The DIY rainwater harvesting manual is very much aimed at providing practical, to the point instruction to the person who wishes to "Do It Themselves". All the content is relevant and, hopefully, useful.
I will provide as much assistance as I can via email for any questions you may have: before you start to put a system together, during the assembly and after the system is in and working.
The table of contents below gives an idea of what the manual covers
Table of contents
- Introduction.
- How to use this manual.
- Basic Requirements of the System.
- Water Collection.
- Roof Gutters.
- Downpipe Diverted into Water Butt.
- Down pipe filter collector.
- Hard Standing Water Capture.
- Pumps.
- Types of pump.
- Submersible Pumps.
- In-line Booster Pumps.
- Secondary Storage Tanks.
- IBC (Intermediate Bulk Carrier) Tanks.
- Water butts.
- Filters.
- Step by Step Instructions for Installing Rainwater Capture Systems.
- Installing the Primary Storage System.
- Direct mains system.
- Modification Required to the House Plumbing System.
- Single Changeover System.
- Dual Plumbed System.
- Permanent rainwater system.
- Assembling the High Pressure Feed.
- Initial Start Up.
- Priming the booster pump.
- Regular Maintenance Procedures.
- Loft Water Tank Based System With no Secondary Storage.
- System for Garden Watering by Hose from Water Storage.
- Connecting tanks.
- Water butts.
- IBC Tanks.
- 22mm Standard Copper.
- IBC Camlock System.
- Schutz Adaptor.
- Using standard plumbing fittings.
- Commercial IBC Connectors.
- Camlock System.
- Schutz Adaptor.
- Overflows.
- Positioning of the Secondary Tanks.
- Water Siphoning.
- Tanks inside a building.
- Tanks outside a building.
- Tips and guidance.
- Parts List and Source Information.
- Tanks.
- Water Butts.
- Submersible Pumps.
- Booster pumps.
- Bill of materials lists.
- Direct mains system using IBC.
- Roof tank system.
- Direct mains system using water butts.
- Pressurised garden hose system.
Illustration Index
- Illustration 1: Typical complete system.
- Illustration 2: Debris in water butt.
- Illustration 3: Two tank configuration.
- Illustration 4: Four tank configuration.
- Illustration 5: Down pipe modifications.
- Illustration 6: Suction hose detail with float.
- Illustration 7: Float switch arrangement.
- Illustration 8: Wiring diagram.
- Illustration 9: Main and rainwater dual plumbing detail.
- Illustration 10: High pressure fittings.
- Illustration 11: 22 mm flexible to 15mm copper detail.
- Illustration 12: High pressure components assembled.
- Illustration 13: High pressure pipe assembly fitted to pump.
- Illustration 14: High pressure supply connected to house supply.
- Illustration 15: Loft tank following modifications.
- Illustration 16: Modified float arm.
- Illustration 17: Loft tank float stop detail.
- Illustration 18: Float stop bracket.
- Illustration 19: Modified float assembly in tank.
- Illustration 20: Loft tank wiring diagram.
- Illustration 21: Detail of submerged float.
- Illustration 22: Timber and outside tap tail.
- Illustration 23: 1 inch to 15mm pipe fittings.
- Illustration 24: Reducer in place.
- Illustration 25: Completed hose to 15mm pipe assembly.
- Illustration 26: Outside Tap with PTFE tape being applied.
- Illustration 27: Completed pressurised hose system.
- Illustration 28: Switch detail pressurised hose system.
- Illustration 29: Unmodified IBC Cap.
- Illustration 30: All required parts disassembled.
- Illustration 31: Hole cutter.
- Illustration 32: Modified Cap.
- Illustration 33: 22mm tank fitting.
- Illustration 34: Fitting installed in cap side view.
- Illustration 35: Caption installed in cap end view.
- Illustration 36: Two tanks connected.