Very unusual and detailed plumbing question (please see details)?
Filed in Conserving energy on Feb.16, 2009
- asked:
I am going to build a house ‘on stilts’. I will have a composting toilet (doesn’t use water), and will hook up the clothes washing machine, and dishwasher to a septic tank. But I would like to capture the drain water from sinks and bathtub for watering garden and moistening compost heap. I will be using special soaps and soap replacements that make this feasible.
I am going to build a house ‘on stilts’. I will have a composting toilet (doesn’t use water), and will hook up the clothes washing machine, and dishwasher to a septic tank. But I would like to capture the drain water from sinks and bathtub for watering garden and moistening compost heap. I will be using special soaps and soap replacements that make this feasible.
Ideally, I would route the drainwater from sinks and tub to a metal or plastic drum or inexpensive holding tank, which I can place on top of a 6 foot platform. That will place the tub a couple feet higher than the top of the holding tank . This way, I can use a large quantity of water in garden at one time, and being up on a platform will give it it’s own water pressure. (Not much pressure, but hopefully enough.)
My question is this: are there any metal or plastic drums which have properly sized/shaped and conveniently located openings for this purpose? If not, how about inexpensive holding tanks? And what’re they called?
Related posts:
February 18th, 2009 at 6:02 am
Use a waste 55 gallon drum available from a lot of of suppliers. The openings are the size of normal pumbing fittings. I did the same thing in a home in Iowa. I got the drums for $2 each from a factory.
February 19th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
There iare heavy tanks shaped to fit in back of large pick up. with large fill on to and drain nozzle near bottom. If I remember write they are 350 gal capacity.
In farm use there are many sizes of plastic tanks for use on the farm. Go to a tractor supply or some other farm and ranch supply store.
Why do you want your tank so high off the ground ? Just put it on the high part of your garden.
The big question is what will you do about freezing in the winter ? Do you live in a warm climate?
February 20th, 2009 at 10:21 am
The 55 gallon drums come in plastic also.
You may also want to look at Lowe’s for the 500 gallon plastic septic tanks. . For garnening, this would allow you to claim rainwater also. They are shaped like Pooh Bear’s honey jar. My first thought was “Gee…and I’ll be putting Pooh in it!” :-)
They really are not bad looking and the shape would fit into your garden.