Rain Ppm..

[TobySampson]

Just tested the rain and its coming out at 3ppm!!! You could use that on windows!

I filled up a cup of it but it had a couple of solids in the bottom. What do you use to filter them out? A cloth? Or a pre-filter?

 

[Tuffers]

A sock. Dodger is yer man for this topic.

 

[rcproperty]

Tights are good too!

 

[OoO]

Dodger is the man for that or ant (JDMW)

 

[rcproperty]

To collect the rainwater is a simple task of diverting the downspouts of your guttering to a storage tank. It is essential that the tank does not allow light through to the water to prevent algae growth, so a black container or underground tank works best. To keep the TDS level to a minimum, the roof and guttering should be maintained so as to be free of dirt and sludge.

Rainwater should pass through a filter to strain out larger contaminants like insects and leaves before entering the tank. A submersible pump can be placed inside the tank to pump the water through one or two DI vessels to polish the water. Some window cleaners that collect rainwater use the water without even passing it through a DI vessel since the TDS level is so low anyway. It’s good practice however, to use water at a TDS level of 000 and with such a low TDS level, the resin will last a long time anyway.

Of course, it doesn’t rain everyday so the tank size should be large enough to store water from rainy periods which can be used during drier periods. An underground tank size of 3000 or 4000 litres would be ideal. Another method could be a modular system of smaller water butts connected in series above ground.

We mentioned earlier that a house roof may collect 80,000 litres of rainwater each year. This is based on the total surface area of a typical 3 bedroom semi detached house. Obviously, the larger the surface area of the roof or collection surface, the more rainwater collected. For every inch of rainwater water that falls on a surface of 1000 square feet it is possible to collect approximately 600 gallons of water.

80,000 litres of rainwater per year would be sufficient to fill a 300 litre tank each working day of the year. This could dramatically reduce water bills and with the much publicised, continual water rate increases, we cannot afford not to save our water and subsequently save money and the environment.

Being green is also a good selling point. Nowadays customers appreciate a company that is responsible towards the environment. Even if window cleaners were to be given exemption, customers are not always comfortable about having their windows cleaned with a water fed pole system during a hosepipe ban. Explaining that you use harvested rainwater would no doubt resolve the problem.

There’s no doubt about it, whatever your water usage may be, the investment of setting up a rainwater harvesting system would soon pay itself off. Interestingly, Enhaced Capital Allowances (ECAs) enable a business to claim 100% for rainwater harvesting equipment.

For more info visit: http://www.ukrha.org/index.php

 

[Dodger]

Nice post rc just about says it all. I always polish it through so and just got rid of my very first one litre that I've used for months. Heavy rain is best to collect and rain when its foggy I noticed last week is filthy and grey in colour do would definitely benefit from a good filter system and di.

 

[Smurf]

Used 1000 ltr ibc tanks are cheap as chips and are ideal to store rainwater. /emoticons/wink.png

I pay around £30 for 1000 ltr ibc's as 210 ltr water butts cost about the same so is a no brainer for me.

 

[TobySampson]

Used 1000 ltr ibc tanks are cheap as chips and are ideal to store rainwater. /emoticons/wink.png
I pay around £30 for 1000 ltr ibc's as 210 ltr water butts cost about the same so is a no brainer for me.

I haven't seen the black ones for that price. Can you paint them? Or do you have a link?

 

[TobySampson]

Thanks for the replies! Seriously thinking of doing this. I hate using tap water... Feels a waste.

 

[Smurf]

I have white ones as not bothered if they start to go green to be honest as only takes minutes once every year or so to pressure wash them out. They are also covered in tarps so helps a bit and no I've not tried painting them black .

Search ebay for someone selling ibc's local to you as delivery most want an arm an leg to deliver anyway. You may be lucky to get blue or black ones but be aware depends what they have been used for if you can get them clean.

I haven't seen the black ones for that price. Can you paint them? Or do you have a link?

 

[rcproperty]

Can paint them, or cover them.

The only down side with rain water harvesting is there is more chance of Legionnaires' disease as the water is un treated. So got to keep an eye on keeping everything cleaner.

 

[Smurf]

If stored for long periods of time and water temperature is between 20°C to 45°C then yes you can get potentially harmful levels of L. pneumonophila. But the rainwater I use to make pure is never stored very long anway so the risk is greatly reduced. /emoticons/wink.png

 

[rcproperty]

If stored for long periods of time and water temperature is between 20°C to 45°C then yes you can get potentially harmful levels of L. pneumonophila. But the rainwater I use to make pure is never stored very long anway so the risk is greatly reduced. /emoticons/wink.png

Don't even need to be long periods for it to be there, rain has it in from the start! Even in summer it don't take much to heat water up whenever we have sun!

 

[TobySampson]

Don't even need to be long periods for it to be there, rain has it in from the start! Even in summer it don't take much to heat water up whenever we have sun!

So are you saying you can't drink rain water?

 

[Smurf]

It is there all the time RC but not in harmfull levels it could be when left standing to get above 20°C to 45°C /emoticons/wink.png

 

[JDMW]

with rain you gotta be carefull in summer the ppm goes up loads. if its been dry for a few days and we get a down pour the ppm starts off at 015+ but after all the dust in the sky has gone it soon drops to about 004. tonight my ppm is 003. i put guttering on my shed and the water comes off perspex on the roof down the guttering into the shed which has these inside a plastic box to collect all the minature bits you cant see. after one storm its green and black with mank. just change them twice a week and ur ok http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.easipac.co.uk/images/jcloth.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.easipac.co.uk/multi-net-cloths-blue-j-cloth-i182.html&h=375&w=500&sz=35&tbnid=FAT6ICqW3zkaiM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__NiqTBIT_EmsvPr4noAiHcQMIHEA=&docid=akMV2tCN7I1CmM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=79xEUZqIIK_Z0QXcnYCwCg&ved=0CD8Q9QEwAg&dur=217

forgot to say that before the water goes in the shed i have fishtank filter sponge to collect leafs bugs etc. summer is when you may get mozzie larvae if the waters stood still to long.

 

[JDMW]

If stored for long periods of time and water temperature is between 20°C to 45°C then yes you can get potentially harmful levels of L. pneumonophila. But the rainwater I use to make pure is never stored very long anway so the risk is greatly reduced. /emoticons/wink.png

so how do they manage in the outback of australia where there water comes from rain water harvesting. when i lived there it was just a basic filter in the taps and in the tank. no special chemicals went into the tank water under the ground.

 

[Jeff Brimble]

Try a Capful or two of Hydrogen peroxide £3 from your local hairdresser, keeps nastys under control, leave hydrogen and oxegen behind

 

[rcproperty]

So are you saying you can't drink rain water?

Not saying that,

 

[rcproperty]

so how do they manage in the outback of australia where there water comes from rain water harvesting. when i lived there it was just a basic filter in the taps and in the tank. no special chemicals went into the tank water under the ground.

Because it's under the ground, keeps cool and below the temps.

 

[JDMW]

Because it's under the ground, keeps cool and below the temps.

but its a well known fact the deeper you go in the ground the hotter it gets lol /emoticons/tongue.png