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rainwater catchment

Berkey water filter and rainwater

Posts: 60

Location: Wessex

posted 2 years ago

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We have a Berkey water filter. Well water and tap water go through it fairly quickly but rainwater passes through the filter extremely slowly.

Anyone else had this problem?

Rain comes off the hut roof into grey opaque IBC tank. We're in the woods in southern England.

I wonder if the rainwater is so full of microbes (algae?) that it blocks the pores on the Berkey filters?

The rainwater comes to us God-given but we need to go fetch well water, so it would be convenient if the Berkey would filter rainwater effectively.

Any suggestions?

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 16743

Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 2 years ago

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Maybe try boiling the rainwater first to see if it will take less time to filter it.

Since the tank is gray could it be that there is algae in the tank that you cannot see?

How often do you flush the tank?

I am looking forward to what suggestions others might have.

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John F Dean

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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posted 2 years ago

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I have one. For non tap water, I pre filter the water through a white pillowcase.

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Raphaël Blais

pollinator

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Location: Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada, zone3a at the bottom of a valley

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posted 2 years ago

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I don't have comparison of speed, i always used rainwater or melted snow with my Berkey. Do you clean your filter regularly ? Do you have a berkey model or number of filter fitted to your need ? Is it impatience ?

Can you measure how much time it take per litter and filter ? i will try to measure it here with my melted snow today or tomorrow.

Radis.
Living and growing on my small homestead near a project of permaculture school.

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Raphaël Blais

pollinator

Posts: 273

Location: Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada, zone3a at the bottom of a valley

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posted 2 years ago

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Finally tested it this pm, 5 liter in 6hr.. 2 year old filters, i think they are obstruted a little.. not a problem since i'm alone but a very bad performance to talk about...

Radis.
Living and growing on my small homestead near a project of permaculture school.

"There are no non-radical options left before us" Naomie Klein in This Changes Everything

Aaron Yarbrough

gardener

Posts: 312

Location: Austin, Texas

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posted 2 years ago

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I dose my tanks with small amounts of chlorine (1-3 cups of bleach for 1500 gallon tank) from time to time . Otherwise, my Berkey filters will develop a biofilm that slows the flow rate. Wiping the filter with a paper clears up the biofilm.

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