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First week grid free

Incheck

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Cardiff
Largely due to all the rain we’ve had but this week was the first full week ever where all work has been/will be done with harvested rainwater. I know a few people have tried various methods i just use a submersible pump leading straight to double d.i. Feels good to be doing something to help the planet and also the resin lasts that much longer ? happy cleaning fellow windies ? 

 
Largely due to all the rain we’ve had but this week was the first full week ever where all work has been/will be done with harvested rainwater. I know a few people have tried various methods i just use a submersible pump leading straight to double d.i. Feels good to be doing something to help the planet and also the resin lasts that much longer ? happy cleaning fellow windies ? 
Well done mate. 95% of my pure is harvested from 5 200L water butts but I'm wfp tops & trad bottoms.  When we have a dry period I have to go back to tap.  I use a submersible pump and double DI's too.  Do you use any filters and where in the setup do they fit in?   My rainwater varies from 50ppm at worst down to 17ppm at best.

 
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Nah no filters mate i also did a trad job today one of few, just used the custys water straight out the harvester, our rainwater ranges from say 4 at best to around 20/25 at worst, i try and use it asap and if its been sitting in the barrels a while in hot weather i ditch it as it breeds algae. The harvesters need cleaning out fairly regularly but all it all been using harvested water for around a year and its worked out really well

 
Nah no filters mate i also did a trad job today one of few, just used the custys water straight out the harvester, our rainwater ranges from say 4 at best to around 20/25 at worst, i try and use it asap and if its been sitting in the barrels a while in hot weather i ditch it as it breeds algae. The harvesters need cleaning out fairly regularly but all it all been using harvested water for around a year and its worked out really well


Incheck, how exactly are you harvesting the water, I would guess not from a drainpipe after its hit a roof top due to sediment collected on its way ?

 
Aha, its actually off a set of 8 flat garage roofs, so it’s a very large surface area. The only sediment i do get is the roofing material itself as its constantly flaking off. However, there is a low point in the middle of the gutter, which all the sediment collects in, and the stretches for a good few meters near both ends are relatively free, apart from in autumn when they get leaves stuck in them constantly.

the sediment that gets through sits in the bottom of the harvesters, so the trick i use is i’ve put a building brick in the bottom of each harvester, sit the pump on top of the brick, that way i only suck up water and the sediment stays at the bottom, thus saving the pump from conking out. Any sediment that does get through the pump gets trapped in the resin as the flow rate is so low, it takes me twice or three times as long to fill up my tanks using harvested water as opposed to mains pressure but its a prive im willing to pay to do my bit for the next generation. Plus i get to stand in the garage for an hour and get ready for the next day...text reminders, equipment swaps, or just slack off a bit and binge on coffee and nicotine...this is the most likely ?

 
Largely due to all the rain we’ve had but this week was the first full week ever where all work has been/will be done with harvested rainwater. I know a few people have tried various methods i just use a submersible pump leading straight to double d.i. Feels good to be doing something to help the planet and also the resin lasts that much longer ? happy cleaning fellow windies ? 




Just out of interest whats the tds of your rain water compared to the tap water 

 
Just out of interest whats the tds of your rain water compared to the tap water 
Our tap water averages about 60. It can be as low as 35 or as high as 80, but usually in the 60 zone. During prolonged heatwaves its gone up to 160 because they start mucking around with pumping stations swapping over. Thankfully those days are well out of sight now weve had relentless rain here since the end of July.

tds of rainwater is 3 at best 24 at worst, with an average of say 9?

 
If any of you have harvesters it would be worth draining them if you havent already used the water. Heatwave on the way and no rain due for at least a week down here. It will go stagnant and breed algae otherwise then youll end up with minging water butts. Im draining the excess from ours now until the next lot of fresh rain

 
If any of you have harvesters it would be worth draining them if you havent already used the water. Heatwave on the way and no rain due for at least a week down here. It will go stagnant and breed algae otherwise then youll end up with minging water butts. Im draining the excess from ours now until the next lot of fresh rain
Why not transfer to drums / indoor butt and use when required. Only go off if kept in sunlight. 

 
All my drums are full mate got 24 of them, + if i leave the harvesters open they’ll get a good flush out when the next heavy rain hits. Helps clear some of the **** out you know 

 
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