DIY Family Water Filter

[Mudinyeri]

This isn't quite tactics or home defense but we don't have a "preparedness" section (Admins?) so ...

I've been looking at the Berkey water filters for an in-place family filtering solution. The only problem has been the price. The Imperial Berkey, with 4.5 gallons of water storage, runs about $300. Even the 2.5 gallon Berkey Light runs more than $200.

So ... I came up with my own DIY version for just the cost of the Berkey filers ($107.00) and a spigot ($10.00). While that's still not "cheap" it's half the cost and mine holds 4 gallons.

Materials Needed:
2 Black Berkey Filter Elements: $107.00
1 Berkey Light Spigot: $10.00
2 Four-gallon Food-grade Plastic Buckets (free at Sam's Club)

Tools Needed:
Drill
3/8" Drill Bit
5/8" Drill Bit

Step 1: Stack the buckets and drill two 3/8" holes through the bottom of the top bucket and the lid of the bottom bucket

Step 2: Insert the threaded tubes of the filter elements through the bottom of the top bucket and the lid of the bottom bucket. Screw the keeper nuts onto the filters and tighten them to finger-tight (do not over-tighten). The included washer should be on the filter tube inside the top bucket.

At this point your buckets should look like this:

Step 3: Drill a 5/8" hole in the side of the bottom bucket near the bottom. Make sure you leave enough room for the spigot's nozzle below the hole. Slide the threaded spigot tube through the hole and tighten down the keeper nut. There should be a washer on either side of the bucket.

Your finished filter will look like this.

 

[Fronty Owner]

paint it black and it will be tactical.
Looks good.
I haven't looked, its easier to ask the question. How long do the filters last? what kind of flow rate can you get thru the system?

 

[nitesite]

I could see myself fabbing that up. Thank you for the incentive! I never would have imagined it by myself. Great thread Mudinyeri

 

[Rossignol]

Mud, Youre awesome! Great post!!!

I wonder if I could do this with less expensive filters? Have to look into that!

 

[Mudinyeri]

paint it black and it will be tactical.
Looks good.
I haven't looked, its easier to ask the question. How long do the filters last? what kind of flow rate can you get thru the system?

Why didn't I think of that? Black = tactical.

The two filters are good for 6000 gallons of water. Flow rate varies depending on the water being filtered.

You could do this with cheaper filters but you wouldn't filter nearly as many contaminates nor would you be able to clean them like you can the Berkey filters.

 

[ripjack13]

Just a thought to anyone who wants to make it bigger... the food grade bucket that grape juice comes in, for making homemade wine, is 6 gallon buckets.

Also..this is a great idea Mud! I am making wine again soon, so I'll have a few extra buckets...

 

[Sn3aKyGuY]

paint it black and it will be tactical.

Actually ... the clean water tank should be painted a dark color (black is easiest) or lined with a dark plastic liner. Setting, or even moving, water that is exposed to light will grow unwanted bacteria over time.

 

[Mudinyeri]

paint it black and it will be tactical.

Actually ... the clean water tank should be painted a dark color (black is easiest) or lined with a dark plastic liner. Setting, or even moving, water that is exposed to light will grow unwanted bacteria over time.

Interesting. the Berkey Light unit is made basically of water cooler jugs - clear blue plastic. I'm not sure how long it would take for bacteria to grow but I've stored water for a week in the Central American sun in those water cooler jugs with no problems.

 

[ripjack13]

Were they factory sealed or did you fill em and cap em?

 

[Mudinyeri]

Were they factory sealed or did you fill em and cap em?

Factory sealed.

 

[SHOOTER13]

Excellent idea and commentary...well done !!

( stay thirsty my friends... )

 

[Sn3aKyGuY]

You know what, I'm sorry for the misinformation. I was thinking of nutrient enriched water. I used to grow tea indoors and even short periods of light exposed to the mixture would promote algae growth. Disregard.

 

[DHonovich]

Excellent thread Mudinyeri!

 

[Mudinyeri]

You know what, I'm sorry for the misinformation. I was thinking of nutrient enriched water. I used to grow tea indoors and even short periods of light exposed to the mixture would promote algae growth. Disregard.

No problem. I was just confused as to how purified water could grow bacteria ... unless bacteria was somehow introduced. SODIS is actually a method of purifying water using only the sun and clean, clear plastic bottles.

Edit: FWIW, some type of algae are edible. So, growing algae in water in a SHTF scenario might not be all bad.

 

[ripjack13]

Were they factory sealed or did you fill em and cap em?

Factory sealed.

Ah yes. I think if you had filled em they might not have been as good.

 

[Mudinyeri]

Were they factory sealed or did you fill em and cap em?

Factory sealed.

Ah yes. I think if you had filled em they might not have been as good.

Definitely more chance for bacteria to be introduced - assuming the bottling company has a sterile environment in which they fill the factory-sealed bottles.