RO System build

dogofwar said:

I've always been concerned about contaminants in rainwater (e.g. chemicals from shingles or elsewhere). No issues?

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Not so far. I keep a 30 gallon trash can in the house that I drain the barrels into, as needed, so I can heat water and add a bit of Prime (just in case there are any metals in there). Occasionally one of my bug screens gets a hole and I accidentally end up raising mosquitoes indoors (oops), but that could happen with standing RO water, too.

Water comes off the roof at about 20-25 ppm tds. I've bred chocolate gouramis, L183s, and Dicrossus in it. I've even had B. cupido spawn in it (though eggs were eaten quickly).

If you've got a particularly old house (prior to 1975), it might be worth testing with some cheap dither fish, but I haven't had any problems.

dogofwar said:

I've always been concerned about contaminants in rainwater (e.g. chemicals from shingles or elsewhere). No issues?

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I can't remember the source, but it seems new roofs are the biggest risk.

verbal said:

I can't remember the source, but it seems new roofs are the biggest risk.

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There are chemicals that do leach off of brand-new roofs. Usually they're lined with an EPDM liner (same thing many of us have used for ponds). With EPDM, it takes several good washes before it's clean enough to expose fish to, and maybe even a good soak.

Something like polyfilter in the rain storage barrel would also remove anything objectionable.

Matt

dogofwar said:

Something like polyfilter in the rain storage barrel would also remove anything objectionable.

Matt

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Good point! Actually, thinking back, I did stick a chunk of polyfilter into the first bin I brought inside to see if it turned any particular color. It didn't.

I've done the same thing, without any color change.

To get back to Lucas's question, yes, there are definitely periods where you don't get any rain and thus do not have any rainwater to use in your tanks, at least if you change your water every week like I do. Also, as Andy says, at times it will be too cold to collect rainwater, although far less frequently here than in Milwaukee!

I also collect dehumidifier water in the summer, and add that to a few storage containers I have inside.

mchambers said:

I've done the same thing, without any color change.

To get back to Lucas's question, yes, there are definitely periods where you don't get any rain and thus do not have any rainwater to use in your tanks, at least if you change your water every week like I do. Also, as Andy says, at times it will be too cold to collect rainwater, although far less frequently here than in Milwaukee!

I also collect dehumidifier water in the summer, and add that to a few storage containers I have inside.

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This is another reason for why I have the indoor storage bin. I'd like to find room for a second, too. Over the winter months I sometimes bring one barrel into the house, empty, then drain one of the outdoor barrels into it. That way I have more rain water stored while it's cold. Whenever it's above freezing, I try to top off my indoor bins. If there's lots of snow, I collect it in buckets and dump it in the indoor bins. I tend to WC less frequently in the winter and do smaller amounts because of this.

How much rainwater you collect when it's above freezing has a lot to do with how many barrels you have. I have four downspouts and four barrels, each 60 gallons, so 240 gallons total. I only ever use two of them for aquarium purposes. The other two go to the lawn, as needed (not much this year). Most barrels can be connected to other barrels so that when the first barrel in the chain gets full, it overflows into the second, and on down the line. It's a nice design feature and allows you to collect and store more water outdoors during warmer months.

Becca,

How do you get the water back in the house from the barrels?

Drew

I'm not Becca, but I use gravity (the aquariums are in the basement).

blkmjk said:

Becca,

How do you get the water back in the house from the barrels?

Drew

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Like Matt said, gravity. If I'm short on time I sometimes hook up a utility pump. I also can use the pump to go from my indoor storage to tanks that are on higher racks or stands.

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I actually have 3 barrels to choose from so I really never run out of water. Usually only happens when my wife waters the garden the same day I need water and it doesn't rain for awhile.

In the basement I have two 50 gallon drums. If the rain barrel is full, and one of the drums is empty I drain the water from the rain barrel outside into the drum in the basement. This warms it up and allows the barrel to fill again for next time. With a good rain it only takes a few minutes to fill up a 50 gallon barrel from my roof.

I also have an RO for backup (and winter). But I find I use it a lot less during the warmer months because of the rain barrel.

My roof is relatively new (2013) and I haven't had any issues with contaminants. Keep in mind that EPDM roofing liner is also used as pond liner for garden ponds. More likely to get contaminants from the shingles. Biggest issue I have is pollen at certain times of the year.

Andy

I also use gravity. My fill hose is long enough to go all the way out to the rain barrel from the basement (and also reach every tank in the house). I just let it flow backwards through the utility pump to fill the barrels in the basement.

My rain barrel is also on a stand that lifts it 3' above the ground. This is very useful for filling watering cans for the garden and has a tap on the bottom to hook the hose to.