Christian McArdle wrote:
So is it feasible to put a pump in a rain water butt to feed water to the
power washer?

Mine worked just fine from a bucket. Used water surprisingly slowly, too.
Make sure the water is filtered, though. You don't want bits of leaves and
twig in the washer.

I was watching that "green" programme last night about that bloke who
can't afford a pair of scissors setting up a turbine to pump well water
to his roof from an open well.

It struck me as odd they never built up the adit to keep out surface
water and didn't seem to have a cover to stop windblown litter dropping
in.

No mention of a filter either. The occasional blip that might put a
little grit in the works is capable of playing havoc in the plumbing.
They'd onlly need a felt pad or somesuch in a collander.

Hi

On 3 May 2006 10:25:05 -0700, "Weatherlawyer"
wrote:


Christian McArdle wrote:
So is it feasible to put a pump in a rain water butt to feed water to the
power washer?

Mine worked just fine from a bucket. Used water surprisingly slowly, too.
Make sure the water is filtered, though. You don't want bits of leaves and
twig in the washer.

I was watching that "green" programme last night about that bloke who
can't afford a pair of scissors setting up a turbine to pump well water
to his roof from an open well.

I'm getting more dissilusioned with that program by the week - they're
doing some very strange things....

....like running 3 woodburning stoves and then fiddling about with an
air-to-air heat exchanger - rather than running one decent woodburning
stove with boiler & radiators to 'spread' the heat around


It struck me as odd they never built up the adit to keep out surface
water and didn't seem to have a cover to stop windblown litter dropping
in.

No mention of a filter either. The occasional blip that might put a
little grit in the works is capable of playing havoc in the plumbing.
They'd onlly need a felt pad or somesuch in a collander.

We use a well for all of our domestic water.
Before use it's passed through a cartridge-type grit filter, and then
a UV filter to kill off any bacteria. Not sure I'd want to do without
either of those (UV for the bugs and grit to keep the crud out of the
ball-valves, tap seats etc).

Having a little wind-genny to drive the pump is also all very well -
but the amount of power consumed by the pump must be pretty small - as
the genny wouldn't have been much more than 200 - 300watts.
OK - so it was all very good on camera - but whether it was
cost-effective.... dunno.....

We also heat our house by means of a woodburner / multifuel stove.
All very well having a nice big blazing bonfire for Guy Fawkes night -
but in this house that timber would have ended up in our woodburner -
either as kindling or as substitute logs.... - and you don't dry logs
by wrapping them up in a tarpaulin....

Ah well - I suppose it makes good telly..... g

Regards
Adrian
Suffolk UK




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On Wed, 03 May 2006 18:42:08 +0100 someone who may be Adrian
Brentnall adrian-the papers and the wrote
this:-

...like running 3 woodburning stoves and then fiddling about with an
air-to-air heat exchanger - rather than running one decent woodburning
stove with boiler & radiators to 'spread' the heat around

They explained that in an earlier programme. One of the reasons for
the ventilation system is to get moisture out of what was a damp
house. In the last programme they said that the house was now much
drier.

It struck me as odd they never built up the adit to keep out surface
water and didn't seem to have a cover to stop windblown litter dropping
in.

One of the latter shots in the programme showed it covered up, with
a door to keep out litter.

No mention of a filter either.

Doesn't mean there is not one.

Having a little wind-genny to drive the pump is also all very well -
but the amount of power consumed by the pump must be pretty small - as
the genny wouldn't have been much more than 200 - 300watts.
OK - so it was all very good on camera - but whether it was
cost-effective.... dunno.....

Like many things of this sort, the simple payback period is probably
a number of years at current prices. However, that is not the only
reason for doing things, if it was few would create flower gardens.

Ah well - I suppose it makes good telly..... g

That seems to partly be the idea and there is nothing wrong with
that.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

"David Hansen" wrote in message
...

Having a little wind-genny to drive the pump is also all very well -
but the amount of power consumed by the pump must be pretty small - as
the genny wouldn't have been much more than 200 - 300watts.
OK - so it was all very good on camera - but whether it was
cost-effective.... dunno.....

Like many things of this sort, the simple payback period is probably
a number of years at current prices. However, that is not the only
reason for doing things, if it was few would create flower gardens.


On the program he said it cost less than a 1/4's water charges to set up the
system.

Ian

HI Ian

On Thu, 04 May 2006 10:26:42 GMT, "Ian" wrote:


"David Hansen" wrote in message
.. .

Having a little wind-genny to drive the pump is also all very well -
but the amount of power consumed by the pump must be pretty small - as
the genny wouldn't have been much more than 200 - 300watts.
OK - so it was all very good on camera - but whether it was
cost-effective.... dunno.....

Like many things of this sort, the simple payback period is probably
a number of years at current prices. However, that is not the only
reason for doing things, if it was few would create flower gardens.


On the program he said it cost less than a 1/4's water charges to set up the
system.

Ian

Yes - I think I remember that.
I was with him all the way until the wind genny bit - but I guess it
does make for a good bit of TV "all the water and the electricity to
power it is from renewable sources"..

Bit like that lovely water-wheel he built - which appeared to be used
to run only the lighting in the house...

Not knocking the fellow - but, like so many of these programmes,
there's a strong 'directorial' influence - and the entertainment part
always seems to win over the informative.... - or perhaps I'm getting
old and cynical g

Regards
Adrian
Suffolk UK

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On Thu, 04 May 2006 12:47:05 +0100 someone who may be Adrian
Brentnall adrian-the papers and the wrote
this:-

Bit like that lovely water-wheel he built - which appeared to be used
to run only the lighting in the house...

What is wrong with that? Lighting is a significant part of
electrical demand in many buildings.

I would like to ask him why he went for a water wheel though. A
turbine is more efficient, though it doesn't look as pretty.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

The message
from Adrian Brentnall adrian-the papers and the
contains these words:

Not knocking the fellow - but, like so many of these programmes,
there's a strong 'directorial' influence - and the entertainment part
always seems to win over the informative.... - or perhaps I'm getting
old and cynical g

That sums up just about everything wrong with modern telly.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The message
from David Hansen contains these words:

On Wed, 03 May 2006 18:42:08 +0100 someone who may be Adrian
Brentnall adrian-the papers and the wrote
this:-


Ah well - I suppose it makes good telly..... g

That seems to partly be the idea and there is nothing wrong with
that.

There wouldn't be anything wrong with it, except for the hilarious
degree of Marie Antoinette pretence by the Strawbridges. Changing their
gas-guzzler vehicles might do far more to save the planet and its
resources . It's made very clear that they have a great deal of money
which effortlessly fills and conceals every pitfall and reality gap.
Just a couple of examples;

"We've been thinking about buying our own wood to fuel the stoves".
Meanwhile they burned a huge stack of free heat for fun. Someone else
has already pointed out that their use of three stoves is inefficient..
Heating a far smaller house on one highly efficient woodfired system, we
used between 15 and 20 tons of wood per year The load they took delivery
of, was (at a guess) less than two tons, supposedly to feed 3 stoves
"until Christmas". If that unseasoned wet wood was fit for burning (ie,
giving out optimal heat) , Mrs would not be crouched shivering in
sweaters and scarf beside a stove on full burn, and upstairs would be
roasting, even without the silly air pipes.

They will have burned the lot (for little heat output) long before
winter comes.

Planning regs (which a redevelopment like that can't evade) insist
that a domestic home has a tested potable water supply. Plugging a
hosepipe into a muddy spring and tasting a glassful, gives a very false
impression of the health hoops to be jumped through before bringing
spring water into the domestic system for drinking..or even, it's
advisability. (Particularly, in Cornwall, where I would imagine heavy
metal contamination is likely, and within stonesthrow of other houses
or rural farms and their own livestock, al l of which could have
coeliform runoffs).

One can't help noticing that the adult Strawbridge invariably waft
around with fairies and clipboards, while a changing parade of workers
are paid to do the donkey work in their so-called "self sufficient "
lifestyle :-) Where has the gardening lady gone to?

It's entertaining all right, my only question is, how far are the
Sawbridges aware of the TV producers' real agenda..which is surely,
exposing their pretensions and holding them up to ridicule
..
Janet.