The Great Use Less Water Hunt

rubix_76

After "googling" it I found this "a dual-action flush releasing either four litres of water for a full flush or two and a half litres to flush away urine only"

and "a family of 4 can save 52 m³ of water a year if replacing an existing 9-litre flush WC, or 26 m³ if installed instead of a 6-litre flush WC"

BUT on another site I found it may only save approx £7 a year, I know it's seven pounds, but I guess it has more effect on an environmental saving than on your pocket.

On the news last night I heard the Goverment were going to try and fine water companies for all the underground leaks, and they said "The cost of leaks shouldn't be passed on to the customer" HERE HERE !!!

Enough of my ranting, back to work...

gromituk

rubix_76 wrote:

I am suprised that they are so cheap, I would have thought you need a whole new cistern ???

The cistern is a separate part to the flush mechanism. Provided you have a flush mechanism which fits the holes in the cistern, you can have any you like.

rumblytum

I've got cast iron drainpipes - is it still possible to have a water butt?

Or should I just get a butt and fill it up with washing up water? I live in a first floor flat, so would have to take the bowl down two flights of stairs to the garden.

Do you think that's feasible? I can see DH not getting on board for this, I must admit!

Thanks.

rumbly

gromituk

Unfortunately you can't use diverters on cast iron pipes. You'd need to modify the pipework so that it goes into the butt, and then have to work out what happens when it overflows.

I wouldn't recommend putting washing up water in a water butt - it will go manky very quickly.

Gorgeous_George

1. eat lots of burgers and chips until you're a similar shape to that of the bath.

2. fill bath with 1 teaspoon of water (level, not heaped)

3. jump in and the water will be up to your chest



More seriously, install a water meter, stop the shower while lathering, do the toothbrushing thingy and stop leaking taps. Meanwhile, catch as much rainwater as possible for use in the garden.

With all the icebergs melting and the danger posed by rising sea levels, I suggest they make milk bottles lego-shaped. After use, they could be filled with water and used to make garden walls, sheds etc., maybe even a house (but don't put pictures up). This would save landfill and reduce the impact of rising sea levels, while also providing loads of stored water for the garden!



GG

Melayahm

itsfrommark wrote:

Build (dig) a pond. The larger the better, it's great for wildlife and will provide hours of relaxation - watching all the water boatmen, dragonflies, tadpoles etc.
Best of all its the biggest resevoir you can create, even beating water butts for vlume of water etc. Just dip into it with your watering can as required, of course returning all the pond snails and newts afterwards!

I've never wanted for water in my garden here in sunny sunny Bournemouth...
Mark

Hello there. First post

I have to say, I disagree completely, we have a very large pond and it loses water at a terrible rate,; with sun and wind, it can lose a foot a day, not sure how to work out the volume. Then it takes several hours of running the hose to refill it.

I tried the Hippo in the cistern and discovered that there isn't enough oomf in the volume of water to flush away solid waste. Now we have an eco flush, which you can switch max, med or min. You can start with max and then switch it to med during a flush if it looks all clear. We're not on the mains water or the mains drainage, we have a septic tank. Does anyone know if I'm correct in thinking that if the tank gets full of 'water' it overflows into the surronding soil?

Melayahm

pollys

Melayahm,

A friend of ours has a pond and has two enormous water butts collecting water from their garage roof. They use this water to top the pond up with.

HTH

lavender

Why does everyone need to use all that water either using the bath or shower every day. I was brought up to wash in the sink with a flannel each day and have a bath each week. I still prefer that and as far as I know I don't smell. When we moved to a victorian terrace house in 1978 it did not have a bathroom until we later put one in but we managed fine. I am now using a bowl in the sink to save even more water and save the water from that and the bath/shower to put in the toilet cistern. I am on my own now so I can quietly be eccentric without others knowing!

Ken68

My biggest water saving is using rainwater to flush the loo.
The second biggest saving is having a water meter and on the Anglian Solow tariff.
Plus save water, as Lavender, use a bowl for personal washing and for the dishes, using filtered (then boiled) rainwater.
Another saving is when using the electric shower do it 'submarine style' , even that water is re-used.
Another saving could be only do cold water clothes washing on a refresh wash setting. (single load of water).This calls for pre-soaking again using filtered rainwater and liquid detergent. The refresh wash then becomes the rinse.
My washing machine doesn't seem to have a hot setting that uses only one wash/rinse.
A gentle refresh washing uses 15litres as against three or four times that when doing a hot wash

Gorgeous_George

I think the answer is for water bills to be based on usage.

First x number of units = cheap
Second x number of units = twice the cheap price
Third x number of units = ten x cheap price

My local pub has had a dripping tap (about 2 drips per second) for at least 4 years. The landlord ignores my gentle hints. I guess he's not metered.



GG