By Philip Yiga | November 22, 2018

The berkey light and big berkey are great water-filter-systems when it comes to providing pure drinking water and they are very reliable to use compared to Undersink water-filter-systems. On top of that, these water-filter-systems will provide you with high-quality water at home, during an emergency and when travelling. All in all, in this post we shall provide you with some of the differences and similarities between these two Berkey water-filter-systems so that you can take the right buying decision.

SUMMARY:- We recommend the Big-berkey over Berkey-light simply because of the following reasons:

• The Big Berkey comes with 2 Black-Berkey Purification Elements which can be expanded up-to 4 elements while the berkey-light features only 2 black filter Elements in the upper chamber.
• The Big Berkey can serve about 85-to-170 people a day during an emergency when fully-configured while berkey-light can serve groups of up to 10-to-20 people during emergencies.
• The Big Berkey can use up-to 4 Berkey PF-2™ Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Filters in the lower-chamber while the berkey-light uses 2 Berkey PF-2™ Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction filters.
• The Big Berkey can produce up to 7.0-gallons (26.5-liters) per hour when configured with 4 Black Berkey Purification Elements while the berkey-light can only produce up to 4-gallons of water per hour when configured with its 2 black filter Elements.
• The Big Berkey can purify up-to 12,000-gallons of water before replacing its 4-filter elements while berkey-light can only purify up to 6,000-gallons for the two included black filter elements.
• The Big Berkey features upper chamber that nests within the lower-chamber in-order to reduce on height so as to ensure safe and easy transportation while the berkey-light lacks this feature because it’s entirely made of a plastic-material.
• The Big Berkey is made of a durable stainless material that will last for decades with regular use while the berkey-light features a plastic-body that if very fragile and won’t last for several years if not looked after properly.

COMPARISON BETWEEN BERKEY-LIGHT AND BIG-BERKEY:

FEATURES	BERKEY LIGHT	BIG BERKEY
Water Storage Capacity	2.75 gallons	2.25 Gallons (8.5 Liters)
Body-Material	Lightweight BPA-free poly material.	Highly polished AISI 304 stainless steel
Maximum Filters	Up to 4 Black Berkeys (upper) + 4 PF-2’s (lower).	Up to 4 Black Berkeys (upper) + 4 PF-2’s (lower).
Height	27-inches	19.25-inches
Diameter	9”	8.5″
Flow Rate	4- Gallons per hour with its 2-filter-elements.	3.5 Gallons per hour under regular use & a Max Filtration Flow Rate up to 7 Gallons per hour with (4-elements).
Portability	No (A bulky plastic design but its lightweight compared to metal).	Yes (Upper chamber nests within the lower chamber for easy transportation).
Servings	1-to-5 People with regular-use & 10-to-20 people during an emergency.	1-4 People with regular-use & 85-170 people with an emergency.
Weight	5.6-lbs empty	7-lbs empty
Fluoride Removal	Yes (Up to 2 PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic Reduction Elements).	Yes (Up to 4 PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic Reduction Elements).
Product Dimensions	9 x 9 x 26.5 inches	8.5 x 8.5 x 19.2 inches

 

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BERKEY LIGHT AND BIG BERKEY:

• The Big Berkey can store about 2.25 Gallons (8.5 Liters) of purified water while the berkey-light can store up-to 2.75 gallons of water.

 

• The Big Berkey features upper chamber that nests within the lower-chamber in-order to reduce on height so as to ensure safe and easy transportation while the berkey-light lacks this feature because it’s entirely made of a plastic-material.

 

• The Big Berkey can produce up to 7.0-gallons (26.5-liters) per hour when configured with 4 Black Berkey Purification Elements while the berkey-light can only produce up to 4-gallons of water per hour when configured with its 2 black filter Elements.

 

• The Big Berkey is made of a durable stainless material that will last for decades with regular use while the berkey-light features a plastic-body that if very fragile and won’t last for several years if not looked after properly.

 

• The Big Berkey can purify up-to 12,000-gallons of water before replacing its 4-filter elements while berkey-light can only purify up to 6,000-gallons for the two included black filter elements.

 

• The Big Berkey can serve about 85-to-170 people a day during an emergency when fully-configured while berkey-light can only serve groups of up to 10-to-20 people during emergencies with it 2-filter-elements.

 

• The Big Berkey comes with 2 Black-Berkey Purification Elements which can be expanded up-to 4 elements while the berkey-light features only 2 black filter Elements in the upper chamber.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BERKEY LIGHT AND BIG BERKEY:

• Both the berkey light and big berkey are ideal for small-to-medium families’ in-terms of providing clean drinking water.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey can 4 filter elements and 4 PF-2 Fluoride & Arsenic Reduction Elements.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey water filter systems are perfect for use during travel, outdoor activities, or unexpected emergencies.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey water filter systems feature a flow-rate that decreases as water levels decline.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey water filter systems can remove fluoride and Arsenic Elements from water.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey can remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals that your body needs.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey can remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and even extract harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic-solvents, radon-222 and trihalomethanes from water.

 

• Both the berkey light and big berkey can reduce on nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury in-order to provide you with cleaner drinking water.

 

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON BETWEEN BERKEY LIGHT AND BIG BERKEY:

WATER PURIFICATION:

Both the berkey light and big berkey water filter systems are designed to remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts, parasites entirely and even extract harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic-solvents, radon-222 and trihalomethanes from water. On top of that, these water-filter-systems can also reduce on nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury coupled with removing food-coloring from water but without removing the beneficial minerals that your body needs.

Bottom line:- I will give the same rating to both the berkey-light and big-berkey water filter systems because they will help to thoroughly purify your water in-order to make it perfect for drinking.

 

MAINTENANCE:

Both the berkey light and big berkey water filter systems are very easy to maintain whereby you can just clean then using a scotch-pad in-order to remove any dirt. However, berkey light can only be cleaned for up to 100 times using a Scotch-pad before needing a replacement because it’s made of plastic while the big-berkey can be cleaned and used for forever because it’s made of durable stainless steel.

Bottom line:- The big-berkey gets the highest rating here because it can be cleaned easily and used forever without making replacements.

 

WATER STORAGE CAPACITY:

The berkey light water filter system can store about 2.75 gallons of purified water while the big-berkey water filter system can store about 2.25 gallons (8.5-liters) of purified water. In fact, both water-purifiers can store enough water but in-case you have a big family then you should consider taking the berkey-light for best water supply results.

Bottom line:- The berkey-light water filter system is the winner in-terms of storage capacity because it can store more purified water than the big-berkey water filter system.

 

FILTRATION FLOW RATE:

The big-berkey water filter system when configured with 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements can produce up to 3.5-gallons (13.3-liters) of water per hour and when configured with  4 Black Berkey Purification Elements it can produce up-to 7.0 gallons (26.5-liters) of water per hour.

On the other hand, the berkey-light water filter system when configured with 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements can produce up to 4-gallons of water per hour and when configured with 4 Black Berkey Purification Elements it can produce up-to 8-gallons of water per hour.

Bottom line:- The berkey-light water filter system will be the winner here because when its configured with 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements it will produce more purified water than the big-berkey water filter system.

 

NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED:

The big-berkey water filter system can serve about 1-to-4 people with normal daily use and about 85-to-170 people a day during an emergency. On the other hand, the berkey-light can serve only 1-to-5 people on a daily basis and about 10 to 20 people during unexpected emergencies.

Bottom line:- The big-berkey water filter system gets the highest rating here because it can serve more people with clean water during an emergency compared to the berkey-light water filter system.

 

BODY-SPECIFICATIONS:

The big-berkey water filter system features a height of 19.25-inches, diameter of 8.5-inches and a weight of 7-lbs when empty while the berkey-light features a height of 27-inches, diameter of 9-inches and a weight of 5.6-lbs when empty which makes it bigger but lightweight.

However, the big berkey water filter systems is entirely made of highly-polished 304 stainless-steel for maximum durability coupled with an elegant, classy appearance when placed over your kitchen countertop while the berkey-light is made of non-BPA/BPS co-polyester which does not retain or leach any foul odors into your water and also features a see-through design that makes it easier to determine the amount of water in the upper container without the need for using a water-view spigot

Bottom line:- The berkey-light is slightly bigger and this implies that it will purify and store more water than the big-berkey water filter system. However, in terms of durability the big-berkey will get the highest rating.

 

FLUORIDE REMOVAL:

Both the berkey light and big berkey filter systems can remove fluoride from water and Arsenic Filters can also be installed in the lower-chamber of these systems if desired to improve on the water filtration process. Additionally, both water-filter-systems can use up to 4 PF-2 Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Elements.

Bottom line:- They both get the same rating in-terms of fluoride-removal because they can use the same number Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction Filter Elements.

 

DURABILITY:

The big berkey water filter systems is made of highly-polished 304 stainless-steel for maximum durability coupled with an elegant appearance while the berkey-light is made of a lightweight BPA-free poly material that is dent and shatter proof but will require replacement after cleaning for about 100-times with scotch-pad.

Bottom line:- The big-berkey gets the highest rating when it comes to durability because it made of high-grade stainless-steel that can last for decades compared to the berkey-light’s plastic material which is very fragile and may not last for longer with regular use.

 

PORTABILITY:

The big berkey water filter system features an upper chamber that nests within the lower chamber for easy transportation while berkey-light features a 2-piece plastic body that is very bulky but and disturbing to transport although its lighter than the metal-body of the big-berkey. Additionally, the big-berkey will stand at a height of 13-inches when nested and the berkey-light will have a height of 21-inches making it very inconvenient to transport compared to the nested big-berkey.

Bottom line:- The big-berkey water filter system gets the best score here because it stands at only 13-inches tall which makes it smaller and more convenient to store and transport compared to the berkey-light.

 

INCLUDED COMPONENTS:

The big-berkey water filter system includes; upper and lower stainless steel chambers, 2 Black Berkey Purification Elements (expandable up-to 4), 1 stainless steel lid, 1-spigot, a rubber-gasket to protect the base, 2-wingnuts, 2-washers, 1 priming-button, and 2 blocking-plugs.

On the other hand, the berkey-light comes with an upper and lower chamber, 2 Black Berkey® Purification Elements, 2-wingnuts, 2 washers, 1 priming button, 2 Fluoride and Arsenic Reduction-Elements, spigot and a cloth-lid.

Bottom line:- Both the berkey light and big berkey will get the same rating because they all come with the necessary components needed for proper functioning.

 

WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT BERKEY LIGHT?

• It can absorb Fluoride, Arsenic and other heavy metal ions in the water.

 

• Made of lightweight BPA-free poly material that is dent and shatter proof and does not retain or leach any foul odors into water.

 

• Each Black Berkey® Element is designed to purify approximately up to 3,000-gallons of water before needing replacement.

 

• It can be cleaned for up to-100 times using a Scotch-pad before replacing it with a new one.

 

• It’s designed for use during outdoor activities such as camping, hunting, traveling and during unexpected emergencies.

 

• Each set of 2 Berkey PF-2 Elements are good for purifying up-to 1000-gallons of water.

 

• It can hold up-to 2.75 gallons of water in-order to provide your family with enough drinkable-water.

 

• It’s tested by State and EPA accredited laboratories to exceed NSF/ANSI Standard 53.

 

• It features a see-through design that makes it easier to determine the amount of water in the upper container without the need for using a water-view spigot

 

• It can remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely. Extracts harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222 and trihalomethanes while reducing on nitrates, nitrites and unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury.

 

WHAT WE LIKED ABOUT BIG BERKEY?

• It can serve 1-to-4 People with regular-use & 85-to-170 people during an emergency.

 

• It features a complete, highly polished AISI 304 stainless-steel body for optimum durability.

 

• An upper chamber that nests within the lower-chamber in-order to reduce on height so as to ensure easy transportation.

 

• It can remove fluoride from water up-to 4 PF-2 Berkey or 2 PF-2 and even Arsenic Elements can be installed in the lower chamber if desired for greater water purification.

 

• It can remove food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals that your body needs.

 

• It can purify 3.5 Gallons per hour under regular use & a Max Filtration Flow Rate up to 7 Gallons per hour with (4-elements).

 

• It can remove pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely and even extract harmful chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic-solvents, radon-222 and trihalomethanes from water.

 

CONCLUSION:

Both the berkey light and big berkey are efficient and effective water filter systems when it comes to purifying your drinking water and they will actually work perfectly for people with both small and huge families. However, if you want to get a water filter system that is very durable and can last for longer then consider buying the big-berkey but in-case you are looking for simple and affordable water-filter-system that can provide your home with enough drinking water then consider getting the berkey-light.