My house has two potable water supplies connected, tank water x roof for the all the house needs and town supply to the house external garden watering taps. I had a plumber modify the connections because the town supply is so high in minerals that it encrusts the lav pans very quickly and it was done easily because of the convenient layout of piping under the house. I subsequently found the plumber had overlooked one outside tap which being on the house piping, still supplies tank water via the house pipes. A drawback is in the case of a power outage is the house water supply ceases unless I connect a generator to the tank's pump. The thought occurred to me that I should be able to connect one end of a hose to a garden tap on the town supply and the other end to the overlooked garden tap on the house piping and if both taps were opened. town supply water would flow through the house pipes, avoiding the need to use a generator. For some reason this does not seem to happen. Anybody know why?
zak410,
Mar 21, 1:42pm
Are you filling up your water tank with town water this way ?
pauldw,
Mar 21, 2:12pm
The jumper in a normal tap can act as a one way valve. Water up the spout gets behind the jumper and holds it down.
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 3:06pm
Not quite. If necessary, i just stick the hose into the top of the tank (which is quick) or a house gutter, ( but slower) , but only if NECESSARY as I don't want any more mineral laden town supply water in my house supply than is necessary.
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 3:24pm
Ah, an excellent point. I have just come back from experimenting which included turning on the outside tap which was to be used as the house inlet first so there was a water flow through the tap, but no change.It is as 'tho there is a one way valve but the only thing I can think of is the ajax valve and that only supplies water to the cylinder. not the cold lines.
lythande1,
Mar 21, 3:39pm
What? The roof supplies house. Town to garden. That's backwards. Then you get plumber to swap it because town water messes up the loo? But you just said the house was off the tank water.
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 5:18pm
Yes, I did and also explained that I had it modified from town supply to roof.water. So having taken time to explain it all again, I look forward to hearing your views on why the water transfer does not function.
shanreagh,
Mar 21, 5:59pm
I don't know about the fittings but it did not surprise me to find that you were from Whanganui when peeking.
In response to lythande and confirming what you say, when I grew up we had tank supply from the rooves for preference supplying the house for drinking and bathing.The house was also connected to town supply and when tanks got low my dad would go and turn a tap on (perhaps more than that?) and the town supply filled the tanks, no electric pump or generator. He had to keep an eye on it as the tap had to be turned off or the tank would overflow.
Rainwater was preferred and TS a second best.
I would get the plumber back and explain what you want to be able to without using the generator. Thinking about it we must have had a header tank or something to feed the TS?
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 7:19pm
Er No to getting the plumber back, as I am fairly certain there will be an expensive exercise with non-return valves permits insections licences permits and general graft etc. WIth the water pressure from town supply during the emergency power outages, nothing is going to be able to go back down the pipes.and once it is all over, the connection between the house pipes flushed out and full of town supply water and the town supply pipes are broken. I don't think you would have had a header tank if you were on town supply as town supply is pumped at pressure from the source.
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 7:40pm
For the small outlay and uncertainty I have about my "experiment" it's worth a try and I shall swap one in for another experiment. Thank You
androth2,
Mar 21, 8:01pm
When I had a garden tap connected to a large garden irrigation system I had to have a one way valve fitted into the pipe line to stop water draining back into the system if the mains water supply dropped in pressure.Like if there was a fire callout nearby. The valve was in the pipeline under the house. If you have one of those then that would explain things.
kiwisapper,
Mar 21, 9:33pm
Nope, don't have one, don't want to go there, got the Tshirt,,,,,,,,,,,,
jangal1,
Mar 22, 12:14pm
Jeez don't tell the council! Any system that can conceivably push water back out into their system is more than a tad illegal. Any plumber that knowingly enables that may well loose his ticket. Of course, this issue all goes away if you have a one-way valve just inside your council supply.
budgel,
Dec 5, 10:15pm
Kiwisapper, If you replaced that one tap with a ball valve your idea would work.
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