Plumbing Help for Water Catchment
Hello,
I am designing a water catchment system for my house, owner/builder zone 6, Maine. Just doing a sketch up for the CEO and want to get my fixtures in the right order for my diagram. I will eventually hire a plumber, but that is a long way off at this point (and they are all busy).
Its a gutter fed system from rainharvest.com. It gravity feeds into a 500 gallon tank which will be in my fully conditioned utility room on the first and only floor. There is a gray water pump pumping out to the septic. My question is about supply.
Here is what I have moving from my water storage tank to my three fixtures (sink, bathtub, electric water heater) and the order that I think they go in….
1. Water Storage Tank (4 ft. diameter, 500 gallons)
2. Pressure Tank
3. Sediment Filter
4. UV light
5. Water Heater
6. Supply lines to fixtures (sink and bathtub)
Is this more or less correct? Does there need to be a pump to get it from the water storage tank to the pressure tank or can i rely on gravity?
Thanks, Stephen
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Replies
Stephen,
Water pressure tanks don't pressurize water, they just maintain a small volume of water at a given pressure range so that pumps don't have to cycle as often to keep the water system pressurized. So yes, you need pump capable of sending water to the pressure tank that is at the PSI you want.
I would locate my sediment filter earlier in the path so that you do not get build ip in the pump or pressure tank.
Thanks Malcolm,
Should the Sediment Filter and UV light come in between the Pump and the Pressure Tank ?
Stephen,
The earlier you get your sediment filtered the better. The first course filtration should occur on the downspout from your roof. Secondary filtration will have to be past the pump to be pressurized enough to be effective. The UV should be installed after the pressure tank.