean!
4. Rinse the elements
Once you’ve scrubbed the elements, make sure they’re re-primed by submerging them in freshwater free from contaminants such as household bleach and iodine (16 drops per gallon is appropriate) so as to prevent further contamination entering their core.
After using your new scrubby to give each element a thorough scrub, rinse the surface carefully until no visible dirt remains on its surface.
Black Berkey filtering elements should typically be cleaned when your flow rate of filtered water decreases, though you can schedule regular maintenance if desired. Cleansing them quickly and easily – without needing chemicals or other cleaning products – for best results avoid soaking your element in vinegar as this may weaken its material and shorten its lifespan; for best results soak instead for 15 minutes in 50/50 mixture of vinegar and clean water for best results.
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