And add a glow stick, and a laser, and a digital readout, and a buzzer, and dye, and a second clear tube just for verification to MaKe iT evEn eAseEe urr to see. 🙃
Hey info seekers/viewers: I recommend this creator. He gets right to the point, explains clearly what he's doing, plus gives a parts list with exact sizes and locations/links. Perfect. What's not to like? 👍
Hey Mat. For this project, I used Oatey Fusion - One Step PVC Cement which does not require the additional step of applying primer. I've used it for quite some time now and it has done well. Highly recommend. Thanks for watching!
loop the top of your sight glass back into the system. also you can use UV lights on a loop to sterilize your water if desired. some of the fish hatcheries i visited while i was young would have long narrow loops (flat or coiled) that were encased in UV light to cut bacteria and algae growth and greatly extended the time between tank cleanings.
@@wolfslayer44 i'm not a botanist so i honestly couldn't tell you. i do know that different plants like different things and there are countless variables. i want to say it would help kill bad bacteria but at the same time it'll also kill the good bacteria. and if the different types that you have in the system aren't equally vulnerable to UV then it could cause a major imbalance. i really have using this answer but...... It depends. i recommend you consult someone who can give you proper answer.
@@wolfslayer44 I imagine you already got an answer, but not a good idea. Bacteria is essential in an aquaponic setup, you do not want to kill everything
@@jrdn.lauren i appreciate the answer. I did indeed look it up and found that same conclusion. Makes me more intrigued in the whole system and process. But thank you very much it was still helpful!! Wish you the best!!
As an engineer we put a board with diagonal lines being the sight glass. Refraction makes the lines appear reversed behind the sight glass when full of water or oil.
I did one like that. Used 4"PVC for the vertical pipe. Plumbed it into the bottom of tank. Bought one of those swimming pool floats that they use for the lane markers. Got a long piece of 1/4" stainless steele threaded rod threaded on one end. Used a threaded fitting on the top and a cleanout plug. Drilled a hole in it exactly in the center. Drop in the float and rod. Screwed cover on. Set up a strip of metal behind the rod and made a guage.
That's a Sweet Set Up you got there. And adding a floating bright colored ball or "Pea" to the indicator/level tube might help as well... Looks like I got some work to do on mine. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Make sure you loop the sight glass back to the tank at the top. If it's just capped, there will be air in the line preventing the water level to raise to the actual tank level. Think about a water level, you have to remove your thumb from the end of the tubing to get the water to level out.
A stick with a float at the bottom poking through a hole in the lid would give a level from a distance. Plus you could put marking on it like a ruler if you need to know the exact level
Another good idea if you can put a pressure gage that measures in feet or water or inches of water on the pipe on the bottom of the barrel. A quick glance at the gage and tells you a pretty close measurement of the height of the water in the barrel
To help prevent algae growth, I recommend that you place a copper plate, or even some cut up copper tubing in the bottom of your rain barrel. This will prevent algae growth.
Cool design. But to dumb it down. Could have put the sight tubes on each tank. 2 holes top and bottom. 2x 90s top and bottom. Clear tube connects 2x90s. Simple.
Hey Wrecked. The pipe actually has an oversized cap at the top to allow air to enter and escape as the water rises and falls. It is not glued also. Good point and thanks for the info!
A few others have also recommended this and I think I may demo that concept just to see how well it works and to learn something new. Thanks for the suggestion.
How about at the top side of the barrel drill a 1 inch hole insert fitting and PVC pipe inside and clear site glass outside. Now insert a float that goes as far down as you need. Seal everything up. The water goes up the float goes up. Fewer parts needed.
This is essentially exactly how we know how much water is running through the lines and chicken houses the only difference is ours is flexible clear tubing with a little red ball
well pretty oke up to the cap in the end cause that is gonna trap in a air pocket . also a easier and less algea prone would have been a float with a little weight on it and rope going out with a little weight on it so the rope rises when the float drops and the rope drops when the float rises.
For $15 in electronic parts and a small amount of coding, could do this using a pressure transducer and an ESP8266/ESP32, and send the data over WiFi and see level from a smart phone or other device.
Just in case some of y'all are wondering why you would want to save Rainwater if you live in a remote place up in the mountains and you pump the water up with electricity from the ground like a well when the electricity goes out you can't flush your toilet if you save your Rainwater you can flush your toilet for several days especially with two barrel set up like this guy has this setups even better than ours
Only an 🇺🇸 will first think about a toilet for water usage in case something happens 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 Thats why during covid they went crazy for toilet paper lol.
My guess is with the top capped off it will never tell the right water level right after a rain. Sure it will eventually level out after airlocking at first. If the top of the pipe went back into the top of the tank then it will read right all the time.
If you dont connect your sight glass back to the top of you collection barrel then it will create a vacuum and not be accurate. You need openings at both ends into the barrel to stop the air lock. If you take water out of the barrel the sight glass will not drop. Once you've created that vacuum in your line it will also stop you from continuing to fill if I'm seeing your is not directly top fed. Lots of issues here. If you dont want to plumb it correctly you can use guided wave radar and automate the whole system.
Hi Moose, thanks for commenting. Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the issue you are explaining. I do not have a sight glass at the top of the rain barrels. The white 90-degree PVC elbow at the top of the barrels is there for venting purposes. Are you referring to something else? You can find more details about the actual rain barrel build here: ruclips.net/video/TSexrtkQimw/видео.html If you still see an issue after watching that video, please let me know.
@@GreenTechTown the sight glass itself needs to be vented or it will create a vacuum as the level lowers. Every time you lower the volume inside the barrel you will incrementally cause the sight glass to be incorrect until it stops working. At which point you'll probably vent it in some manner and start over. The proper way to make a sight glass that does not create a vacuum inside of itself is to come from the bottom of your tank, as you have done, run the vertical that is the sight glass itself, as you did, and then connect the top of the sight glass back to the top of the tank. Thi allows the pressure in your sight and the pressure in your tank to equalize and be exactly the same. Otherwise you will start a process of always showing an incorrect level.
Thanks Moose for taking the time to reply back. The cap I have on the top of the sight pipe is not glued. It is also over sized (3/4" cap covering a 1/2" clear pipe) to allow venting when necessary. So far, it has been working correctly and I have not experienced any issues with the system. However, I do believe I understand what you are referring to. I created a video on why venting is necessary for a rain barrel application similar to mine located here: ruclips.net/video/TcaMyyQHWAI/видео.html If you still foresee an issue I may be overlooking or mis-understanding, feel free to share.
Great idea as usual! I find your videos incredibly inspiring for green tech and plan on trying some of your ideas in the next growing season! Keep up the great work! I really appreciate your in depth videos and tutorials!
Use copper pipe on the inlet side and you will not have a problem with algae. And if you use it for drinking water it will tast much better and be easier to filter.
Don't you have to loop the top of your sight glass back into the tank? If it's just capped, you can't get an accurate reading because you can't displace the air in the line so the level won't be able to raise any higher than the back pressure in the line will allow.
Put a pipe with a float on the bottom and a ball on top in the tank through the lid when it’s full the pipe floats up sticking high out of tank when it’s empty it sinks down, over complicating a simple task
Could have just used a graduated float in the rain barrel itself that comes out of the lid, and avoided the extra plumbing. Also what are you insulating? Once you drain the water the pipe insulation is doing nothing but covering over your clear pipe.
Won't work right. Top of the sight glass is capped so there's air in the line creating back pressure that will prevent the water from raising in the column to the right level n
Hey John. I actually do have a float switch installed, however, it's may purpose is to stop my on-demand pump from pumping if my barrels are low on water. You can find more info on my RUclips channel. A shut off valve is another good option also depending on your application, so thanks for sharing!
Great job. Solid solution 👍🏻 Also - did anyone else hear the phrase, "water seeks it's own level," and think, "someone's going to be popular with flat-earthers."
Wouldn't a float indicator do the same job without the risk of organic growth? A float, external indicator (colourful plastic), a weight to balance things, couple of pulley wheels and fishing line.
Imagine not just installing ONE MORE ball valve before the T to the sight glass/drain spigot... So you can let the stagnant water in it drain completely and dry out completely killing any bacteria and biofilms before they develop into a problem... While using the sunlight striking it as a heat source for the drying.
Please tell me you do not have asphalt shingles on your roof? Although your set up is really cool I just feel like I should spread the word on collecting rainwater over asphalt/asbestos shingles. The water absorbs all the chemicals and then you drink it or put it in your garden and then eat it. And I’m not a doctor and I haven’t proved any of this but common sense goes along way in my mind.
What are the cheaper to get two elbows? Screw them into the side of your barrel and put your plastic hose clear plastic hose and make a sight glass on the barrel itself
Hey Cody. Good suggestion. However, I also needed a way to add the pipe insulation which I wanted to have the option to slide it up and down for ease of access and to help prevent algae issues since the barrels do receive direct sunlight throughout the day.
Drop a small coloured plastic bead into the pipe, make it even easier to see the level
I was just gonna say why not a simple float and indicator
And add a glow stick, and a laser, and a digital readout, and a buzzer, and dye, and a second clear tube just for verification to MaKe iT evEn eAseEe urr to see. 🙃
It's called a sight glass of yall want to look them up.
I was going to say the same since I love using them.
Is this a risk for harboring legionnaires disease? I'd imagine so, but figure this whole thing is non-potable water so maybe it doesn't matter?
So why are you covering up the sight glass?
@@TheScandoman to prevent growth of bacteria and such because of light
Hey info seekers/viewers: I recommend this creator. He gets right to the point, explains clearly what he's doing, plus gives a parts list with exact sizes and locations/links. Perfect. What's not to like? 👍
Thanks Nate!
Ok 1 HUGE insult i take as a general pool person..... NO PRIMER ON PIPE BEFORE GLUE!!!
Hey Mat. For this project, I used Oatey Fusion - One Step PVC Cement which does not require the additional step of applying primer. I've used it for quite some time now and it has done well. Highly recommend. Thanks for watching!
@@GreenTechTown but you have to remove the cap and slide the Insulation up to see the water level. Seems easier just to open the lid
As a plumber of 30 years, you must clean the pipes and fittings with acetone ,aka primer,oatey is a great brand, christi red hot is awesome glue
loop the top of your sight glass back into the system. also you can use UV lights on a loop to sterilize your water if desired. some of the fish hatcheries i visited while i was young would have long narrow loops (flat or coiled) that were encased in UV light to cut bacteria and algae growth and greatly extended the time between tank cleanings.
Would this help with an aquaponics system? Or would this be a not smart decision
@@wolfslayer44 i'm not a botanist so i honestly couldn't tell you. i do know that different plants like different things and there are countless variables. i want to say it would help kill bad bacteria but at the same time it'll also kill the good bacteria. and if the different types that you have in the system aren't equally vulnerable to UV then it could cause a major imbalance. i really have using this answer but...... It depends. i recommend you consult someone who can give you
proper answer.
@@godzilla7382 will do thank you.
@@wolfslayer44 I imagine you already got an answer, but not a good idea. Bacteria is essential in an aquaponic setup, you do not want to kill everything
@@jrdn.lauren i appreciate the answer. I did indeed look it up and found that same conclusion. Makes me more intrigued in the whole system and process. But thank you very much it was still helpful!! Wish you the best!!
First thing I thought..."that's gonna grow algae".
Then you showed the pipe insulation... great idea!
But you have to take the cap off and slide the insulation up to see the water level...
Also good idea for those light frost nights/mornings to prevent the sight glass from easily freezing.
Great idea, you can't see the water level now?
As an engineer we put a board with diagonal lines being the sight glass. Refraction makes the lines appear reversed behind the sight glass when full of water or oil.
Interesting, would love to see that in person. Seems like a good idea.
I like that he uses clear PVC primer instead of purple so the job looks very nice and clean.
I did one like that.
Used 4"PVC for the vertical pipe.
Plumbed it into the bottom of tank.
Bought one of those swimming pool floats that they use for the lane markers.
Got a long piece of 1/4" stainless steele threaded rod threaded on one end.
Used a threaded fitting on the top and a cleanout plug.
Drilled a hole in it exactly in the center.
Drop in the float and rod.
Screwed cover on.
Set up a strip of metal behind the rod and made a guage.
Awesome, thanks for sharing Jim!
That's a Sweet Set Up you got there. And adding a floating bright colored ball or "Pea" to the indicator/level tube might help as well... Looks like I got some work to do on mine. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
Good idea Al Lenz!
Make sure you loop the sight glass back to the tank at the top. If it's just capped, there will be air in the line preventing the water level to raise to the actual tank level. Think about a water level, you have to remove your thumb from the end of the tubing to get the water to level out.
This is such a great idea. I've always wanted to do this but just don't have anywhere to put the storage barrels. I salute you! 👏
This is dead simple and I love it.
I was half expecting a $60 gizmo that requires batteries to measure the tank directly.
If you drop a bright color float ball in tube makes it easier to find levels at a glance
True. Several others have recommended that as well.
Nice plumbing on this! Looks really clean!
WOW this is a very simple but effective way to measure your water level very smart
A stick with a float at the bottom poking through a hole in the lid would give a level from a distance. Plus you could put marking on it like a ruler if you need to know the exact level
OMG a video that actually works good and wasn’t a total waste of time watching.. You get the Dundee award
Thanks for the feedback Yahoo4x4!
Simplicity sometimes is the best technology nice job
Thanks Ron!
Another good idea if you can put a pressure gage that measures in feet or water or inches of water on the pipe on the bottom of the barrel. A quick glance at the gage and tells you a pretty close measurement of the height of the water in the barrel
Interesting, never heard of that, but sounds like a good idea.
Well, this is one guy who didn't snooze during his science classes.
lol
To help prevent algae growth, I recommend that you place a copper plate, or even some cut up copper tubing in the bottom of your rain barrel. This will prevent algae growth.
I did this with a beer bong back in 2004. Good job.👌
Cool design. But to dumb it down. Could have put the sight tubes on each tank. 2 holes top and bottom. 2x 90s top and bottom. Clear tube connects 2x90s. Simple.
Need a small vent hole at the top.. or fill up the pipe with water before installing it so you don't have air acting like a spring..
Hey Wrecked. The pipe actually has an oversized cap at the top to allow air to enter and escape as the water rises and falls. It is not glued also. Good point and thanks for the info!
I just tap the side of the tank, and the sound is very different between where there is water, and where there is not.
But some nice pipework.
Watched a video of a plumber yesterday who said capped water lines should removed because the standing water is a great environment to breed bacteria.
Might want a couple wraps of tape on the threads you finger tightened. Great system!
This is one pretty cool Distillery right here homemade all the way👍👍
Good call on the pipe insulation. Algae can be a mess trust me lol
Anyone else surprised by the contrast between what he looks and sounds like?
Great solution!
You should put a float rod in the pipe . Much easier and cool looking
I agree that actually works very well! Good job
I seen where you can put a solid plastic pipe put a floater with magnet and put a pipe next to it with a piece of metal that moves up and down
Interesting. If you have a link, feel free to share, I'd like to check it out.
Add a pressure gauge to the bottom of the barrel and it will show you how many inches/feet of water it has by the pressure it exerts downward.
A few others have also recommended this and I think I may demo that concept just to see how well it works and to learn something new. Thanks for the suggestion.
Sir, a very helpful video. Thanks!
You welcome Johnnym556!
That's awesome! You could also attach a clear tube to the side of the barrel.
Great and creative video!
Thanks troutt99!
How about at the top side of the barrel drill a 1 inch hole insert fitting and PVC pipe inside and clear site glass outside. Now insert a float that goes as far down as you need. Seal everything up. The water goes up the float goes up. Fewer parts needed.
This is essentially exactly how we know how much water is running through the lines and chicken houses the only difference is ours is flexible clear tubing with a little red ball
well pretty oke up to the cap in the end cause that is gonna trap in a air pocket .
also a easier and less algea prone would have been a float with a little weight on it and rope going out with a little weight on it so the rope rises when the float drops and the rope drops when the float rises.
bro that is really smart good job
Thanks owen!
Always use 2 part solvent when doing pvc, it holds 10x better
Put a scale under the barrel. You don’t need an overly accurate one. So it wouldn’t be expensive and easier than almost every suggestion.
For $15 in electronic parts and a small amount of coding, could do this using a pressure transducer and an ESP8266/ESP32, and send the data over WiFi and see level from a smart phone or other device.
Tap on the side of the drum. Buy a clear lid for barrel. Put a clear site glass in lid or barrel.
Nice concept well engineered
Great idea
Thanks for your help
Very clever man, well built!
That's fuckin cool as hell!
Love it!
Just in case some of y'all are wondering why you would want to save Rainwater if you live in a remote place up in the mountains and you pump the water up with electricity from the ground like a well when the electricity goes out you can't flush your toilet if you save your Rainwater you can flush your toilet for several days especially with two barrel set up like this guy has this setups even better than ours
Thanks for sharing John. Great idea!
Only an 🇺🇸 will first think about a toilet for water usage in case something happens 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣
Thats why during covid they went crazy for toilet paper lol.
That is very clever. Well done.
Great build
Thanks Daniel!
Nice job!
Maybe a UV film over the clear pvc pipe would prevent algae growth while letting you quickly see the level
My guess is with the top capped off it will never tell the right water level right after a rain. Sure it will eventually level out after airlocking at first. If the top of the pipe went back into the top of the tank then it will read right all the time.
The cap I used is over sized and not glued, so air is able to enter or leave as the water level rises or falls.
I love this idea!
So clean
brilliant idea
Thanks Dan!
nice work sr
I'd like to see why the pipe goes into the middle of the downspout? Very curious about that.
This video may help if I understand your question: ruclips.net/video/TcaMyyQHWAI/видео.html
@@GreenTechTown I found it, I didn't even know they had down splitters like that. Really cool. Great channel bud
This is a great idea! Thanks man
If you dont connect your sight glass back to the top of you collection barrel then it will create a vacuum and not be accurate. You need openings at both ends into the barrel to stop the air lock. If you take water out of the barrel the sight glass will not drop. Once you've created that vacuum in your line it will also stop you from continuing to fill if I'm seeing your is not directly top fed.
Lots of issues here.
If you dont want to plumb it correctly you can use guided wave radar and automate the whole system.
Hi Moose, thanks for commenting. Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand the issue you are explaining. I do not have a sight glass at the top of the rain barrels. The white 90-degree PVC elbow at the top of the barrels is there for venting purposes. Are you referring to something else? You can find more details about the actual rain barrel build here: ruclips.net/video/TSexrtkQimw/видео.html
If you still see an issue after watching that video, please let me know.
@@GreenTechTown the sight glass itself needs to be vented or it will create a vacuum as the level lowers. Every time you lower the volume inside the barrel you will incrementally cause the sight glass to be incorrect until it stops working. At which point you'll probably vent it in some manner and start over. The proper way to make a sight glass that does not create a vacuum inside of itself is to come from the bottom of your tank, as you have done, run the vertical that is the sight glass itself, as you did, and then connect the top of the sight glass back to the top of the tank. Thi allows the pressure in your sight and the pressure in your tank to equalize and be exactly the same. Otherwise you will start a process of always showing an incorrect level.
Thanks Moose for taking the time to reply back. The cap I have on the top of the sight pipe is not glued. It is also over sized (3/4" cap covering a 1/2" clear pipe) to allow venting when necessary. So far, it has been working correctly and I have not experienced any issues with the system. However, I do believe I understand what you are referring to. I created a video on why venting is necessary for a rain barrel application similar to mine located here: ruclips.net/video/TcaMyyQHWAI/видео.html
If you still foresee an issue I may be overlooking or mis-understanding, feel free to share.
Good job man, thanks.
Thanks Stephen!
Great idea as usual! I find your videos incredibly inspiring for green tech and plan on trying some of your ideas in the next growing season! Keep up the great work! I really appreciate your in depth videos and tutorials!
Great idea! I have the components to do the same. I also am thinking of an electronic photo sensor-LED detectors at several levels.
Go for it. I've seen those options as well.
Brilliant idea 💡
Great job
Thanks cbdbc!
love it man!
Do you have a video on how you made the rain collection system?
You can find the link here: ruclips.net/video/TSexrtkQimw/видео.html
In Engineering terms it is called a manometer
Awesome trick!
Using this kind of pipe you have paint the pipe on the outside, avoiding algea to grow inside. (pipe is absorbing sunlight).
Use copper pipe on the inlet side and you will not have a problem with algae. And if you use it for drinking water it will tast much better and be easier to filter.
Great idea
Don't you have to loop the top of your sight glass back into the tank? If it's just capped, you can't get an accurate reading because you can't displace the air in the line so the level won't be able to raise any higher than the back pressure in the line will allow.
I made sure the cap over my sight tube was oversized and was not glued. It allows enough air to escape and enter so that it works properly.
Why didn’t you just do a float valve?
You should look into copper pipe. It is more difficult but copper is naturally anti-bacterial.
the PVC going into the down spout is for overflow of the barrels right?
That is correct, it serves 2 purposes (rain collection and overflow).
Put a pipe with a float on the bottom and a ball on top in the tank through the lid when it’s full the pipe floats up sticking high out of tank when it’s empty it sinks down, over complicating a simple task
Great work...
Could have just used a graduated float in the rain barrel itself that comes out of the lid, and avoided the extra plumbing. Also what are you insulating? Once you drain the water the pipe insulation is doing nothing but covering over your clear pipe.
Add a second ball valve before the sight glass and it should stay cleaner and not be an algea risk!
It's called a bridle. There are on the side of large storage tanks.
Way brilliant!
Won't work right. Top of the sight glass is capped so there's air in the line creating back pressure that will prevent the water from raising in the column to the right level n
Now put a float switch in to control a shut off valve and your golden
Hey John. I actually do have a float switch installed, however, it's may purpose is to stop my on-demand pump from pumping if my barrels are low on water. You can find more info on my RUclips channel. A shut off valve is another good option also depending on your application, so thanks for sharing!
Great job. Solid solution 👍🏻
Also - did anyone else hear the phrase, "water seeks it's own level," and think, "someone's going to be popular with flat-earthers."
Did you want to add a spigot? I don't get why you didn't just add the clear vertical piece off of the first T?
Nice primer use!
Not necessary to use.
Wouldn't a float indicator do the same job without the risk of organic growth?
A float, external indicator (colourful plastic), a weight to balance things, couple of pulley wheels and fishing line.
So clever!!👌
Pretty fkn smart actually
Pretty old concept. Dating back to the time of steam engines.
This man invented the sight glass
Just tap on the side. You can hear/ where the water stops
Alternatively you could have drilled some holes the barrel and fit in a sight gauge
Installs clear pipe to see level, then covers it up with pipe insulation so he can’t see it.
XD
Still easier than opening the lid
Did you not hear the part about algae growth?
He explained the reason for covering it..... You just wanted to comment and be critical
Imagine not just installing ONE MORE ball valve before the T to the sight glass/drain spigot... So you can let the stagnant water in it drain completely and dry out completely killing any bacteria and biofilms before they develop into a problem... While using the sunlight striking it as a heat source for the drying.
@@robertclegg2609 imagine imagining
You are so clever
Smart man!
Please tell me you do not have asphalt shingles on your roof? Although your set up is really cool I just feel like I should spread the word on collecting rainwater over asphalt/asbestos shingles. The water absorbs all the chemicals and then you drink it or put it in your garden and then eat it. And I’m not a doctor and I haven’t proved any of this but common sense goes along way in my mind.
That's how my desil trailer showed its fule level
What are the cheaper to get two elbows? Screw them into the side of your barrel and put your plastic hose clear plastic hose and make a sight glass on the barrel itself
Hey Cody. Good suggestion. However, I also needed a way to add the pipe insulation which I wanted to have the option to slide it up and down for ease of access and to help prevent algae issues since the barrels do receive direct sunlight throughout the day.