Royal Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter System 3.25 Gallon with 2 Black Berkey Elements, 2 Berkey PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements

My Review of the Royal Berkey with 2 black filters and 2 PF-2 fluoride filters.Everything I drink, especially tea, tastes better after a week or so of using this filter system.Installation was easy for me after I stressed out thinking it would be really difficult. I'm not particularly mechanical and I'm awful at following instructions.Before I ordered the Royal Berkey, I asked my son if he would be willing to put it together for me. I had read reviews of people having problems with leaky spigots and puddles on the floor, etc. He said he would. Good thing, because I had already decided to order it. It turns out that I didn't need any help.On recommendation of some of the reviews, I bought the glass Royal Imperial Berkey Water Filter Water View Spigot to help me know how much water is in the tank. Apparently if you fill it too full, it may leak through where the top (filter) section sits on the water storage canister. I'm very glad I did order the glass spigot. I'm finding it very helpful.While I was waiting for everything to arrive, I read every review of each model. I got some great ideas! I used many of them. I'll share some of the ones that helped me most here.I decided to take it very slowly, step-by-step, and do each step correctly the first time. That's not my normal style, but the slower, cautious approach paid off for me this time. Nothing got broken during the installation.I briefly looked over the instructions that came with the unit and decided to come back to them in a few minutes when I was ready to put the system together.I viewed the YouTube videos of how to PRIME the filters. VERY helpful! Also helpful was one reviewer's comment about how you will get sprayed with water. I thought I could avoid that if I was careful, but I got semi-soaked. It was kind of interesting watching all that dust and debris rush out of those filters and down the drain.After viewing the YouTube video, I went back to the instructions that came with the unit. It was much easier after having seen it done on the video.Installing the canisters was easier than I thought it would be. It was fairly obvious how to install the BLACK canisters, just just stick their little stems through the holes in the bottom of the top stainless steel tank, but I had trouble finding the instructions on how to install the white ones. I somehow missed those instructions or didn't understand them. I Googled YouTube again and had an 'Aha!' moment. Very easy once you know that they hook on below the black canisters. I was thinking they fit in one of those other slots. There are little ARROWS on the canisters that point up, so it's easy to know how to connect them.There are 4 slots for canisters, and only 2 black canisters (with 2 white canisters hanging on to them). That leaves two extra empty slots. Something has to be in those slots or the water will just gush through, defeating the whole purpose.It took me a few minutes to figure that out, the hard way, so I filled the tank with water, which just swooshed right into the containment (storage) tank, without ever touching very much of the filter canisters. The water went through so fast it was obvious that it didn't filter anything. It didn't even make good contact with the filters.Then I remembered the PLUGS I had read about and had tossed aside earlier because I didn't know what to do with them. I took the plugs and plugged them into the slots that didn't have filters attached to them. Then I put water through again. The water didn't drain straight through. It filled the tank as it was supposed to do. THIS time I could hear the water draining through, but very, very slowly. At that rate it would take a couple of hours, or more, for all the 3 gallon or so of water to filter through. That was what I wanted.When I installed the spigot, very carefully so I didn't break it or ruin the threads, I tested it by filling the storage canister with water. I noticed just a smidgen of water around the spigot, so I went back in, unscrewed it, and screwed it back. Apparently I hit the "sweet spot" as another reviewer put it. No water seen around the spigot since then.I'm especially glad I got that "Water View Spigot." It has already been helpful. I can see that it will pay for itself.I moved my filter system around, first on top of a higher 'bar' counter-top, but that means I have to get a step-stool to fill it. Then I put it so it would drain into the sink, 'just in case', but I couldn't fit a container under the spigot very easily. I moved it to the edge, so that the spigot hangs right over the edge of the counter, but I didn't like how it looked. I moved it back on the higher 'bar' counter-top. That works fine for me because it's easy to get the spray faucet and fill it that way or climb up and fill it every couple of days as needed. After using it for a couple of weeks, I've found that I need to fill it every 3-4 days.I hope some of my experience will be helpful to someone. I had fun doing this, and I'm the world's worst at assembling things. If you are like me, an uncoordinated klutz, just plan it out, do it slowly, step-by-step, doing each step correctly as you go. It's really easy, and fun. I'm really pleased with how it filters the water.

Finally took the plunge years after our friends first told us about their Berkey. I’m so glad I finally purchased this system! I didn’t like constantly drinking from plastic bottles but also refused to drink city water.Our city water tastes crisp and pure once filtered through the Berkey system. I can’t even believe it! This filtration system works so well, I see why our friends told anyone who would listen, for years, about theirs. It amazes me that even though water sits in the tank over night or for a day there is no metallic taste as you’d expect like when it sits in a stainless tumbler. It is made a such high quality stainless steel.Assembly was touch and go for someone who “reads” instructions only not really reading them for real. Once I ACTUALLY read the instructions it was a breeze. Priming the filters was quite difficult but we managed. I’ll definitely purchase a tool to help make that process easier when they need to be replaced.I’ve only had 2 leaks. First because after I washed my clear view spigot I cross threaded the top of the view piece and didn’t realize it wasn’t properly shut. The second time was because my husband overfilled the tank with water. Both avoidable, both human error and none of the tank.I highly recommend Berkey to anyone serious about having quality water for their family readily available. It’s well worth the investment.

I purchased the Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters as a replacement for water home delivery.After years of having "fresh" drinking water delivered by Arrowhead Water, I decided I was tired of the hassle. Too many bottles, too few bottles, empty bottles piling up, and an inflexible management/payment system, finally pushed me over the line. Also reading up on "the need for regular cleaning of home water dispensers to avoid bacterial contamination" was a real eye-opener. If you are using a commercial water delivery system in your home or office, spend some time on the internet reading up on the reccomended dispenser cleaning techniques for safe water. This should be enough to make you RUN away from home delivery.The Royal Berkey with 2 Black Filters and 2 PF-2 Fluoride Filters is an amazing system. Once it is set-up it is a model of simplicity compared to bottle delivery. Pour tap water in the top and fresh pure water drips into the bottom. That's it. You never have to wonder how long your drinking water has been sitting around. The unit size is very manageable, and regular cleaning is simple and accessable.Setting up the unit will take about a half-hour for someone who is used to basic household projects. The instructions are poorly written and somewhat confusing (specifically concerning the washers and avoiding leakage). You will need to do your internet research, and make sure the spigot washer is TIGHT. Priming and cleaning the filters in the sink was kind of a squirty mess, but you only need to do it once. After you attach the filters, and screw on the little knob on top of the unit, you're good to go. There are plenty of Youtube videos to help you out.PROS1. The quality and flavor of the the water is wonderful! Delicious, safe, and uncontaminated.2. Very simple maintenance. The filters last for a very LONG time before replacement. All parts are accessible for cleaning in the kitchen sink.3. Sturdy construction and simple design mean there is really nothing to break.4. If you are replacing a commercial delivery service the unit will quickly pay for itself.5. Attractive design.CONSAssembly is a little confusing, but is not that big of a deal.Even with the mildly confusing setup, I'm giving this product a full 5 stars. It's that good.