What is the
history of Doulton / British Berkefeld Water Filters?
John Doulton founded his first pottery in 1815. As early as 1927,
Henry Doulton developed ceramic filters for removing bacteria
from drinking water. The Thames River was heavily contaminated
with raw sewage; cholera and typhoid epidemics were rampant.
In 1835, Queen Victoria commissioned Doulton to produce a water
filter for the Royal household. Doulton created a gravity fed
filtration system that used a ceramic filter.
With Pasteur's advancement in microbiology, Doulton's Research
and Development department created micro porous ceramic cartridges
capable of removing bacteria with better than 99% efficiency.
Today, Doulton ceramics are used in over 150 countries. In 1985,
the British Berkefeld brand was acquired by Doulton Industrial
Products, the manufacturer of Doulton water filters. Today, the
British Berkefeld name is the preferred choice for water purification
products in world-wide locations where outbreaks of illness are
associated with unreliable water supplies. British Berkefeld
is the water filter that has truly stood the test of time.
What
is the technology behind the filter elements and why are they
so special?
- Doulton invented the ceramic
filter for water filtration in 1827.
- Silver impregnated: Prevents
Mitosis or Grow-Through.
- Pore size: .2 Nominal
@.2 Microns > 98%
@.3 Microns > 99.7%
@.5 Microns > 99.9%
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- Removes > 99.99% of Cryptosporidium,
Giardia, E. Coli, Vibro Cholerae, Salmonella, Dysenteria.
- Toxicological extraction is
commonly the most difficult area of the NSF testing standards
to satisfy. This shows that the filter does not re-contaminate
the water. Ceramic filters are notorious for re-contaminating
the water with undesirable elements such as Arsenic and Antimony.
The ceramic shell of our filter is an NSF Listed Component
and is manufactured to meet NSF standards 42 and 53.
- Carbon Core: Removes bad taste
and bad odor as well as pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents,
trihalomethanes.
- Ceramic elements may be cleaned
50 to 100 times or more.
- No other ceramic manufacturer
may claim any of the above.
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When do I clean the
ceramic filter element?
When the time is takes for the water to filter into the lower chamber
substantially decreases.
How do I clean
the filter element?
Hold the ceramic
element under clean running water while scrubbing lightly with a 3M ScotchBrite
pad or soft toothbrush. Cleaning should be performed evenly working from
the threaded mount down.
How do I determine
when the granular carbon in the ceramic element is exhausted?
When bad taste
and odor of the source water is no longer removed. Note:
the ceramic shell
will continue to remove pathogenic bacteria after the carbon has been
saturated.
Is it possible
to reactivate or regenerate the granular carbon in the filter element
once it becomes saturated with chemicals?
Yes, some
chemicals such as chlorine can be removed from the carbon by simply boiling
the ceramic filter element in water for five minutes. Note: to avoid cracking the ceramic shell, place the element
in cool water and then bring the water to a boil. Never place a cool element
in boiling water or a hot element in cool water.
How do I determine
when the filter element must be replaced?
The ceramic
element will become slightly smaller from repeated cleaning. Eventually,
the ceramic wall will wear thin and crack. Anytime a crack occurs, the
integrity has been lost and the filter must be replaced.
Can I prolong
the need for cleaning of the element?
Yes, by pre-filtering
the water through a coffee filter before pouring into the British Berkefeld,
however, this is not necessary for proper functioning.
What are some
of the water sources I can filter through the British Berkefeld?
Water from
a pond, creek, lake, river, well, cistern, rain water, or even water you
have stored yourself can be used for drinking and cooking with peace of
mind.
What other types
of water filtration systems are available?
A. Inline systems - useless without water
pressure.
B. Hand Pump Units - Great for camping but hard to pump. Not practical
for a long term emergency. Also, short life span; 250-750 Gallons.
C. Gravity Filters - Resin or Carbon Based; filter elements have
short life span; 250-1,000 gallons.
The ceramic filters used in the British Berkefeld last 2,600 to 15,000
gallons per filter element. The British Berkefeld uses four filters which
means that the system filters between 10,000 to 60,000 gallons before
filter elements need to be replaced.
How does
the system work?
Just add water
into the upper chamber which gravity feeds (filters) into the lower chamber.
A four filter system will average about a gallon per hour.
Who has historically
used the British Berkefeld Emergency Camping filter?
- Relief organizations like the
Red Cross, Unicef, Peace Corps.
- Missionaries in over 140 countries
- Populations in third world countries
- In early January of this year,
60 Minutes ran a special on George Soros
and the assistance the Soros Foundation gave to Sarajevo after
their water treatment plant had been destroyed by the Serbs.
The Soros Foundation shipped 58,000 British Berkefeld gravity
filters to the people of Sarajevo.
- In 1998, thousands of British
Berkefeld gravity filters were shipped to relief organizations
in Honduras.
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Is the British Berkefeld Emergency Camping Filter available in
all 50 states?
The
British Berkefeld gravity water filters are available in 49 states.
They are not yet available in Iowa. |