How To Prime A Berkey Filter

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Learn how to prime Berkey water filters to filter out impurities and get the best, almost delicious water apace. Follow my step-by-step procedures to make this process so simple.

Berkey water filter system on a wood table with bowls and cutting boards in the background

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I've done many posts on here and my YouTube channel all near our Berkey water filter, and why nosotros utilise it to filter our h2o for all my homemade, from-scratch recipes and ferments.

Today, I'm going to show you how to prime number the filters.

Our Berkey is 1 my favorite items in the firm. Nosotros absolutely honey it to filter out all the things we don't want to be drinking.

I utilize the filtered water to make all of my ferments and from-scratch recipes, to feed my sourdough starter, and of course, to drink. Information technology is an essential role of our real-food kitchen.

Nosotros use it now that we have well h2o, but nosotros loved information technology even more when we had city water that was total of terrible stuff nosotros didn't want to be drinking.

Back and so, we used the arsenic/fluoride filter, and it fabricated me feel a lot ameliorate giving that h2o to my growing family unit and drinking it when pregnant.

I just experience like if I'g going to be making all this healthy food, to not have properly-filtered water would just defeat the purpose.

What Is The Purpose Of Priming Berkey Water Filters?

When you beginning go your Berkey h2o filters, you lot will discover they are really low-cal. They are actually full of air, and when you're assembling your h2o filter arrangement, you desire to prime the filters to get all that air out.

If you don't prime number the filters, it will take a super long time to filter out the h2o. You could put gallons of water in the top portion at dark, and come back in the morn to barely whatever water in the bottom canister.

That is the point of properly priming them. Y'all may also need toclean and re-prime number the filters if you notice that the filtering charge per unit is starting to ho-hum downward.

If yous haven't purchased a Berkey water filter arrangement all the same, brand sure to cheque out my mail on how to get a great deal on it.

Tips For Priming Berkey Water Filters

Only use common cold h2o; never apply warm water, hot h2o, or soap to prime the elements.
It can take 3-four minutes per filter. It takes awhile sometimes, so if you lot experience like you're doing something wrong, try to wait a little longer, and it may outset seeping through correctly.
Make sure you check out my post on how to assemble your Berkey water filter system.

women standing next to Berkey water filter in her farmhouse kitchen

Tools you will need:

Berkey H2o Filter System

Black Berkey Filter Elements

Priming button (it comes with filter elements)

How To Prime Berkey Water Filter

First, have off the wing nut and washer that it comes with.
Take the priming piece and identify it on the tube where the filtered h2o volition eventually come out.
Turn your water on at a slow rate. You don't want it also loftier, or yous volition make a mess when you get to push the priming slice on the faucet. Water will fly everywhere.
Press the filter with the priming slice up to your faucet firmly. Hold it there until the water starts seeping out of the filter. The goal is to see water seeping out of all the little pores.
You lot may also start seeing some bubbles forming on the filters. That's ok; just continue holding the filter upwardly with the priming push button under the running water until all the water is seeped through.
This may accept up to 3-four minutes per filter.
Repeat on the other filter.

How Do Yous Know You Primed The Filters Properly?

You will know that the filters are primed properly when yous ready your Berkey water organisation and the h2o is filtering at a pace yous are pleased with.

Do you have to Prime Berkey filters?

Yes. This is an essential procedure to make sure your filters are filtering at an optimal charge per unit. If you lot don't, they will filter extremely slowly, to the indicate where you could leave it all nighttime and barely whatsoever water will filter out.

How To Prime Berkey Water Filter Printable Instructions:

Materials

Berkey water filter elements
Priming piece

Instructions

Kickoff, take off the wing nut and washer that information technology comes with.

Accept the priming piece and place information technology on the tube where the filtered water will somewhen come out.

Plough your water on at a slow rate. You lot don't want it too high, or y'all will make a mess when you become to push the priming piece on the faucet. Water volition fly everywhere.

Press the filter with the priming piece upwardly to your faucet firmly. Hold it there until the water starts seeping out of the filter. The goal is to see water come seeping out of all the petty pores.

You may also start seeing some bubbling forming on the filters. That'south ok; but keep holding the filter upwardly with the priming push button under the running water until all the water is seeped through.

This may accept upwards to 3-iv minutes per filter.

Echo with other filter

Notes

Just utilise cold water; never use warm water, hot water, or soap to prime the elements.

Information technology tin accept 3-iv minutes per filter. It takes awhile sometimes, so if yous experience similar you're doing something wrong, try to wait a lilliputian longer, and it may start seeping through correctly.

If after iii-4 minutes you don't notice any water seeping through, effort to readjust the priming push or the h2o period to see if that helps.

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