| The water flows from the steel roof into the gutters. One down gutter is
selected to be the collection point. That gutter is cut and placed into a sediment
filter which catches leaves, needles and bigger sediment. It has a steel wool
like filter that can be removed and cleaned as required. The gutter is placed
into this filter and a pipe comes out of the filter and runs down through the
deck floor.
The pipe carrying the rainwater from the gutter and the first sediment
filter goes through the deck floor and then joins a pipe that goes 90° left
and slightly uphill. By making the water in this pipe flow slightly uphill it
allows this pipe to act as another filter. Clean-outs at each end of the pipe
allow for it to be opened and for the sediment collected to be brushed out.
After traveling a bit uphill in the horizontal pipe the water flows stright
down the first flush diverter pipe. this allows for the filtering of water containing
dirt, pollen and bird droppings. The size of the pipe is dependent on the size
of the roof area. The water flows down and collects in this first flush diverter
pipe until it fills up. Once it is full then the water begins to flow toward
the rainwater collection tank. The first flush diverter pipe has a clean-out
at the bottom of it that can be removed. This clean-out also has a small hole
in it so that after the rain has stopped the pipe will drain by itself so you
do not have to open it manually to drain it.
In order to have very clean water in our reainwater colleciton tank we opted
to have 2 filters on the pipe that runs directly into the tank. After the first
flush diverter has filled and water begins to flow into the tank it runs through
a coarse filter and a fine mesh filter. And overflow pipe, just in case and the
outlet spout were the last additions. The overflow pipe and the spout have screens
to prevent insects from entering the tank.
If you would like to view our rainwater collection system and learn more about
it please call the GoTofino office at 250.725.3696. |
