I'll post pictures of my system on Sunday. I think y'all will like it.
-Blast

p.s. No way in hell I'm letting a cat near my rain harvesting system.

[quote=Blast No way in hell I'm letting a cat near my rain harvesting system. [/quote]

Now you have to post your cat-proofing system.

Now you have to post your cat-proofing system. [/quote]

The fact that the process contains water is (I suppose) a kind of "intrinsic safety." Though both cats and birds are drawn to the sound of dripping water, with unpredictable and volatile results.

As long as Blast can incorporate one of those "fake fluid-filled birds that bob up and down as if they were pecking seeds" (what the *&%! are they called?) as part of the vacuum breaker system, I will be satisfied. But seriously, ETS-ers, we must be able to come up with a more complex way to do a simple task ... !?

[quote=dougwalkabout But seriously, ETS-ers, we must be able to come up with a more complex way to do a simple task ... !? [/quote]

Of course we must! And hopefully use lots of recycled materials in ways they were never intended and for which they may not be suited!

Okay, here's my system.

Main tanks: Three 55-gal Greek pepper barrels and one 66-gal Pepsi concentrate barrel. My preflush is simply some 4" PVC that fills up first and then the following water flows into the Pepsi drum. I have to manually unscrew the plug at the end of this PVC tubing to drain the preflush. All these barrels are plumbed together so they fill at the same time. You can't see it in this picture but the rain water enters the barrel through a basket lined in mosquito netting. This fliter is easily removed for cleaning.

Rain1 by merriwether, on Flickr

Secondary 66-gal Pepsi concentrate barrels. These are hooked to side gutters on the house, though the first one handles a very large section of roof. I wish I had room for another there. Neither of these currently have preflush systems.

Rain2 by merriwether, on Flickr


Rain3 by merriwether, on Flickr

The barrels are all raised above the levels of the beds they serve so I can use gravity to deliver the water where I need it.

-Blast

Nice. Though I must note that the tops of the barrels would seem to be cat-friendly.

To make it all a little more self-maintaining it would be easy to screw the clean-out plug in finger tight, mark the bottom of it, drill a 3/23" hole near the edge insert a piece of #14 solid copper wire and use pliers to put sharp bends in both ends. You want the end sticking out to be a bit long.

The wire should just about fill the drilled hole so the first-flow storage is self-draining while maximizing water capture. When/if the drain hole gets plugged with sand and crud you can simple wiggle the wire sticking out to restore flow. After a while you will have to remove the plug to clear the mud and crud so it stays self-draining but not every time. In this case extra convenience translates into more utility.

I don't bother with a preflush, wonder if I should...hmmm

Marty, Blast:

What is the purpose of the pre-flush other then perhaps clearing debris?

Up here, rain barrels in a rain forest environment are scare to non-existent so this is an educational thread. We are presently looking at purchasing property in a much more arid locale and I could really see rain barrels being useful there.

My two cents: typically the first water washed / flushed from a catchment system / roof is loaded with settled dust, insects, bird poop, miscellaneaous organic material, and pollution particles that you do not want to drink. Rather than overburden and possibly clog a filtration system with the initial dirty water load, you let it drain or flush away for a while before the presumably cleaner water is captured.