Should I Replace My Rain Water Tank?

moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:13
Last edited 01/11/2023 - 12:31

My house has a rain water tank, and like all good homeowners, I completely ignored it until it started leaking. It's a ~1000L galvanised steel tank.

According to the building code, houses in my area need to have RWTs plumbed in to laundry or toilet. I didn't know this when I bought the house, so did not check, but turns out it's not plumbed in to either (and I don’t believe it ever was), and has just been sitting there collecting water not being used for any purpose. It has the pump etc already there, but not connected.

On the one hand, I could just bypass it and optionally remove it. That’s the cheap option. Alternatively, I could replace the tank. If I was going to do this, I would get a plastic tank and get it plumbed into the house like it’s supposed to be. This option will likely cost about $1500, maybe a little less. Any saving from the water used from the tank will be negligible (maximum of $5-10 per quarter I reckon).

I am leaning towards the “replace it” because I guess I see it as part of property maintenance, while my wife seems to be favouring the “who cares” option.

So I guess the question is: to replace, or not to replace?

Edit: Updated to add poll option for "replace but don't plumb into house"

Poll Options

  • 20
    Replace
  • 31
    Bypass
  • 4
    Replace but don't plumb in
Home & Garden

Comments

  • Loot N Plunder on 01/11/2023 - 11:20
    +1

    1000L whats the point.
    Its not like you are going to have enough water for anything other than occasionally filling a bird bath.
    At 50L a washing machine wash that's only 20 loads.

    • EightImmortals on 01/11/2023 - 11:44
      +5

      Unless it rain in between loads of course? :)

  • jv on 01/11/2023 - 11:20
    +4

    Should I Replace My Rain Water Tank?

    No, just throw it out.

  • CurlCurl on 01/11/2023 - 11:33
    +2

    You will probably need to have the down pipe that goes into the tank plumbed into the storm water.

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:34
      +1

      Yes, that's what I mean by "bypass". It's something I can do myself though if that's the route we take.

  • Archi on 01/11/2023 - 11:36
    +2

    disconnect it and turn it into several raised planter boxes

  • shaybisc on 01/11/2023 - 11:36

    I wonder why they put it there? Frogs, in my experience, love galvanised steel tanks, but they are not very good at getting out of them.

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:39

      There was an update to the building code in 2006 I think which meant builders had to add it (reduce reliance on mains water a tiny bit or something), but from my understanding, the contracts usually include "supply but not install", so word on the street is that there are loads of these tanks around that are just sitting there not connected properly and people don't realise/care.

    • onetwothreefour on 01/11/2023 - 11:53

      but they are not very good at getting out of them.

      How do they get into them?

      • shaybisc on 02/11/2023 - 09:17

        Old farm tank. Never did find a hole in the roof of it but they did. They would occasionally get into roof of old farm house. Never did find that entrance either.

    • outlander on 01/11/2023 - 12:38
      +1

      Building regulations. In order to get efficiency ratings they could either install rainwater tanks or solar hot water heating.

      Nice idea in theory, but I don't like it because they would put on monster pumps that kick on and off all night as the toilets flush

  • Benoffie on 01/11/2023 - 11:39
    +3

    Why plumb it? Im renovating and I'm not plumbing mine. I understand the 'logic' but the logistics, maintenance and functionality is utterly pointless.
    Better to use as diversion for gardening and to ensure appropriate soil stability.

    Edit - I'm also in SA. The amount of water we get over winter, if saved appropriately, can water your garden through summer. Doing a few sh!T's and loads of washing, imho, is a waste vs your entire lawn etc

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:44
      +1

      We don't have that much in the way of lawn that I bother watering. We just try and keep a few more delicate plants alive over the summer, and that's about it. Most of the rest of the garden is natives that get ignored.

      • Benoffie on 01/11/2023 - 11:48
        +1

        Yeah same. But we use that water to put sprinklers on during those hot stretches. Means we can water twice daily for a week without paying.

        Mind you we have multiple tanks - just none plumbed.

        Look for lo-flo irrigation options.

        • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:50
          +1

          Thanks for the suggestion, will check out lo-flo irrigation.

  • Worf on 01/11/2023 - 11:39
    +3

    Do you do much gardening? Could you water the garden with it? Do you have a pool? How much would it cost to replace but not get it plumbed?

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:43

      Quote was about $750-800 for a poly tank I believe, and ~$500 for the plumbing. Maybe they're going to come on a Sunday 🤔

      We're not really into gardening. Keep the plants alive in summer is basically our extent.

  • EightImmortals on 01/11/2023 - 11:46
    +1

    You had a rainwater tank and you weren't using it for drinking water? geez.

    We had a similar situation last year when ours disintegrated (was over 50 years old), was used for drinking water and watering the plants so we replaced it with a 2500 ltre plastic tank.

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 11:46

      Grew up drinking rainwater and still miss it :(

  • netjock on 01/11/2023 - 12:06
    +2

    houses in my area need to have RWTs plumbed in to laundry or toilet

    Probably only for new properties.

    If you are to replace just use the water for watering garden and washing the car etc. No point paying $1500 to plumb it into the toilet when it is dirt cheap per mega liter out of the mains

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 12:30

      The plumbing in would only be ~$500, the rest is the cost of the new tank. And yes, only for properties built after 2006 I believe.

      Sounds like I need a new poll option, because there's been several suggestions to replace the tank but leave as garden water.

      • Worf on 01/11/2023 - 12:46
        +1

        Could also serve as a backup water supply if mains water goes out (maybe sterilise/boil/purifier tablets first)… having said that, there’s never been a time in my life where water supply has stopped.

        If you ever sell the house, the rain water tank may appeal to prospective buyers.

        • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 18:28
          +1

          Those are both thoughts that have crossed my mind as well.

  • JimB on 01/11/2023 - 12:18
    +4

    Previously had a plumbed watertank to the toilets as part of the building requirements.

    Wasn't worth the hassles and costs to install.

    During Summer, water would run out.

    Any big dust storm and the toilet bowl was filthy.

  • tsunamisurfer on 01/11/2023 - 12:40
    +1

    Doesn't it depend on how much the OP uses and how much rain replenishes it?

  • outlander on 01/11/2023 - 12:41
    +1

    Chuck it up on gumtree and be done with it. If nobody has come around to inspect it in 15 years, noone is going to.

    Rainwater tanks make a lot of sense, especially as we head into more drought conditions, but 1000L is f* all. Maybe if that was a greywater tank that fed the toilet I'd say keep it, but it just doesn't rain often enough to fill a tank that size from a single downpipe.

  • apple2016 on 01/11/2023 - 14:13
    +1

    Replace and plumb in only if you are going to sell the house. Otherwise no one cares

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 18:27

      Yeah well "future sale" is the only reason I care and am considering replacing. No one is going to come and inspect my rain water tank, but it might be an issue if selling and people know to look (unlike us).

  • ginormousgiraffe on 01/11/2023 - 14:35
    +1

    If you go to sell you will likely need to fix it anyway

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 18:56

      Yeah that thought has crossed my mind

  • Some Human on 01/11/2023 - 17:39
    +1

    Where's the poll option for "move house"?

    • moar bargains on 01/11/2023 - 18:38

      Well that's on the cards sometime anyway, but not because of the tank

  • Stewardo on 01/11/2023 - 22:21
    +1

    The two problems with these tanks are,
    The cheap dual flush toilets that came with the project home have mechanisms that wear out and a slow leak forms that flows into the toilet pan. This is hard to notice but it causes the water pressure to fall activating the tank pump constantly, this uses all the tank water and then it switches to mains eventually destroying the pump.

    The charged stormwater system that flows into the ground from the down pipes and then back into the tank, develops a slow leak underground, this weakens the soil and the house can start to sink in that area causing cracking to the slab and brickwork.

    These regulations are well intentioned but for many people in smaller suburban residential setups are a expensive waste of time. Imo

  • nswnotill on 02/11/2023 - 08:20
    +1

    Have you measured the roof area of your home? Then do some basic calculations on the rainfall in your area, and the rain required to fill various tank sizes. Possibly then install a larger tank and use tank water for more applications around the house.
    We have a 10,000 litre tank on our house which can completely fill on 25mm of rain. This supply is very handy in dry years when the council imposes strict water restrictions.

    • moar bargains on 02/11/2023 - 10:29

      Unfortunately only part of our roof area would fill our tank due to multiple other downpipes. Besides this, because of the topography of our block, we don't really have space for a larger tank.
      Don't get me wrong, I would love to be water self-sufficient, but not realistic at our current place :(

  • Chewy2221 on 02/11/2023 - 10:33

    I am assuming that the rainwater tank is a council requirement & it adds to the "environmental star rating" of the property. If you wish to sell the property then this might be revelant ( similar to pool fencing inspection). It might be worthwhile contacting the council to find out if the removal of the tank will cause problems later on. Good luck

  • ColtNoir on 03/11/2023 - 07:38

    Replace it and plumb it with at least 5000L one would be my recommendation.
    While it might be fine for you, it will make your life easier when you sell

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