Review on 💧 Enhanced Berkey PF-2 Fluoride Filter Set by Paul Dobson

I had to replace the rarely used PF-2 fluoride filters in my Royal Berkey because I let them dry completely during a break in use. It's disappointing that this BIG CAUTION isn't more clearly mentioned to consumers, and I'm sure many Berkey owners out of ignorance will go back to using dried out filters. I only learned that PF-2 filters MUST be discarded after they were dry after contacting Berkey support. If you continue to search the internet and are not actively using PF-2 filters, you should remove them and keep them in the refrigerator (not freezer) for only a short time to prevent them from drying out and inhibiting the growth of pathogens in the media. You must flush them before using them again before reinstalling them. If PF-2 filters are ever activated/primed/wet the clock will start ticking and you will need to keep the filter elements wet and replace them after 1 year or 1000 gallons of filtration, whichever comes first. Many Berkey users buy an expensive system not only for daily water filtration but also to use as a backup survival system in emergencies, so this is quite disappointing. Installation of the filter is cumbersome and requires very careful attention. Due to a lot of bad reviews about Berkey in general, I decided to try a different water filter instead of buying PF-2 replacement filters. However, this turned out to be a failed experiment, so I ordered replacement PF-2 filters. I blew each fluorine filter for a total of 6 minutes (2 minutes x 3, alternating flow direction) instead of the recommended 20 seconds x 2 after draining the water (with firm thumb pressure on the top of the faucet on the flush button). seal off the water completely). from time to time with splashing water!) and make sure the filters are rotated exactly 8 full turns. There was some tightness resistance at 6 1/2 turns, so I was really afraid of piercing the internal mesh of the filter media by following the installation instructions for a full 8 turns, as the Berkey rep pointed out is the cause of many of them was the reported problems. I may have overdone my purification efforts, but my PF-2 filtered water has been tested at 59ppm on TDS and the water remains crystal clear. With no PF-2 filters installed (double filtration with Filtrete Maximum), Berkey water tests at 79 ppm. Berkey really should have improved the filter's design since its introduction many years ago to make it more reliable. Also, many reports of serious black filter manufacturing defects (forums and reviews) should advise you to do a red dye test (should be inorganic) as soon as you receive your system so that you can return/exchange the defective item. Failure of the black elements to function properly will drastically shorten the life of the PF-2 filters. When I first contacted Berkey about many critical reviews, including one that said PF-2 only removed fluorosilicates. , Berkey's agent disagreed and shared a recent lab result conducted on February 18, 2018 by a NELAC ISO accredited lab. ---- Accumulated Volume, Inlet Water Fluoride Concentration in mg/L, Inlet Water pH, TDS in mg/L, Effluent Fluoride Concentration in mg/L, Fluorine Recovery %. Start, 3.82, 6.46, 327, 0.10, 97.45gal, 3.82, 6.46, 327, 0.06, 98.425gal, 3.75, 6.48, 320, 0, 07, 98.150 gal, 3.525 gal, 3.759 318, 0.07 6.51, 310, 0.07, 98.2100 gal, 3.80, 6.52, 312, 0.11, 97.1 ---- Your water PH should be between 5-7 (closer to 5 the better, my PH is close to 7) otherwise the effectiveness of the media will decrease. Burkey also states that PF-2 removes all types of water-soluble inorganic fluoride salts (sodium fluoride, sodium fluorosilicate, and calcium fluoride) as well as fluorosilicic acid (also known as hydrofluorosilicic acid). It also removes arsenic V and pre-oxidized arsenic III along with other residual heavy metal ions. There have been many reports of aluminum detection/suspension, but Berkey uses aluminum oxide (Al2O3) which is a safe, non-toxic, biocompatible ceramic (corundum). as with rubies and sapphires) differs from the poisonous metal aluminum. Laboratory testing can result in a false positive count of the pure aluminum ion separated from the oxygen component. Using activated alumina is one of the three EPA and WQA recommended fluoride removal methods, the other two being charcoal (cheaper and not as effective) and reverse osmosis. Properly cleaned, installed and maintained PF-2 filters are not likely to result in cloudy particles in the filtered water except in the case of an unexpected manufacturing defect. Be sure to order filters from a trusted reseller to avoid counterfeit/used filters. The water temperature will rise during activation, so you will definitely notice warm, cloudy water during the initial filter flushing process. I'm deducting a star for the above issues and for the continued lack of effort to improve manufacturing design along with specific PH requirements. However, I cannot find a comparably effective competing gravity system that filters over 97.*% fluorine unless full reverse osmosis or steam distillation is used, which strips the water of beneficial micronutrients unless it becomes one for taste and health remineralization used. . . I will constantly monitor TDS levels to see if its effectiveness diminishes over time; After just a 20 gallon refill, the TDS went up 10ppm, so I will be constantly backflushing the PF-2 element during my monthly chamber maintenance. Berkey water makes the best coffee.