Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Mar 24, 2011 1:42 pm Hi everyone, My builder is asking me if I want my washing machine to be connected to rainwater tank. The CS girl said most people do and it can earn points for BASIX so I do not need to spend on other items for the house to earn points. I would like to ask those who are using rainwater for washing machine, how does it turn out? I know there should be filters but does it need to be cleaned every now and then and is it easy to clean? Or do I need to change the filters regularly? Thanks! Jessica Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 2Mar 24, 2011 1:50 pm Hi Jessica, where are you building? We were told by our builder in Melbourne that they would NOT do this. We fought over it, and they still refused, due to health risks, or a very poor excuse similar Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 3Mar 24, 2011 2:03 pm We have our tank hooked up to the cold tap on our washing machine. We have put a sign near the tap saying that it is not drinkable. I am not sure about cleaning the filter as my partner deals with that stuff. We had our tank hooked up by our mate who is a plumber, so had no issues regarding questioning the health risks etc. We have been using it for approx 7-8 months and seem to be staying healthy so personally don't see any issue with it. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 4Mar 24, 2011 2:13 pm Ours was standard with our builder (EB) - just the cold tap mind you. Wr have no filters or anything in place and have had no problems with it (been in for 6 months now) Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 5Mar 24, 2011 2:19 pm [quote="just Erin"]Hi Jessica, where are you building? We were told by our builder in Melbourne that they would NOT do this. We fought over it, and they still refused, due to health risks, or a very poor excuse similar /quote] I am building in Sydney. They push it quite hard here. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 6Mar 24, 2011 2:21 pm Our toilets were hooked up, but even with us fighting, they still would not hook up the washing machine. We had all sorts of excuses, like maybe we didn't have the right washing machine that would allow tank water (husband is a plumber, and he confirmed he'd put a filter on, and if need be we'd buy a new washing machine!). The health reason is shocking. What's to stop us drinking out of the toilet Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 7Mar 24, 2011 2:26 pm Well ours is hooked up-we run solely on tankwater here! There are no seperate filters, so I don't understand what the heck is the problem??? Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 9Mar 24, 2011 2:38 pm Thanks everyone! I will get it connected to the rainwater tank then. Jessica Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 10Mar 24, 2011 3:53 pm We had to loos hooked up but could not get them to do the washing machine! Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 11Mar 24, 2011 4:35 pm We were also told by our builder that we could not have the tanks hooked up to the washing machine, but they will put the plumbing in place so we can connect the tank to the toilet. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 12Mar 24, 2011 4:39 pm Had no choice in qld, toilets and cold washing machine tap connected to the complusory min 5000ltr tank. Also the reason not too are strange seeing some people dont have a choice other than too have tank water as no town water available. Cheers Lou http://take2-customdesigndownslope.blogspot.com 07-10-09 omg they have cut the block 14-05-10 we finally have the keys Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 14Mar 24, 2011 10:48 pm We didn't have a choice either. Toilets and washing machine (and I am pretty sure the laundry sink) were all connected to the tank. We haven't had our first water bill yet (that reminds me... we have been here 5 months and no water bill... must chase that up), but I will be interested to see how much of a difference it makes to the water usage. Built the Coral Homes Hamilton 252 - moved in 20/10/2010 and loving it!! https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=27215 Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 15Aug 27, 2011 8:03 am Pinchy We were also told by our builder that we could not have the tanks hooked up to the washing machine, but they will put the plumbing in place so we can connect the tank to the toilet. Here is a quote from South East Water's FAQ on rainwater use What can I use the rainwater for? You can use the rainwater captured in your tank for a variety of uses both inside and outside your home, including to: # Supplement your garden watering Top up your swimming pool or spa Wash your car or pets Flush your toilets or fill your washing machine. If you want to use your rainwater tank for indoor uses such as flushing toilets and filling washing machines, you will require a tank with a larger holding capacity. Similarly, when used for outdoor uses such as watering gardens, the size of your garden and watering frequency will help determine the type and size of tank to best suit your needs. Melbourne plumbers who say you can't connect a washing machine are behind the times The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 16Aug 27, 2011 10:00 am I do not have mine connected to washing machine but I do have it connected to one toilet (legal requirement with new builds in SA) I also have an additional tap connected to laundry sink - this was for purpose of - shock horror! (been down this road on forum before ) drinking water. We wanted the inside rainwater tap to be connected to kitchen but they refused to do this for legal reasons as they couldnt guarantee potablity of water. and we couldnt say it was for washing dishes in the kitchen. Since we can - and do - just fill jug for drinking water from laundry, as well as outside rainwater tap - I could not see the issue - but there you go. So what builders can and cant do - or say they can and cant do - with rainwater seems quite arbitary. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 17Sep 22, 2011 12:41 am 2 years with tank water thru Asco washing machine with no probs. Tip. Install a little 1/4 turn valve on each of the tank water outlet and the drinking water outlet in the cupboard next to the machine so you can easily switch when the tank gets low. Re: Did you get your washing machine connected to rainwater 18Sep 23, 2011 9:00 pm Our rainwater tank and Davey Rainbank is hooked up to both toilets, the washing machine cold tap and front/rear outside taps. Only problem is we use the rainwater up too quickly, a bigger tank should fix that Hey all Currently renovating our laundry, bought a new washing machine but have found that the drainage hose is alot shorter than the old machine (which I used to get the… 0 17526 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair But if it is a ground level open pit, then it is not a charged system. No surprises there. The pipes have obviously been altered and there would be a reason for this.… 3 31287 Grate, thank you! RexChan if thats the reason i could sleep well without thinking about additional cost. But 1st i'll need to read about NRV cleaning/replaing stuff. I… 7 31171 |