Save money and have a better rainwater capture system
Many States require compulsory water tank installations or offer water tank options for new homes. It is our experience that most new home buyers are charged too much for their systems. Inflated prices do not ensure quality installations.
If new home buyers take charge, they can save thousands of dollars!
The Supadiverta system is easy to install at any stage of the building process and if the SUPADIVERTA filter is covered with a couple of layers of plastic wrap, all water will divert to the stormwater until the tank is connected. A SUPADIVERTA is also easily installed to an additional downpipe to supplement a standard system.
The Supadiverta system is easy to install at any stage of the building process and if the SUPADIVERTA filter is covered with a couple of layers of plastic wrap, all water will divert to the stormwater until the tank is connected. A SUPADIVERTA is also easily installed to an additional downpipe to supplement a standard system.
IF YOUR BUILDER IS INSTALLING A STANDARD SYSTEM, BEWARE OF THE FOLLOWING
VICTORIAN 6 STAR REGULATIONS
If optioning a rainwater tank, the 6 star standards state that the tank must have a minimum capacity of 2,000 litres and be supplied from a minimum of 50 square metres of roof.
If optioning a rainwater tank, the 6 star standards state that the tank must have a minimum capacity of 2,000 litres and be supplied from a minimum of 50 square metres of roof.
Numerous tanks on new homes harvest less than the required minimum roof area of 50 square metres needed to comply with the 6 star standard. At least two downpipes usually need to be harvested to comply with the 6 star standard.
For standard systems, additional downpipes are either plumbed along a wall or diverted via a wet system and up a vertical riser. Builders are reluctant to have downpipes diverted along walls and so many tanks are often supplied by just the one downpipe.
Unless it rains heavily, wet systems will not generate the flushing velocity required to flush debris up a vertical riser. This can lead to stagnation, blockages and a maintenance nightmare if the pipe work is under a path or paved area.
There is also the risk that if too great a roof area is harvested, the tank could fill during a storm and overtop.
A 2,000 litre tank is very small and should be linked to a settling tank for greater benefit.
A 2,000 litre tank is very small and should be linked to a settling tank for greater benefit.
MAINS WATER SWITCHING DEVICES
The plumbing regulations require an automatic or manual mains water switching device to be fitted if the water tank pump supplies sanitary flushing. Automatic devices are expensive but manual devices are cheaper. The cost difference between an automatic device and a simple manual device can be several hundred dollars.
The plumbing regulations require an automatic or manual mains water switching device to be fitted if the water tank pump supplies sanitary flushing. Automatic devices are expensive but manual devices are cheaper. The cost difference between an automatic device and a simple manual device can be several hundred dollars.
Our considerable feedback is that few new home buyers are made aware of their options and most have automatic devices installed. Home buyers however need to do their homework as their area’s rainfall pattern and tank size also needs to be considered when deciding which option they need.
PUMP
Oversized and expensive pumps are commonly installed when not needed.
CISTERN
Cisterns fill slowly. The Australian Standards require that cisterns have a filling flow rate of no less than 6 litres per minute. If you have a pump used only for sanitary flushing, you do not need a big expensive pump.
RAINWATER GARDEN TAP
A small diameter pipe should never supply water from the pump to a garden tap.
Small internal diameter pipe has high friction loss, for example, a 12mm garden hose flowing at 20 litres per minute has roughly 8 times more friction loss than an 18mm garden hose. Many new home owners are sold a big pump when requesting an optional garden tap where all they needed was a small pump and an 18mm garden hose!
To use the standard 12mm snap fit garden connections, you simply join a short length of 12mm garden hose to the bigger hose.
This forum thread gives an example of a powerful pump connected to small pipe work and the result when a standard 12mm garden hose was used.