Helpful Tips to Remember Before Installing a Rainwater Tank
A water tank can enable you to harvest rainwater for future use. You are likely to get great value from that water tank if you keep the following tips in mind before you procure and install it on your residential property.
Adjust Your Usage Habits
Water conservation should be the overriding principle as you evaluate your water usage patterns before you select the best tank size to buy. For instance, install showerheads that reduce how much water is used in the bathroom. Dual-flush toilets can also help you to conserve water because you will use less water to flush the toilet after going for a short call instead of using the same volume of water as you use after a long call.
Such conservation methods will cut your costs in several ways. For instance, you will spend less money to buy a smaller tank because your water usage habits will have made it unnecessary to buy a bigger tank. Secondly, the rainwater that you harvest can be used for a longer time. This can reduce your expenditure on the municipal water supply.
Pay Attention to the Colour of the Tank
Pick a rainwater tank that has the darkest colour that you can find. Such a tank will inhibit the growth of algae in your harvested water. This is because algae need light to thrive. The dark colour of your tank should prevent light from reaching the water inside the tank.
Inquire into the Previous Uses of the Tank
It is vital to find out what the tank was previously used to store in case you want to use that tank for a potable rainwater system. Make sure that the tank was never used to store anything toxic because the water you keep may pick up those toxins that were kept in that tank. It is better for you to buy a tank that has never been used before from the tank manufacturer directly or through the manufacturer's agents near you.
Install Screening Devices
Rainwater can be kept fresh and clean by installing a system to flush or screen it before it enters the tank. Such a system will remove any debris that could have found its way into the water as it travelled through the water collection system, such as the gutters on the roof of your house. These screening devices can be bought from water tank suppliers or hardware stores.
The water tank that you install will perform to your expectations if you implement the suggestions above before you buy and install the tank.