Clean Water
Having easy access to clean water is very important and something most of us take for granted. Yet, if you question the quality of your city water, use well water, or travel like we do, having access to clean water can be a concern. We solved the dilemma of having clean drinking water anywhere, anytime with the Trave Berkey.
What is a Travel Berkey Water Filter?
A “Berkey” is a water purifier with the key advantage of being a countertop gravity-fed unit you can easily take with you. It utilizes up to four ceramic and carbon-activated filters (depending on the unit’s size) located in the unit’s upper portion, where you fill with whatever water source you have.
The water flows through the filters into the lower chamber and removes bacteria, viruses, chemicals, heavy metals, and even contaminants like fertilizer. It removes all the things that would make your water taste bad or unsafe to drink. It does this all while keeping the good minerals in, something most purifiers can not do. Optionally, you can add fluoride filters to the Berkey as well. These filters will reduce up to 97% of the fluoride in your water if that is a concern for you. In the Travel Berkey, a pair of the included black Berkey filters can process up to 6000 gallons before needing replacement!!!
Why we chose and loved our Travel Berkey Water Filter.
When we were preparing and planning to go full-time in our RV, we kept reading about low-quality or questionable water supplies across the country. Many RVers choose to buy bottled water or refill giant, heavy water jugs to solve the problem. We wanted to be assured we would have clean drinking water and minimize our use of plastic and waste at the same time. These factors led us to choose the 1.5-gallon Travel Berkey Water Filter.
There are actually four different sizes of Berkeys to choose from, so you’ll have to assess your needs before deciding which is suitable for you. We contemplated between the Big Berkey and the Travel Berkey in the beginning because we were not sure if the smaller size would meet our needs. However, after almost two years of use, we are glad we went with the “travel” size unit. It measures 7.5″ across and 19″ in height and filters water at a rate of 2.75 gallons per hour, so still not very small. However, it perfectly fits our kitchen bar/countertop in the RV without taking up too much space or looking big and bulky. I’ve actually had friends comment on how sleek and nice it looks.
The Travel Berkey Water Filter was the best answer for our family of 3, plus 1 very adorable yet stubborn Goldendoodle. In my research, I found that a dog’s digestive system can be just as sensitive (if not more so) than humans. We knew it was just as important to have consistent, clean drinking water for our “Dood” as it was for us. We refill our Berkey as needed (usually 2-3 times a day). This allows us to have clean water to make coffee, tea, fill the dogs’ water bowl and keep our Hydro flasks full. On travel days, we even bring an extra Hydroflask for Hurley in the truck and can easily give him water with his collapsible water bowl while rolling down the road. It makes the best clean-tasting ice as well (we use this ice maker).
Speaking of travel days….this is how our Berkey travels.
After filling up what we need for the day, we simply move the Berky to our kitchen sink with a few other items. The rubber gripping on the bottom keeps it in place perfectly, but we figure if a spill or something does happen while we’re going down the road, at least it would be in the sink.
Maintenance and Cleaning
The Berkey Filter System is super easy to keep clean and maintain, making it even more convenient. The unit is made of stainless steel and can be hand-washed using clean hot water and dish soap once the filters are removed. Even the filters can be gently scrubbed with a new 3M Scotch Brite pad to remove any buildup and rinsed with water before re-installing.
Other Options
In our research phase, we also looked into reverse Osmosis systems. The ones we looked at required a power source to filter the water. Since we planned to do some boondocking through our travels, we didn’t want to rely on power for clean water. Since the Berkey works via gravity alone, it almost made it a no-brainer.
Another perk of the Berkey was that we didn’t want something that would have to be installed permanently. We found this extremely useful as we recently purchased a cabin in the mountains to use as our “home base” between our travels. We simply carry the Berkey into the cabin when we arrive and continue to use it there.
Not just for the RV
In our cabin, when we lost power due to a crazy summer storm. The Berkey became even more of a lifesaver for us as our electric pump stopped working for our well. We were able to get a couple of days of water supply from our local Fire Department in large containers for general use. This was great for flushing the toilets and washing hands, but we also used it to fill the Berkey, and it made clean water for all of us to drink. We could have even filled the Berkey with water from our nearby lake if needed, and it would have made it safe to drink, which still blows my mind! You don’t realize how important clean water is until you don’t have it!
Problems with Berkey
We have found only one problem or issue with our Berkey, and it was a 100% operator error. We chose to purchase the S/S spigot, which is turned forward to dispense. Since its gravity fed, when the Berkey runs out of water, nothing will come out of the spigot. I accidentally left this open (not once, but twice…I like to learn the hard way) when it was empty. Then later, after refilling the water (gravity took over), we were alerted to the dripping sound of water. (NEVER a good sound in an RV.) Fortunately, our trash can is located right below the unit, so it caught all the water dripping out. Lesson learned….ensure you always have the spigot turned to the “off” position when you are done using it.
Conclusion
What we love most about our Berkey is how A-MAZING the water tastes. It consistently makes the freshest, cleanest tasting water no matter what the source. The portability of the system, cost-effectiveness, gravity-fed, and the amount of water each filter cleans over its lifetime makes it an easy pick. The Berkey is an excellent system to have on your RVing adventures.
Now, that is some high-quality H2O!!!
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