Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:28:57 +0100 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.0.3 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2030#Comment_2030 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2030#Comment_2030 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:13:13 +0100 Peter_Shield
Thanks for any ideas.

Peter]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2044#Comment_2044 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2044#Comment_2044 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 07:46:30 +0100 marionhaste
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/tv_and_radio/factsheets/pages/21.shtml]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2067#Comment_2067 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2067#Comment_2067 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:32:42 +0100 arthur this always seems like a great source of info to me.
http://www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/
It recommends wariness of STORING greywater - especially in hot conditions. You'd probably need to empty daily or even just draining it straight to the earth where required.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2339#Comment_2339 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2339#Comment_2339 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:04:30 +0100 Peter_Shield Thanks for your comments, much appreciated- especially about the storage.
Sorry for the delay in getting back have been away fro a few days
Peter]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2361#Comment_2361 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2361#Comment_2361 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:47:47 +0100 chuckey Frank]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2367#Comment_2367 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2367#Comment_2367 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:26:09 +0100 Jane Smith
What ever you decide to do, don't mix rainwater and greywater--have separate systems for each, if you have to have both.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2369#Comment_2369 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2369#Comment_2369 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:41:19 +0100 Guest
Keeping grey water is not really the best way to save water. I was able to achive much better savings with a urinal system for the males of the household.

Play with your roof water by all means, but I'd never play with the gray water again for re-use.

There is, however a lot to be said for heat recovery from grey water.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2370#Comment_2370 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2370#Comment_2370 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 17:58:37 +0100 dragonbc https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2682#Comment_2682 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2682#Comment_2682 Tue, 01 May 2007 10:13:22 +0100 arthur Washing machine water's probably not good if you're washing babies nappies and putting it on fruit and veg - keep it off the fruit!
With that many trees its a shame not to use the greywater.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2805#Comment_2805 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2805#Comment_2805 Thu, 03 May 2007 22:58:02 +0100 Guest https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2806#Comment_2806 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2806#Comment_2806 Thu, 03 May 2007 23:23:14 +0100 marionhaste https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2809#Comment_2809 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2809#Comment_2809 Fri, 04 May 2007 09:45:53 +0100 Iain
I'd seriously think about refitting all of your household water appliances to low use types before you embark on any greywater recycling system. Low flow WCs, taps, showers, and water economic dishwashers/washing machines are the best first steps towards reduction. As far as greywater recycling goes I'd questions whether this is worthwhile. Others have mentioned the costs and difficulties involved and as your foul water is already treated by your municipal water works why install a system that is less efficient privately than rely on their operation? Get your money's worth from your council tax/water rates. ]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2832#Comment_2832 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=2832#Comment_2832 Sat, 05 May 2007 11:10:08 +0100 arthur
Or get a water meter and don't pay so much in water rates.

And dishwashers are for wimps! :)]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3023#Comment_3023 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3023#Comment_3023 Thu, 10 May 2007 15:45:50 +0100 Peter_Shield thanks everyone
pete]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3027#Comment_3027 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3027#Comment_3027 Thu, 10 May 2007 21:05:39 +0100 ken davis its on google , don't have any practical knowledge but the info. looks good.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3061#Comment_3061 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3061#Comment_3061 Fri, 11 May 2007 14:46:17 +0100 Anke
All I do is to collect my bath and shower water in a large plastic bin in the bathroom and use it to flush the loo. I had a stop tap fitted to the water supply for the cistern that makes is easy to stop mains water being used.
Transfer from bin to cistern is currently 'manual' by using a small bucket. I have debated if this could be 'automated' to some extend, but see no easy way without using an electric pump or similar, so for now elbow grease is all that is used.

The water is used up pretty rapidly, so storage is not an issue (in the UK). If the water starts to smell I put it in the garden, disinfect the bin and start again. I have used very little fresh water this year for filling the loo, and most of that was used when I had visitors staying over.

This approach has reduced my total water cost from £40 per month on rates to less than £10 per month on the meter - including a 15p rise in the cost per cm3 over the year. I experiemented once with using water from the washing machine, but decided it was too dirty and there was too much to store, though I might decide to use some of it in the garden if need be in summer. Most of my washing up water also ends up in the garden.

The main issue with this approach is the space required for the waste water storage bin. Just for myself this approach work fine, but with several people in a household I suspect not all bathwater could be stored, but then you would also need more water to flush the toilet, so maybe with a staggered approach to spread showering and bathing over e.g. morning and evenings this could be addressed ;-)

Next on my list is to link my rainwater butt to the loo cistern. As the house is on a slope I think I should get enough pressure to fill the cistern via a hose pipe link and a lockable Y-adapter to the mains pipe. I'll keep youposted as I progress..]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3074#Comment_3074 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3074#Comment_3074 Fri, 11 May 2007 18:40:23 +0100 Guest
Anke - you might be interested in my first go a greening up. we have downstairs loo used a LOT anda large number of watre butts for the garden so I cobbled together a system that pumped a rainwater supply for the toilet

Just a car battery, 12v relay, 5 watt solar panel(ebay), 2 little float switches (ebay again) and a caravan pump - maybe £40 all in.

By giving the rainwater supply its own pipe and putting a float switch in the cistern I've got a refill time of a bout 40 seconds between flushes and enough solar power left over to deal with eight mobiles, 4 MP3 players, 2 digital cameras and a nicad charger.

First thing I've tried like that - boy do I feel smug! - by the way by juggling the water level and submerging the float on the ball valve I was able to get the cistern to fill off the mains by itself when the rain water gave out]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3098#Comment_3098 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3098#Comment_3098 Sat, 12 May 2007 10:44:29 +0100 Guest I am interested in installing a water recycling system - The rainwater seems pretty straightforward but I was also going to arrange the plumbing such that shower and bath water could be diverted to the rainwater tank when it got down to say 20% capacity. We would be using the water for loos and garden water with a bypass for the loos to mains if the recycled water ran out. What are your thoughts - should I separate the two systems completely and just have a water butt for the grey water to allow watering of the garden daily so keeping storage to a minimum - or could you just keep a stock of chlorine tablets for use in the main tank if and when there was a problem?]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3114#Comment_3114 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3114#Comment_3114 Sat, 12 May 2007 21:05:47 +0100 Jane Smith https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3135#Comment_3135 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3135#Comment_3135 Sun, 13 May 2007 10:56:47 +0100 PDobson https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3136#Comment_3136 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3136#Comment_3136 Sun, 13 May 2007 11:04:22 +0100 PDobson https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3139#Comment_3139 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3139#Comment_3139 Sun, 13 May 2007 11:13:15 +0100 arthur https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3146#Comment_3146 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3146#Comment_3146 Sun, 13 May 2007 12:59:47 +0100 Guest There are lots of manual pumps in the marine catalogues. Essential equipment for boating.]]> https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3162#Comment_3162 https://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=183&Focus=3162#Comment_3162 Sun, 13 May 2007 17:00:14 +0100 Guest
At the moment I'm relying on the anti-syphon arrangemnts of the existing cistern (the floppy tube), maintaining the air gap between inlets and highest water level, and making sure the overflow is set low enough to avoid the water in the cistern geting near the inlet valves.

Do i need to do more? - I can put double check valves in easily enough, but I'd rather not at the moment, would more experienced hands recomend it?]]>