Off-mains water tank and half inch class C black (alkathene?) pipe questions

The black half inch class C pipe which feeds into the concrete water holdin g tank in garden started leaking where it screws on, as the ground shifted and the pipe got pulled out of the connector.

The mess you see in the photo (

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) is half a day's digging through stone, mud and water to get to the pipe, which I m anaged to cap off via a connector and short length of garden hose (to top u p with manually for the time being).

There was no way of shutting off the pipe before, so float valve servicing was a job for a pair of goggles, freezing hands, and lots of spare split-pi ns and swearing! Now I've got access to the pipe, I'd like to:

  • Install a box for the connection to live in for easy access including a s top valve
  • Tee off a standpipe for a garden hose
  • Not have to replace the current copper threaded fitting which is embedded in the side of the tank.

Additionally, the tank is fed via a tee from local farmers trough feed, whi ch in turn comes from a spring catchment which runs into a large holding ta nk on a hill which serves several properties. When there's been heavy (or l ittle) rain, the water gets silty, and every 2 years I clean out about 4 in ches of silt from the bottom of the tank and then jetwash and flush the who le system with a few drops of hydrochloric acid.

Sometimes, some of the silt doesn't get time to settle, and despite the tak e-off pipe being about a foot off the bottom of the tank, particles then ge ts pumped up to the header tank in the roof, so I have to clean that and th e toilet cisterns out from time to time.

There's a fine particulate filter for the kitchen tap but I think that putt ing one of these inline before the outside tank would just clog up quickly . I've "googled it" but I just have so many options, many way beyond my bud get. I'm a self-employed single parent financially recovering from the summ er holidays, can't afford the plumber's quotes but have basic plumbing skil ls - what are my options, preferably keeping the whole lot under £200 max?

Thank you!

(side notes before anyone gets alarmed: yes, this is drinking water, but we 've got a fine particulate filter and UV on the kitchen tap, only use it fo r tea and coffee, and have big refillable bottles to make cold drinks from in the kitchen. And it (just) passes the occasional mandatory local council test).

Reply to
lardconcepts
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Hydrochloric acid, diluted down to a few drops in a water tank, won't do anything. You may mean hypochlorite (AKA bleach...) does it smell like swimming pools?

You've boiled it in the tea and coffee. YMMV but I'd reckon that was safe for anything except chemical poisons - which the UV and filter wouldn't touch. Taste might be another matter!

Can't help you on the plumbing though. Sorry.

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

Sorry, you're right - that's the one!

Reply to
lardconcepts

Its a bit hard to see the detail of what is going on there...

The trick with fitting an isolation valve to a live pipe it to fit it when its fully open - so water can continue to stream through it with little back pressure until you have it properly fitted. Then you can turn it off!

You probably want a loop of plastic pipe in there so that the buried pipe and the tank are not locked together quite to tightly.

Perhaps some form of cyclonic separator would be a good way of dealing with silt. One of those designed for central heating systems like the Fernox TF1 might do the trick. It would save problems with it adding much flow resistance or getting clogged quickly.

Reply to
John Rumm

Ok, this is diy and should be doable.

A plumbing box thing will cost more than some other boxes. So use a milk crate wrapped in permeable stuff from the pond section in the builders mart, paving slab as a lid. Or something that fits, costs little, and can be repurposed: several paving slabs forming a cube, concrete landscaping rings, concrete planter boxes, ...

Use plastic fittings, read the directions online, follow. Cut the pipe carefully. I used garden shears rather than the special cutters to give a clean cut. Scraping around on the outside with a hacksaw will gouge the outside and prevent a seal.

the tank and then jetwash and flush the whole system with a few drops of hydrochloric acid.

Raise the end of the take-off pipe higher off the bottom?

Add a baffle (a tee, several tees, a food-safe box with lots of lintel holes, ...) to the inlet pipe so the incoming water disturbs the tank less, so the silt settles faster?

Possible put one behind the take-off where there will be less silt, with some provision to back-flush it easily?

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Can you use the *squeeze* technique to shut off the alkathene supply? Easy with blue poly but I've never tried with the black stuff.

I've used a strong G cramp with two bits of halved broom handle to protect the pipe.

Reply to
Tim Lamb

Wow - you lot are fantastic! I didn't want to reply and quote one answer in particular as they're all good, but I do particularly like Thomas' "severa l paving slabs forming a cube" idea for the box.

And John's mention of a cyclonic filter is interesting; not sure I'd need t he magnetic particle removal bit of it, but it seems no more expensive than the non-magnetic versions. I'd have to check what the min flow rate it cou ld handle. I'll try a pair of tights for now though (over the end of the in take pipe I mean, not on me!).

Anyway, I'm armed with some good ideas here. Thanks all (but do keep them c oming if you have an idea not covered here yet!)

Reply to
lardconcepts

water,

The quick up to nearly 100 C and back down "boiling" of a kettle won't kill everything. Cryptosporidium is pretty robust, the required chlorine levels are to high for the water supply. The water boards recomend a 10 min rolling boil if there is a risk of the supply being contaminated, they even throw money at it by giving affect customers a cashback to pay for the extra energy costs. They wouldn't do if they didn't mean that 10 min rolling boil. Sensible levels of UV do inactivate it though.

A purely mechanical filter won't touch toxins but activated carbon or other "filters" probably will.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

in particular as they're all good, but I do particularly like Thomas' "seve ral paving slabs forming a cube" idea for the box.

the magnetic particle removal bit of it, but it seems no more expensive th an the non-magnetic versions. I'd have to check what the min flow rate it c ould handle. I'll try a pair of tights for now though (over the end of the intake pipe I mean, not on me!).

coming if you have an idea not covered here yet!)

Cyclonic filters are expensive and clog. A sloping piece of fine mesh has p artial self clearing ability when it blocks, the runoff being directed to w aste. It's also dirt cheap.

As I think someone mentioned something like a milk crate in the tank would reduce churning and thus silt getting into the pipe.

A basic cyclonic filter could be made with little more than a bit of plasti c soil pipe. Add a mesh post-filter and Robert's related.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

ing tank in garden started leaking where it screws on, as the ground shifte d and the pipe got pulled out of the connector.

lf a day's digging through stone, mud and water to get to the pipe, which I managed to cap off via a connector and short length of garden hose (to top up with manually for the time being).

g was a job for a pair of goggles, freezing hands, and lots of spare split- pins and swearing! Now I've got access to the pipe, I'd like to:

ed in the side of the tank.

Distinctly want a non return valve to prevent any chance of siphoning back frm trough feeder.

ng tank on a hill which serves several properties. When there's been heavy (or little) rain, the water gets silty, and every 2 years I clean out about 4 inches of silt from the bottom of the tank and then jetwash and flush th e whole system with a few drops of hydrochloric acid.

Rainwater Harvesting generic term your looking for.

ake-off pipe being about a foot off the bottom of the tank, particles then gets pumped up to the header tank in the roof, so I have to clean that and the toilet cisterns out from time to time.

Rainwater harvesting tanks looked at so far , when they feed a header tank, seem to usually use electric pump to header and a floating pick up pipe th at always takes off from just below top surface of tank.

Upper and lower limit switches on header tank will stop it constantly cycli ng.

tting one of these inline before the outside tank would just clog up quickl y . I've "googled it" but I just have so many options, many way beyond my b udget. I'm a self-employed single parent financially recovering from the su mmer holidays, can't afford the plumber's quotes but have basic plumbing sk ills - what are my options, preferably keeping the whole lot under £20

0 max?

Cyclone filters also known as vortex filters for rainwater :

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or swirl filter for aquaponic and koi keeping community

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First line filtering , relatively low flow , within budget

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we've got a fine particulate filter and UV on the kitchen tap, only use it for tea and coffee, and have big refillable bottles to make cold drinks fro m in the kitchen. And it (just) passes the occasional mandatory local counc il test).

Reverse Osmosis, RO, filter and UV steriliser seems to be the favoured com bo, plenty around within budget

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Have an interest since about to take over property that had mains water dis connected some years ago, may I ask how your sewage and drainage is handled ?

now also back looking into off mains sewasge solutions...

Reply to
Adam Aglionby

I'm no plumber but should that be a double air break non return valve? (specified by the water co when I asked for a metered field supply).

Reply to
Tim Lamb

Not a plumber either, but learning quick, appears to be known as a DCV for short

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Reply to
Adam Aglionby

OK, I'm not paranoid enough... that's nasty stuff. Looks like he does need the UV.

Andy

Reply to
Vir Campestris

Ah, interesting, and significantly cheaper than what I have looked at before.

Old septic tank - only needed emptying once in 8 years. Seems to work well even though we bleach the toilets. Not sure of the exact type, but apparently is has several pipes which fan out under the garden through which grey water seeps.

End result is zero water rates. Nice!

Reply to
lardconcepts

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