Rainwater collection is a smart move as a homeowner, providing healthy water that’s chemical-free and available whenever you want it. It’s also quite simple to set up – it can be as easy as installing a downspout gutter that goes into a small rain barrel. For others, it involves the installation of much larger tanks, such as 1,000 litres or more, so people can use much of what they collect as their primary water source.
These larger tanks need to be maintained over time, though, to prevent them becoming breeding grounds for bacteria. If bacteria makes a home in your tank, it could impact the health of you, your family and your property in general.
If you need help setting up a water collection system, Service Fox can help. Our on-call, Manly plumbing services can offer rainwater collection guidance and advice to residents of Manly. We also offer plumber services in the Eastern Suburbs. If you have your system all set up, here’s our top tips for keeping it maintained.
How Do I Maintain My Rainwater Collection Tank?
While gathering rainwater in this fashion is certainly more economical than, say, drilling a well, maintaining the collection tank is imperative. Here are some tips on how to maintain your tanks over time.
Clean or Service At The End of Each Season
One of the best things you can do to keep on top of rainwater collection tank maintenance is to make it a regular thing, once at the end of each season is a great rule of thumb. This will ensure the tank is as fresh as it can be, year-round. This includes a visual inspection of the tanks to check for cracks or leaks. If you do have a tank that’s sprung a leak, you’ll want to get that fixed ASAP. Call an emergency plumber in the Sutherland Shire, even if your leak happens after hours, call one of our 24 hour plumbers in the Sutherland Shire.
Empty The Tank & Clean It
The first step in this cleaning process is to empty the tank completely and clean it. Simply pull the plug and let the water drain out. You can then mop up the additional water left in the tank to ensure that it’s empty, alternatively, you can use a wet/dry vacuum. After this is complete no water remains, wash out the inside walls of the tank using a scrubbing pad and soap, this will clean off any bacteria, silt or dirt left behind by the departed water. Your next step is to add a bleach solution of one tablespoon per gallon of water. You need to let this solution sit for about two hours to kill off as much bacteria as possible.
Clean The Water Supply Lines
You may choose to open the tank’s supply lines up to let the bleach solution run through them too. This is an optional step, but it might be better to cover all of your bases.
Rinse Out Supply Lines & Tank
This is a very important step – make sure that you thoroughly rinse your tanks out with hot water, to allow for maximum cleaning of the bleach. Make sure that there are no bleach bubbles remaining in your water.
Refill the Tank
Your last step is to refill your tank and begin using it again! This should only be done once you’re confident that you have rid the tank of bleach.
While you may have cleaned the rainwater tank itself, it’s important that you check and clean the different pipes that you use to transport the water, and the downspouts and other gutters that you use to transport the water once it comes off your roof. You don’t want there to be dirt that could work its way into the water system, or any leaves or other debris that could stop the flow. It’s important for residents of Cronulla that you check your pipes and drains. Service Fox’s plumbers can help clean blocked drains in Cronulla.
When To Seek Professional Help & How Service Fox Can Help
You may want to seek professional help from inner city plumbing services like those offered by Service Fox. We offer consultation to clients looking to set up rainwater harvesting, alongside some of the most affordable plumbing in Sydney. No matter what your needs are when it comes to rainwater collection, we can help with the initial setup and maintenance of the system, as well as provide assistance with cleaning the system once every season.
Let us know how we can help you and if your system springs a leak, give us a call!
