I noticed the RainBank was both leaking and not switching off - The system economically and sustainably supplies the toilet flushing water, tops the plunge pool and is connected to taps for garden watering. What could be wrong? Plumber had a guess. Builder said it was out of warranty two years ago. It’s only
So then the plumber disconnected it and I took it to the suppliers/experts with Pump Repairs in their trade name - and paid $39 for them to look at it. Today, two weeks later, I got a call. He quoted me straight off for a whole new kit - $1077. Or just $770 if I buy the small controller piece that is the Rainwave. This built in obsolescence is horrific.
It is disappointing when electronics die earlier than they should.
The controller is available cheaper online (cheapest I could find with a quick search was $479), such as:
or slightly more expensive:
It comes without the brass fittings, but, these should be able to be removed from the existing controller and placed on the new one (with a bit of Teflon tape on the thread).
Yes, the quote jumped right up when he included the brass fittings - which I’ve obviously got. For the controller alone he quoted $770. I did look at those online pages and wondered how safe they are. I’ll check them out tomorrow.
I’d decided a few hours ago that I’ll collect the pump in the morning and proceed quietly from there. The plumber has since me writing the post offered to purchase it and give me the trade discounted price - which gives me a close to home option. All good. The water tanks are as full as, like cows overdue for milking.
These are quite different issues. The leaking should be economically fixable even if it takes more than one attempt. (For example, seals / o-rings are expected to degrade over time, e.g. as a result of thermal cycling.) The not switching off is more problematic and may relate to a faulty controller. I assume someone looked at the pressure tank.
Anyway, from the sounds of it, you have it under control.
I have a sump pump and a separate RainBank for my grey water to washing machine, toilets, and two garden taps. The Davey pump failed after 15 years and a replacement is around $500 plus plumber costs to fit. Make that a total of $1,000. That’s a lot of water from Sydney Water, so am not going to replace. I have 6,000l of storage in two tanks and that is used to water our garden using gravity.
They will be, but, as the sum of parts usually is far greater than purchasing a new one.
I agree with @gordon, if the water leak isn’t coming from the Rainbank controller, it might be a reasonably cheap fix if it is a broken fitting or something else which is minor. The Rainbank may be okay and only staying on because of the leak.
If the Rainbank is leaking, it could have a split in the plastic connections or internal components which means it would need replacing. Looking at the pictures of a standard setup, the brass fittings on your existing Rainbank should be easily transferrable to a new one. Teflon tape will be needed to seal the connection. It is also important not to overtighten when swapping as this could damage the plastic thread or potentially place additional pressure on the connection leading to premature failures in the future.
I hear what you are saying (Mine is only 4 years old). A plumber friend suggested I do the same - forget the pump, instead, gravity feed.
In normal times the tanks are used directly for flushing two toilets. Plus the water pumps to four taps around the house for garden watering, and for topping up the plunge pool. I could do some of that through gravity feeding, but handling a really long hose is a bit of a hassle at 81. It’s a dilemma.
