coozer
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 12:44 PM |
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Rainwater Harvesting Systems??
Right chaps, I have a water meter, its already much cheaper than paying rates seeing as theres only me and her and my first measure was to take the
bath out and replace with a nice big walk in shower.
I've just put a canopy up in the garden to extend the garage and since last Friday the 5x2.4m roof has filled my IBC up 550L I reckon the
whole of my property has had 5,000l of rainwater dumped on it in the last week!
Next water reducing thought is the bog. Seeing as the water payment is a combined water in and sewage out, 50-50 you pays for the water then the same
for getting shot. The toilet is clearly the biggest thing flushing good money after bad smelly stuff....
Question is, how do I get the rainwater out of the IBC in the garden into the cistern without resorting to a bucket! Any body describe a reliable
system for transporting the water???
Any rainwater harvesting gurus on here, the source of all knowledge??
Ta,
Steve
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 12:57 PM |
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You got a wife?   , 2 x Buckets and a maid's yoke:
 
Description
time to get my running shoes on methinks! 
But seriously, there are loads of flood pumping/drainage solutions on the 'net, maybe something on one of those sites?
JJB
[Edited on 23/6/11 by Daddylonglegs]
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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HowardB
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:00 PM |
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quick google search revealed a load of suggestions, is your IBC sat on the floor? Is it above the hight of the cistern?
Howard
Fisher Fury was 2000 Zetec - now a 1600 (it Lives again and goes zoom)
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designer
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:09 PM |
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A couple of bricks in the cistern reduces useage. Or a balloon filled with water.
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:12 PM |
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We developed a system at my old house where we harvested water from the garage and house roof, store it in tanks in the garden and pump and filter it
back up to the cold water tank in the loft to feed the loo and washing machine. Knocked nearly 2/3 off the water bill.
I wrote the control unit software to gauge usage and water levels to minimise pumping to save on power if it's not in regular use (say through
the night). I could knock you up a diagram of the layout and control routine if you wanted. Whatever you do, make the pumping solution fail-safe, if
you lose a "full" sensor/valve you'll have a flood of rainwater in no time.
Incidentally I often put the plug in while having a shower (dont ask!) and if I'm having a reasonable length shower on full power I can easily
use as much water with that as I would have in a bath.
[Edited on 23/6/11 by coyoteboy]
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tegwin
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:25 PM |
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Get a seperate "dirty" tank in the loft and use a solar powered pump to lift the water from the bottom into the dirty storage tank... Use
a floating level sensor to switch off the pump once its full... Then run a pipe from there to your crapers... job done
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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coozer
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:30 PM |
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Cheers, theres no tank in the loft... I converted the loft into bedrooms but theres a biggish space in the eves above the downstairs bathroom.
Problem would be how to get a tank in there!
The IBC in the garden is a lot lower than the house.
[Edited on 23/6/11 by coozer]
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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bbwales
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 01:35 PM |
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When I lived in Central America, in a bungalow on stilts, we had a 20,000 gallon tank in the cellar which was filled by rain water off the roof with
the option of topping up from the mains. This was then pumped via an accululator to the house via a filter and water cleaner everything was served
and with the accumulator gave fantastic showers.
Regards
Bob
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 02:14 PM |
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Can't you buy those 'flexible' bag tanks now? Would be easy to get it into the space I would have thought.
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 02:53 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by coyoteboy
We developed a system at my old house where we harvested water from the garage and house roof, store it in tanks in the garden and pump and filter it
back up to the cold water tank in the loft to feed the loo and washing machine. Knocked nearly 2/3 off the water bill.
I wrote the control unit software to gauge usage and water levels to minimise pumping to save on power if it's not in regular use (say through
the night). I could knock you up a diagram of the layout and control routine if you wanted. Whatever you do, make the pumping solution fail-safe, if
you lose a "full" sensor/valve you'll have a flood of rainwater in no time.
Incidentally I often put the plug in while having a shower (dont ask!) and if I'm having a reasonable length shower on full power I can easily
use as much water with that as I would have in a bath.
[Edited on 23/6/11 by coyoteboy]
Why make it so complicated?
I intend to do the same as coozer, for the same reasons.
Header tank in loft with a simple ball float. This will operate two limit switches.
When the water in the head tank falls to a low level the pump will switch on topping up the head tank from the storage tank ( just been given a 1000
ltr one).
This way it doesn't attempt a 'top-up' every time someone flushes the loo.
When the water in the head tank reaches the desired level, the second switch turns the pump off. Just like the two way light switches in your
hall/stairs.
As a fail-safe, in the event of an electrical malfunction, the overflow will be designed to carry more water away from the head tank than the pump
will deliver. So no floods.
To prevent waste in the event of such a calamity, the overflow will be plumbed back to the storage tank.
Worst case scenario; pump runs on for a while.
A simple automatic resetting timer circuit will even prevent this if you are away on holiday.
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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Guinness
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 03:07 PM |
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Luckily we don't have a water meter.
However we did install 2 x 11 gallon water butts back in 2006.
They've been great at providing water for the veg / garden and I can't think of a time we've had to use a hose / tap to water the
garden in the past five years.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 03:33 PM |
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Because of the risk of providing the perfect breeding ground for Legionella pneumophila I would be very careful of using stored rain water in a
shower unless it had been chlorinated or been subject to some other disinfection method such as UV treatment.
I would strongly advise anybody thinking of using harvested rain water for domestic use or using alternative energy for water heating to read up on
the prevention of Legionella pneumophila in water systems and water system disinfection.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/
http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/whatis.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionella_pneumophila
[Edited on 23/6/11 by britishtrident]
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dave r
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 03:48 PM |
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there are a shed load of regulations you have to comply with to stop harvested water, getting back into the domestic system
I'd love to give my imaginary friend a great big hug,
but this jacket makes it impossible.
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Simon
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 04:14 PM |
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wind water pump
ATB
Simon
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mangogrooveworkshop
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 07:02 PM |
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just move to Scotchland water is not something we are short of
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Xtreme Kermit
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 07:07 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
just move to Scotchland water is not something we are short of
That made me laugh out loud...
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Marcus
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 08:13 PM |
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Please listen to the trident bloke!!!
Legionella is not good!!
You say you have an IBC, these are 1000 litres of storage, BUT are translucent allowing plenty of light to get in. This encourages algae growth and
other nasties. You really need underground storage and some kind of UV treatment for rainwater.
This link gives you an idea of what the company I work for supplies and
it ain't too cheap.
Hope this helps!!
Marcus
Because kits are for girls!!
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rgrs
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 09:00 PM |
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Having just been researching this for my next project, without a header tank then you need an 'on demand pump' connected to the harvest
tank, a float to detect if the tank is empty, a control unit and a valve that will change the supply back to mains water If the tank is empty.
Have a search on eBay as there is a seller who specialises in rwh systems. He does a kit of everything you will need
a lot cheaper than you can buy it elsewhere.
Edited to add search for seller ecotradecounter
You need to make sure that the incomming water goes through a filter and an inlet to prevent sludge disturbance in the tank. If possible fit a
pre-pump filter As it will extend the life not only of the pump but also the toilet valves as well.
Don't forget to feed the garden hose and the washing machine as well.
Roger
[Edited on 23/6/11 by rgrs]
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 09:03 PM |
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Not sure what an IBC is but why not just fit the pump onto the ballcock within the cistern?
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sky12042
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 09:08 PM |
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just seen in CBS (car builder solutions) catalouge they can supply a little electric float switch this can be used with a relay, to turn a pump on/off
so no tank needed, just plumb from rain water tank to pump up to cistern when full float switch turns off pump, if it fails then overflow on cistern
will discharge water. no probs, you could use a solar panel and 12v battery to power a pump.
Andy
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BenB
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| posted on 23/6/11 at 09:16 PM |
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I worked in a hospital where the hot water supply to the showers had a bypass loops that was meaning a section of supposidly hot water pipe was infact
being allowed to stay at body temperature. 1 person died and a few others were very very poorly. Unfortunately the pipe was going to a mixed
respiratory medicine / oncology ward (never a good mix at the best of time- impaired immune systems and TB / lung abscesses / Cystic fibrosis patients
with multi-resistant pseudomonas). Hohum. Not sure whether a UV zap would kill them or whether it would need heat to do it....
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 04:48 AM |
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Another way of saving water would be to use the Focker's rule: "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it
down"
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v8kid
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 07:30 AM |
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Would the electricity for the pump not cost more than the water?
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 07:59 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
Would the electricity for the pump not cost more than the water?
That's why he was going for a solar one.
Then again there's probably a way (involving witchcraft levels of physics) that would mean you can fill a cistern from a ground-floor water butt
using the power of its own flush
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Rebecca of Stormsaver
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| posted on 24/6/11 at 10:38 AM |
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Rainwater Harvesting Advice
POST REMOVED FOR BLATANTLY ONLY SIGNING UP TO TRADE......
Fozzie.........Admin
[Edited on 28-6-11 by Fozzie]
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