35
votes
Accepted
Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets?
It is doubtful the pH+ of rainwater anywhere, other than directly downwind of an erupting volcano, would be unsafe in terms of damaging plumbing fixtures or pipes.
That said, there is concern in how ...
- 8,329
15
votes
Accepted
Does this water tunnel for rain look ok?
Without some sort of retention, that trench will likely cave in or mud up.
Using the existing trench, you can improve it with a bit of effort:
Dig the trench a bit deeper and lay some "big-o"...
- 16k
14
votes
Does this water tunnel for rain look ok?
Call me old fashioned but there is a downspout which you can extend to your destination.
- 16.8k
12
votes
Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets?
Yes, you can do this, but you must make sure that the supplies to the wc are separated from the rest of the supplies to the taps, showers etc.
We planned this in the plumbing for our house so that we ...
- 28.1k
12
votes
How to mute water drops on a glass canopy?
Invite building management over next time it rains. Demonstrate the annoying noise and mention that, should there ever be an icicle form off that pipe in the winter, it could break loose and ...
- 47.9k
10
votes
Is it safe to harvest rainwater that fell on solar panels?
If you plan to use that collected water for drinking and cooking then you will need a proper filtration / treatment system... Ingesting diluted bird-droppings is not a good idea...
So, a simple ...
- 28.1k
10
votes
Can rainwater seep through a single-layer brick wall in large quantities?
Bricks are porous. A single layer is called “brick veneer”. Brick veneer is installed on a structural back wall.
Usually it’s a wood frame wall with a moisture barrier applied to a layer of plywood. ...
- 3,828
9
votes
Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets?
Rainwater is regularly captured and used by rural domestic properties here in New Zealand for everything in a typical household - from drinking to flushing toilets, with minimal treatment.
Its pretty ...
- 676
8
votes
Can rainwater seep through a single-layer brick wall in large quantities?
some timbers around the window frame have rotted
And that is quite likely the source of your leak. It's not the brick that the "not-so-small" amount of water is seeping past, it's getting ...
- 47.9k
8
votes
Can rainwater seep through a single-layer brick wall in large quantities?
If your house has gutters on the roof, and they are some distance away from the wall, then they form a sort of "umbrella" to stop rain running down the brickwork. Of course, if the wind ...
- 494
7
votes
How to mute water drops on a glass canopy?
A very low key solution would be to glue (or tie with a string if the setup is suitable) a sponge (the kind used for washing dishes) onto the aluminum pane on the spot where the drops hit. Such a ...
- 201
6
votes
What kind of latch mechanism should I use for this movable ceiling under my deck?
I would look at seeing if you could use large size slider bolts. I used this type of device to provide the safety latch for a large hinged stairway I had built in my garage some 13 years ago. The ...
- 65.7k
6
votes
Radon system water leak in attic
Vent pipe generally are built to accept rain water entering the top.
If the leak is coming from around the outside of the pipe where it penetrates the roof then you need a better roof flashing. I had ...
- 14.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Is this going to be safe in the rain?
No it is not safe. NEC requires all conductors to be installed in an appropriate enclosure or totally removed. I suppose I should give you NEC Article 110.3 for the reference that does not allow what ...
5
votes
Downspout Clogged
I've had this happen during heavy rain on all my downspouts that feed into underground pipes that emit in the yard several feet from the house. In my case, the pipes were not clogged and where some ...
- 51
5
votes
Maximum length of a rain chain
Most of the water flows right through; the "cups" are funnels to recapture spray. I wouldn't worry about it.
I would be more focused on where the water was going to go when it got to ground ...
- 32k
4
votes
Sewer backup through basement floor drain after heavy rain
I realize that this response is about 3.5 years after your original post was published, but I thought I would add my knowledge/experience to possibly help the next guy.
I to live in Ohio (southwest) ...
- 41
4
votes
How to prevent heavy rainwater from jumping the gutter?
You need to use a spreader on your lower roof. It's a "standard" solution in New Zealand.
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Downspout Clogged
The new house I bought has some of these, so I've done some checking on how they work and how to keep them in repair. The most important things are to keep the vertical part that attaches to the ...
- 4,788
4
votes
Is it safe for plumbing to use rainwater to flush toilets?
What can a rainwater contain? Something that was either in the air or on the roof.
Acids: sulfuric or nitric, coming from the air pollution. If the air is more or less safe to breath, water raining ...
- 3,329
4
votes
Does this water tunnel for rain look ok?
That would not last as trench for very long.
The side walls will be eroded and fill up the trench.
To slow the process of erosion, line it with mosquito net.
- 18.8k
4
votes
Accepted
How to deal with stagnant water in rain water harvesting pit
To solve insects, screening to exclude insects.
To solve "stagnation" either an aerator or a pump so it's not stagnant.
- 223k
3
votes
Is it safe to harvest rainwater that fell on solar panels?
No, it isn't, but not because of the solar panels.
If you have access to municipal water, there's no economically viable way to make rainwater potable. Roughly speaking, rainwater is about as dirty ...
- 2,367
3
votes
Accepted
GFCI breaker is tripping when it rains on completely internal circuit
People who have GFCI trips are way too quick to blame the detector rather than consider it may be doing its job.
Rain is very consistent with a genuine ground fault. Since NM cable jacket is at ...
3
votes
Accepted
What is the name for fixed metal venetian blinds?
Some possibilities come to mind :
Louvered panels,
slatted panels,
slatted ventilation panels.
A google search for the text below gave many from 4" by 4" to fencing and all types in between.
...
- 28.1k
3
votes
Preventing swing set legs from sinking
Bury the posts (1) The posts will resist moving vertically and laterally if they are buried in 6" or more of dirt. (2) The depth of the holes can compensate for a modest slope between the legs.
Use ...
- 1,599
3
votes
How to prevent heavy rainwater from jumping the gutter?
specific length of gutter=specific number/diameter of down spout. Do Not join together (their flow). Continue down spout to ground w/o adding to 1st fl's gutter or dwn spout. Both must B carried ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
How to safely run power out to pond pump?
Yes, you're going to want to run either a direct-burial cable or a conduit in a trench from your home to the pond. You'll also want to pull a permit for this work even if you plan to do it yourself ...
- 23.5k
3
votes
How to safely run power out to pond pump?
The extension cable or almost any method would be fine if you made sure the circuit has GFCI protection.
Now, GFCI isn't just a different style of receptacle. It is actually a zone of protection. ...
3
votes
Accepted
Does pooling rainwater pose a threat to my roof?
There are situations where water pooling on a flat roof is a problem, but this probably isn't one of them.
The cases where it's a problem are where water pools, the weight of the water deforms the ...
- 223k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible