Rainwater Products & Accessories
Below you will find a listing of many of the different parts I design into my systems. Each system is custom to the specific situation and parts are chosen based on the application. It is important for the customer to understand what you are getting and what each part does. By installing a rainwater collection system you are taking responsibility for system maintenance, water quality, and usage or contracting maintenance to your installer, me! Learning a few basic things about your system's parts will go a long way to keep your system working properly for years to come!
PUMPS
Grundfos MQ series pump
This is an excellent pump for rainwater harvesting applications. It has a built in compression tank and weighs only 29 pounds making it portable if you need that for multiple tank locations. This pump requires a cover over the electronics or to be plumbed inside to protect it from the weather. The PDF specification is below and downloadable.
| grundfos_mq_series_specification.pdf |
Grundfos SBA series pump
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The Grundfos SBA pump is a submersible pump designed and built based on the proven technology of the MQ3 series pumps. It comes with a floating extractor and a float switch. The floating extractor sucks water from just below the surface where it is cleanest and the float switch turns the pump off when the water level is too low. This is a very affordable pump with a built in controller.
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Sump Pump
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A sump pump is used to pump water collected below the rainwater tank into the tank. Inside the sump basin there are four connections made.
1) The first connection is a 3" inlet pipe coming through a multi-tite gasket. The inlet pipe is connected to 5 downspouts around a 1,000 foot garage. 2) The outlet pipe is an overflow device. When the sump pump sends water into the tank system and and it is full, a float switch tells the sump pump not to pump any more. The water continues to fill the sump basin and overflow out the outlet pipe to a rain garden. 3) The sump pump outlet is a 1.5" pvc pipe that sends the pumped water into the cistern. 4) The power cord from the pump is sent through another multi-tite gasket and electrical conduit up to a GFI Circuit. The size of the sump pump required depends on key factors. Examples of two sump pumps are attached below. 1) The gallons per minute of water you need to pump. 2) The head feet to the top of the tank it is pumping into.
The bottom picture shows the almost completed system. The 1.5" PVC pipe entering the top left side of the tank is the outlet from the sump pump. It can be run into the top of the tank or to a tank adapter at the bottom of the tank. Either way it will work. In this case we ran it to the top of the tank so we could also attach the wire from the float switch to the pipe and then to a circuit installed by an electrician. This controlled power to the GFI outlet the sump pump was plugged into. When the water level was full the float switch cuts power to the GFI circuit and therefore to the sump pump. You will also notice there is an overflow on the tank. If the float switch became non-operational the water would continue to be pumped into the tank and then overflow. This overflow pipe was connected to the overflow pipe from the sump basin that flows into the rain garden.
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Amphibian above ground or submersible pump
This pump can be used above ground or submersed in a tank. It is a 1.25 HP, 120V pump with internal electronic pump controller, automatic start/stop, and dry run protection. The above ground kit (shown in picture) comes with a pre-filter, suction hose, ball valves, pressure hose and fittings. It has everything you need to connect to a tank. It doesn't require to be bolted to a base plate or have any kind of covering. The pump in this design sucks water from a 2,200 gallon tank system and pressurizes it to a hose spigot for garden irrigation.
Divertron 1200 series submersible pump
The Divertron 1200 series is a submersible pump and sits inside your tank. It comes with a 1 inch inlet at the bottom with female threads to attach to a floating extractor, or with just a screen at the bottom without the floating extractor port. In both cases the pump is approximately 18" tall and weighs about 30 pounds. The outlet is on the top. Typically the outlet is plumbed with 1 inch schedule 40 pvc through a 1 inch bulkhead adapter in the side of the tank. Then it is plumbed to a ball valve. The pump comes with a 48 foot electric cord. There is no "on/off" switch as with the Grundfos pump discussed above. When you plug in the Divertron 1200 series it starts up and pressurizes the line to the ball valve or whatever you've plumbed it to. Once it has pressurized the line and there are no demands for water it automatically shuts down. If the valve is opened and pressure starts decreasing, the pump turns on until the line is pressurized again, when it will stop. This is a "smart" pump with controller built in. It will shut itself down if the water level falls to low.
PRE-FILTERS
Floating Extractor
The floating extractor consists of an air-filled ball which suspends the floating inlet filter 4" below the water's surface where the cleanest and most oxygenated water resides. An important component for any irrigation application. The device is connected to the outlet at the bottom of the tank and delivers the cleanest water possible from the tank to a gravity feed or pump application. This is another way of preventing debris which has reached the tank, from being distributed. The goal of any good RWH design is to catch and convey water at its cleanest level into the tank. This is done with the use of gutter screens, downspout filters, and first flush devices. The next potential spot in the process to filter water before it is distributed is in the tank itself. The floating extractor provides a great level of filtration by only taking in water at the cleanest level in the tank.
Leaf Solution Gutter Cover
I believe this is an excellent way to keep debris out of your gutters and therefore out of your rainwater harvesting system. The surface is made of a fine stainless steel mesh fabric and can be installed at a reasonable cost. Installing this at the front end of your rainwater harvesting system will reduce the cost of filtering later and provide a higher quality filter as well. In addition your gutters will never get clogged with debris again!
WISY Vortex Filters for Home and Commercial Applications
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The larger WISY Vortex filters can handle just about any size collection area from 1,500 square feet to greater than 30,000 square feet. The WFF 100 is recommended for roof areas up to 2,150 square feet and filters at 280 microns. The WFF 150 is recommended for roof areas up to 5,500 square feet and filters at 280 microns. The WFF 300 is recommended for roof areas up to 33,000 square feet and filters at 380 microns. All three stainless steel filters can be removed in minutes and washed in a dishwasher. The WISY Filters are very high quality and durable. Expect them to last a lifetime and provide the highest quality pre-filtration of any device on the market.
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WISY Vortex Downspout Filters
WISY Vortex Filters were designed in Germany. Vortex Filters provide filtration down to 280 microns and also act as a first flush. The device includes 3 parts and is made of stainless steel. The WISY Vortex filter connects to your downspout and siphons water through its "capillary effect" into your rainwater storage tank. This is a more expensive option but will virtually last forever. The filter can be washed in a dishwasher once per year or as necessary and replaced in minutes.
Leaf Eater Advanced
The Leaf Eater Advanced is another pre-filter device. Water runs from the downspouts and through the filter. The screen is a fine mesh screen that catches medium to large sediment. Debris flows off the front of the device onto the ground. Generally, these should be checked after each rainfall. The screen lifts off very easily and be cleaned in several minutes and replaced. This produce is relatively inexpensive and works well in conjunction with a first flush device.
| leaf-eater-advanced-spec-sheet-1.pdf |
Graf Quattro Twist Downspout Filter and Diverter
Rainwater filter and diverter for round and rectangular downspouts with 1" side outlet. Patented swivel design accommodates tanks in any direction. Ships complete with 12" hose and bulkhead fitting for connection to tank or rain barrel. The device can be used so when the rain tank is full the incoming water reverses itself and overflows down through the device and into the downspout. Therefore a secondary overflow device on the tank isn't required and reduces cost. This is a low cost filter with good results.
FIRST FLUSH DEVICES
There are several different first flush devices available depending on your application. Below you will see a wall hanging first flush typically mounted a Leaf Eater device. The second type further down is an "In Ground First Flush". This is used for larger roof sizes and can accommodates greater volumes of water in an efficient form factor
First Flush before assembly
When it rains, water slowly builds up in the roof gutter system before it exits through the downpipe. The first flush of water from the roof can contain amounts of bacteria from decomposed insects, skinks, bird and animal droppings and concentrated tannic acid. It may also contain sediments, water borne heavy metals and chemical residues, all of which are undesirable elements to have in a water storage system.
Instead of flowing to the water tank, these pollutants are diverted with the initial flow of water into the chamber of the water diverter. The water diverters from Rain Harvesting utilize a dependable ball and seat system - a simple automatic system that does not rely on mechanical parts or manual intervention.
As the water level in the diverter chamber rises the ball floats, and once the chamber is full, the ball rests on a seat inside the diverter chamber preventing any further water entering the diverter. The subsequent flow of water is then automatically directed along the pipe system to the tank.
For a Water Diverter to work effectively, the contaminated water in the chamber must be sealed off. This prevents the contaminated water from passing to the storage tank and ensures the water does not "syphon" off the contaminated water in the chamber. The simplest and surest way to do this is with a floating ball and seat.
A slow release valve ensures the chamber empties itself after rain and resets automatically. The diverted water need not be wasted water because the drain pipe from the diverter chamber can be fitted to a standard drip irrigation system.
Instead of flowing to the water tank, these pollutants are diverted with the initial flow of water into the chamber of the water diverter. The water diverters from Rain Harvesting utilize a dependable ball and seat system - a simple automatic system that does not rely on mechanical parts or manual intervention.
As the water level in the diverter chamber rises the ball floats, and once the chamber is full, the ball rests on a seat inside the diverter chamber preventing any further water entering the diverter. The subsequent flow of water is then automatically directed along the pipe system to the tank.
For a Water Diverter to work effectively, the contaminated water in the chamber must be sealed off. This prevents the contaminated water from passing to the storage tank and ensures the water does not "syphon" off the contaminated water in the chamber. The simplest and surest way to do this is with a floating ball and seat.
A slow release valve ensures the chamber empties itself after rain and resets automatically. The diverted water need not be wasted water because the drain pipe from the diverter chamber can be fitted to a standard drip irrigation system.
First Flush after assembly
A "First Flush" device is used to collect the initial few gallons of rainwater from your roof. This is typically the "dirtiest" water as debris left from animals, birds, insects, dust, ash etc. is washed off the roof. The "First Flush" device catches the water and keeps it out of the storage tank maintaining a much higher quality of water for further use. The diverted water is then released slowly by the device. Once the diverter is full, fresh water flows to the cistern. After the rain event the water is released slowly and the device drains until the next rain event and the whole process repeats itself.
First Flush In-Ground
The First Flush In-Ground is a good choice if you have a large roof square footage you are collecting from. The specification is below and downloadable.
| first_flush_in_ground.pdf |
CALMING INLET
Rather than allowing incoming water to the rainwater tank splash through the bulkhead adapter to the bottom of the tank, a "quieting inlet" is used. A vertical pipe on the inside of the tank drops to the floor and then turns the water up so it doesn't splash. Doing this doesn't allow the incoming water to stir up any sediment that may have made its way into the bottom of the tank. Therefore the water quality is better and when water flows out of the tank for irrigation or other purposes, little or no sediment is present.
RAINAID TANK TOP UP VALVE
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The RainAid Tank Top Up Valve is used to input water from an alternative water source. When the rainwater runs low you can use this valve to increase the tank level by four inches. This uses a minimal amount of alternate water to keep your irrigation system running and leaves plenty of room for the next rain storm to re-fill you tank. Many local ordinances require an air gap between the bottom outlet of the RainAid Valve and the top of the overflow so that cross-contamination doesn't occur. Typically that might require an opening of twice the size of your alternate water line coming to the device. Therefore if you have 3/4" water line from your alternate source, then you would have to create an air gap of 1.5" between the top of your overflow and the bottom of the RainAid valve. Consult your local authorities for air gap requirements in your area. In the video you can see the water level dropping and the RainAid device turning on and filling up to where it turns off, then the process happens multiple times so you get the idea!
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FLEXIBLE CONNECTIONS
Flexible PVC hose connected between multiple tanks
It's important to design in flexibility between tanks to help eliminate broken connections due to settling or earthquake. In my designs I use 2 inch Tigerflex PVC. I connect the Tigerflex PVC to a Banjo ball valve set up that allows for quick disconnect or reconnect to the tank system in a matter of seconds.
MULTI-TITE GASKETS
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Multi-Tite gaskets are used where pipes connect to the inlets and outlets of plastic and fiberglass below and above ground tanks and cisterns. They provide a degree of flexibility to allow for movement which may save a broken pipe especially in earthquake prone areas. They come in a variety of sizes and are relatively inexpensive as compared to same size tank adapters.
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