rainwater recapture
- Thread starter Tul
- Start date
presumably this is for toilet flushing etc?
Tul,
First thoughts, seeing as you will be living alongside river, buy yerself a milk maids yoke with two buckets attached and do dozen round trips a day.
Second thought. Google the two below and will answer all your questions.
www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/faq.php -
www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/calculator.ph
old un.
First thoughts, seeing as you will be living alongside river, buy yerself a milk maids yoke with two buckets attached and do dozen round trips a day.
Second thought. Google the two below and will answer all your questions.
www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/faq.php -
www.rainwaterharvesting.co.uk/calculator.ph
old un.
Yes it is toilets, washing machine etc.
hello again oldun... some people must think your psychic!! I found that websit earlier today and went through the calc. It seems like you have to have a system with a header tank to supply the washing machine, i guess that gives the constant pressure. Seems like a good idea to install while I'm up to my neck in diggers and spoil anyway.
Ta
hello again oldun... some people must think your psychic!! I found that websit earlier today and went through the calc. It seems like you have to have a system with a header tank to supply the washing machine, i guess that gives the constant pressure. Seems like a good idea to install while I'm up to my neck in diggers and spoil anyway.
Ta
Tul,
Take it you was not to impressed with the milk maids yoke advice then.
Went into water harvesting before building the one am in now. When I worked out all the figures of cost and undergound instalation, and what me water rates cost me now, decided it was not worth it and went up the pub instead.
old un
will try and get blocks done for yer tomorrow.
Take it you was not to impressed with the milk maids yoke advice then.
Went into water harvesting before building the one am in now. When I worked out all the figures of cost and undergound instalation, and what me water rates cost me now, decided it was not worth it and went up the pub instead.
old un
will try and get blocks done for yer tomorrow.
I was doing the same thing myself, 2 grand plus installation thats a lot of loo flushes and wash cycles. Think I might just stick a couple of butts on the end of the guttering for the flowers and car wash and get the missus to wash the clothes in the stream!!
thanks anyway.
tul
thanks anyway.
tul
Indeed - @ around £1 a cu. metre water is still cheap - Thats 220 gallons or 110 flushes of an old style toilet
. Did you know that if you collect all your rainwater/ discharge it to soakaway etc. not into storm sewer- you can get a part of the water bill deleted forever Only about £20 a year , but why should they have it 
Thanks Nige F, interesting info. The tanks seem to have a 25yr life but the components certainly won't. You'd never pay it back and the renewal costs of the underground tank would be horrendous. Think you would have to do this for other reasons than dosh. Think you could get more bang for you buck from other projects. I am also looking into;
1) water source heat pumps
2) hot water solar.
If you have any input.
To illustrate how some eco solutions are not always green I decided to change the flushing system on a couple of older loos to dual flush and give them a new lease of life, the kit was about £12. Worked OK for #1's but #2's needed at least 2 big flushes, ended up using more water. Now changing to modern loos as part of my house refurbishment.
1) water source heat pumps
2) hot water solar.
If you have any input.
To illustrate how some eco solutions are not always green I decided to change the flushing system on a couple of older loos to dual flush and give them a new lease of life, the kit was about £12. Worked OK for #1's but #2's needed at least 2 big flushes, ended up using more water. Now changing to modern loos as part of my house refurbishment.
I'm looking into rainwater harvesting for our house. It's only a 2-bed terrace and we don't use a huge amount of water, however it's down to what you spend on materials that makes it worthwhile or not.
You need to accurately calculate how much water you think you're going to use for flushing toilets and running the washing machine, then source appropriately sized storage. Where you want to put that storage is a hurdle. If you have enough land you can put it above ground and hide it no problem. Burying it in the ground adds cost. IBC tanks linked together are very cheap as (excluding carriage) they can be had for £25 for 1000litres of storage. You'll need a small header tank in the loft, maybe 100litres, that will be filled by electric pump which costs pennies to run, and I do mean it will be cheaper than the water costs to buy in the first place.
Even with our moderate usage, on a DIY install we'll make the money back in about 18 months.
You need to accurately calculate how much water you think you're going to use for flushing toilets and running the washing machine, then source appropriately sized storage. Where you want to put that storage is a hurdle. If you have enough land you can put it above ground and hide it no problem. Burying it in the ground adds cost. IBC tanks linked together are very cheap as (excluding carriage) they can be had for £25 for 1000litres of storage. You'll need a small header tank in the loft, maybe 100litres, that will be filled by electric pump which costs pennies to run, and I do mean it will be cheaper than the water costs to buy in the first place.
Even with our moderate usage, on a DIY install we'll make the money back in about 18 months.
Thanks Lasors, I like the idea and Eco-Warrior brownie points of Rainwater harvesting but had just about dropped it on cost grounds, I may look at the DIY alternative. It will have to go underground but I will have machinery and spoil to loose anyway so this cost should be OK.
Tul
Tul
Remember to be a little generous in your calcs for storage volume, just in case you go a while without rain.
Remember you save twice with rainwater harvesting as the water company charges you for using water and for disposing of (nearly) the same volume through the sewer. Water you don't take out of the pipe you don't pay for down the sewer either
Remember you save twice with rainwater harvesting as the water company charges you for using water and for disposing of (nearly) the same volume through the sewer. Water you don't take out of the pipe you don't pay for down the sewer either
Good point, my current house isn't connected to a sewer so never thought of that. Do you have a contact to get all the component bits, not sure if IBC tanks will go underground, not buried anyway possibly in a chamber but then that would cost a lot. found a proper underground tank "Ecosure 2800l" on www.rapidplumbing.co.uk for £786 + Vat, anyone know of any cheaper? Above ground is possible but I would have a long run to the house.
also is this a complete shopping list;
underground Tank, inlet filter, submersible pump, pressure switch, float switch for mains top up, Header tank and fittings plus pipes and connectors. Again rapidplumbing have a basic kit based around the above tank for £999 +vat that can be added to with a header tank.
tul
also is this a complete shopping list;
underground Tank, inlet filter, submersible pump, pressure switch, float switch for mains top up, Header tank and fittings plus pipes and connectors. Again rapidplumbing have a basic kit based around the above tank for £999 +vat that can be added to with a header tank.
tul
Sounds ok to me.
There's no reason why IBCs can't be used underground, though. I'm no chemist but they shouldn't degrade too quickly. They come with a metal frame to add rigidity and protection, so get some treated timber or reformed plastic planks (www.reformedplastics.co.uk) and board round the outside of the tanks when they're in the ground to hold back the soil. Dead easy, just put them in loose and backfill as you go round to hold them against the tank, loose fill any gaps between planks and tank to keep soil displacement to a minimum.
IBCs have taps on them, so you'll need to guarantee a perfect seal on the hole before you put them in the ground.
There's no reason why IBCs can't be used underground, though. I'm no chemist but they shouldn't degrade too quickly. They come with a metal frame to add rigidity and protection, so get some treated timber or reformed plastic planks (www.reformedplastics.co.uk) and board round the outside of the tanks when they're in the ground to hold back the soil. Dead easy, just put them in loose and backfill as you go round to hold them against the tank, loose fill any gaps between planks and tank to keep soil displacement to a minimum.
IBCs have taps on them, so you'll need to guarantee a perfect seal on the hole before you put them in the ground.
IBCs are available on ebay throughout the country. Pipework, pumps etc can be had at local DIY or plumbing stores, or again ebay. 
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