Re: Water Tank Installation [long post]

["Frank Mc Alinden" <frankmc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Lee

Theres a filter thingy  on the end of the suction pipe in the drain...also
i
have installed a filter (as can be seen in the photos) on the out going
side
of the pump.......so hopefully that will keep my tank water reasonably free
of foreign objects...

Frank


----- Original Message -----
From: "Vargster" <vargster@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 7:56 PM
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Water Tank Installation [long post]


> 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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