When and how to clean Black Berkey® elements?

Black Berkey ® elements do not necessarily need to be cleaned every time their Berkey ® system is cleaned. However, this may vary depending on your region and water source. In some areas the water is much dirtier than normal and will require more frequent element cleaning; perhaps even more than is required to clean the rest of the system.

If the water you are using is cloudy or contains sediment, we recommend pre-filtering your water by passing it through some type of fabric, for example: shirt, sheet, bandana, etc. before putting it into your Berkey ® system. Although not necessary, it helps reduce the element cleaning schedule by collecting debris that may clog the pores of your Black Berkey ® elements.

When is it time to clean your Black Berkey ® Elements?

Cleaning the elements should be done when you notice a drastic slowdown in your flow.
You may want to consider cleaning your items consistently. For example, every 6 months. The advantage is that you will not experience slow flow. Cleaning items on a regular schedule is at your discretion. This is a suggestion, not a requirement.
How to clean your Black Berkey ® Elements?

First, empty and disassemble the Black Berkey ® elements from the upper chamber.
Gently scrub the elements with a stiff brush or Scotch-Brite ® pad under cold running water (never apply soap or other cleaning agents to your Black Berkey ® elements).
Reboot the items and reinstall them into your Berkey ® system.
Finally, fill your Berkey ® system and perform a red food coloring test as described in the system instructions (see link below) to ensure that your system has been properly assembled and that there are no internal leaks in your system.

If you currently use a water softening system:
We strongly recommend obtaining pre-softened water directly from the source rather than running softened water through your Black Berkey ® elements.

Any other cleaning methods performed outside of the manufacturer's recommendations or instructions may void the customer's warranty, in accordance with our warranty information, including the following:
Attempt to clean or restore Black Berkey ® elements using chemicals or detergents (i.e.: hydrogen peroxide, bleach, etc.), or any method other than scrubbing and priming the elements with water.