[SHINING EXAMPLE]

Fellow shiners,
Thinking of maybe setting up a few water butts in the garden and pumping rainwater through to my r/o d/i van mount. Thought this might be kinder to my membrane and my resin as I live in a hardwater area.
Does anyone do something similar?
How much rainwater would the r/o channel as waste?

PS. 2 months into wfp and almost liking work again !

[Count Phil]

My mate does rain water. You need a pump to push it through your filter. Don't ro it. Just di, The tds is nearly pure, like 10 -15ppm. Only really dirty storm rains in summer that leave big dust blotches on windows has a high tds.

[Clear Vision]

The tds is nearly pure, like 10 -15ppm. Only really dirty storm rains in summer that leave big dust blotches on windows has a high tds.

My tap tds is nearly 15ppm! 

[Count Phil]

Then unless you're on a metre there's no point. By 15 I mean 015 on the reading when 000 is pure. My tap reading is 485ppm so there's a real reason to use rainwater. If your tap water is 15 then you can use that to clean windows. Just try it and you won't notice the difference. Honestly, the dots from that level of impurity are to small for the eye to see. I've cleaned a 25ppm and done the insides and they come up perfect. Although I don't make a habit of it and generally keep it below 10 and as close to 000 as poss. But 15 is fine.

[Count Phil]

Like it can pick up traces of chemicles in the air etc. But nothing like what's put in the stuff you drink. Just test some. Bear in mind, it's also rolled down your roof, run through gutters etc. When that settles it is still really low tds. Just test some. Who told you about drinking grade water. The water companies. Don't make me laugh.

[Count Phil]

If you look at what the ro membranes are taking out, it's mostly chemicles. Water companies are big customers of the petro-chemicle industry. In rain there is only what is picked up as it falls.

[JM123]

Rainwater is very nearly pure, as stated above it absorbs minerals in the air as it falls.  Thats why after a heavy downpour the air is always nice and fresh.

[SHINING EXAMPLE]

Intrestin' stuff. Appreciate replies.
Gary.

[dai]

I have measured it off my slate roof at 7 ppm. I have also melted fresh snow, that turned out at 12 ppm.
Get a big enough holding tank, and rainwater would be ideal. Dai

[adixon]

how much is your water bill if your on meter or does it vary throughout uk

[Easyclean Windows]

I also live in a hard water area but i cant understand the need to use rain water for producing pure water for window cleaning.

I am also on a meter and my water bill is £360 for 6 months.
Now that's not bad considering the last 6 months i was using 700ltr per day excluding the waste from the merlin so on average about 1050 ltr per day that's 5,250 ltr per week.

over 6 months i used 126,000 ltrs of water without  my hosing water showers,washing machine etc.

My resin is still reading 000 and i changed my resin last March @ £80 for 25 ltrs so if i can make it last another month that resin has cost me £6.66 per month My membranes on my merlin still have another year left in them and i have changed my pre filter every 6 months at a cost of £19.99 each time.


So my water bill for 6 months ----------£360.00
Resin costs for 6 months  ---------------£36.00
membrane cost over 3 years -----------£35.00

so to make water over 6 months in a hard water area on a meter my costs are £431.00 my turnover for the same period just on houses


10 houses per day @ £10.00 min = £100 * 5 days per week=£500.00 * 4 weeks = £2,000 * 6 months = £12,000 so i cant see the need to try and make water from rainwater butts when you puy your costs water etc through your books and turnover enough not to have to do this..

[Paul Coleman]

I also live in a hard water area but i cant understand the need to use rain water for producing pure water for window cleaning.

I am also on a meter and my water bill is £360 for 6 months.
Now that's not bad considering the last 6 months i was using 700ltr per day excluding the waste from the merlin so on average about 1050 ltr per day that's 5,250 ltr per week.

over 6 months i used 126,000 ltrs of water without  my hosing water showers,washing machine etc.

My resin is still reading 000 and i changed my resin last March @ £80 for 25 ltrs so if i can make it last another month that resin has cost me £6.66 per month My membranes on my merlin still have another year left in them and i have changed my pre filter every 6 months at a cost of £19.99 each time.


So my water bill for 6 months ----------£360.00
Resin costs for 6 months  ---------------£36.00
membrane cost over 3 years -----------£35.00

so to make water over 6 months in a hard water area on a meter my costs are £431.00 my turnover for the same period just on houses


10 houses per day @ £10.00 min = £100 * 5 days per week=£500.00 * 4 weeks = £2,000 * 6 months = £12,000 so i cant see the need to try and make water from rainwater butts when you puy your costs water etc through your books and turnover enough not to have to do this..

Cost is not the only issue though I think.  If I had the facilities for harvesting rainwater (I don't because I live in a flat), I would be storing the stuff in water butts and tanks.  I know it seems unnecessary at the moment but the drought orders and hosepipe bans left a lot of us concerned here in southeast England last year as to whether we would be able to work at all.  There were real concerns that the drought orders could turn into emergency drought orders and prevent use of WFP.  If the water used for WFP is from the rain, emergency drought orders would not stop us working.  If someone has decent storage facilities, a few thousand litres could be made to go a very long way if pushed.  Low flow rates for upper windows accompanied by trad W/Cing for lower windows could make those litres go a lot further.
OK so we've had one of the wettest Januarys ever and February has been pretty damp too so it's not an issue right now.  That doesn't mean that it won't be an issue in the future though.

[scrimit2]

one of my customers washes her car with rain water, it did get me thinking about, me using it on cleaning windows, Im trad, do you think it would be a benefit, but I guess the addition of detergent would loose any benefits

interesting topic though,

scrimit

[simon knight]

For those of you who have condenser tumble driers. The water in the reservoir is as good as pure water. In a typical week I can syphon 10 litres.  I use it in my spray bottle for Georgian and old leaded.