Re: Water Tank Installation [long post]

[Vargster <vargster@xxxxxxxxx>]

Frank,

Doesn't moss/silt/etc from the storm drain get pumped straight into the
tank?

Lee


On Tue, Jul 15, 2008 at 8:33 AM, Frank Mc Alinden <frankmc@xxxxxxx>
wrote:

>   Hi Simon
>
> > Superb project there!
>
> Thank you
>
>
> >This is something I had completely overlooked when
> > planning our selfbuild, but now it looks like I didn't have to,
this is a
> > perfect retrofit idea
>
> It certainly is.......
>
> > Does your bung completely stop the flow of water out the old exit
pipe?
>
> No ...theres a small amount of weepage that gets through and as i
mentioned
>
> in my post im going to use one of my waterboards to sense excessive
> leakage........
>
> What i like about this setup is that you dont have to have water tanks
> located close to the house and that if i decide to wash my car in my
> driveway the water im using makes it s way back into my tank...
>
> Frank
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Simon McCaughey" <simonmcc@xxxxxxx
<simonmcc%40ccso.co.uk>>
> To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx <ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 5:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Water Tank Installation [long post]
>
> > Superb project there! This is something I had completely
overlooked when
> > planning our selfbuild, but now it looks like I didn't have to,
this is a
> > perfect retrofit idea
> >
> > Does your bung completely stop the flow of water out the old exit
pipe?
> >
> > Simon
> >
> > 2008/7/14 Frank Mc Alinden
<frankmc@xxxxxxx<frankmc%40internode.on.net>
> >:
> >
> >> Hi Guys
> >>
> >> Have just completed my Watertank installation which has taken
up all my
> >> free
> >> time over the last 6 weekends....I have a zoned water
irrigation system
> >> sitting idle for the past 12 months or more due to water
restrictions
> >> here
> >> in Oz...So at long last i can now put it back into action....
> >>
> >> When contemplating installing a water tank i initially
thought i would
> >> design my own pic based controller for it, i then decided to
purchase a
> >> Splatt Controller for it but ended up using an old TSX17
Telemecanique
> >> plc
> >> since i had a handheld programmer for it and the plcs can be
picked up
> on
> >> ebay for approx 50 Euros....Even got some spare units and
another
> >> programmer
> >> cheap..
> >>
> >> I didnt want the water tank located near the house so decided
to put a
> >> pit
> >> in near the stormwater drain located at the rear of my
property....While
> >> doing a google for a suitable inground tank i came across
another
> >> solution
> >> which i thought was better ....what i liked about it was that
no pit was
> >> required.... and also it captured a lot more water .....Have
a look
> >> here.....
> >>
> >> http://www.everydropwaterharvester.itaustralia.org/webpage.html
> >>
> >> I contacted Phil the designer and ordered one of his
systems..........I
> >> used
> >> his controller to initally fill my water tank, as i was
building my own
> >> plc
> >> based controller.... I had some issues with his drain plug
and ended up
> >> using a homebrew one (plunger based see pics)......
> >>
> >> My eldest lad Dan got me a 6000L water tank at a good price
which he and
>
> >> i
> >> installed on the first weekend...Phils controller was also
installed at
> >> this
> >> point and with a couple of good days of rain the tank was
full.....
> >>
> >> Meanwhile i built the plc based controller and valve
stand......
> >> I have programmed the plc for two main modes
> >> Harvesting Mode...
> >> A float switch in the drain triggers this mode and causes the
2
> >> harvesting
> >> valves to energise followed by the pump...The harvesting
valves direct
> >> the
> >> water from the drain into the tank...This mode is exited if
the drain
> >> water
> >> drops below the drain float low level or the water tank full
floatswitch
>
> >> is
> >> activated.......
> >>
> >> Irrigation Mode
> >> This mode is activated by a plc input which is connected to a
relay
> >> connected to one of my HV I/O Expanders....So when Homevision
is ready
> to
> >> irrigate it turns on the required zone and sets this
"start irrigation
> >> relay"....The 2 irrigation valves on the "valve
stand" are turned on by
> >> the
> >> Water tank plc followed by the pump....This mode is exited by
Homevision
> >> turning of the "start irrigation relay"...
> >>
> >> Theres actually a third mode which i call "Forced
Irrigation"
> >> Forced Irrigation
> >> If the Water tank is full and theres water in the drain to be
Harvested
> >> the
> >> water tank plc operates a relay which is connected to
Homevision PortB 1
> >> ...This is a request "forced irrigation"
input....Homevision will then
> >> operate my irrigation zone 3 valve (this zone is mostly under
cover) and
> >> then Homevision will turn on a relay (Forced Irrigation Ack)
which is
> >> connected to the Water tank plc allowing it to start Forced
> >> Irrigation....This mode directs the water from the drain to
the
> >> irrigation
> >> system (using 1 harvesting valve and 1 irrigation valve) and
runs until
> >> either the drain float indicates low level or Homevision zone
3 timer
> >> expires (approx 5 minutes)....The idea is to make use of the
access
> water
> >> rather than letting it go down the drain......Theres also a
timer in the
> >> plc
> >> to stop this mode from continually be triggered..........
> >>
> >> I also wanted some visual indication of how much water i had
in the tank
> >> and
> >> depending on how much water was left i could make decisions
on wether
> the
> >> garden beds get watered or just the vegie garden or both
(vegie garden
> >> irrigation yet to be done)....I designed a pcb around a
microchip based
> >> controller sold by an Oz company here in Melbourne...
> >> http://www.coolon.com.au/download/DS_CL4L.pdf
> >>
> >> I made a mistake with the pcb...i forgot the relay coil was
polarity
> >> sensitive and got the connection wrong....But instead of
cutting tracks
> i
> >> mounted the relays under the board and all was well...The
relay contacts
> >> are connected to the Water tank plc inputs so its easy for me
to modify
> >> the
> >> program to suit my needs... I made up my water level probe
using plastic
> >> conduit and coupling with some jubilee clip (see
pics)..........
> >>
> >> Have got the system working quite well now and i can control
everything
> >> using an x10 rf remote (using xPL) or via scheduled events in
Homevision
> >> ....So hopefully this summer my wifes garden beds wont be as
dry as last
> >> year......
> >>
> >> Things yet to do
> >> Theres a spare water board mounted in the waterboard panel
and im
> >> considering using two of its inputs as backup for the drain
floatswitch
> >> ....The other 2 inputs on the spare board im thinking of
connected one
> to
> >> the main drain point and the other to the water tank overflow
inspection
> >> point (see pics)...with these two inputs i can assume the
> >> following........
> >>
> >> If i sense water on the main drain sensor and also water on
the overflow
> >> inspection point this means my full float switch has
failed....
> >>
> >> If i sense water only on the main drain but not the tank
overflow
> >> inspection
> >> point this means my Plunger (drain plug) is leaking so
requires
> >> checking.........
> >>
> >> I also need to put guttering on my pergola and connect it to
the
> >> stormwater
> >> drain....Im getting enough water now of the roof but during
summer we
> >> need
> >> to catch every possible drop.......
> >> Heres a link to the photos ........
> >> http://s195.photobucket.com/albums/z38/frankmc_2007/
> >>
> >> Frank
> >>
> >>
> >> www.armaghelectrical.com.au
> >>
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------
> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Regards
> >
> > Simon
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
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> >
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
>


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