Do your filter elements
reduce fluoride in the water?
No, in order to reduce fluoride in your
water you will need to use post filters that work in conjunction with
the filters in your system. We have two types, PF-2's, which are used in
conjunction with the Black Berkey® purification elements,
and the PF-4 filters that are used in conjunction with our ceramic
filters.
I noticed that the PF-4
elements also remove MTBE and heavy metals. Should I use these with my
Black Berkey® purification elements?
No, the PF2's are used in conjunction with
the Black Berkey® purification elements and the PF-4
elements are used in conjunction with the ceramic filters. The Black
Berkey® elements remove MTBE and reduce heavy metals
whereas the ceramic filters do not therefore; we incorporated MTBE and
heavy metals reduction capabilities into the PF-4 elements.
What is the life of the PF-4
filters?
Each set of four PF-4 filters is will last
for 1,000 gallons or six months whichever comes first. The reason for
the six-month limitation is that the carbon within the PF-4 filters
extracts contaminates that can be nutrients on which bacteria can grow.
If the filters are used longer than six months
“grow-through” can occur.
What is the life of the PF-2 filters?
Each set of two PF-2 filters is will last
for 1,000 gallons. Since these elements contain pure fluoride and
arsenic reduction media and no carbon, there is no six-month limitation
rule as is the case with the PF-4 elements.
How do I know when 1,000 gallons has been filtered and when its time to
replace the elements?
The best way to gauge when to replace the
filters is to do the following:
By the way, if you have been using your
fluoride reduction filters for some time now, you can still use the
above formula to determine when to replace the elements. Just count
forward from the date you purchased your elements.
I installed my PF-2 elements
but my water is a bit cloudy and why does it have a funny taste?
The odd taste is from process dust that may
not have been washed free from the filter elements during the
conditioning process. Please remove the PF-2 elements and re-condition
them for 60 seconds on both ends. This should expel any residual process
dust and fix the problem.
Do the PF-2 elements replace
the Black Berkey® purification elements?
No the Black Berkey®
elements fit into the base of the upper chamber with the stems of the
filters protruding through the holes in the base of the upper chamber.
The protruding stems are threaded and the PF-2 filters screw onto these
threaded stems so that the PF-2's hang down into the lower chamber. The
water flows from the upper chamber, through the Black
Berkey® elements, into the PF-2 filters and then into the
lower chamber. The “PF” in PF-2 stands for Post Filter. So
in answer to your question, no they do not replace the black filters but
rather work in conjunction with them.
If I begin using use the PF-2
elements, will I need more counter space for my system?
No, the PF-2's attach to the stems of the
Black Berkey® elements and hang down into the interior of
the lower chamber of the system requiring no additional counter
space.
I understand that the media
used within the fluoride reduction elements is activated alumina, it
that the same thing as aluminum?
The media used to extract the fluoride and
arsenic is activated alumina. Since fluoride is a by-product of aluminum
production, fluoride has a natural affinity to recombine with activated
alumina making it an ideal extraction media. We are not chemists but
will communicate our understanding on the subject. Both nutritionist and
lab technicians have informed us that aluminum and alumina are two
separate animals. Aluminum can cross the blood brain barrier and cause
problems with the brain whereas alumina is inert. It is our
understanding that alumina is oxidized aluminum. Aluminum is regulated
whereas alumina is not for example, alumina is the material used for
making the paste in toothpaste. At any rate, when testing for aluminum
in water, most tests cannot distinguish between aluminum ions and
oxidized alumina. Since we are not chemists, we tested the effluent from
the filters and included that information in our brochure. While we were
not required to do so, we felt that it was important to disclose to our
customers what our results were so that they would have the necessary
information to do further research on the issue should they desire to do
so. We thin it was significant in the test we conducted using the
combination of Black Berkey® elements and PF-2 elements
there was a net reduction in the tested aluminum content of the source
water vs. the purified water. Again that test did not distinguish
between aluminum and alumina. The bottom line is that the media utilized
is oxidized alumina and not aluminum.
What are the dimensions of
the PF-2 and PF-4 elements?
The individual elements are 6” in
length and 2.5” in diameter.
I have high PH in my water,
will that reduce the efficiency of the PF-2 elements?
That is correct, high or low PH impedes the ability of the media to
remove fluoride.
