Cheap but Worth Hundreds

Even though Annie and I have been drinking water straight out of the spring for more than a year now with no ill effects, we knew from the start that it might not be safe for everyone.

Our grandson, Payden, was battling leukemia when we bought Sweetwater.  His immune system was virtually non-existent because of the treatments he was undergoing.

We needed a good filter to make our spring water even safer.

——————————————

I looked into buying a water filter and found that there are some good ones out there.  One of the best is manufactured by a company called Berkey.  I saw tests that showed Berkeys filter out the finest particulates that pollute water sources.  In some tests it even filtered out dyes that had been added to the water as a test.

The only problem with Berkeys is the price.  They make three different sized filter containers for prices ranging up to more than $400.  I’m sure the beautiful stainless containers are well worth the prices being asked, especially if your water source really needs to be filtered just to be drinkable.  I’ll bet they’ll look great sitting on your counter too.

I did some more research.  Even Berkey’s biggest, most expensive, filter contains only two filter elements which they say are enough to make water safe.  I’m sure that is true.  One problem with using such good filters is they take a bit of time for the water to pass through.  Berkey says you can add more elements to make the filtering process go faster, but it’ll cost more too.

I came up with an idea.

——————————————

After doing some research on YouTube, I formulated a plan.

The first step was to get on eBay and find a source for Berkey filter elements…  The black elements are supposed to be the best, filtering out 99.99% of most pollutants.  So I searched until I found a source where I could get four of them for about $100.  Each element is supposed to filter out 3000 gallons of water so four of them would be good for 12000 gallons.  A healthy adult is supposed to drink 4 to 6 cups of water per day.  Going with the higher number, Annie and I would drink four gallons every three days.  If my calculations are correct, my four-element filter should last 6,750 days, or 18 ½ years of daily use.  Since we have been spending less than 30 days per year at the cabin, that 18 ½ years would be expanded to about 222 years.  I’m pretty sure those elements will last us the rest of our lives. 

Oh, and all that time doesn’t mean the elements are worn out, it just means they need to be cleaned for reuse.  I think we’ll be OK…and our kids, and grandkids, and probably even their kids.  I hope they remember how to clean the filters.

I ordered them.

A quick note here: Yes, I could have cut the expense of my idea by about half if I’d only bought two elements, but I didn’t want Payden to have to wait too long to get a drink.  I wanted him to enjoy his time with us as much as possible.

Also on eBay I found a plastic spigot like you might use in a sun tea jar or water jug.  It cost about $8.  I ordered it too.

——————————————

While I waited for the elements and spigot to arrive, I went to Menards and bought two food-grade plastic five-gallon buckets.  At well less than $10 each, they were quite affordable, especially when you compare them to Berkey’s stainless steel containers.

When my filter elements arrived in perfect condition I looked them over.  Each had a threaded plastic pipe sticking out of one end, while the other end was solid.  Each threaded pipe had a rubber washer and plastic nut on it.

The box with the elements also contained instructions for holding the elements to your sink’s water spout in order to prime the element.  I did it.  I don’t think it is absolutely necessary, but it will make your first attempt at filtering water take quite a bit less time if you do.

I turned one of the buckets upside down and laid the lid from the other on it, also upside down.  Careful not to let the lid or bucket move, I drilled four evenly-spaced holes through both, and perfectly lined up between the bottom of what would be the top bucket and the top that would go on the bottom bucket.

Before I started assembling my creation, I measured the bottom bucket.  I wanted to install the spigot as close to the bottom of it as I could get it and still prevent leakage, while also making sure it wasn’t lower than the bottom of the bucket which would cause it to break when I sat it on something.  I drilled a hole the proper diameter for the spigot.

Like the filter elements, the spigot had a threaded pipe with a rubber washer and plastic nut to screw on it.  I stuck the spout through the hole from the outside, then slid the washer on from the inside and screwed the nut on hand-tight.

——————————————

Back to the top bucket.  I slid a rubber washer onto the threaded pipe of one filter element and stuck the pipe through one of the holes I’d drilled in the inside bottom of the top bucket and through the corresponding hole in the lid of the bottom bucket.   I screwed the plastic nut on from the inside of the lid.  Then I made absolutely certain all the holes in the top bucket lined up with the holes in the lid of the bottom bucket.  After putting a rubber washer on the threaded pipe of each element, I slid it through a hole in the bottom of the bucket (remember, from the inside of the bucket) and through the lid, then attaching it with a plastic nut.

I was done! 

Believe it or not, my creation is not only faster than Berkeys, and a lot cheaper, but it holds more water too!

I’d call that a win.

——————————————

If you decide to build one like mine, remember, the bucket with the spigot is the bottom bucket.  Place it on something that will raise it high enough to get your cup, coffee pot, or whatever, under it for filling.  I put it atop another five-gallon bucket that’s upside down.  Then put the top bucket, which is attached to the lid of the bottom bucket, on top of the bottom bucket.  Fill the top bucket with five gallons water, then wait.  After a while you should start to hear a slow dribble of water dripping into the bottom bucket.

Once you’ve given it time to filter some, hold your container under the spigot and open it.  I think you’ll be surprised at how good the water tastes.

A little hint.  When filling something the size of a coffee pot, you may notice that the water coming out of the spigot starts to slow some.  When mine does that I just lift the lid of the bottom bucket a tiny bit.  That breaks the seal and lets air in so water can flow out the spout faster.

——————————————

We took the homemade filter to Sweetwater and filled it with water from the spring.  It took about a day to filter five-gallons of delicious, pure spring water…enough to last Annie and me about four days.

We only use the filter when we are going to be at the cabin for a few days because I don’t want to leave it wet and unused for long periods of time, just in case it might grow fungus or mold or something.  When it’s not in use, I empty it completely, then stack it in a safe place so it won’t get knocked over; which could break the filter elements.  To make sure air can flow freely through both buckets and dry them completely, I stack them staggered, so the lids don’t seal.

——————————————

Well, Payden may have been a part of the reason I made the filter but he has never gotten to drink out of it.  He has visited Sweetwater, but never been there long enough to get thirsty. 

The great thing is he was recently declared cancer-free!  Hallelujah!

Hopefully there won’t be any setbacks and Payden will be able to attend grandkids week this year for the first time ever.  When we saw him a few weeks ago I promised him we would be spending some grandkids week at Sweetwater.  He was overjoyed about spending time at the cabin with his cousins, some of whom he has never actually been able to play with because of his leukemia.

And, while we’re at Sweetwater, he’ll be playing enough to get thirsty.  Then he can drink some water out of his filter.  I bet he’ll love it.

I know I will…and not just because of the filter.

——————————————

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AT THE UPPER RIGHT. IT’S FREE!

You will ONLY receive notifications when I post new entries to my blog.

Go to the top of the right hand column where it says, “SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL”.  Fill in your email and hit the “Subscribe” button.  You will receive a verification email.  Please confirm that you want to subscribe by clicking, “Confirm Follow” and you will be set!  Thanks!

It doesn’t seem to work from a cell phone, only a computer.  I don’t know why.  Sorry.  If there’s a problem, send me your email address and I’ll sign you up.

——————————————