Black Berkey Primer™ priming pump

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.

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 Primer™ is a manual pump that makes priming of Black Berkey™ filter elements easier without the need for tap pressure or when the space under the tap si too small for priming.

Priming the Black Berkey® purification elements is essential to expel air and saturate the filters with water before use.

The Primer™ pump also allows you to purge the Black Berkey® elements with air to clean the porous structure of the filter if necessary and to dry the filters for long-term storage (see information on storing Black Berkey® filters for details).

The Primer pump therefore allows you to:

1- Eliminate debris that can build up in the filter pores during use,
2- Reduce the time that is necessary to dry the filters before storage,
3- Facilitate the priming of the elements when water pressure is not accessible or when space under the tap is limited.
4- Black Berkey® filters should never be primed with contaminated water. This is the case, for example, if you only have access to reclaimed water such as rainwater, borehole water, well water, etc. You must prime them with the Black Berkey® Primer pump. It is an essential tool in these conditions.

The Black Berkey Primer™ is especially designed for use with Black Berkey® purification elements.

Find here the Black Berkey Primer™ instructions for use To complement this information, you can watch a video on using the Black Berkey Primer™.

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.