Pretty slick setup you have there. I am brainstorming and drafting ideas for my rain harvest system, I will be using the harvested RW for my hydroponic greenhouse needs.
@7Julianm Missed these posts, sorry for delay in getting back to you. The ball is the type used in children's play pens. I got mine from free and the baby never even noticed it was gone :)
@2skullscrushing Each to their own. Some people like paying over the top for water and have little concern for the fact that our populations are growing and the demand for water is ever increasing. Harvesting water from your roof helps to reduce demand from reservoirs and therefore reduces the need to create more reservoirs.
The Junior Hippo Pump has a spring steel shaft clip that holds the impeller in place. This rusts after approx 18 months submersed in rainwater. This clip should have been stainless steel.
Contacted Clarkes but no reply.
However, if the screws are removed from the bottom of the pump, epoxy resin can be applied to the dried components to prevent the impeller from rubbing against bottom of case (Noisy) This should fix the pump problem permanently
Pump now fixed with epoxy resin applied to end of spindle instead of using a steel washer. Worked perfectly and pump now operating efficiently and quiet.
I agree, rainbarrels are the simplest and cheepest method. Ad to these a header tank in the loft with a ball valve and an overflow pipe, link it to your bathroom toilet fill and save some money too. A simple pump like the junior hippo has a float switch and can be used to lift the water to the loft using next to nothing in electricity The pump casots £38.00 or something like that. You will need a pressure switch to turn the pump off when the header tank is full.
Hi, Thanks for the comment. I agree the music is pretty cool and sounds like rain falling :)
System works well. Modified the filter socks in the rainbarrels by adding a T junction so it has 2 filter socks now per barrel. Heavy downpours were backing up with just one filter.
I found first flush as good idea, but not necessary if you want to use rain water for flushing in toilets only. Another improvement I'd do is remove the electric pump and let water flow only by gravity, putting (and hide) tank with all pipes into atic for example. Of course, this depends on possibilities and architecture of the house.
The first flush removes debris also like feathers, leaves and twigs. These can and will block up your toilet outlet.
Gravity feeding the toilets is also a great idea. My home required mains pressure, hence the additional pump, but your right, a tank in the loft or on the roof is ideal and would only require a float valve to prevent overflow. You would then require a demand valve at your water collecting tank to keep the tank in your loft topped up. Not difficult to do either. Thanks for comment
Exactly, system is more efficient and less faulty more simple it is. But there is more reasons why I'd put this inside of a house. The priority nr.1 is climate change. In countries where temperature drops due winter below zero (like mine for example), outside water system (pipes full of water pump not drained up...) would be broken because of ice expansivity (I know lot of this cases). I'm thinking about harvesting system reckon also with this problem...
A tank could be installed underground with an inspection cover. Pipes can be lagged also, but depends on how low the temperatures drop. Another idea would be to install a loop with a 4 wat central heating pump to keep the water moving during very low temperatures. Just an idea mind.
looks like a good system, except for the asbestos roof tiles. I would be VERY careful about drinking that water, even with the first- flush filter and the cartridge filters.
Hi Davocann. The roof has been sealed with acrylic sealer, the system has primary flush, secondary first flush, 25 micron filter socks prior to entering water buts, then goes through a five micron filter before entering the home where it passes through a ceramic candle fliter prior to cleaning teeth and drinking. Zero chance of particles entering drinking water.
The first flush is a simple effective method of removing insects, bird droppings & other debris every time it rains, by washing it into the 1st Flush, where the ball float seals it in and debris settles to the bottom. In Rural India and other developing countries, this first flush system is the only filter used. Water collected is drank by everyone, & imported into the cities,sold to people who cant drink the chlorinated chemically treated mains water. We could learn a lot for these people.
Behind Every Black Cloud, there really is a Silver Lining! This video turns a negative into a positive, especially in our rainy climate we could do with something to cheer us up. Storm water run off is causing more and more floods. This is not helped by more and more houses releasing billions of tons of water down the sewers causing the system to overload, evident by sweage belching out of sewers during flooding. Diverting the rainwater for use in the home saves money & filtered for most use's
Pretty slick setup you have there. I am brainstorming and drafting ideas for my rain harvest system, I will be using the harvested RW for my hydroponic greenhouse needs.
Fletchman08 1 year ago
you music is irritating
Chris25toepher 1 year ago
Hello Andrew - could you please advise where you purchased the ball system you used at the topof the first flush . Many thanks
7Julianm 1 year ago
@7Julianm Missed these posts, sorry for delay in getting back to you. The ball is the type used in children's play pens. I got mine from free and the baby never even noticed it was gone :)
AndrewKFletcher 5 months ago
what kind of idiot thumbs down these kind of vids??
2skullscrushing 1 year ago 3
@2skullscrushing Each to their own. Some people like paying over the top for water and have little concern for the fact that our populations are growing and the demand for water is ever increasing. Harvesting water from your roof helps to reduce demand from reservoirs and therefore reduces the need to create more reservoirs.
AndrewKFletcher 5 months ago
i would'nt want to drink water that has been harvested of an asbestos roof
smoketweed09 1 year ago
Can you get all of your water from this system? that you use for a garden and potable water to drink? just from the rain? Thanks.
Reinpret 1 year ago
@Reinpret Using a special filter like the Doulton ceramic filter, impregnated with siver, the water is safe to drink
Also you can add a UV sterilizer, large tropical fish tank version to circulate the water in the main tank and keep free of pathogens.
AndrewKFletcher 1 year ago
Our country is so F'ed up, that it is against the law to do this? wow! Water right laws
TheHowToStyle 2 years ago
The Junior Hippo Pump has a spring steel shaft clip that holds the impeller in place. This rusts after approx 18 months submersed in rainwater. This clip should have been stainless steel.
Contacted Clarkes but no reply.
However, if the screws are removed from the bottom of the pump, epoxy resin can be applied to the dried components to prevent the impeller from rubbing against bottom of case (Noisy) This should fix the pump problem permanently
AndrewKFletcher 2 years ago
Pump now fixed with epoxy resin applied to end of spindle instead of using a steel washer. Worked perfectly and pump now operating efficiently and quiet.
Never had a reply from Clarkes Pumps :(
AndrewKFletcher 2 years ago
@AndrewKFletcher Hippo pump now packed up, replaced with draper 350w £40.00
AndrewKFletcher 1 year ago
Hi Megan
I agree, rainbarrels are the simplest and cheepest method. Ad to these a header tank in the loft with a ball valve and an overflow pipe, link it to your bathroom toilet fill and save some money too. A simple pump like the junior hippo has a float switch and can be used to lift the water to the loft using next to nothing in electricity The pump casots £38.00 or something like that. You will need a pressure switch to turn the pump off when the header tank is full.
AndrewKFletcher 2 years ago
haha nice music. this is a pretty cool harvest system!
BJamesThompson 2 years ago
Hi, Thanks for the comment. I agree the music is pretty cool and sounds like rain falling :)
System works well. Modified the filter socks in the rainbarrels by adding a T junction so it has 2 filter socks now per barrel. Heavy downpours were backing up with just one filter.
AndrewKFletcher 2 years ago
I found first flush as good idea, but not necessary if you want to use rain water for flushing in toilets only. Another improvement I'd do is remove the electric pump and let water flow only by gravity, putting (and hide) tank with all pipes into atic for example. Of course, this depends on possibilities and architecture of the house.
polivcicka 3 years ago
The first flush removes debris also like feathers, leaves and twigs. These can and will block up your toilet outlet.
Gravity feeding the toilets is also a great idea. My home required mains pressure, hence the additional pump, but your right, a tank in the loft or on the roof is ideal and would only require a float valve to prevent overflow. You would then require a demand valve at your water collecting tank to keep the tank in your loft topped up. Not difficult to do either. Thanks for comment
AndrewKFletcher 3 years ago
Exactly, system is more efficient and less faulty more simple it is. But there is more reasons why I'd put this inside of a house. The priority nr.1 is climate change. In countries where temperature drops due winter below zero (like mine for example), outside water system (pipes full of water pump not drained up...) would be broken because of ice expansivity (I know lot of this cases). I'm thinking about harvesting system reckon also with this problem...
polivcicka 3 years ago
A tank could be installed underground with an inspection cover. Pipes can be lagged also, but depends on how low the temperatures drop. Another idea would be to install a loop with a 4 wat central heating pump to keep the water moving during very low temperatures. Just an idea mind.
Only1moomin 3 years ago
looks like a good system, except for the asbestos roof tiles. I would be VERY careful about drinking that water, even with the first- flush filter and the cartridge filters.
davocann 3 years ago
Hi Davocann. The roof has been sealed with acrylic sealer, the system has primary flush, secondary first flush, 25 micron filter socks prior to entering water buts, then goes through a five micron filter before entering the home where it passes through a ceramic candle fliter prior to cleaning teeth and drinking. Zero chance of particles entering drinking water.
AndrewKFletcher 3 years ago
Hi.
Thanks for the comment. I have put a link to a detailed slide show in the Video Information Window. Hope this helps. Andrew
AndrewKFletcher 3 years ago
It's missing something because the text is so small! Please make the text bigger so it can be read. thanks
wilsonatore 3 years ago
The first flush is a simple effective method of removing insects, bird droppings & other debris every time it rains, by washing it into the 1st Flush, where the ball float seals it in and debris settles to the bottom. In Rural India and other developing countries, this first flush system is the only filter used. Water collected is drank by everyone, & imported into the cities,sold to people who cant drink the chlorinated chemically treated mains water. We could learn a lot for these people.
AndrewKFletcher 3 years ago
Great Idea to save money.
Only1moomin 3 years ago
Behind Every Black Cloud, there really is a Silver Lining! This video turns a negative into a positive, especially in our rainy climate we could do with something to cheer us up. Storm water run off is causing more and more floods. This is not helped by more and more houses releasing billions of tons of water down the sewers causing the system to overload, evident by sweage belching out of sewers during flooding. Diverting the rainwater for use in the home saves money & filtered for most use's
AndrewKFletcher 3 years ago