The Royal Berkey Water Filter – Is It Worth It?

Have you heard of the Berkely Water Filter? Today I’m going to share with you my experience with the Berkey and let you know if I think it’s worth it. Keep reading for my full Berkey Water Filter review.

Do You Know What’s In Your Water?

I recently found out that there’s a tap water database. This database tells you all the info about your local water, including the contaminants that have been found in it and the risks from those contaminants. Reading about all the nasty things in our city water, including a host of things that are known carcinogens, was really disheartening. I do NOT want our family drinking in these things all day every day! 

Why Consider a Berkey?

Sometimes it seems crazy to me to think that we have to PAY for water. Living in the city limits we are on city water. We’re paying an average of $100 a month…for water! Not only that, but it’s water that isn’t very good. Sure, it’s fine for showers and flushing the toilet but the taste is not very good. 

Before I had ever tried Berkey myself I have friends who have raved about their Berkey filter for years. It was time to put the Berkey Water Filter to the test in our own home. Even though I had always heard great things about them I still wondered, were they really worth it? A Berkey Water Filter can be a big investment!

Berkey Water Filter Review – Royal Berkey Water Filter – 3.25 Gallons

Berkey Water Filter Details

There are lots of different ways you can adjust your Berkey to be perfect for your family. Our Royal Berkey Water Filter (which was provided to me at no cost to facilitate this review) is a 3.25 gallons filter equipped with the standard black Berkey filters along with the Berkey Fluoride filters which remove fluoride, arsenic, MTBE and other heavy metal ions.

The versatile Royal Berkey system is ideal for use at home with medium-sized families. Here are some of the great features of this water filter:

• Constructed of highly polished AISI 304 stainless steel
• Storage capacity of about 3.25 gallons (12.3 liters)
• Upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for transport and stands only 15.25″ in height
• Maximum Filters: Ability to use up to 4 Black Berkey Purification Elements (in upper chamber)
• System includes upper and lower stainless steel chamber, 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements, 1 stainless steel lid, 1 spigot, 2 wingnuts, 2 washers, 1 priming button, 2 blocking plugs, 1 rubber gasket to protect the base
• Height when in use: 23″, Diameter: 9.5″
• Weight: 8 lbs empty
• For normal everyday use, this system easily serves: 2-4 people
• Fully configured, this system can serve up to 100-200 people a day, during an emergency
• Each Black Berkey Filter is designed to purify approximately 3,000 gallons of water before needing replacement; 2 filters in a Berkey system will purify approximately 6,000 gallons of water before replacement is recommended
• Maximum Filtration Flow Rate:
  • Configured with 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements, the Royal Berkey system can purify up to 4 gallons (15.1 liters) per hour
  • Configured with 4 Black Berkey Purification Elements, the Royal Berkey system can purify up to 8 gallons ( 30.3 liters) per hour
• Up to 4 PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Filters can be installed in the lower chamber if desired

What the Royal Berkey Water Filter Removes

Wow, I was amazed at everything these powerful filters are able to remove from water! 

Fluoride – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Viruses – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Pathogenic Bacteria – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Lead – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Arsenic – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Iron – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Mercury – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Chlorine – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Trihalomethane(THMs) – Removed to greater than 99.8%.
Bisphenol-A – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Chloramines – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Pharmaceuticals – Removed to greater than 99.5%.
Petroleum Contaminants – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Methylcyclohexane-methane – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Pesticides – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Heavy Metals – Removed to greater than 99.1%.
Coliform and e-Coli – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Atrazine – Removed to greater than 99.9%.
Uranium – Removed to greater than 97.0%.
Gross Alpha emitters – Removed to greater than 98.7%.

Our Experience with the Berkey Water Filter

Assembling the water filter was very easy. We just followed the instructions for preparing the filters and we were filtering water in no time. 

Time to Filter

It does take longer for water to filter through the Berkey then say, something like a Brita. These filters are much more powerful, so that wasn’t surprising. 

How Does It Taste?

Anytime someone comes to our house and recognizes the Berkey, they always ask how the water tastes. Can you tell it’s better water? The answer is undoubtedly yes! There is a big noticeable difference in the taste of this water.  It tastes clean, fresh, crisp, just the way water should taste. 

In fact, I have gotten so used to my Berkey water that if I’m upstairs getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth and need a drink, 9 times out of 10 I will walk back downstairs to get a drink of water from my Berkey instead of sink water because I have grown to really hate the way our city water tastes. (Not to mention I worry more now that I know what’s in it!)

Is 3.25 Gallons Big Enough For My Family?

We are a family of seven. Two adults and 5 children. We all tend to drink a lot of water. I find myself refilling our Berkely usually at least 2 times a day. Generally, any time I get water for myself, if I notice that the flow is slower, I add more water. 

My kids are smaller so they can’t add water to it themselves yet. Of course, they are big enough though to help themselves to water, so yes, we go through it pretty quickly. I’ve also started using it sometimes for cooking because I just hate using our city water now.

I would say that for our family, 3.25 gallons with 2 black filters is sufficient, but it would probably be best if we had 4 filters in place and possibly a large capacity Berkey, especially as my kids get older and start to drink more and more. Keep in mind that adding additional filters helps it to filter faster, so if you find that you need more water, it might be that you need more filters and not a large size Berkey. That being said, I think for the average family size, the 3.25 gallon Berkey with 2 black filters would work great or your family. Start with 2 filters and if you find that’s not enough, then you can always add more!

Is the Berkey Water Filter Worth It?

That’s the million-dollar question, right? We certainly get asked that a lot. My answer would be, yes. For us, it definitely is. I never want to be without one now. The water quality is just so much better. I don’t have to worry about all of the bad stuff my family would be ingesting from the tap water anymore. Not only that but since the water tastes so much better, I find myself drinking more of it than ever before. 

Purchasing a Berkey Water Filter

I know that a Berkey Water Filter purchase might be a difficult leap for some families because of the cost. Trust me, I get it. Saving money is a big deal to me! I don’t like to spend money unless it is something worthwhile to spend money on! But think about how much better your health could be using this water. A great idea is to utilize some of your tax refund (hopefully you get one!) and order one then. It’s almost that time again! You can purchase a Berkey here. 

Another option is to purchase a Factory Blemished Berkey System. It will function exactly the same but will have a minor cosmetic blemish(es). If you have kids in your home like me, chances are they will find a way to put a blemish on it eventually anyway, so go for the savings! 

Let me know if you have any questions about your Berkey or are considering a purchase. I’d be happy to help!

Win a Berkey Water Filter – 3.25 Gallons

Oh, and guess what?! I’ve got your chance to win your own Berkey Water Filter (3.25 Gallons) This size is also known as the Royal Berkey Filter. If you’d like a chance to win just enter using the Giveaway Tools entry form below. Good luck!