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The other day I was at DisasterStuff.com a preparedness store located in Rocklin California and I arrived just as he was making a Bucket Berkey. Now, you are probably wondering what this is? It is an inexpensive water filter made with two five-gallon buckets and the black Berkey filters.
It comes standard with one filter which will purify approximately 3000 gallons of water. The unit is expandable to four filters which will purify approximately 12000 gallons of water. The buckets he uses are food grade, made in the U.S. with a unique screw on lid. The lid screws on and is held tight by a simple ratchet system. I have been using these buckets for my own storage for a while. My wife likes them, she says with her arthritis they are easier to open than the Gamma lids. These are available through DisasterStuff.com.
Anyway, after seeing the Bucket Berkey I had to have one. It is perfect for a project I have in mind. After playing with it, I am quite impressed; it works as well as any of the stainless steel Berkley’s and costs less. At the price, he charges it would be hard to find the parts and build your own. The one thing I found was do not tighten the top lid to tight, leave a little air flow and it will run faster.
A Bucket Berkey with a single filter lists on his website https://www.disasterstuff.com/ for $73.50. Addition filters raise the price just a bit over $50 for each filter you add. If five gallons isn’t big enough for you, he has made them with fourteen gallon and fifty-five gallon barrels.
Good water is probably the single most important thing we need to survive a major crisis. This is a inexpensive way to obtain a good quality unit with a filter that will purify water to 99.99999 percent.
I would not hesitate to recommend the Bucket Berkey.
Howard
Here are some diy homemade options:
https://www.survivallibrary.me/53/water-filters-filtration-purification-storage/diy-homemade-berkey-water-filter-system-2/
https://www.survivallibrary.me/112/water-filters-filtration-purification-storage/diy-homemade-ceramic-monolithic-gravity-feed-drip-water-filter-test/
Peter
Very cool stuff. Although not quite as attractive as a Berkey, every bit as functional. I guess the only thing I recommend is keeping it away from a window to prevent sunlight from getting in the top and creating algae growth. With that one caviot, I think I’m going to make one. Thank you!
this bucket looking water filter is really seeming inexpensible but i think it’s life limit will be low .
Our first one is still working great after 3 years!
Just made another one and drilled a tiny pin hole
In the top of each lid to equalize air pressure in both buckets. Also attached 3″ clear drip tube to accelerate the dripping process. It works!
Looks like they stopped making these. They do have the buckets and the filters -but you have to make it yourself.
Sorry. – Is not listed under any of the tabs at top. But I just searched for Bucket Berkley & they have more than 1 available. – Glad I searched.
Now just cover it in chrome paint and you won’t even be able to tell the difference! Lol 🙂
My husband and I just installed a whole house water softener and filtration system. Our drinking water is filtered by reverse osmosis. We have since read a lot about RO water being acidic and bad for you. Do you or any readers have any insight and thoughts on this?
Thirty years ago I sold water conditioning through Culligan. The RO units are the best water you can get (most brands) short of distillation. Not sure where people are coming up with the idea of acidity other than the more pure water is the more acidity is in it?!?! Deionized water like they use at car washes is acidic because it is totally stripped of everything, but you will never get deionized water from an RO unit. Reverse Osmosis can take the worst water you can thing of (think third world countries or even black water) and turn it into beautiful clean drinking water. If you are concerned about minirals then just take a supplement.
I forgot to mention that an RO unit is not different than what they are showing you here except that this homemade version is gravity fed. In a SHTF scenario you can make your own RO unit gravity fed by bringing your water source higher than where the unit sits and making a few adjustments. Your RO untit should have a sting partial filter, a couple carbon filters, and a membrane that actually breaks down each water drop. Nothing too scientific to worry about acidity.