With respect to maintenance, how does reverse osmosis, distillation and Berkey purifier systems compare?
All Berkey models are easy to disassemble and clean. The lower chamber should be cleaned by hand in dishwater occasionally. The Black Berkey elements may need to be cleaned typically after 6-12 months of use. Distillation systems remove minerals from the drinking water. These minerals build up on the surface of the comtainer and need to be soaked and cleaned with vinegar solution to remove the scale. Reverse osmosis systems can have up to four filter elements, with each needing to be changed at differing intervals from four months up to two years. This requires that the water pressure be shut off and part or all of the system to be disassembled for maintenance. Additionally, the bladder tank should be washed with a chlorine solution at six-month intervals to kill any colonizing bacteria.
