Review on 💧 Berkey Light Gravity-Fed Water Filter: Purify your water with 2 Black Berkey Elements by Sandra Johnson

First of all yes, this is a negative review but a very serious one. I would also like to point out that this is the second Berkey Light system I have owned (I used to be a happy customer). I thought I had ordered the exact same product but it was changed and what they did was a complete design flaw - particularly in relation to pathogen filtration which was one of the main reasons I wanted to run our local water through - it doesn't heal at all. I explain that in more detail in the review: The main difference between the model I received and the one I owned for the first time is that the top plastic container that you screw the filters into has 4 holes drilled instead of the 2 on my original system. Additional holes are provided in case you wish to purchase 2 additional filters and add them to the unit. I'm not planning, I just wanted a device that would work the same as my previous one. The two extra holes also weaken the plastic, and the two filters I have don't sit straight because the structural integrity of the plastic is broken there and it bows in a bit and doesn't look as pretty. Refusal to improve the product: -1 star. They give you two cheap rubber plugs to cover the two extra holes. The two I received were covered in a very sticky substance so much I could touch the top and it stuck to my finger so tight I could lift it. I washed them several times with soap and thought I had done enough but they were still a little sticky. I wasn't expecting the resulting water from these pucks to taste like this, but it does. "Filtered water" has a taste that can best be described as diesel fuel. I know it's not raw water because I've tried. The water tasted great when you first filled it up. I was shocked the next day when I thought I was done, took a good swig of water and almost spat it out. I suspect that because the water stayed on those washers all night, it began to diffuse into them and soak up the diesel flavor from the oil covering my spark plugs. The resulting taste is not very attractive. Overall taste: -1 star. As for the failure to reduce the number of pathogens. The plugs I have seem to let water through very slowly but it leaks which worries me a lot. I even pushed them as hard as I could and the device is brand new. So if it leaks when new, I can only expect it to fall off over time. Each leak negates the benefit of pathogen filtering - the main feature I bought it for: -1 star. The filters seem to be of lower quality. The first unit I had had a nice beveled top on the filters. I had two that were cut straight at the top and not straight. The outer membrane also appeared to be different. It was more like regular activated carbon than the previous filter, which had a thinner outer membrane and a slightly different finish: -1 star. To top it off, I had to import it to another country before I knew it. So I had already paid an extra $75 for shipping to Costa Rica when I found out about this design flaw. So I have a $300+ filter system that I'm not very happy with. I encourage Berkey to contact me to resolve the issue (e.g. send me a top case that actually matches the product I purchased). I thought they made good products but what happened here is just a complete mess. I guess you could say that this purchase left me with a bad taste in my mouth. one that tastes distinctly like diesel fuel.