Thursday, February 2, 2012

What is the real story on Berkey filters?

I am editing this post to add an important preface.

Damning indictment of black Berkey Filters from a supplier

The above link is an audio YouTube session.  Move the slider to about 1 hour 23 min into the session to hear twenty minutes of carefully worded comments about New Millennium and how the highly promoted black Berkey filter is nothing more than a cheap $3 carbon block filter, that because of the design of the holder is destined to fail.  

If these claims are true, New Millennium has been INTENTIONALLY selling a defective product, the highly touted black Berkey filter, using completely unsubstantiated claims of effectiveness, and when used to filter non-potable water, failures of this filter COULD KILL YOU.

Where before, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt, my strong personal opinion has changed to "DO NOT BUY A BLACK BERKEY FILTER, and destroy and throw out any ones you may have to prevent their use."

Read through the rest of this post if you need more convincing or want to know the full story of my research.

Reports of black Berkey filters breaking or becoming unglued at the base keep coming in across the net.  This is an acknowledged defect by the manufacturer.  Many people are totally confused by the marketing of these "candle" type filters and do not understand who is responsible.  There are, as far as I know, about three or four main makers of such candle type filters.

The primary maker, with a long history and excellent reputation, has been British Berkfeld, which has gone through changes and become a part of Fairey Ceramics of England.  This company also makes the "Doulton" brand filters.

In the United States, there is a company called New Millennium Concepts, Ltd., which claims to make the "Berkey"  filters within the U.S..  These are the filters that are having problems.  They are black in color.

Korea has a company called Korea Ceramics, which makes a white filter similar to the Doulton filters.

China has a manufacturer called Paijing China, which makes filters that are like the Doulton, as well as another that appears to be like the black Berkey, although there seems to be no ready documentation about it on the net.

The concept of filtration through micropores is very old. I have run across old photos of filter furniture in Caribbean homes where a vertical box contained a top water container, a block of porous limestone or coral, and a catchment.  Candle filters use a fused diatomatious earth in what looks like a porcelain 10" tall cylinder with a domed top.  The material has a relatively consistence porous nature that has small enough holes that most dangerous bacteria and organisms cannot penetrate it.


The purpose of this post is to provide links so that people can understand which company is doing what, and the correct operation of these filters.  I have no connection with any of these companies other than having purchased a Big Berkey from James Filters, and specifically requesting the Doulton brand of filters, due to their long reputation and use in third world countries.  Doulton has a current NSF certification.  The NSF website shows no other certified filters.  I make NO claims other than that I am satisfied with the operation of the Doulton filters I purchased.  Readers may click on the links, read, and make their own conclusions.





http://www.survivalunlimited.com/wat...waterintro.htm

http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/history.htm

http://www.jamesfilter.com/faireyceramics.aspx

http://www.faireyceramics.com/freque...questions.html

Q26) Does FICL manufacture the Berkey filter range including the Black Berkey filter element?

A26) British Berkefeld is an FICL trademark. Berkey is not an FICL trademark. FICL manufactures all British Berkefeld branded filter products. FICL manufactures some British Berkefeld branded Super Sterasyl grade ceramic filter candles which are used inside certain Berkey filter systems. FICL is not involved in the manufacture of Black Berkey filter elements or any other Berkey branded filter products.


http://www.britishberkefeld.com/faq.html


10) Does New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. (NMCL) manufacture the British Berkefeld® range of Super Sterasyl ceramic filtration candles, including the British Berkefeld® water filtration system?

Berkey®, Big Berkey® and Black Berkey® are trademarks registered to New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. British Berkefeld® is not an NMCL trademark. NMCL manufaturers all water purification systems and elements bearing the Berkey® trademark. NMCL manufacturers some Big Berkey® systems using British Berkefeld® branded ceramic filter elements. NMCL is not involved in the manufacturer of these ceramic filter elements or any other British Berkefeld® branded filter product. Since 1998 New Millennium Concepts, Ltd. has been the
North American Master Distributor for British Berkefeld® stainless steel gravity filters and replacement ceramic filter candles. British Berkefeld® is a registered trademark of Fairey Industrial Ceramics Limited, UK.


Since Fairey denies manufacture, obviously there is some other plant somewhere making the elements.

The following link shows that NMCL is actually located at a house in a residential neighborhood.  This is not the expected place for a ceramics factory.

http://www.list-corp.com/b2b_directo...cepts_LTD.html

This link gets interesting when you search the word "millennium" within it:

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=541335

This is also interesting:
http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=201621.0

What I find ultimately troubling is that no matter how hard I search, I don't seem to be able to locate any actual ceramic filter manufacturing facilities, which are supposedly in the United States.  I did however, find this:

http://paijingchina.en.alibaba.com/p...Cartridge.html

Go to the bottom of the page where the images are and mouse hover over the second one. Look familiar?  Other than black Berkey filters, this is the only image of a black candle filter I have been able to find.

I can draw some inferences and tentative conclusions, but those who have read all the links I have provided can become better educated by doing that on their own.

As noted above,  British Berkefeld is an FICL trademark.  Berkey®, Big Berkey® and Black Berkey® are trademarks registered to New Millennium Concepts, Ltd.