British Berkefeld® gravity filtration systems are supplied with a choice of either a pair of Ultra Fluoride filter cartridges or a pair of Ultra Sterasyl filter cartridges.
These two cartridges use the same filtration technology. The difference is in filtration performance.
The secret of Berkefeld® filtration
Sterasyl® cartridges are made up of several media, providing optimum filtration of the pollutants most commonly found in water.
- The first stage of filtration is carried out by the outer layer of the filter, made of micro-porous ceramic, which retains undesirable elements such as bacteria, cysts and many particles whose size does not allow them to pass through this envelope. The ceramic is impregnated with silver, providing a bacteriostatic action that prevents the proliferation of bacteria.
- The second filtration stage is based on activated carbon, which filters out chlorine, organic pollutants (chemical pollution caused by carbon-based pollutants, such as certain pesticides) and bad tastes or odours in the water. The first two stages are common to Ultra Fluoride and Ultra Sterasyl cartridges.
- The third stage filters out heavy metals with the Ultra Sterasyl cartridge and fluorides with the Ultra Fluoride cartridge.
- The fourth stage only concerns the Ultra Fluoride cartridge and will lead to a greater reduction in fluorides.
The design of these filter elements ensures a year's supply of pure filtered water (based on 8 litres filtered per day with a pair of filters, each filter having a capacity of 1500 litres).
Choosing between Ultra Sterasyl and Ultra fluoride
| Ultra Fluoride | Ultra Sterasyl | |
|---|---|---|
| Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) |  |
|
| Vibrio Cholera | |
|
| Salmonella Typhi | |
|
| Cryptosporidium | |
|
| Giardia | |
|
| Microplastics | |
|
| Free chlorine | |
|
| Lead | |
|
| Fluoride | |
|
| Insecticides | |
|
| Herbicides | |
|
| Polyaromatic hydrocarbons | |
|
| PFAS | |
The choice between Utra Sterasyl and Ultra Fluoride cartridges depends on the type of filtration required.
The table compares the filtration levels of the two filters. Ultra Fluoride filters are preferable if your water is likely to contain fluorides (check with your water supplier). Ultra Sterasyl filters are versatile enough to suit all types of water.
For more details on filtered items, you can consult the analysis results page.
Filter life
British Berkefeld® filters are NSF certified and as such have been tested for a volume equivalent to twice their capacity, i.e. 6,000 litres per pair.
This means that to meet the NSF/ANSI standard, British Berkefeld® had to carry out tests on 6,000 litres and prove the effectiveness of the filters.
Nevertheless, to ensure optimum filtration, we recommend changing the filters every 1500 litres (3000 litres for a pair of filters), or after a period of use of 6 months.
