My Berkey is Leaking! How to refill your Berkey so it doesn't leak.
What do you do if your Berkey is leaking? First, note where is it leaking. Is it leaking from the seam where the two chambers meet or is it from the spigot?
If you see water coming down the side of the system that's an indicator that your Berkey has been overfilled; causing it to spill Berkey water filter systems are gravity fed over.. That means the water from the upper chamber flows down into the lower chamber. If there is already water in the lower chamber and the upper chamber is filled to the top, there is no where for that water to go except out.
Best practice: Only fill the upper chamber when the lower chamber is empty.
Since you can't see into the lower chamber without removing the upper chamber, you can tell if it's time for a refill by noticing a slower flow from the spout, or by adding the Water View Spigot to see exactly where the water level is. If you want to check the water level in the upper chamber and it's too tall, use the reflection of the lid.
It's totally ok and normal for a few inches of water to remain in either chamber. We do not recommend tipping your Berkey to get the last drops out of the spigot. Tipping can cause the stems of the Black Berkey Filters to break, rendering them unusable.
What to do if your spigot is leaking? Double check that the washers are in the correct positions, and that it is properly tightened. Find more troubleshooting solutions, or contact us via email at hello@berkeyhome.com.
Most Berkey users fill their Berkey once to twice a day. You may need to refill it more often during high-use times, such as when guests are over or if you're filling several water bottles to take out for the day. Berkeys can filter more water faster, with more filters installed. You can calculate how fast a Berkey will filter water based on the gallon capacity, and number of filters.
If you're deciding which size Berkey to get, aim for one that you'll refill 1-2 times a day. Track how many gallons your family typically drinks in one day and then get the size that's closest to that amount. You don't want to get too large of a system that you're not refilling it within a couple of days because the filters need to remain saturated and the water can go stale (since all the preservatives have been filtered out).
If you've filled your Berkey and come back to check on it only to find a big puddle, you're not alone. We've all done it! Now you know and can pass on this knowledge to your Berkey friends!