I’ve talked a lot about our Berkey water filter and how much I love it. Today I’ll answer some of the most frequent questions I get about it. I’ll also give you the low down on how it works in my Berkey Water Filter review below. It’s probably my most favorite item in the kitchen and one of the best healthy changes we’ve made as a family!

***As of 2023, Berkey is not currently selling in the US. Please see my update post for where to get replacement filters and other parts***

Photography by emmaloo.co

You may be wondering why plain old tap water won’t cut it, but it’s surprising what makes its way into the water system. From agricultural runoff (think chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and more) to industrial by-products, a lot gets washed into the waterways. Most water utilities deem a certain level of these contaminants to be acceptable. This includes hexavalent chromium, otherwise known as the Erin Brockovich chemical. I don’t know about you, but if something is linked to causing aggressive cancer, I don’t want to be drinking or cooking with any amount of it.

PFAs and PFC? Yes, that too! If you’ve been keeping up with the latest water news, you know that these “forever” chemicals have contaminated many major waterways.

Not to mention, the continued lead contamination in certain areas. A situation that is sadly continuing to happen around the US. Needless to say, I have trust issues with what’s coming out of the tap and I want to be sure what I’m giving my family is safe.

Want to see what’s in your water? Plug your zip code into this database.

Why Berkey?

I spent months researching different water filters, including whole-house systems, under-sink systems, and more. We landed on Berkey. Why? There’s no installation and it filters out way more substances than any of the other filters we looked at. It’s easy to assemble and also works well if you own or rent since you’re not installing it into the plumbing at all. It’s also easy to maintain and doesn’t have issues with water pressure or backflushing like some installed systems.

See everything that a Berkey Filters out here.

We went with the Travel Size System to save on counter space. It’s one of Berkey’s smallest water filter systems, but it works great for small families. Now that our kids are older, we have to fill it a few times a day, and may eventually size up. You can choose from several sizes to see which works best for you. They also make shower filters that include a showerhead.

See more about showerheads here.

Set-up + Maintenence 

The initial setup is easy. First, you prime the filters using your faucet with their priming gasket. The system consists of 2 chambers and you screw in the black charcoal filters into the top chamber. We also have fluoride filters in the bottom chamber. Gravity does all the work pulling water through the filters, then into the bottom chamber. To keep it running quickly, occasionally take it apart and scrub your black charcoal filters with a scrubber sponge. This makes sure they’re clean and ready to absorb water. We only need to do this every 3 months or so.

Traveling

You can take it apart and bring it with you if you travel. If you leave it at home for more than a couple of days, it’s best to put the fluoride filters into a baggy and store them in your fridge and store the black filters out on the counter so they dry and don’t grow mold or mildew. Then re-prime the filters and you’re back in business!

The biggest change I’ve noticed is the smell of the water. When I’m washing dishes or doing anything with regular tap water, it smells terrible to me now. The water we drink from the Berkey tastes and smells crisp and clean!

I’ve consistently seen the best deals on Berkey’s site. We just got my parents the Travel System Bundle this past Christmas and it was such a great deal for everything that was included! You can also use code MAISONPUR5 to save 5%.

There are many things we’re exposed to on any given day that we can’t do much about, but water is a different story. This is one of the things you can change in your home that will have a direct and lasting effect on your family’s health!