permaculture

[Orchid Black <orchid@pitchersage.com>]

John,

Do you have any experience with this device?

Flotrue Valve Diverter
 http://www.flotrue.com/page/page/638631.htm

There is an article about it by someone from the company on eco-web.com: 
"Major Pitfall of Constant-Volume Containers
When rainfall events start at a low intensity (which is the general pattern) 
it is likely that a constant-volume container will substantially fill with 
clean water because washoff does not occur effectively at low rain 
intensities. Then, when more intense rains begin, undesirable contaminates 
from the roof and gutter can wash into the clean water storage vessel. This 
is the major pitfall of constant-volume first-flush devices.
Primary Advantage of First-Flush Valves
First-flush valves, unlike constant-volume containers, are actuated by water 
flow and, if designed correctly, will not actuate during low intensity 
drizzles. Thus, these devices can substantially avoid conveying water into 
the storage vessel until the roof is clean. That is, these devices are 
designed to wait until the rain is intense enough to wash the roof and then, 
and only then, convey (clean) rainwater into the storage vessel. This is the 
primary advantage of first-flush valves."
http://www.eco-web.com/cgi-local/sfc?a=/editorial/index.html&b=/editorial/02431.html

I came across it while researching roofwashers for my recent permaculture 
design course project.
It seems simple & cheap, but I would like to know if anyone has used it. 
Thank you,

Orchid Black
(new to this list)

Pitcher Sage Design
Native Plant Consulting * Habitat Creation * Design Services

From: John Schinnerer <john@eco-living.net>
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Libraries of standard designs?

  Aloha,

Some more on catchment - the Texas Rainwater Harvesting Manual has a 
3rd
edition out just last year, available free here:

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RainHarv.pdf

See also publications from Oasis Designs (Art Ludwig, another
arid-region designer) - his recently published "Water Storage" book is
excellent on all the storage aspects, and they are working on an
upcoming catchment book.  His greywater books are also excellent.

For about the ultimate detail on catchment, see "Rainwater Catchment
Systems for Domestic Supply - design, construction and implementation"
by John Gould and Erik Nissen-Petersen.  Ludwig and the latest Texas
guide and others all mention this as a reference.  I have it - it may 
be
overkill for your one project, but if you are intending to work with
others, especially regulators who want lots of authoritative sources, 
it
could be useful to have.

BTW ignore all those Rube Goldberg first-flush diverters in Mollison's
books and derivatives thereof.  Use a variation of the simple
no-moving-parts standpipe design shown in the the above references.
The Texas guide illustrates an IMO poor cleanout design with access via
a plug at the bottom(!) of the standpipe, which is silly unless your
standpipe bottom is up in the air and supported fully from above and/or
sides.  Much simpler to let it rest on the ground and use a standard
sweep 90 deg. cleanout at the bottom, with cleanout access plug
(threaded) and self-draining hole or tap to the side.  That's what I've
got anyhow.

cheers,
John S.

John Schinnerer - MA, Whole Systems Design
------------------------------------------
- Eco-Living -
Whole Systems Design Services
People - Place - Learning - Integration
john@eco-living.net
http://eco-living.net
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