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When I purchased a Berkey water filter, I just figured since we had a family of 7, we would want the biggest one. I didn’t realize that there were so many factors to consider. I’m hoping this will help you make the right decision for your family!
I originally purchased a Crown Berkey, but then switched to a Berkey Light after using it for a while.
In this post, I am going to give you some things to consider, and I will be comparing the Berkey Light and Crown Berkey specifically, to illustrate these points.
How many gallons of water will you be using in a day?
Something I didn’t realize, was that the top chamber of a Berkey ought to be refilled on a daily basis. The reason for this, is that the filters need to stay “primed” in order to function at full capacity. This means that you’ll want to be using the capacity of the system you choose, within a 24-hour period.
When determining how many gallons of water you’ll use each day, you want to take a few things into account.
Here is a contrasting example of my family compared to my brother’s family, and why it’s not just about the number of people in the household…
Each filter works at the same speed. So if you have 2 black Berkey filters in a Berkey Light, and 2 black Berkey filters in a Crown Berkey, you are going to get the same amount of filtered water after “x” amount of minutes. In this case, the difference is just in the amount of water each chamber holds, but filtering speed is the exact same.
Almost all of the Berkey systems come with 2 Black Berkey Filters, but many of the systems can accommodate more than 2. For example, the Berkey Light can accommodate up to 4 filters, and the Crown Berkey can accommodate up to 8 filters.
The more filters you have going in a system, the faster your filtered water will accumulate.
You do not have to use the maximum amount of filters, but having the option in unique situations is nice.
Determine where you will actually keep your Berkey and how you will dispense the water.
Keep in mind that you will need room for the cup/water bottle/stock pot to fit underneath the spigot at the bottom of the system. There are a few options to make this happen:
The location of the Berkey in your home can actually directly affect how convenient it is to fill it, as well as how much water you go through in a day.
Let me explain…
Once I had the Berkey in my kitchen, I realized I didn’t have anywhere for it to go on my counter, so I moved it to a little table in the corner of the dining room.
This proved to be problematic for a few reasons:
Let’s be honest, most people find stainless steel more aesthetically pleasing than plastic. So you might assume that it’s a no brainer that the Crown Berkey would win out in this category. But the other major variable with the appearance is that you can actually SEE the water level in the Berkey Light. So you don’t have to guess when it needs to be filled.
Let me save your floor from an unfortunate discovery- it is possible to overflow the Berkey! Once the water is filtered, it is stored in the bottom chamber. An empty top chamber can be misleading, especially to a well-meaning but un-informed spouse.
If you go with a stainless steel Berkey, you will need to lift off the top chamber to see the water level inside bottom chamber. It’s kind of a pain. There is a work around for that if you upgrade to the really cool Sight Glass Spigot. It is an extra $50-$70 depending on the style. But it solves the problem of the Crown Berkey not being see-through.
Your priorities might be different if you are investing in a Berkey Water Filter primarily for emergency use.
Maybe you’re a ‘need to see all my options’ person – nothing wrong with that! There are plenty of systems for you to choose from. Here’s a brief rundown on the different sizes Berkey has to offer.
One important thing to remember is that size is literally the only difference in all of these systems. They all use the same technology and filter water the same way. The bigger systems can simply house more elements, which means the water filters more quickly and they last longer because one element isn’t doing all the work.
We have a lot of people in our family. Go big or go home, right? A Crown Berkey just made sense. But in reality, we weren’t going through that much water. I love the Berkey Light so much that we switched out our Crown Berkey for it, and I’ve never looked back.
As you can see, it’s not one-size-fits-all situation. And while I can’t tell you which specific system to get for your family, I can tell you that there is a system for everyone with Berkey!
Berkey water filters are THE BEST water filters, not only for emergencies, but for everyday use. They are so good, they are classified as a water purifier, which is a step up from a filter!
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