Routing Rainwater to toilet

[daftlad]

Does anyone know how much chlorine is in drinking water? and is it enough to keep rain water from going bad? and how often would more need to be added?
I saw a company at a recent green product show that was displaying a filter that could clean and store rain water (or bath water), filter it and then dose it with bleach to stop it going bad, they reckoned 1 liter a year of bleach was enough per year for a typical house. They also had a system that dumped water out of the loft tank if it had not been used within 10 days.
I guess the trick is to use enough biocide to kill the bugs but not so much that it can not be used for washing clothes or damage the environment for that matter.
ta ta

[OverSpecSteve]

Hello daftlad, and hello everyone else (long time reader first time poster)

When chlorine is added at the water treatment works they use the minimum required to kill all the nasties (it is very expensive).  That said, they do add a "bit" extra to ensure that the water stays treated in the supply pipes to your home.  Typically by the time you turn on your tap there should be no chlorine left (it gets consumed as it kills the bugs) however, if you live very close to a water treatment works there can be occasions when "trace" amounts of chlorine can still be detected. 

All of which is a very long winded way of saying that I doubt that you could rely on drinking water to keep your rain water from going bad.

Regards,
Steve

[Baz]

The treatment works also add SO2 to neutralise the excess chlorine and Aluminium Sulphate to precipitate out the product of that reaction (I think) or possible instead of the SO2. Remember the Camelford disaster.

[daftlad]

Hello daftlad, and hello everyone else (long time reader first time poster)


All of which is a very long winded way of saying that I doubt that you could rely on drinking water to keep your rain water from going bad.

Welcome to the forum.
I guess the trick is to add enough stuff, or combinations of stuff to stop it going bad and also having the facility to add more if the water ends up in storage for a long periods. It would be nice to be able to use rain water for washing clothes as well.
ta ta

[pontiff]

My experience so far suggests that it won't stay in the tank long enough to go bad if it is supplying two toilets and a washing machine and is filtered VERY well before entering the tank. (10 micron steel mesh followed by a 1 micron filter bag). I've been adding the odd bit of chlorine tablet but knowing how much to use is a bit of guesswork.

On the other hand, Mrs Pontiff insists that I come up with more data before I connect the washing machine up.(We're having a brand new child delivered next week so Health and Safety head has been engaged).Microbe levels are much lower than I expected ( without the Cl tablets) according to my Year 8 class who have been tasked with analysing samples on a weekly basis.
I'm maybe looking at a 25w uv inline steriliser on the input pipe to the washing machine-not cheap but will pay for itself by April 2239 so thats ok. (I also spent £13 grand or so on the pv system to power it so no worries there) .

[al_uk]

1st toilet connected up tonight. Marine 12v 30psi, 12.5l per minute diaphram pump screwed to a spare paving slab at the moment. Auto pressure switch working a treat. Need to install it in a proper box. There is a bit of noise through the house with the pipe rattling around in the eaves, so may install an accumulator at some point. The piping is speedfit 15mm partially mounted outside the house. I am expecting it to freeze in winter, but I assume it will carry on working when it thaws... ie. won't burst? Is there any outdoor lagging I could put on? I could presumably have a very small continuous flow through the toilet cistern during freezing weather by adjusting the float. The drilling through the bathroom tiles was a little nerve wracking as 1st time doing this, but it went without incident using a Porsadrill holesaw set. So far so good. I've thrown half a swimming pool chlorine (stabilised) tablet into the IBC as there were larvae swimming around.

The tights filter are doing a good job - this morning we had 8.5mm rain in 1 hour, which filled the IBC from empty to 3/4, and the tights seem to have caught quite a bit of matter.

I've capped off the mains feed, but the flexi pipe from the toilet can be reconnected within a minute if necessary.

Next job is to mount the pump properly, and set up a trickle charge arrangement for the 12v battery. This will probably be more efficient than running a 12v 7A PSU continuously. After we're happy with the system, then will connect the other toilet in. Plumbing already in place but capped off.

40L saved already...

[petertc]

You could but ordinary lagging on it the slide on some gutter down pipe to hide it.

the small outside run i had was normal armafelx lagging 15 mm with i think 25 mm of lagging i them wrapped up in some of this bubble wrap foil then it was encased in a wooden box this did not freeze last year but it was sheltered where it was.

out of a matter of interest we have 3 toilets and a washing machine connected up we use a 5 micron filter after the pump.
since early January we have used just over 300 amp hours ( we also charge some mobile phones and batteries as well with this system.
but taht will give you some idea of usage ( so leaving on so it wont freeze will run the battery down.)

[al_uk]

Will investigate the lagging... What filter are you using after the pump? I have the normal strainer before the pump, but that is it at the moment.

Anybody any idea on the hole size in microns of a pair of tights!?

[pontiff]

Will investigate the lagging... What filter are you using after the pump? I have the normal strainer before the pump, but that is it at the moment.

Anybody any idea on the hole size in microns of a pair of tights!?

It depends on the denier value of the tights.

I think the conversion chart in the link below suggests that you multiply the denier value by 2.82.

http://www.uster.com/UI/YarnCountChart.html

I knew my unhealthy fascination with tights would come in handy one day!... I want to applaud myself for that one!