If you own a Berkey water filtration system, you may be wondering if there are more affordable replacement filter options. In this article, we compare Aquacrest vs Berkey.
Aquacrest is a popular aftermarket water filter brand most well-known for its affordable replacement refrigerator water filters. We previously reviewed Aquacrest and trust their fridge filters.
Aquacrest certifies its fridge filters through NSF International and the WQA, however, Black Berkey filters are more sophisticated than simple activated carbon fridge filters.
In our comparison below, we help you decide whether you should give Aquacrest filters a try or stick with OEM Black Berkey filters.
Aquacrest vs Berkey Replacement Water Filters
Aquacrest Filters
Black Berkey Filters
What’s the difference?
- The most noticeable difference – and the biggest reason that people are drawn to the Aquacrest filters – is the significantly lower cost of the Aquacrest filters. Black Berkey replacement filters with fluoride filter attachments aren’t exactly cheap. At the time of this writing, the Aquacrest generic Berkey filters cost less than half the price of the Berkey OEM filters.
- Both Aquacrest and Berkey filters have the same lifespan: Black Berkey Purification Elements or BB9-2 (6,000 gallons per set of 2), Berkey Fluoride Filters or PF-2 (1,000 gallons or up to 1 year)
- We previously compared the Nikken Water Filter vs Berkey, and during our analysis, we found that Berkey does not certify its filtration equipment through NSF International or the WQA to NSF/ANSI Standards. Instead, Berkey has its filters independently tested to meet or exceed NSF/ANSI Standards. For this reason, we believe Aquacrest does not provide a water analysis report for its generic Berkey filters, while Berkey does post its independent results.
- If one thing is for sure, Aquacrest is one of the leaders in the water filtration industry at manufacturing aftermarket filters for significantly lower prices. If you check out the info on their fridge filters, you’ll see that Aquacrest has a lot of positive feedback. The true test is to see what current info says about their generic Berkey replacement filters, which leads us to our next section.
What to expect?
We investigated Aquacrest Berkey replacement filter info to see if you’ll be satisfied with the generic versions of Black Berkey and Berkey Fluoride Filters. Here’s what we concluded:
The Bad News
- You may find that the black filters work okay, and the white filters are faulty no matter what you do to get them to work.
- The taste of the water from the Aquacrest filters may not meet your expectations if you’re accustomed to drinking water from the Black Berkey filters.
- The construction quality of the filters may not live up to Berkey standards.
- You may notice that water flows through the Aquacrest filters faster than original Black Berkey filters.
The Good News
- There’s a better chance of being very satisfied with your choice to go Aquacrest over Berkey.
- The filters are easy to prime.
- Without trying the Aquacrest filtered water yourself, there’s no way to tell how you’ll feel about it.
- We saw the Aquacrest filters successfully pass the red dye test that Berkey recommends for its filters.
- You may find that the Aquacrest filters work exactly the same as the Berkey brand filters.
Bottom Line
Either way, Aquacrest vs Berkey, Black Berkey replacement filters with the fluoride attachments aren’t cheap. Some brand-new reverse osmosis systems cost less than a set of Berkey filters. The drawback is most RO systems aren’t portable like the Berkey system, and portability is one of Berkey’s greatest selling points.
Even at less than half the cost, the generic Berkey filters cost a pretty penny. In our experience, the Aquacrest customer service team is eager to help, and Aquacrest stands behind its products.
We recommend testing the Aquacrest filters upon arrival to give yourself ample time to make sure they work before the 30-day return window closes.
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