Story with pictures

To clarify the purpose of this post for those just joining us, this is setting up the two tanks, one is a fresh water tank, one is a grey water tank. Grey water is a fancy word for what comes out of the sink.

So, after TWO HOURS in the freezing cold hardware store, trying to select the correct pieces, this is what we ended up with:



Here is the first beautie. This is for the fresh water tank. It's a hose joiner, with one end of it coupled onto the 1/2" pipe. You can see it reaches to the bottom of the tank but short enough to turn freely in the tank without hitting the sides or bottom which would put additional stress on the connector/cap/glue when screwing the cap on and off. Once the glue dries and it can be tested, I'll put a pinhole in the cap to allow air back into the tank to prevent problems sucking up the water. This will also faciltate the tank's need to expel/absorb air to accommodate pressure differences due to temperature or atmospheric pressure changes. It will be small enough that no measurable water can be lost. Seriously - a pin hole.

I never seem to have much success with Araldite, maybe I don't use enough? Maybe I don't mix it properly. But the prevailing thought is that I don't wait long enough for glue to dry - I'm always too excited to test it. I think my hasty glue use will result in me packing inside the cap for the fresh water container with silicone.


Time for some bling! This is a normal hose connector with a twist, literally. The orange bit is a tap, allowing us to close off the water prior to changing tanks. This will greatly reduce the amount of water we will wear as we disconnect the hose from the tank. Without it, all the water from the the filter and pump could probably drain out. I suspect the way the pump works may eliminate this need, but hey, why not.


ok, on to the grey water tank. This is a tap adaptor. It goes without saying that I don't have the correct tool or skill to do this job like a pro, but the method I used worked well enough. I used a 1.5mm drill bit to 'pepper' the area I needed to cut. Then a 'quick join the dots' with the Stanley knife and I ended up with a nice rough hole. It's been glued in as well, but the glue seems to be taking much better to this bond for some reason.


 



Last but not least, a pic of the 1/2 hose, into the provided 1/2 to the 3/4 barb connector on the pump.
I'm surprised there is no flow indicator on the pump. Maybe it's reversible but, only through testing we were able to determine the flow path. I've totally forgotten again - damn, it'll need another test!

Welcome some comments about storing these tanks when they are empty. We asked each other what was the best practice - neither of us knew, so we left the lid on to stop dust getting in. Well, they seem to have developed some brown discolouration I can only assume is mould. I've bleached and washed one of them out, but suspect it's a goner now. Oh well, it can be the grey water tank and I'll buy another fresh water tank.