Rain water harvesting on a small scale.

[Robt]

So , we live in a very hard water area. I am obessed with washing my cars but fed up of water marks. A company near me does spotless water at 3.5p per litre but it invloves me going to get it.
I have a reasonable house so want to use the rain water.
I have manager to get an IBC but its how i connect to guttering i need help with

 

[anzani]

So , we live in a very hard water area. I am obessed with washing my cars but fed up of water marks. A company near me does spotless water at 3.5p per litre but it invloves me going to get it.
I have a reasonable house so want to use the rain water.
I have manager to get an IBC but its how i connect to guttering i need help with

Have a look for something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WATER-SAVING-DIVERTER-SQUARE-OVERFLOW/dp/B01DT2HPBW/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=58895543411&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhJ2Ysc28-AIVV4BQBh2FtQWTEAAYASAAEgK7mfD_BwE&hvadid=259136232865&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1006773&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1914476073045051490&hvtargid=kwd-302883836825&hydadcr=5970_1758580&keywords=rain+diverter+kit&qid=1655747858&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A2SQ8XOUJ8Q6B0&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzU0VCOFkwWkRLODUxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDg3NTMyWTQ5T1NKSTMyRlQ3JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3MTE0ODUxRENERFJCVFhIU0NNJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

[TheTallGuy]

You'll need to black out the IBC or it will soon start getting algae and bacterial growth, as you're washing cars with the water you will also need to think about filtering it as rainwater from your roof will likely carry a fair bit of sediment that won't do your paintwork much hood!

 

[Robt]

Thanks all, some great food for thought!

 

[Flatlander]

If your water is that hard you can bet your life that all your household appliances are being comprised by it. I’d say get a water treatment system for hard water and them you’ll have no more issues. Washing with rain water will be better but birds sh!t on roof will be in the water as will dust and any other substance leaching from your roof.

 

[Lazy Sod]

We have a water softener in the house, with a triple tap at the kitchen sink so we can drink and fill the kettle with untreated water. Mrs LS was using treated water for houseplant watering but we found that some plants did not thrive. They bucked up when untreated water was used.

 

[Highland Mule]

So , we live in a very hard water area. I am obessed with washing my cars but fed up of water marks. A company near me does spotless water at 3.5p per litre but it invloves me going to get it.
I have a reasonable house so want to use the rain water.
I have manager to get an IBC but its how i connect to guttering i need help with

Take the IBC to the company and buy 100 litres at a time. But wash it out at home first so it’s spotless and there’s no algae growing in it. Better still buy a couple of 25litre drums and use those instead, then keep them inside with the lids off when not in use.

Harvested water has grit, stored water has algae.

 

[Kentishfarmer]

We have a water softener in the house, with a triple tap at the kitchen sink so we can drink and fill the kettle with untreated water. Mrs LS was using treated water for houseplant watering but we found that some plants did not thrive. They bucked up when untreated water was used.

Why use untreated water in the kettle? Surely that's what scales up first?

 

[Lazy Sod]

Although treated water is perfectly safe to drink, the taste is not pleasant, not to us anyway.

 

[rick_vandal]

Taking this to the next level, I catch rainwater before it hits the ground. A steel tank on legs becomes my back porch and the water gets piped to another butt (with a ball valve) up the garden.

 

[JohnBoy]

Plumbed right sediment shouldn't be an issue.

Direct the incoming water into a corner so it runs down the walls not splashing in from above.

Take your outlet from a few inches up.

Unless you're drawing from the tank when it's low and it's just rained really heavily then sediment should settle out.

We had an old milk collection tank growing up for rainwater harvesting and after 15 years it had to be moved, I got the job of cleaning it and there was a few inches of sediment, but the pipe exited about a foot up so never a bother with it

 

[Farmer Roy]

If your water is that hard you can bet your life that all your household appliances are being comprised by it. I’d say get a water treatment system for hard water and them you’ll have no more issues. Washing with rain water will be better but birds sh!t on roof will be in the water as will dust and any other substance leaching from your roof.

my entire life my drinking water has always come off the roof

the only time it gets boiled is to make a cup of tea

 

[Farmer Roy]

Buying “special” water to wash your car ?

wow