What should I do if the flow rate in my system is very slow?

If you just purchased your Berkey® system and the filters are hardly filtering water, the problem is typically due to high water tension.

This high water tension prevents the air from being purged from the micro pores of the new purification elements.

Your Black Berkey™ elements need to be primed and cleaned to purge this air out and allow water to flow through them. Included with your Black Berkey™ elements is a tan priming button and instructions for priming.

Please remove your elements from the unit, prime your elements and then install them back in your unit. This should fix the slow flow rate problem. If the flow rate slows down considerably at any time during the life span of the elements, the problem can be easily remedied by re-cleaning the elements. What typically causes the elements to drip slowly is turbidity and sediment clogging the micro- pores of the purification elements. Simply remove the elements from your system and scrub the exterior of each element with a ScotchBrite® Pad or stiff toothbrush or any other pad.

Scrub a section of the element until you see a bit of black on the pads and then move to the next section. This simple process should take only a few minutes. Re-prime each element and then reinstall it in your unit. Your flow rate should be restored. (Never use soap or detergents).