Smart Header Tank Rainwater Systems Which Reduce The Use Of Electricity
Everybody is under pressure to reduce our mains water consumption. By using rainwater off our own roofs, we can reduce our use of mains water by half which will help to reduce our carbon footprint overall.
However, most rainwater systems need a pump to get the water to where it is needed. And the pump has to be powerful and needs electricity. This way does not help the carbon footprint and also the running cost has to be taken into consideration when fitting a rainwater system. Typical "direct feed" rainwater systems have a pressure sensitive pump which maintains pressure on the rainwater pipes to toilets, washing machines and any non-drinking-water tap. Every time an appliance is in use, the pump switches itself on. Furthermore, as pressure in the pipe run drops, the pump will start up again even when there has been no demand on the water supply. The pump, therefore, "hunts", i.e. it automatically turns itself off and on as needed throughout the day and night. So because the pump starting up draws a peak surge in power, electricity use is unnecessarily high. Additionally, this exertion increases the wear on the motor, seals and pump bearings.
Using a gravity feed system in conjunction with a specially-designed header tank solves this issue.
Energy-saving rainwater systems use a smart rainwater header tank. The main storage tank pump feeds rainwater up to the header tank. This then feeds the appliances by gravity. In smart header tanks, such as the Rain Director, the electronic sensor will start the pump only when the tank is completely empty. A 91 litre header tank will last for 12 toilet flushes, and a clothes washing machine cycle, i.e. more or less an average family's daily use. It also takes just under two minutes for the pump to refill the header tank. The pump would only cycle one time per day in your average home.
About ten times less power will be used. Presuming one washing machine use and 12 WC flushes each day, with a direct-supply pump system energy use is @ 1.5 kilowatt-hours (the same as using a 1000 watt electric fire for an hour and a half each day). With a smart header tank system, it is only 0.15 kwh per day. So with 1000 kwh costing around £110, the direct-feed system costs £59 per annum in electricity, and the smart header tank system £6.
The development of solar-powered header tank systems will reduce energy costs to nil.
However, most rainwater systems need a pump to get the water to where it is needed. And the pump has to be powerful and needs electricity. This way does not help the carbon footprint and also the running cost has to be taken into consideration when fitting a rainwater system. Typical "direct feed" rainwater systems have a pressure sensitive pump which maintains pressure on the rainwater pipes to toilets, washing machines and any non-drinking-water tap. Every time an appliance is in use, the pump switches itself on. Furthermore, as pressure in the pipe run drops, the pump will start up again even when there has been no demand on the water supply. The pump, therefore, "hunts", i.e. it automatically turns itself off and on as needed throughout the day and night. So because the pump starting up draws a peak surge in power, electricity use is unnecessarily high. Additionally, this exertion increases the wear on the motor, seals and pump bearings.
Using a gravity feed system in conjunction with a specially-designed header tank solves this issue.
Energy-saving rainwater systems use a smart rainwater header tank. The main storage tank pump feeds rainwater up to the header tank. This then feeds the appliances by gravity. In smart header tanks, such as the Rain Director, the electronic sensor will start the pump only when the tank is completely empty. A 91 litre header tank will last for 12 toilet flushes, and a clothes washing machine cycle, i.e. more or less an average family's daily use. It also takes just under two minutes for the pump to refill the header tank. The pump would only cycle one time per day in your average home.
About ten times less power will be used. Presuming one washing machine use and 12 WC flushes each day, with a direct-supply pump system energy use is @ 1.5 kilowatt-hours (the same as using a 1000 watt electric fire for an hour and a half each day). With a smart header tank system, it is only 0.15 kwh per day. So with 1000 kwh costing around £110, the direct-feed system costs £59 per annum in electricity, and the smart header tank system £6.
The development of solar-powered header tank systems will reduce energy costs to nil.
