Rainwater Harvesting Winterization

This post is about Rainwater Harvesting Winterization. We are preparing our 4-IBC tote, 1200-gallon system for winter so the water in the pipes and tanks don’t freeze and burst.

See some of our other Rainwater Harvest videos here:
DIY Rainwater Harvesting System: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/diy-rainwater-harvesting-system:8
Large Rainwater Harvesting System Design: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/large-rainwater-harvesting-system:0
Rainwater Harvesting Lessons Learned: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/rainwater-harvesting-lessons-learned:5
Rainwater Harvesting Winterization: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/rainwater-harvesting-winterization:7
Rainwater Harvesting Spring Preparation: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/rainwater-harvesting-spring-preparation:2
Large Rainwater Harvesting System Upgrade – 1200 Gallon to 4500 Gallon: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/large-rainwater-harvesting-system-2:2
First Flush Downspout Water Diverter Product Review: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/first-flush-downspout-water-diverter:4
Leaf Eater Product Review: https://odysee.com/@GreatEscapeFarms:4/leaf-eater-product-review:7
The Picture
If you notice in the picture the IBC-totes are in groups of two. The two that are furthest from the camera are covered with black plastic and the two closest to the camera are uncovered. I uncovered the two closest so you can see the system a little better. I will be completely removing the IBC-totes from the system and the metal cage and painting them so that the cover is no longer needed. The cover / paint prevent sunlight from getting in, so algae doesn’t grow and clog up the system.
Water the Plants
The tanks will need to be completely drained. Instead of just dumping the water onto the field behind the garage, we are watering the food forest one last time.
Drain the Pipes
Some of the pipes are below the level of the pump. In order to drain the lower pipes, we will disconnect a connection in the pipes at the lowest point. This will drain all of the water out of all of the outside pipes and tanks.
Stop Future Water
Draining everything now doesn’t help much if the system just fills back up with water. At the downspout we have a “Y” connection that has been set all summer to fill the IBC-totes. With winter now approaching, we are going to change this “Y” connection to the winter setting that will drain the water out to the field and bypass the rainwater harvesting system. In the Spring, we will change it back to the other side to fill the system again.
The Pump
Because some of the areas I need to water is uphill and other areas need pressure, I put a pump system in to pressurize the water. The pump system consists of a safety valve to shut the system down if we run out of water, the pump itself, a pressure tank, and a filter system to remove debris that would clog up my sprinklers.
POWER
Before I drain the pump system, I will shut power off. I have a local switch by the pump that I will shut off and I will also shut the circuit breaker off.
The Freeze
Even with the pump system in a protected garage, it still gets below freezing and will burst pipes, pumps, and filters. So the entire system will need to be drained.
The Pump
The pump has a plug that can be removed on the bottom side. I will remove the plug and open several valves that will allow the water to exit the pump.
The Pressure Tank and Filter
There are several valves that will allow any water in the pipes, pressure tank, and going to the filter to drain. I will remove the filter chamber and take the dirty filter out and dump all of the water. I will put a new filter in and loosely put the filter chamber back in place. I will tighten everything back up in the spring.
That’s It
That’s it for rainwater harvesting winterization. I will check on it several times over the winter just to make sure I didn’t miss anything or make sure if water does get in that it is not leaking out anywhere in the garage that will cause issues.
The blog article is here: http://greatescapefarms.com/rainwater-harvesting-winterization/
Items Used in the Video:
Leaf Eater Advanced Rain Head- 3 in. Round: https://amzn.to/2xtXJaD
Downspout First Flush - 3" - https://amzn.to/3dtUkJK
Rain Harvesting First Flush WDAC02 Filter: https://amzn.to/2UioB6F
Scotts 25-year pro fabric, 3 by 150-feet: https://amzn.to/2UCoiSV

Видео Rainwater Harvesting Winterization канала Great Escape Farms