Learn how to clean a Berkey water filter with this simple tutorial. With proper care and maintenance, a Berkey water filter will serve your family well for many years.
Some links are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why we love the Berkey water filter
I shared all about the Berkey water filter, why we love it and have been using it for 8+ years now in this post: Berkey Water Filter Review
To recap the top three reasons why we opted to go for this system:
- Price- I didn’t want to have to replace filters every few months. Some of the systems were a little cheaper up front, but they required changing out the filters ever few months. Examples are the Brita water filter. Berkey did some math and posted the cost per gallon on their website. This is what they found. The Berkey filter cost per gallon is approximately 1.6 cents. Most of the other major brands averaged between 6 and 8 cents. That’s quite a cost savings when you drink a lot of water over the course of ten years!
- Filter quality- The number one reason we even decided to look into water filters was because the city water we were drinking before was full of junk no human should put in their body. The Berkey met all the requirements, and then some. Unlike other systems, it even filters out viruses and bacteria. You could literally filter pond water through it and still drink it! That impressed me.
- Testing- The Berkey system allows you to test the filters to be sure they are working properly. (I explain the test in the FAQ below) One time my second daughter knocked the whole system off the counter. I was advised to run the “food dye test” to be sure they didn’t have any hairline fractures that would compromise the filters. I love that this is a possibility with the Berkey. With other filter son the market, you just have to hope that they are filtering properly and its hard to know when they have outlived their functionality.
Visit the original post to get more FAQ on why we chose the Berkey and the benefits: Berkey water filter review
Shop the Berkey Water Filter Bundle Sale
You can shop the bundle sale HERE. We have the Royal Berkey for our family of 7.
Now, let’s get into the cleaning!
How to clean a Berkey Water Filter
- Take it apart- Unscrew the fluoride filters from the base of the black carbon filters. Remove the wing nuts from the base of the black carbon filters. Set the filters aside.
- Use all natural dish soap, like my homemade lemon foaming soap, to scrub the upper and lower chambers of the stainless steel Berkey.
- Use a Scotch Brite scrub sponge, or walnut scrubbers like the ones from this free Grove cleaning kit, to gently scrub the black carbon filters under COLD running water.
- Replace the fluoride and arsenic filters, if you have had them for more than 6 months.
- Wipe the outside with a dry microfiber cloth to remove smudges and spots.
How do you know when it is time to clean your berkey water filter?
If the water is starting to filter out of the black carbon filters very slowly, and you notice water pooling up in the upper chamber of the Berkey, it is time to get cleaning! When you take the Berkey apart, you may also notice a bit of a film on the filters. This film, and any other residue from hard water, needs to be removed for the filters to work properly. By using something a little rough, like a Scotch Brite pad, to remove build up, the water can move through more freely.
The filters are designed to be cleaning and maintained for a very long time!
How to clean the Berkey water filter video tutorial
How often should you clean your Berkey water filter?
It is recommended to clean the Berkey water filter about once every six months, or as you notice it running more slowly. This will depend on the number of gallons filtered per day. For our family of seven, we don’t have to clean the Berkey very often. I only think to do it when the water begins to filter out very slowly.
Shop the Berkey Water Filter
Berkey is currently running a bundles sale, which means you can get the Berkey system, black carbon filters, stainless steel spigot and a few other bonus accessories for a discounted price. You can shop the Bundle Sale HERE.
For our family of 7 we have the 3.25 gallon Royal Berkey and LOVE it. It has served us well for many many years now!
Pin it for Later
The link to the bundle sale is broken. 🙁
Here’s a new link for the filters!
I’m getting a lot of very fine black gravel like partials in the upper chamber, do I need to clean it.
I just got my berkey for Christmas.
That is very strange. I would contact the company. I’ve never had that happen.
Very helpful, thank you. We use Waterdrop for years, and very cost-effective with good value. Use advanced activated carbon for high-efficiency filtration and maximum removal of impurities. It also makes my coffee tested better:)
Hi Lisa,
I was wondering if you know and could share with me the difference between a reverse osmosis system and the Berkey.
Your will get pure water from both. Reverse osmosis removes all of the healthy minerals along with the bad stuff. These minerals also help with the taste of water. I prefer Berkey water.