Berkey® Priming kit

The Black Berkey™ filters are standard equipment in Berkey® purification systems, the industry leader in gravity-fed water purifiers. Each filter is designed to purify approximately 11,300 liters of water before replacement. A pair of Black Berkey® filters in a Berkey® system will purify about 22,600 liters of water before we recommend replacing them. The Black Berkey® purification elements are sold in pairs and can be used to upgrade most gravity-fed water filter systems. They are washable and self-sterilizing and come with a proportional 2-year warranty.

You can also find the installation and use instructions for the Black Berkey® purification elements* as well as the video explaining the priming of Black Berkey® water filters.

To simplify the priming of Black Berkey® elements, Berkey® has created a priming pump. Check out the information regarding the Black Berkey Primer® pump.

The Black Berkey™ water filters do not necessarily need to be cleaned every time you clean your Berkey® water purifier. However, this depends on the quality of your water. If you live in an area where the water is significantly dirtier than usual, more frequent cleaning of the elements may be necessary to remove debris that can clog the pores of your Black Berkey® purification elements.

Regarding the frequency of cleaning the filters, it can be estimated that it is necessary when you notice that the flow rate starts to decrease significantly. For hard water, cleaning should be done every month. In other cases, set a maximum limit of 4 to 5 months to avoid reaching the point where the filters are completely clogged.

How to clean your filters?

1. Start by emptying and disassembling the Black Berkey® purification elements from the Berkey® system. Use a cleaning pad similar to a Scotch Brite pad (abrasive side) and scrub the exterior of the Black Berkey® purification elements under running (cold) water.
2. Reprime the filters.
3. Reassemble the Black Berkey® purification elements in your Berkey® system and proceed with a new filtration by filling the upper chamber.

1- If you have already used your filters

The storage method will vary based on the duration for which the Black Berkey® water filters will be out of use:

- If the period of non-use is less than 3 days, no special action is required.

- If the period of non-use is more than 3 days and less than 15 days and you want to avoid the re-priming process, remove them from the system, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and store the filters in the refrigerator, ensuring that they do not freeze. This will keep the filters saturated with water and avoid re-priming. If you find that they are filtering more slowly than usual when you put them back into use, re-prime them until water droplets form on the outside of the filter walls.

- For longer-term storage, we recommend drying and sealing the filters. The most important thing is to ensure they are completely dry before storing them to prevent bacterial growth. One way to dry your filters out completely is to leave them on a windowsill for one to three days. We also offer a priming and purging device called the Black Berkey Primer™. The advantage of purging the Black Berkey® purification elements is that they dry very quickly. When the filters are dry, place them in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Black Berkey® filters are extremely powerful and can absorb odors and smoke in the air. When you are ready to use them again, clean them by scrubbing the exterior with a Scotch-Brite® pad or a stiff brush. Then re-prime the filters manually or with the Black Berkey Primer™ before placing them back in the system.

** Please note that the above storage methods apply only to Black Berkey® purification elements. See below for PF-2 filters.

2- If you have never used your filters

If the filters are unopened and still in their original packaging, be careful not to store them in an place with strong odors, such as a laundry room or garage. The elements contain activated carbon, which allows them to absorb odors from the storage area. Avoid storing them near highly scented items such as soap or laundry detergent.

In theory, the shelf life of Black Berkey® purification elements is limitless.

When storing the stainless steel tanks of your Berkey® system, it is best to empty them completely, as stagnant water can harbor bacteria. We recommend washing your Berkey® system with soapy water before allowing to dry.

Two scenarios are possible:

1- If you have just acquired your Berkey® water purifier and the filters are new, the problem is usually due to high water tension. This prevents air from being purged from the micropores of your Black Berkey® water filters. Your filtration elements must be purged of this air to allow water to pass through them. A beige priming washer/blue valve and priming instructions are provided with the Black Berkey™ elements. Remove your filters, prime them, then reinstall them in your Berkey®. This should resolve the slow flow rate issue.

2- If the flow rate slows considerably during the use of your Berkey® system, the problem can usually be resolved by cleaning the elements. Turbidity and clogging of the micropores by sediment are usually the cause of this issue. Just remove the elements from your system and scrub the exterior of each element with the abrasive side of a ScotchBrite® sponge. Scrub a section of the element until you see some black on the sponge, then move to another section until you have scrubbed around each element. This process should only take a few minutes and should only be done under running water. Re-prime each element, then reinstall them in tank. Your flow rate should be back to normal.

CAUTION: Never use soap, vinegar, detergent, or any other cleaning product.

Congratulations! This indicates your Black Berkey© filters have been perfectly primed!

The water gently trrickles through as soon as you fill the upper chamber. It is the weight of the water column that forcefully pushes the water through the filters. Once the water column decreases (between the last third and the halfway point), the water drips quickly.

What makes the Black Berkey® filters strong and efficient are the microchannels that take a tortuous path, allowing the water to contact the filter over a long distance. But since there are millions of these microchannels, in the end the water filtered very quickly.

Generally, a full chamber is filtered in 45 minutes, give or take 10 minutes. If this is not the case, it means your filters are not properly primed. You should then re-prime them according to the instructions provided in your manual.

If you find that the filtration is very fast (10 to 20 minutes), again, don’t worry! The filtration speed indicated by the manufacturer is an average, and very fast filtration does not indicate that your filters are not working. First, check that your black seals are properly installed in the upper chamber and that the blocking plugs are securely in place and tight (except for the Travel model). Also, make sure the wing nuts are sufficiently tightened (without over-tightening). After that, when the water is being filtered, check by lifting the upper chamber that the water flows only through the ends of the Black Berkey® filter stems. Finally, if after all these checks the filtration is still very fast, you can perform a red dye test following the instructions in your manuals or in our FAQ. This is the final step that will find out if your filters are working properly or not.

During the assembly, handling, and shipping of the filter elements, they may acquire a small amount of dust or fine harmless particles. This is why we recommend priming the Berkey® PF-2™ filter elements at both ends to remove the dust before installing them in your Berkey® system. If this procedure is not done correctly, there may be turbidity issues during the first few water cycles.

Priming the filtration elements should be done for approximately 30 seconds at both ends. It may be necessary to repeat this process up to ten times to remove all the dust. An analysis was conducted to determine how turbidity decreases based on the number of washes. A summary of the results is available below:

- One wash: turbidity reduced by a value > 94%
- Two washes: turbidity reduced by a value > 96%
- Three washes: turbidity reduced by a value > 98%

You can view the complete test results here (document in English).

Turbidity will continue to decrease with each filling cycle of your Berkey® system. Although turbidity may be unsightly, it poses no health risks.

The Berkey Light®, like all other Berkey® water purification systems, requires minimal maintenance.

It primarily involves occasional cleaning: we suggest washing the lower chamber once a month with soapy water (dishwashing liquid). In areas with hard water, lime deposits may accumulate on various parts of the system after prolonged use. To remove them, soak the affected parts in vinegar or a 50-50% mixture of vinegar and water for about 15 minutes. Finish by cleaning with soapy dishwater, then rinse.

After prolonged use, the flow rate of your system may decrease. To remedy this, simply scrub the outside of each Black Berkey® purification element with a stiff brush or ScotchBrite® pad and reprime the elements*.

Additionally, we recommend keeping the Berkey Light® out of direct sunlight.

(*): original documentation in English, provided in French at the time of purchase or upon request.

Refer to the assembly document* for a diagram and precise instructions on how to assemble your stainless steel Berkey® water purifier.

This documentation also contains instructions for setting up the filtration elements.

For more details, you can refer to the specific document on priming the Black Berkey® elements*

(*) : original documentation in English, provided in French at the time of purchase or upon request.

Whether it's the Black Berkey™ filters or the Berkey® PF-2™ filters, it is necessary to prime them before their first use or after a long period of storage.

You can refer to the Black Berkey® filter priming document and also the PF-2™ filter priming document (documents in English, provided in French at the time of purchase or upon request).

To facilitate the priming of the Black Berkey® filters, and if the space under your faucet is limited, there is also a priming pump, which is very practical and allows you to prime the Black Berkey® filters anytime, anywhere.