Years ago people would complain about how difficult it was to see the water level in their Crown Berkey. Viewing the water level required that you remove or tip the unfiltered water chamber with all of the Black Berkey filters in it, to look inside. Even doing it this way was difficult because the lower chamber is dark and the upper chamber could be heavy with so much unfiltered water in it. The problem of viewing the water level was solved using a Berkey Sight Glass water level spigot.
Berkey Sight Glass water level spigot
The sight glass water level spigot replaces the original Crown Berkey spigot. It is a slightly larger spigot which allows for greater water flow. The difference between the standard spigot and the sight glass spigot is a metal housing and glass tube that is secured to the top of the spigot with an o-ring and nut. Water is allowed to flow into the glass tube and it will rise to the level of the water in the clean water chamber where the purified water is stored.
The sight glass spigot has a metal cap at the top of the tube. This cap has a small hole in it. The purpose of this hole is to allow air to flow in and out of the tube so the water level can be accurately displayed. If the air hole on this tube becomes blocked, the sight glass spigot will not show the correct level of water in the Crown Berkey water filter.
Water Level Spigot leaking on Crown Berkey
The Crown Berkey water filter is a gravity filter. Water in the unfiltered water chamber creates pressure on the Black Berkey filters and this is how water is pushed through the filters and in to the drip tube where the water then settles at the bottom of the clean water chamber. The water pressure on the filters is not that high. Because of the low pressure, it is necessary to allow air exchange between the upper and lower chambers of the Crown Berkey. As water drips from the filters into the lower chamber, it replaces the air in the chamber. This air must go somewhere, so it goes out between the upper and lower chamber.
Sometimes, if the lower chamber of the Crown Berkey is nearly full, and more water is put in the upper chamber, there will be too much water for the lower chamber to hold. Because the lower chamber and upper chamber are not sealed, water will begin to flow out between the two chambers when the lower chamber is full. In addition, because the water level spigot has a air hole on the top of the tube, water may flow from this place as well.
It is important that the lower water chamber not be overfilled to prevent leaking from the water level spigot.
How to install the Crown Berkey Water Level Spigot
It is not difficult to install the water level spigot on a Crown Berkey. Here are the steps:
- Reach inside the lower chamber of the Crown Berkey and hold the spigot nut. With your other hand, hold the spigot and handle on the outside of the lower chamber. Now rotate the nut counter-clockwise while slightly rotating the spigot counter-clockwise. Once the spigot nut is loose, remove the nut, washers and spigot from the system.
- Remove the nut included with the new water level spigot but leave the washer on the spigot.
- Place the water level spigot through the spigot hole in the lower chamber with the sight glass tube laying down horizontal for now.
- Thread the nut on to the spigot threads until it is hand tight.
- While holding the spigot nut with one hand, grasp the spigot with your other hand, being careful not to grab the tube, and rotate the spigot and tube vertically until it is straight up and down. Installing the spigot in this manner should give you the exact amount of pressure on the nut and the washer to prevent leaking while minimizing the chance of stripping any threads.
- Test your new spigot by filtering enough water to raise the water level in your Crown Berkey to an inch or so from the top.
Replacement parts for Berkey Water Level Spigot
The sight glass in the water view spigot is actually glass, not plastic. It is possible if hit hard enough, to break the glass, even though it is inside a metal housing. And although the spigot and handle are made with the highest quality parts, they may break under extreme pressure or misuse. Common reasons for breakage include the Crown Berkey being knocked over, or a child playing with the handle. If a part is broken, you can contact DisasterStuff.com for Berkey parts replacement.
Where to buy: DisasterStuff.com Berkey Spigot
