GB2496729A - Rainwater harvesting system - Google Patents

Abstract

The rainwater harvesting system comprises at least one rainwater storage tank 9 located in an attic or roof space 35 of a building. Rainwater from the roof is fed into the storage tank(s) in the roof space. The collected water is then fed by gravity throughout the building for use with washing machines, for car washing or watering the garden, without the using any electricity. The tanks may extend the whole length of the roof and may be substantially triangular in cross section. The system may comprise a filter and level sensor. The level sensor may control a mains supply to the tanks should the level fall to low.

Description

The next generation of water harvesting systems This invention concerns a water collection system, designed to catch rainwater from any pitch roof or any roof that is not flat.

With the world population ever increasing the world's resources are getting smaller so we 10need to make better use of those resources at home. Therefore our water harvesting system will become even more important as we capture water from a root. This enables the water to be used at its collection point and not have to go into the national water cycling system. Saving the country money by not having to clean up our water and deliver it back to the point where it rained.

T5Our water harvesting system will allow us to store water for a number of uses These including toilet flushing, washing machines, Dishwasher, Car washing and watering the garden. The above items account for approximately 50% of water used in a home.

Our water harvesting system also does away with the need for electrics which all other 2rater harvesting systems require.

Fig2. Our invention enables us to capture and coUect water off a pitched roof and direct it through one or more of our water catchrnent inlet pipes and into one or more of our storage tanks.

Fig1. This arrangement may include one or more water storage means located in the roof space beneath the pitched roof.

Fig2. The storage means may include one or more containers extending for at least part of the length of the roof, and the container or containers may extend for substantially the whole length of the roof. The containers may be located adjacent to the apex between the *3tjloor level of the root space and the roof towards the side, therefore containers may be locatable adjacent the apex on each side of the roof. Also the tanks may be put in between the joist or the roof trusses.

Fig2, The container or containers may be substantially triangular in cross-section, and may be configured such that a first side extends generally parallel to the line of the roof there above, with a second side generally parallel to the floor level of the roof space. A. 3ghird side may be generally perpendicular to the second side so as to extend generally vertically in use.

Fig3. An additional storage tank, No22, may be added onto the down water pipe, t'4o21.

This storage tank allows for rainwater leaving the roof to be captured at ground level but allows any excess water to pass through its system into the storm water drains, No27.

5SeeFig4 Fig2. In alternative arrangements, the container or containers may have a generally circular, square or rectangular cross-secUon No9. In a further alternative arrangement the container or containers may be located within the floor of the roof space 14o35 and may be located within the floor No34 in Fig 6.The water tanks may be fitted in between the down legs of the roof trusses.

Fig 6 Shows pipework and tanks in the roof space, but the tanks can be Square, Triangular, Cylindrical, or any shape that can contain water. The system can also be fitted between the joist and also could be Square/Rectangular tanks or any shape that can contain water.

1Also in Fig 6 it shows that a 2'' storage tank or tanks can be fitted into the area of the 1 floor joist or 2nd floor joist. This has a two part job, 1st to catch water from the roof when the tanks in the roof space are full, if required. But its main job is as a storage for water that has been used already in the house from baths, showers and sinks on the floor above. The water can then be reused for washing the cars, caravans boats etc. But the 2ater can be used for watering the garden, washing drives and paths etc. The water can.

be used for flushing downstairs toilets if required. All excess water would overflow in the SAVP or into a downpipe No7. A connection may be provided between the opening or openings and the container or containers. The connection may be in the form of a length of pipe, to which a self-cleaning or mechanical cleaning device may be attached to ensure that only water is 2Ølowed in. Any excess water will run straight over our water inlet when the tanks are full.

No6. A water catchment may run the entire length of the roof allowing water to be. taken.

into the tanks at several points. The catchment is designed to work with any existing roof tile without the need to alter the design of the tile or the roof structure. This catchment can be located on one side of the roof or on two sides of the roof dependent on what volume of water we wish to catch, 3t Nol An additional catchment area is located above the area of the main tank t4o9. The purpose of this additional catchment is for the use of a header tank Not The header tank is designed to put pressure on the main tank or tanks when it is full and therefore put a backpressure onto the main tank or tanks No9 al$owing the main tank rain water 35.

catchments No6 to push out water back out though the filter in NoG therefore cleaning our filtering system.

No29. An inlet may be provided to the container, containers or the pipework linking the containers for the supply of water to a required location within the property. A water detector may or may not be provided to monitor the levels of water.

No. 49 The water level detector is there to ensure when the water level reaches such a level that it will not be able to provide any more water it sends a signal to a device which controls one or more of the items supplied with water from our water storage system to Itturn on automatically. Upon fresh falls of rainwater and the container or containers starting to fill up with water, the water leve( detector will automatically turn the main water supply off, and return the supply of water through the water harvesting system.

No31 A filter may or may not be fitted to the pipework. If a fitter is fitted this will allow for the water to pass through a filter enabling it to take out any items that would stop items 1puch as ball valves from working. The filter may or may not be a replaceable one.

tmbodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to accompanying drawings in which:-Fig 1 Shows a cross section of the roofs eaves in which we show a water container sitting on a plywood base supported by ceiling joist.

Fig 2 shows a cross section of a standard roof. This roof is shown at 45° pitch but could be of any other degree of the pitched roof. Furthermore it shows two tanks which can if necessary be connected together from opposite sides of the roof.

3 Shows the elevation of a house and indicates where our water harvesting system would be placed. These indications may vary from roof size and roof style dependent on the property to which they are being fitted. In addition it shows a. further storage facility that could be added on for additional water storage facility if needed.

Fig 4 Shows a cross section of the additional storage tank No22 which allows the dpwn water pipe No21 to be fitted into it. This allows the water to pass directly into the storage 3kank but on entering the tank hits a water reflection shield No24 enabling the water to fill up the tank but not to pass through the internal drain connector pipe No25 until the rain water level has reached the water level line No26. This allows any excess water to be passed down through No25 into the main storm water drains No27.

Fig 5 shows a plan section of the additional storage tank No22 and its inlet No27 where the rainwater pipe No21 wilt be connected.

Fig 9 The main tank rain water catcher Nol which sits underneath an existing roof tile or titles enables the flow of rainwater to be passed along to a rain catcher inlet No7. ln Fig 7 One or more of these inlets may be used on a roof dependent on the. size of the roof area. The harvested water is then passed through a rainwater catchment inlet No7 to an inlet pipe NoB which connects into the container or containers NoS. This becomes a sealed unit and may or may not have an overflow facility.

The container or containers No9 may come in pie-made sections to fit part or all the length of the roof. The container or containers No9 are fitted in a triangular shape. The triangular shape allows for the container or containers to be placed right into the point of Itthe eaves. This allows the weight load to be dispersed virtually over its external walls.

However all considered if shapes such as square, circular, hexagonal or other shapes were to be used it would not be able to distribute its weight load so efficiently.

For new build the containers can be made from plastic, metals, rubber or any suitable 1.naterial which can contain and hold liquid form.

The same system can be retrofitted to existing property. For these fitting a rubber or flexible material could be used allowing it to be installed by passing through a conventional size loft hatch.

Fig 9 An additional header tank rain catcher Nol is needed 10 be located higher up the roof. The header tank rain catcher 14o1 is connected to the header tank rain water catcher inlet No2 which allows water to be passed into inlet water pipe NoS allowing water to build up in the water header tank No4. No 4 is connected to a connection pipe No5. WaS then connected to the inlet water pipe NoB. When the container or containers No9 are full the water will build up into the inlet pipe t4o8. Wth the T connector between 5 and 8 the water pressure will build up creating a back pressure through main tank rain water catcher No7 which is fitted with a filter at 200 microns but which could vary in Micron size.

The back pressure is caused by the additional weight of water from No4 allowing water to push back onto the roof therefore cleaning any debris out of its filtering system.

3ig 10 shows the main water supply tank sitting on its plywood base. The mains water supply tank is to control the level and the amount of water that will be allowed to enter No9 the storage tank when the storage tanks run out of rain water. The mains supply tank will allow only 25 to 35mm of mains water into the storage tank Wo9 when the rainwater runs out. This is to keep the applances fed with water until it rains again. When it rains the mains water will automatically stop putting water into the storage tank No 9 and let the rainwater automatically back to feed the appliances. 35.

The container or containers No9 on either side of the roof are connected by a self-levelling water pipe Nob, a 50mm pipe. The pipe may vary in size according to what levels of supply are needed. A Tee piece has to be inserted to P4o10 to allow supply to the property No29. The connection between the container or containers No9 on each side of the house have to be connected to the self-levelling pipe Nob to allow the water to come out of the container/containers equally.

The self -levelling pipe work No 18 connecting containers No9 together has another role ICo play. No 18 is called self-levelling water pipe work. This is because of the water volume being stored in the roof space. It is therefore very important that the tanks empty equally dispersing the weight load equally across the foundations of the property. The container or containers on either side of the roof must be linked together (whether an indMdual or connecting one) to MobS without any breaks, taps or valves in pipework. is

The water is passed from the container or containers No9 in the roof space through to No18 the self-levelling water pipe connector Nob 0 which has T connector connected to it. This allows the water to pass freely by gravity to all appliances.

No31 the water filter (the system can operate with or without a filter). From the water filter No31 the water will pass freely to whichever appliances are connected to its system.

From the water filter No31 water may be supplied to toilets, washing machines, outside pipes for car washing or watering the garden. In the event of the container or containers No9 running out of water the water level detector No49 will automatically allow mains 2ater to be put into No 9. So there is no need to have Electrics to switch from rainwater harvesting to mains pressure water. When rain falls again the water level detector No49 will automatically allow, the system back to gravity fed water from a container or containers No9.

When our container or containers are full the water will clearly continue to run over the -surface of the roof No28 as normal and be captured in a traditional way by means of 3.guttering No20.

An additional water storage tank may be added for outside use, located at ground level and placed over an existing drain No27. This would allow any water reaching the guttering No20 to pass along and go down the rainwater downpipe No21. This would be connected into a garden water tank No22 which would store additional water inside it. But 35when the water level reaches its overflow No26 it would allow the water to overflow into the internal drainage connector pipe No25 which would be connected directly into the main storm drain No27. To ensure the water was collected the tank is fitted with a water deflector No24. Any additional water coming off the roof P4o28 would pass along the guttering No20 and go down the rainwater downpipe No21 through the garden water tank No22 and straight into the main storm water drainage No27

S

Fig 7 (Shows the 2 water harvesting system). This system has been designed to take the overflow from the main storage tanks No 9 for the use of water on ground floor or to Ube independent of the main water harvesting system. The system shown as No38 which can catch water for a 2 time after it has been used on the floors above it. The system catches water that has been used in baths, showers, sinks etc. This water can then be used for washing cars watering the garden washing down drives and paths. If a lifter is fitted the water can be used for flushing toilets.

The System shown as No38 can be used jointly for both water harvesting catching water for the 1st time or catching water for a 2nd time from utilities within the house or building.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing sophistication to draw attention to these features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the application claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features herein before referred to and or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis is being placed there-on.

The System No40, No42, No43, No is an independent system that can be added to the rainwater harvesting if required. The system is designed to help prolong the life of rainwater being stored for water harvesting. The system works by taking air out of the SAVP No40 after the toilet has been flushed. The pressure from the toilet being flushed moves air in the pipe to create a vacuum in the pipe No40. The vacuum from the larger pipe No40 which is connected to a smaller pipe No42 pulls the water up the smaller pipe lo4a. After the water as left, the SAVP the vacuum drops allowing the water in the smaller pipe to drop back down. This allows a movement in the water helping to stop stagnant water building up. The smaller pipe will also retain water in it at all times. This also helps prevents contamination of the water stored in the tanks. The soil and vent pipe has to be fitted with a dayglow valve.

Background

At the present time there are two forms of water harvesting available, one is above ground and the other is below ground, which is by far the most used system at this present time.

jThe existing water harvesting systems collect rain water off the roof by use of catching the water in its gutters and transporting it via the down pipe into a drainage pipe which then is directed to a buried storage tank which is normally in the back garden. It then has to have an additional drainage pipe put on to it to take the excess waler to a manhole when the system is full.

many cases a mains water feed is taken from the property to the tank to supply additional water when the rain water runs out. A control panel is used for the purpose of monitoring the amount of water in the tank at any one time. When the rain water runs out the control panel will allow mains water to enter the tank. To make this happen there also has to be an electricity supply taken to and from the tank. The electricity supply allows the 2cpump to switôh on and off when water is required with in the property.

The ground water storage tank at ground level requires the same set of components to make it work.

In conclusion to make either of these systems work you require a storage tank, an electrical supply, a pump, a control panel and an overflow drainage system.

addition to this the underground system requires the excavation of a hole, concreting a base, suitable back fill material, a manhole or inspection cover for maintenance and any surplus excavated material would have to be taken off site.