| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Chez |
Hand pumping grey / rain water?Can anyone point me towards some info about hand-pumps? I would like to collect water off our roof and use it both in the garden and to flush the loos.We need to get it up in to a header tank in the attic for the loo-flushing - and up about 20 feet to the garden. I'd like to do this either by solar pump (expensive) or hand-pump (probably cheaper and will do my waistline good  ) as part of our move to off-grid.
We are both complete Pump Virgins ... any thoughts or info gratefully received. Clearly this is a Dougal Question. I miss him  .
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| happytechie |
I would go for a small 12v pump, a nice narrow bore pipe and a solar recharger and a 12v leisure type battery. You'll need a butt/tank to collect the water in and a miroswitch on a float valve in the header tank (arvo will sort it). Failing that BnQ sell a small pump to go into the bottom of underground tanks.
I find myself thinking seriously about it all the time. My current feeling is that you'd need a large underground tank to store the winter water in to get you through the summer and some sort of filter to keep the tank clean. I think I'd want a backup method to get the mains water into the header tank as well in case I ran out of water from the rain. How high would you need to pump the water to get it into your roof space? |
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| Chez |
About twenty feet, I think, to the attic. Not a great deal less than the garden, which is roughly on a level with the apex of the roof.
I'd really like something that would allow me to pump manually - we are looking in to a small battery bank to get us over the winter powercuts and run the freezer and the heating circulation pump and the computers, and that would also run the necessary 12v pump; but it seems to me that being able to get the water up there by hand might also be a good option - I am in the 'it's all going to go pear shaped with rolling brown-outs' Survivalist camp .
I'm looking at these pumps (muscles like Popeye ) and these tanks - we have room at the back of the house that would accommodate a few. I am also thinking about using grey water as well as rain water.
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| happytechie |
How much water do you think you'll use a day from the header tank? How many hours a day are you willing to spend pumping?
If it was me I wouldn't even consider a hand pump. I've tried pumping water out of a boat by hand before and we decided it was quicker to drive to the hire shop and hire a electric pump to get the job done after about an hour's pumping. This might do the job although .5 of a bar might not get it 20 feet up: http://www.caravanbreakersnationwide.co.uk/shops/caravanbreaker/12v-comet-submersible-water-pump-1203-p.asp There are more here that might be more sutiable: http://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=electric-pumps I'm trying to figure out where I can bury a big tank in the garden as I type! |
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| VSS |
in our previous house there was piped rainwater to the kitchen tap, but the cold and upstairs taps (no loo) was pumped to a header tank in the loft.
we did have an electric pump, but not on a float switch. we were running a diesel generator at the time with startomatic, and didin't want the water pump cutting in at odd times and widing up the genny. we did also have a hand pump as back up, and for a while it was the only pump we had. it was ok, worked well and wasn't too tome consuming. bear in mind though that we didn't use much water as rain water was all we had so we were always very sparing with it. certainly no loo flushing or daily bathing! |
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| JB |
Perhaps something like this would be easier to use? |
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| JB |
Or even one of these and link it to a bicycle? | ||
| James |
you mean like this: 
this is from GotWinds.org's DIY page (three quarters of the way down the page) |
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| Chez |
The bike set-up looks like just what we need. Thanks folks ... | ||
| Fee |
WHo clicked that Buy Now button???? Has someone taken over my machine?? Bad Fee. |