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Big Berkey Water Filter

SKU: MCBK
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The Big Berkey water filter, with two (2) included filters, is ideal for producing purified water for a small household between one and five people. It is the most popular of all the Berkey stainless steel systems and is ideal for daily use, emergency preparedness, and camping. Configure your Big Berkey with 2 or 4 Black Berkey elements to produce high quality purified water.

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Price: $258.00
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Big Berkey Water Filter
Big Berkey Water Filter
 
Detailed Information
Big Berkey water filters produce high quality purified water using Black Berkey water filters and gravity.  Big Berkey is the best selling table top Berkey and is recommended by experts in the health industry for producing healthy water and experts in survival for emergency water processing when municipal water sources have been contaminated.  Built from durable, highly polished 304 stainless steel, Big Berkey filters can be used as a home filtration system or for recreational water filtering while camping. The standard configuration with two Black Berkey filters will process up to 6000 gallons of purified water.

How to use a Big Berkey

Big Berkey is a table top gravity filter and does not require power.  Two or four Black Berkey filters are installed in the upper chamber where unfiltered water is added.  To filter water, pour water into the upper chamber.  Water is pulled through the Black Berkey filters by the force of gravity and purified water drips into the clean water chamber.  The drip rate is based on two factors, how many filters are installed and how much water is in the top chamber.  It is estimated that the gallons of water per hour filtered by Big Berkey are:

Gallons Per Hour by number of Elements Installed:
  • 2 Elements = 3.5 GPH
  • 4 Elements = 7 GPH
When using a Big Berkey, you can increase the flow rate of the water by keeping the upper chamber full.  However, you must empty the lower chamber at the same rate or the lower chamber can overflow where the two chambers meet.  This is because the following capacity levels must be observed:

Storage Capacity: 2.25 Gallons

One way to avoid overflow of the purified water in the lower chamber is to install a water level view sight glass spigot which reveals the level of the water in the lower chamber. 

Big Berkey water filters are commonly used for two to five people.  For two or three people a system with 2 Black Berkey filters is sufficent.  Groups of three to five people will benefit from four filter configurations.  If you expect to provide water for more than five people on a regular basis, a Royal Berkey or Imperal Berkey may be more appropriate.

Using Big Berkey on Tables and Counters

Because Big Berkey water filters are used as table top water filters it is important to understand their space requirements.  If you are installing your Big Berkey on a table, make sure that the table is stable enough to support the weight of the water filter when in use.  With a capacity of 2.25 gallons of water, the Big Berkey can weigh over 24 pounds.  The surface where the Big Berkey is placed should be flat and stable, able to support the weight.  In addition, the Big Berkey needs to either hang off the edge of a table or counter so that a typical glass or cup can easily slide under the spigot for filling.  The other option is to raise the Big Berkey using a stand which will then allow for enough clearance under the spigot to get a glass under it.

Another important space consideration is the overall height of the Big Berkey.  With the rubber base on the lower chamber and the lid knob on the top chamber, the Big Berkey's requirements are:

Space Requirements: 20.5" height clearance.  9" width clearance.

The reason the height requirement is important has to with overhead cabinet doors.  If the Big Berkey is placed on a counter top and there are cupboards above, consideration has to be given for the cupboard doors.  Because the Big Berkey stands 20.5 inches high, the distance between the counter top and the bottom of the cupboard doors must be greater that 21" or the cupboard door will hit the top of the Big Berkey, preventing access to the contents of the cupboards. It is best to take these measurements prior to ordering to avoid returns or damage to your Big Berkey and cupboard doors.

Using Big Berkey Water Filters for Recreational Water Purification

Big Berkey uses Black Berkey water filters, which are capable of purifying non municipal water found in rivers, streams, and lakes.  Use Big Berkey in your camp site to purify wilderness water sources with confidence.  There is no need to pre-treat water from a stream or other outdoor source.  Simply draw water from the nearest source and pour it into the Big Berkey for safe water.  Common outdoor water threats that are removed include pathogenic bacteria, cysts, and parasites such as:
  • E. coli
  • Klebsiella 
  • Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
  • Giardia
  • Cryptosporidium
In addition, Big Berkey will reduce the following heavy metals by up to 95%:
  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Aluminum
  • Cadmium
  • Chomium
  • Copper
Big Berkey water filters are an important part of maintaining health and insuring that water is safe to drink.

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"Berkey Filter - I love it!"

Scott Ensign on 12/30/2012 10:51:21 AM

Product Review: After moving to my new house our water quality sucked! There is no other way to say it. It was cloudy, smelled like my mom was wash and reeked of bleach. The kids would complain and I guess my mom had enough of us complaining about the water here, I got the big berky for Christmas and I love it! It makes everything better, my coffee is the best and I have plans to buy more for my camping trips had beaver fever before…. No Crypto bugs going to get me again, it’s amazing what this thing protects y... More details


"Big Berkey Water Filter"

Harry Swank on 7/25/2012 10:07:46 AM

Product Review: I love this water filter, I ordered it on Tusday morning and received it on Wednesday. You CANNOT beat that service, this company and the Berkey ROCKS!!!


"Buy your Berkey from Disasterstuff.com!"

T Kober on 8/13/2011 7:11:29 AM

Product Review: I received our Big Berkey from disasterstuff.com early in July. We've had it for a month and absolutely love it. The product came well packaged, on time, and is as advertised. We had a few minor issues with the product which disasterstuff.com (Bob Canning) handled immediately and much to our satisfaction. I plan to be a frequent customer and highly recommend them.


"Best filter you can buy!"

Rich UPS on 8/7/2010 10:54:46 AM

Product Review: I have heard so much good things about the Berkey water filter that I had to try it out. This water filter is amazing and does what it claims. The Big Berkey water filters are sold out every where but Distasterstuff.com had them in stock. Do not waste your money on any other filter, Berkey is the WORLD standard. Once you see the size of the filter you realize that any other store bought filter "brita" is a joke and only made to mask the taste, and they do not REMOVE harmful chemicals. I am writi... More details


"Big Berkey"

R Mclaughlin on 1/18/2010 7:16:11 PM

Product Review: I ordered this purifier end of April 2009 and received it shortly after that. Packaging was good and showed up in perfect condition. Ive used this filter daily and have been very happy with it. Only thing I would like is a spigot hold open feature to fill gallon jugs easier. I currently just use a rubber band so I dont have to stand there holding the spigot open. Great filter and I would buy again for sure. A note from customer support:  Our spigots are designed to push down for on demand d... More details


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