[ftp]

No not the pubs.

The guys who are harvesting rainwater. I intend to do this in the future (certainly if I move house). My intention is to have a black IBC tank and collect from the downpipe from the guttering then just pump it across to my static system as a top up whenever water is available. What are you guys using to filter the water before it gets to the tank? I'm thinking filters as found on pond systems might be enough to keep the worst of the dirt out but would they restrict the flow too much?
Any advice welcome ta.

[jouk45]

mines comes of my shed roof at 000  but i never use it,

[jouk45]

comes down my down pipe of my house at 16ppm 

[Window Washers]

comes down my down pipe of my house at 16ppm 

he says that to all his customers when try to sell his gutter cleaning service 

[jouk45]

comes down my down pipe of my house at 16ppm 

he says that to all his customers when try to sell his gutter cleaning service 

all true, next rain fall i get i have to video this, but truth of the matter is, it is only pennys to run my di vessel, so just cant be bothered going to all the trouble buying rain butts and all that stuff, am very lucky to have soft water

[Window Washers]

comes down my down pipe of my house at 16ppm 

he says that to all his customers when try to sell his gutter cleaning service 

all true, next rain fall i get i have to video this, but truth of the matter is, it is only pennys to run my di vessel, so just cant be bothered going to all the trouble buying rain butts and all that stuff, am very lucky to have soft water

I'm glad for you Joe,

My water thinks it is a hard man competition and tbh it is winning at 470+ tds

[jouk45]

wow 470, then you better get harvesting ian 

[thewaterwizard]

why don't you use it jo instead of making it
  robin

[Window Washers]

wow 470, then you better get harvesting ian 

I am going to look into that on friday do some tests on the roof of new unit.

[Gleaming windows]

No not the pubs.

The guys who are harvesting rainwater. I intend to do this in the future (certainly if I move house). My intention is to have a black IBC tank and collect from the downpipe from the guttering then just pump it across to my static system as a top up whenever water is available. What are you guys using to filter the water before it gets to the tank? I'm thinking filters as found on pond systems might be enough to keep the worst of the dirt out but would they restrict the flow too much?
Any advice welcome ta.

Why dont you set a filter up to circulate the water once it is in the IBC, so you allow it to flow in at whatever break neck speed it comes out the gutter at and then set a filter up to keep it circulated' continually.

[jouk45]

why don't you use it jo instead of making it
  robin

with the di its so much easier for me, just fill containers in minutes and away i go, and my resin lasts for at lest 4 to 5 months

[ftp]

No not the pubs.

The guys who are harvesting rainwater. I intend to do this in the future (certainly if I move house). My intention is to have a black IBC tank and collect from the downpipe from the guttering then just pump it across to my static system as a top up whenever water is available. What are you guys using to filter the water before it gets to the tank? I'm thinking filters as found on pond systems might be enough to keep the worst of the dirt out but would they restrict the flow too much?
Any advice welcome ta.

Why dont you set a filter up to circulate the water once it is in the IBC, so you allow it to flow in at whatever break neck speed it comes out the gutter at and then set a filter up to keep it circulated' continually.

Well, because it sounds a bit complicated. What i intend to do is use some kind of foam filter in the downpipe or at the lid to filter out the worst then pump it over to the tank with ro.
Do you think this would work or would the harvested water have too many eebie jeebies in it?

[jouk45]

well from my downpipe i tryed aquarium fish filter wool, i done this just to see what would happen, it brought it down to 4ppm from 16ppm left it for a day and it had risen back up to around 10ppm??

[Gleaming windows]

well from my downpipe i tryed aquarium fish filter wool, i done this just to see what would happen, it brought it down to 4ppm from 16ppm left it for a day and it had risen back up to around 10ppm??

Jo it depends at what stage of a downpour you test your water. test it just as the water starts hammering out the pipe and it the TDS is high, give it a minute or two to flush and your running at the low level, generally 11ppm here off a flat felt roof.

[Gleaming windows]

Well, because it sounds a bit complicated.

It couldnt be simpler mate, all you are doing is setting up a 'fish-tank' outside with no fish in it. Kiddies can set up fish tanks 

Look go down your local garden centre, buy a fairly small outdoor pond filter for £20.00 and 3 metres of 3/4" green pipe. Feed one end into the bottom of the IBC, but thread it through 2" pipe so it doesnt curl up and float, so you draw water into the pump from the bottom of the IBC and fix same diameter pipe onto exit port of pump and feed back into IBC. Start water flowing with syphon and fix to pump, hey-presto there you go. SIMPLES!

[jouk45]

matt this was a heavy down pour i done this with, this was from red slates

[matt]

No not the pubs.

The guys who are harvesting rainwater. I intend to do this in the future (certainly if I move house). My intention is to have a black IBC tank and collect from the downpipe from the guttering then just pump it across to my static system as a top up whenever water is available. What are you guys using to filter the water before it gets to the tank? I'm thinking filters as found on pond systems might be enough to keep the worst of the dirt out but would they restrict the flow too much?
Any advice welcome ta.

some marine / fish keeping wool stuffed at the outlet of the downpipe, this picks up all the bigger bits

then into your rainwater IBC

then pump ( or use gravity ) though DI and into your holding tank

[Gleaming windows]

matt this was a heavy down pour i done this with, this was from red slates

10 is okay though mate, theres bound to be variations, climatic, pollution bla bla bla. So long as it comes in under 30 your onto a winner. The way the rain was here just now I wished Id diverted my gutter into my IBC

[ftp]

Thanks Matts  

All i'm trying to find out is if it's nessesary to filter the water properly or just block the bits. The Idea of using a black IBC would be to prevent algae. The TDS isn't important at all because my tap water is well over 300 anyway so as long as rainwater is below this all well and good because the idea is to reduce costs.

[jouk45]

has anyone actualy use the rain water for cleaning the windows, i hear loads of people talking about gathering it, but no one has said how good or bad it is,