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Author Topic: Tip for you greenies  (Read 1401 times)
iann41
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« on: September 25, 2009, 07:44:35 AM »

Ok, so you've spent thousands on solar thermal. May have even got a wind turbine (what a waste of time and money they are, not even green), or gone the whole hog and got PV panels to create a couple of volts that do squat.

Now here's a tip that costs £20 tops and does more good than you'll ever know. The down side is the bathroom will look a little untidy.

Get yourself a 12v water pump, the type you get from caravan supplies. Got myself 1 for £18 on flebay with a 11m head.

Next you'll need tubing to fit that will reach from the bath to the toilet.

Get yourself a car battery and wiring for the pump.

Evey time you have a bath or shower keep the plug in and use the gray water to flush the toilet.

If you've got a water meter your quids in. We used 6cu m of water last quarter. An estimated annual bill of £120 instead of £490.
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martin
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« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2009, 08:31:59 AM »

Good tip!
However, I feel that for the sake of bystanders, I should clarify one or two teensie errors as well............
Solar thermal, if carefully chosen, and installed economically is probably the most cost-effective renewable energy for most people..........
Solar PV, although expensive is incredibly reliable, will probably be producing power for 50 years, is entirely predictable, and can most certainly supply a home's complete needs..........
Then probably the silliest comment of all - that about "wind" - for most homes in the UK, it  is not appropriate (in simple terms, planners won't allow sufficiently tall masts to get turbines up above the turbulence in most residential areas), BUT there is no escaping the fact that a properly sited turbine, atop a suitable tower will reliably and economically produce gobbets of power.......... apply the economies of scale in larger turbines, the sums become incredibly attractive, to the extent that without a grant or subsidy in sight, anyone who owns a suitable site would be bats not to........
And last but not least, the often committed error of equating "money saved" with greenness - they are not in any way linked..........if you swap one fossil fuel for another, as like as not you may save money, but you may in fact  increase emissions......... Roll Eyes
« Last Edit: September 25, 2009, 08:35:32 AM by martin » Logged

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lightfoot
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« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2009, 08:58:47 AM »

Ok, so you've spent thousands on solar thermal. May have even got a wind turbine (what a waste of time and money they are, not even green), or gone the whole hog and got PV panels to create a couple of volts that do squat.

Now here's a tip that costs £20 tops and does more good than you'll ever know. The down side is the bathroom will look a little untidy.

Get yourself a 12v water pump, the type you get from caravan supplies. Got myself 1 for £18 on flebay with a 11m head.

Next you'll need tubing to fit that will reach from the bath to the toilet.

Get yourself a car battery and wiring for the pump.

Evey time you have a bath or shower keep the plug in and use the gray water to flush the toilet.


If you've got a water meter your quids in. We used 6cu m of water last quarter. An estimated annual bill of £120 instead of £490.



Or you can get one of these for a quid (also available in green) Grin.......

« Last Edit: September 25, 2009, 09:03:00 AM by lightfoot » Logged

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dhaslam
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« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2009, 09:08:36 AM »

Water isn't scarce.   In most parts of the British Isles there is enough water falling on the roof to supply the needs of the occupants.   Bath water and shower water are quite contaminated and storing it in a warm bathroom, even in the  WC cistern, isn't a  good idea.   
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marktime
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« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2009, 11:14:42 AM »

Don't loose heart Ian, we invest huge resources in making water safe enough to drink and then we use it to flush the toilet!!

There are issues with grey water but rain water is wounderful stuff to flush the bog with, especially if combined with Lightfoot's bucket.

MarkTime


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iann41
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« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2009, 07:47:54 PM »

I've got the IBC collecting rain water in the garage and already flushing with it.

The point I’m trying to make is that people don't have to throw money at a problem to make a difference. If make a difference is
what they want to do.

The idea about the bucket is sound and I used to do this, but the other half is a floyd and usually pored the lot over the floor.

I'm going to ignore any comments about being green and saving the planet and any arguments for.

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Ivan
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« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2009, 01:02:25 AM »

Nice idea. Low cost, fast payback ideas will always be popular. We're not on a water meter, which unfortunately means that there's no financial incentive to save water (although, that's not saying that it's not important to me). If electricity cost a standard £200/yr, I wonder how many people would be conscious of electrical efficiency?

It's a shame that the water companies don't offer heavily subsidised rainwater/greywater harvesting systems.
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