I would like to begin running down that list of Five Basics for Human Survival that I described in the Introduction.
Today I will be discussing the first topic on the list: Water, and the concept of rainwater harvesting. This will be a basic overview of my current experience and the basics of a rainwater harvesting system in Maine (similar to the one I use now).
I stay in a camper. At this time there is an experimental system set up to (1) divert water from the building beside the camper into (2) an old but clean 250 gallon oil tank which (3) has a valve at the bottom connected to a garden hose that is (4) wrapped in heating tape to prevent freezing in the winter and channels the water (5) into an inlet on the side of the camper, where it (6) passes through a pump with a connector that (7) splits the stream into a "cold" water pipe (that goes directly to the cold water knobs of too small sinks) and (8) a "hot" water pipe that run into a hot water heater, then up to the hot water knobs on those same sinks.
This last winter (the coldest winter for the US in the last 100 years) was a real test for this system. There were several freeze-ups - one of which burst an old PB plastic fitting that I had to repair - and for about two months the outside tank itself was frozen solid. The heating tape wrapped around the hoses (and inside piping) worked very well. It was only in a few places where there were gaps in the taping that freezing would occur. This taught me three things...
1. Heating tape, maintained at about 40 degrees F, is sufficient to keep any hose or pipe thawed, even under extreme conditions. But it must be fully in contact with these lines.
2. Some kind of way to keep the tank from freezing is required. Once the tank freezes it will take a long time to thaw, even after nearly a week in outdoor temperatures over 32 degrees F. There are electric submersible tank heaters, but they draw quite a lot of power. The key for me will be to find a low power way of maintaining liquid water in the tank during the cold months. I have also considered keeping the tank itself indoors... But I will have to examine the situation further.
3. Using rubber garden hose or, in my case, air compressor hoses, allowed for expansion and contraction between fittings, so that even when the lines froze there were no problems. PVC piping could be used indoors without heating tape as long as the ambient temperature is above about 35 degree F.Here are some pictures of my current outdoor setup...
Images 1-4 show the the channel down from the gutter,
the main overspill channel and the tank overspill pipe.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Images 5 and 6 show the heating tape set-up. Notice the thermostat
and the dimmer switch which allows the tape to be set even lower
than the thermostat will allow. Two tapes run out of the outlet: the orange
is for keeping the output valve thawed and the yellow runs along the line
(and under ground) to the camper.
Image 5
Image 6
Image 7 shows the whole tank setup
Image 7
You can see how I optimistically thought wrapping the tank in black poly would help to prevent freezing, but it was largely ineffective, probably because of the unusually cold temperatures this last season. Under that plastic is a thin layer of foam rubber as well.
Another issue that has been on my mind is the direction in which the roof surface faces. Even on bitterly cold but sunny days in the winter, raking a line of snow off the roof provides the opportunity for the roof surface to absorb the sunlight and heat slightly. It is difficult to tell from Image 7 exactly how much sun is hitting the roof.
The roof faces east southeast and morning brings the most direct light. In my tiny house plan for the sustainable property I hope to have, the roof supplying rainwater would be facing a bit more to the north, making it slightly less efficient at melting snow.
During the the warmer months, when temperatures stay above freezing, one or two rainy days can top off the tank easily, even if it is only 2/3 full before the rain. Essentially, the tank never runs out of water with normal usage (washing dishes, taking showers, watering house plants, etc.).
It would be that way in the winter months too, if it were not allowed to freeze. That means that even the small amount of water melting and running down the roof under the snow cover is enough to maintain an appropriate level.
The tank I will eventually be using on the future property will most likely be a 50 gallon food grade plastic barrel. There are many reports online about being able to buy them from softdrink distributors for about $5-$20.
Plastic is easier to work with since welding is not necessary. PVC fittings can be grafted on easily. Another aspect about using a cleaner plastic barrel as a rainwater collection tank is that the water (when properly filtered) can be kept drinkable. As things are now, I am willing to use the old oil tank water for everything except drinking. I obtain drinking water from the Scarborough Fire Department building on Route One, where it is offered to the public for free, and I bottle it in three 5-gallon recycled fountain bottles.
Having demonstrated the outdoor concept, imperfect as it may be in this current experimental stage, I would like to now present a diagram of an entire system, in rough schematic form...
For a downloadable pdf version of the above diagram click on this link:
Rainwater Harvesting System (Copyright Alex Wall 2014).
This system might have to be amended depending on an individual's circumstances. It also doesn't solve the tank heating issue, but it gives a good idea of the factors involved with rainwater harvesting.
The latest thing I've been studying is a homemade and effective means of producing "activated charcoal" and a container system for using that charcoal in a filter. I do not have a filter where I stay right now. If I did I would feel safe drinking the water.
I have been pondering the idea of having mini rainwater collection systems on other parts of the property. Specifically, since I will be growing vegetables, I might set up shed out by the future garden where a 20 gallon (?) barrel could be placed for watering plants during the growing season. I have even looked a bit further into the future and seen the potential benefits of winter gardening inside, by attaching a greenhouse to the southwestern side of the house. Both the outside and inside plants could benefit from a separate water source.
I will speak more about these structural designs in the coming "Shelter" post, but I wanted to mention that procuring as much water in as many places as possible could be very helpful.
That's it for today!
Thanks for reading, and please consider making a financial contribution to support this blog and the overall project, by clicking the PayPal button on the top right side of this page.
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Update on Finding Land: I have discovered 1.5 acres in St. Albans, Maine (northwest of Bangor). It is located on a stream... and best of all it is only $5,000. I have not yet heard back about the property, so am not getting my hopes up too high.
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