I've had some excellent advice from members of this forum on creating one's own water filter, using the Doulton ceramic filters in a double-container rig. However, having schematics for this would be an immense help. Saw on a patriot site someone offering them to their members, but when I tried to see how one joins so that I could request these, saw no indication of how (this was on Frugal Squirrel's site the other day.) Anyone have same? Thanks in advance.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), November 10, 1999

Answers

I don't know if this is exactly what you're looking for, but there was a post about homemade water filters on the Gary North site some weeks ago.

It described the use of one of the "ceramic candle" filtering elements for a Berkfield "Big Berkey" drip filter, with a couple of buckets.

Click on the "personal preparations" link.

-- Not Whistlin' Dixie (not_whistlin_dixie@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

Elaine here is one of the best schematics I have seen so far

http://www.baproducts.com/rainwatr.htm

You can go to their explanation page and click thru to the above drawing by going to: www.baproducts.com/freefilt.htm

This is talking about a rainwater filter using activated charcoal but can certainly be adapted to your need using a ceramic filter.

Hope this is helpful

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), November 10, 1999.

The construction is really easy. Water must soak through the ceramic filter and then drip out the hole at the bottom. In the Big berky filter this is done with two containers. The top container is called bucket #1. It holds the "bad water." There is a hole drilled in the bottom of bucket #1, just slightly later than the small tube that sticks out of the bottom of the ceramic filter. The small tube on the filter is then placed trough the small hole in the bottom of bucket #1 and held in place with the plastic nut that comes with the filter. The result is a bucket with a filter standing up and a small tube that comes out of the bottom of the bucket. Fill bucket #1 with the bad water. The good water now will drip out of the bottom of the filter tube that is sticking out of the bottom of the bucket. The next thing to do is to catch the good water that has now filtered through. In the big berky this is done with a second bucket. Bucket #1 fits on top of bucket #2. Bad water goes in #1, drips through and is caught in bucket #2. End of story. Need more water, faster? Drill more holes and mount more filters in bucket #1. The big berky will hold up to 4 filters. hope this helps

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), November 10, 1999.

Elaine,

In case you haven't seen this yet, take a look at http://www.pwgazette.com/gravity.htm

I too contemplated "making my own" filter. As far as a schematic for how to make one, if you take a look at their site, the principle is quite evident. But after checking out the prices of materials I could obtain locally (midwest) I decided to just order from PWP. Am really glad I did. Not only did they tailor my order specifically to what I wanted, the quality of their vessels and other hardware was better than what I was looking at locally, especially the "John Guest" quick connect fittings. Their "emergency gravity filters" run the gamut from a simple $6 unit (plus the cost of the ceramic candle) on up. Their prices seem to be quite reasonable, and their service was superb. I'd probably have spent almost as much in gas (and my time, which is valuable to me) to go around trying to come up with what was delivered to my door from PWP.

(I know, I know, another glowing referral to PWP. For the record, I have absolutely no vested interest in PWP, just wish I had found them before I, and my friends, bought our First Need units...).

e.m.

-- Eyell Makedo (make_do@hotmail.com), November 10, 1999.

http://www.baproducts.com/rainwatr.htm This site has all the info and filters you will need.

-- Jim C (uhhuh@goldendale.net), November 10, 1999.

www.pwgazette.com/pwp.htm Sorry!!! Here is the link for water filters

-- Jim C (uhhuh@goldendale.net), November 10, 1999.

I made one of these drip filters using a 5gal white utility bucket and 5gal water dispensor (like the kind that construction people use on their trucks) that I got from Home Depot. (It's orange with a white screw on lid, has a paper cup holder on the side... and it's got a push button dipensor at the bottom.) I put two filters in the white bucket by drilling two holes and inserting the filters. The filters come with a nut to hold them in place. I then took the filters back out and set the white bucket on top of the dispensor. Marked the location of the holes and drilled two holes thru the top of the lid of the dispensor. After reassembling the filters to the white bucket... they neatly went thru the lid of the dispensor.

-- Ranger (RangrRic@aol.com), November 11, 1999.

Thank you...thank you...thank you all! This will help several families, in addition to me. What a great group!

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), November 11, 1999.