By the time we moved in here the system wasn't working due to a leak somewhere. And obviously, the barrels had to be taken off to make space for the extension.
The house owner took half of them home to set up his own system and we kept the rest.
After they'd finished the extension the builders put the barrels on big cement bricks, fed the rainpipe into the first, reconnected the bits of hosepipe, with a length of hosepipe going into the drain.
This is how it looked when the builders where finished.
As it's officially part of the drainage system, the building inspector had to approve it before he could sign the whole project off. He didn't approve. He thought it was a bit too 'flimsy'. Too much risk of the hosepipe being knocked off. And he wanted a fixed overflow outlet from the last barrel into the drain.
So yesterday the house owner came and helped us set up the system in a better way.
So yesterday the house owner came and helped us set up the system in a better way.
We closed all the taps at the bottom of the barrels and disconnected the hose. The house owner had brought ready sets from B&Q with flexible pipe and connectors. He drilled holes in the top of the barrels, put holders into the holes and then glued the flexible pipe into the holders.
If you look closely you can see - below - the black bits of pipe that connect the barrels at the top. He's now fixing the overflow outlet (also ready package from B&Q)
Overflow outlet in place...
Cut into the drainpipe (obviously a bit lower than the overflow outlet)...
Slide the connecting bit from the B&Q package in (which is slightly more difficult than it looks)...
... and the system is ready for inspection! I have no doubt it'll pass now, as it's definitely not flimsy anymore and the stuff of B&Q is made to standard.
Luckily, there was an educational part to this all. It took a while, but after some gentle hints from Ken the children - and I - found out the difference between the original and the new system. I'm sure you all know, but just in case:
When the barrels were connected through the hose at the bottom - and all the taps were open - the water leveled itself out between the barrels. So the water level would be the same in all five barrels. But with the connection now being at the top the first barrel fills up first and then overflows into the second and when that's full it goes into the third, etcetera. When all five are full it goes into the drainpipe, same as before. The taps are still there (but closed, obviously), so we can tap from which ever barrel is full.
I need to see it working before I can grasp it and the weather gods are accommodating my need to learn, as it's pouring down with rain at the moment.
First thing tomorrow morning I'll go and see. I'll keep you posted!
2 comments:
I'm intrigued. SO how do you use the water in the vats? Is it difficult to fit a suitable sized container under the taps?
Yes, well, that was indeed the difficult part of the whole idea. The barrels fill up nicely, btw, three are already full with Cumbrian rain. To use the water I put a washing-up bowl under the tap of the chosen barrel. But that's not really practical, so we've decided to hook the garden hose up again, so that (1) the water levels out between the barrels and doesn't stay still - and become stale - and (2) we can attach a longer bit of hose with an adaptor bit to the tap on the last barrel and then we only need to use that one. When the barrels are as full as they are now there is enough pressure to put that hose end in any bucket or watering can or whatever. I can even attach the proper garden hose to it and water the garden with it directly, as long as I don't lift it too high. And I can use it to wash the dogs outside with clean unchlorified rain water!!
Does that make sense??
Post a Comment