What is the history of Doulton/British Berkefeld Water Filters?
John Doulton founded his first pottery in 1815. As early as 1827, Henry Doulton developed ceramic filters for removing bacteria from drinking water. The Thames river was heavily contaminated with raw sewage; cholera and typhoid epidemics were rampant.
In 1835, Queen Victoria commissioned Doulton to produce a water filter for the Royal household. Doulton created a gravity fed filtration system that used a ceramic filter.
With Pasteur's advancement in microbiology, Doulton's Research and Development department created micro-porous ceramic cartridges capable of removing bacteria with better than 99% efficiency.
Today, Doulton ceramics are used in over 150 countries. In 1985, the British Berkefeld brand was acquired by Doulton Industrial Products, the manufacturer of Doulton water filters. Today, the British Berkefeld name is the preferred choice for water purification products in worldwide locations where outbreaks of illness are associated with unreliable water supplies. British Berkefeld is the water filter that has truly stood the test of time.
What is the technology behind the filter elements and why are they so special?
A) Doulton invented the ceramic filter for water filtration in 1827.
B) Silver impregnated: Prevents Mitosis or Grow-Through
C) Pore size: .2 Nominal. >98% at .2 microns, >99.7% at .3 microns, >99.9% at .5 microns
D) Removes >99.99% of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E. Coli, Vibro Cholerae, Salmonella, Dysenteria.
E) Toxicological extraction is commonly the most difficult area of the NSF testing standards to satisfy. This shows that the filter does not re-contaminate the water. Ceramic filters are notorious for recontaminating the water with undesirable elements such as Arsenic and Antimony. The Ceramic shell of our filter is an NSF Listed Component and is manufactured to meet NSF standards 42 and 53.
F) Carbon Core: Removes bad taste and bad odor as well as pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, trihalomethanes.
G) Ceramic elements may be cleaned 50 to 100 times or more.
When do I clean the ceramic filter element?
When the time it takes for the water to filter into the lower chamber decreases to the point where it is no longer meeting your daily water needs.
How do I clean the filter element?
Hold the ceramic element under clean running water while scrubbing lightly with a 3M ScotchBrite pad or toothbrush. Cleaning should be performed evenly, working from the threaded end down.
How do I determine when the granular carbon in the ceramic element is exhausted?
When bad taste and odor of the source water is no longer removed. The ceramic shell will continue to remove pathogenic bacteria even after the carbon is exhausted. If your water tastes bad, you may continue to use your Berkefeld to remove bacteria, and either pre-filter or post-filter the water with an inexpensive carbon filter, such as a Brita.
Is it possible to reactivate or regenerate the granular carbon in the filter element once it becomes saturated with chemicals?
Yes. Some chemicals such as chlorine can be removed from the carbon by simply boiling the ceramic filter element in water for five minutes. Note: To avoid cracking the ceramic shell, place the element in cool water and then bring the water to a boil. Never place a cool element in boiling water or a hot element in cool water.
How do I determine when the filter elements must be replaced?
The ceramic element will become slightly smaller from repeated cleanings. Eventually, the ceramic wall will wear thin and crack. Once a crack occurs, the integrity of the filter has been lost and it must be replaced.
Can I prolong the need for cleaning the filter elements?
Yes. You can pre-filter the water through a coffee filter before pouring the water into the Berkefeld. However, this is not necessary for proper functioning.
What are some of the water sources I can filter through the British Berkefeld?
Water from ponds, creeks, lakes, rivers, wells, cisterns, rain, or even water you have stored yourself can be used for drinking and cooking with peace of mind.
How does the Berkefeld compare to other types of water filtration systems?
A) Inline Systems: useless if you do not have water pressure
B) Hand Pump Units: great for camping, but hard to pump. Not practical for long term emergencies. Short life span.
C) Resin or Carbon-based gravity filters: short life span, typically 250 to 1000 gallons.
D) Ceramic-based Gravity Filters: no water pressure required, long life span of elements. The Berkefeld uses four filters and will produce 10,000 to 60,000 gallons of safe water before the elements need to be replaced.
How does the system work?
Just add water into the upper chamber. Gravity causes the water to flow through the filters to the lower chamber. A four-filter system using 7" filters will produce about a gallon per hour. Using four 9" filters will produce about 1.25 gallons per hour.
Who uses the British Berkefeld Emergency Filters?
A) Relief Organizations like the Red Cross, Unicef and the Peace Corps. 58,000 units were used in Sarajevo after their water treatment plant was destroyed y the Serbs. In 1998, thousands of Berkefelds were shipped to relief organizations in Honduras.
B) Missionaries all over the world (more than 140 countries) have used Berkefelds for decades.
C) Populations in third world countries where water supplies are frequently contaminated.
Why do the ceramic elements contain silver? Are they safe?
The silver in the ceramic elements is a specially formulated self-sterilizing (bacteriostatic) agent. The result is that bacterial growth is prevented from occurring within the Sterasyl ceramic element (which is possible with the other ceramic filter elements.) More importantly, bacterial "grow-through" is eliminated. The silver content is about 0.07%, which is well within the allowable levels recommended by the World Health Organization and the EPA. Because of the silver, Sterasyl filter elements do not require sterilization after cleaning.
What types of bacteria are removed or reduced?
Pathogenic bacteria, such as Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonella, Serratia, E.Coli, and Fecal Coliform are removed >99.99%.
Cysts, such as Cryptosporidium Parvum and Giardia Lamblia - 100% removal (based on tests by Arizona State University)
Sediment: 100% removed down to 0.9 micron, >99.999% removed 0.5-0.8 microns (based on tests by Spectrum Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN)
Organic Chemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents and trihalamethanes are reduced.
Chemicals, such as chlorine, are reduced.
