Grey Water Tank

[rsser]

Nice one Grunt, thanks.

I'll have to grow a Virginia creeper over it or else look like a Milawa winery ;-}

Yeah, I gather one or two other folk are having similar thoughts and there's a wait.

sf, thanks for the tip. Bunnies tanks a prob? PM me if you wouldn't mind. Not that a read of the Weekly Times is an issue.

[Stuart]

Probably cost. Didn't know about the Weekly Times - thank for the tip.

Anyone know an actual outlet with better prices (than Bunnies)?

[Iain]

You can also try ebay.

These sort of tanks might be just the thing.


Also, getting hold of a tank at the moment might be a bit tricky. Up to 4 months waiting period for some tanks. I ordered a 25,000 litre tank in November which I won't get until Feb.

They are pretty expensive compared to a 27000litre at $2400 (a crowd in Pakenham manufacture them, can't recall the name).
I could fit a few hundred in my back yard

[rsser]

I've been collecting some prices and other info and will post them in due course. It's a bit hard to get the data because of the holidays and I guess because the makers are flat out like a lizard drinking.

Eg. (and only because it cropped up first), a Nylex oval tank of 2100l is $1600 and a four month wait.

Meantime, can anyone advise on what angle of fall the fill pipe for a rainwater tank should have?

Thanks in advance

[rsser]

ps, the Pakenham crowd are at www.opstanks.com.au

[journeyman Mick]

Ern,
your fill pipe can be at a few different angles, depending on distance from gutters etc. Vertical, 5 deg from horizontal and about 45 deg. If you use a 90 deg fitting from your downpie dropper to the tank you'll find that it will be pretty much 5 degrees off horizontal as the PVC drainage and stormwater fittings are made to allow for fall. If required you can get different angles, but it ain't rocket science. I've got a 15m run from my front gutter to my rainwater tank in 90mm pvc with about 5deg fall. The front gutter doesn't overflow noticeably faster then the rear which discharges almost directly into the tank. When the gutters do overflow it's because there's only one dropper on each run of 18m which isn't really enough when you get a tropical deluge.

Mick

[rsser]

Thanks Mick.

I hadn't thought of 90mm pipe. With standard quad gutter I'd just assumed 2 or 3 inch. There's not going to be much diff between the gutter and tank inlet levels.

[rsser]

Well here's enough data to clog your mental pipes for a while:

This stuff is relevant to the use of untreated grey water from washing machines for garden use ... http://www.lanfaxlabs.com.au/

Covers the composition of laundry detergents; powders and liquids; concentrated and not; top loading solutions and front loading; wash cycle and full cycle.

These guys did the test for Choice and will be doing another for ACA this year.

General picture seems to be that liquids are less damaging than powders, and concentrated powders less damaging than full packs.

There is no standard since the source water will vary in its composition, the salts and structure existing in the soil ditto, and plants vary in their needs.

Choice site also says not to use untreated wash cycle water whereas the ACF says you can.

[Stuart]

ps, the Pakenham crowd are at www.opstanks.com.au

Best price I've found so far - thanks for the contact.

$600 for 2700L cf Bunnings $680 for 2000L

So yesterday I bought a pump (turns on when there is a pressure drop, so you turn on the tap and the pump provides the water), and have connected it to a wheelie bin. I ran a tube from the washing machine through the floor and under the house to the wheelie bin. The outlet from the pump is connected to my watering system computer The pump was about $360, and provides a maximum of 38L/min. It can cope with a max of 16m head, which is bloody impressive. I had tried a pump supplier earlier to find the same sort of thing, and the pump they quoted me that I'd need was apparently $1400

The only thing I now need to source is a level control switch so the pump's electrical supply is cut when the water level drops too low. Only one I've found so far is $150 which is a stupid price for such a simple mechanism. Bunnings don't seem to know what one is, despite the fact they sell the tanks and the pumps.

Sometime soon, when the rest of the system is full commissioned and I'm happy with it, I will get one of the 2700L tanks and rig it into the system. It will probably be rainwater only, but will still route it through the pump so I can get mains-pressure water. I might even try to rig it into the toilet system so I can get the full $500 rebate. (Rather than just $150 for the tank). (I've found a switching valve that will connect mains water into the toilet when there is no tank water available.)

Don't bother asking anyone in plumbing at Bunnings about anything to do with the pumps they sell - they haven't gotten a clue. What annoys me, is they haven't even got enough commonsense to read the side of the box, before speaking with absolute authority that what they tell you is correct. They get very annoyed (and rude) when you read the box itself and find it contradicts what they have just told you.

[Big Shed]

Stuart,

This what you're looking for?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/LIQUID-LEVEL-...QQcmdZViewItem

Fred

[Big Shed]

This is similar to what we use on our 4500l garden irrigation tank, with the addition of a pressure sensor.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/New-Onga-Rain...QQcmdZViewItem

Does a great job on our dripper lines.

Tank is filled from our dam, about 200mtrs away, using a 6.5hp Honda/Onga fire pump. Dam is starting to look sick though!

[rsser]

Thanks for the post Stuart.

An oval 2100 l Nylex tank is $1600 . I only have 1.2 m clearance to get it up the back so it has to be narrow, but there's a crowd making narrow tanks in Echuca hopefully for less.

Like you, I've put a waste water extension hose on the washing machine (no clearance for a PVC drainpipe diverter) and run it under the house and out a vent. It normally drains into the inspection cover on the PVC pipe but the washer can be programmed to allow us to put it into a wheel barrow for the rinse cycle. The plants are now getting more water than they have for years

[Stuart]

I'll post some pics shortly - first load tested last night - just the wash cycle produced an unbelievable 100L (I have a 9kg toploader, and it was a full load).

Even more frightening, is I put it through the sprays on just one part of the garden, and the whole lot was pumped through in about 5 minutes or so (didn't actually time it) - goes to show just how much drinking water I used to use on the garden

So I am very happy with the results so far - using the water twice, and my garden is now getting watered "off the grid". I may need to put a second bin next to the first, and run a manifold hose between the two. Lost quite a bit of the rinse water to the overflow back to stormwater - would prefer not to have that happen.

Now I just have to make a sign telling any nosy neighbours to bugger off. Getting neighbours to spy on each other for the authorities - what a crock. We need more comradery beween neighbours to improve society, not less.

That water level sensor from eBay is the kind of thing, now I just need one that
1. Isn't being eBayed from Singapore
2. Can switch 240 V (as I don't know how to, nor would it be legal for me to set up a relay to do it myself - ok, so I am not known to take that line - too busy these days!)
3. Costs less than the $150 that I've been quoted so far by a Melbourne farming supply firm.

[rsser]

Yeah, we've been getting a large barrow full out of the deep rinse and that not even on the highest setting.

Think I read somewhere that a family of four can go through a thousand litres a week just with the washer.

[Grunt]

Isn't being eBayed from Singapore

I've bought quite a bit from Singapore and Hong Kong. With PayPal it's pretty safe.